What is BitLocker
BitLocker is just a full disk encryption feature included with selected editions of Windows Vista, Windows 7, Windows 8 and Windows 10. It was created to protect data by giving encryption for the entire volume.
What is BitLocker recovery key?
A BitLocker recovery key, aka Microsoft recovery key or Windows recovery key, it is just a special key that has been automatically generated when establishing BitLocker drive encryption on the precise drive.
BitLocker recovery key can be used to unlock your BitLocker encrypted drive once you your investment BitLocker password or BitLocker password isn't working.
Where and how to locate BitLocker recovery key?
Microsoft's BitLocker drive encryption always forces you to save lots of a BitLocker recovery key once you set it up. You may have stored it online with a Microsoft account, saved it to a USB drive, Bitlocker recovery saved it to a record or printed that recovery key, etc., so you'll find the recovery key in these ways:
Option 3: Discover the BitLocker recovery key in a txt file
BitLocker recovery key may be saved as a txt file in your computer. If you have not deleted it, search BitLocker Recovery Key.txt in your computer.
Option 4: Discover the BitLocker recovery key in a document
If you printed BitLocker recovery key by "Microsoft Print to PDF", look for pdf file on your computer.
Option 5: Discover the BitLocker recovery key in Active Directory
If you should be a domain user, the BitLocker recovery key may be saved to Active Directory (AD), contact your administrator to have it.
BitLocker Recovery Password Viewer can locate and view BitLocker recovery key that's stored in Active Directory (AD).
Tutorial to view BitLocker recovery key in Active Directory:
In Active Directory Users and Computers, locate and then click the container in which the computer is located. For example, click the Computers container.
Right-click the computer object, and then click Properties.
In the ComputerName Properties dialog box, click the BitLocker Recovery tab to view the BitLocker recovery keys which can be connected with the specific computer.
Option 6: In your Azure Active Directory account
For work PCs where you sign in by having an Azure Active Directory account, see the device info for the Microsoft Azure account and get the recovery key.
Cannot find BitLocker recovery key, how to proceed?
If you fail to get BitLocker recovery key with the above mentioned methods, read our article: How exactly to unlock BitLocker encrypted drive without password and recovery key.
