How to unlock drive when correct BitLocker recovery key not working?
It feels dreadful when Microsoft BitLocker recovery key is not working. Especially it means that you can't access data on this BitLocker encrypted drive. Here are some instructions on what you can do when BitLocker recovery key is not working on the fixed data drive and operating system drive.
BitLocker recovery key not working for fixed data drive
I am trying to access the files on my external hard drive that I encrypted using BitLocker, but when I paste in the recovery key it states that BitLocker recovery key or password is not working. How can I fix this?
There are three methods to solve 'BitLocker recovery key not working for the fixed data drive' in Windows 10/8/7:
Method 1: Try the BitLocker password
If BitLocker recovery key is not working, please try the BitLocker password, the BitLocker password is another option to unlock BitLocker encrypted drive. If the BitLocker password is not working either, please try method 3 to recover data from BitLocker encrypted drive.
Method 2: Try another computer
Connect the BitLocker encrypted drive to another computer and try to unlock BitLocker encrypted drive with the password or BitLocker recovery key.
Method 3: Try BitLocker data recovery software
I am having some issues while using BitLocker in my external hard drive, where my password is not working. After setting the password for the first time, due to a powercut, the encryption was not completed and when I tried to use the password, the password was not working as well as BitLocker recovery key was also not working. I have many important files in that hard drive. Please help me.
iBoysoft BitLocker Recovery is a professional BitLocker data recovery software which can recover lost data from formatted, corrupted, failed, inaccessible or lost BitLocker encrypted partition as long as the BitLocker encrypted drive is not physically damaged after supplying the password or recovery key.
Steps to recover data from the corrupted BitLocker-encrypted drive:
Step 1: Download, install and launch iBoysoft BitLocker Recovery on your computer.
Step 2: Select the corrupted BitLocker encrypted drive and click Next to continue.
Step 3: Enter the password or 48-digit BitLocker recovery key.
If it is BitLocker encrypted OS drive, the recovery key is the only way to decrypt data from BitLocker encrypted OS drive.
Step 4: Scan the lost data from corrupted BitLocker encrypted drive.
Step 5: After the lost data is found, preview the found files, select them and click "Recover" to save.
BitLocker recovery key not working for operating system drive
When starting up Windows 10/8/7 or Surface Pro 2/3/4, Windows keeps asking for recovery key, but BitLocker recovery key is not working even if the correct recovery key is entered. In this situation, BitLocker encrypted OS drive has been corrupted due to some reasons (For example, Windows update, motherboard change, virus attack) so that BitLocker doesn't accept the recovery key.
To solve 'Windows 10/8/7 or Surface BitLocker recovery key not working' on boot, data recovery is the only way.
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Method 1: iBoysoft Data Recovery WinPE boot disk
If you cannot remove the BitLocker encrypted OS hard disk from the Windows 10/8/7 computer, laptop or Surface Pro, BitLocker recovery boot disk is the best way to save your data.
Step 1: Download iBoysoft Data Recovery WinPE edition.
Step 2: Burn iboysoftdatarecovery.iso file to a USB drive with the burning tool.
Step 3: Boot your computer from iBoysoft Data Recovery WinPE boot disk.
Step 4: Once iBoysoft Data Recovery is loaded, choose BitLocker Recovery module.
Step 5: Select the BitLocker encrypted operating system drive and then enter the recovery key to decrypt data from BitLocker encrypted drive.
If BitLocker recovery key is not working either in iBoysoft Data Recovery WinPE boot disk, it means BitLocker metadata has been completely corrupted so that there is no way to decrypt data.
Step 6: iBoysoft Data Recovery is scanning the data from BitLocker encrypted operating system drive.
Step 7: After the scan completes, preview the found files, select them and click Recover to start data recovery process.
Method 2: iBoysoft BitLocker Recovery
Step 1: Remove the BitLocker encrypted operating system drive from the Windows 10/8/7 computer or Surface Pro.
Step 2: Connect the BitLocker encrypted operating system drive to another Windows computer as an external drive.
Step 3: Download, install and launch iBoysoft BitLocker Recovery on your computer.
Step 4: Select the corrupted BitLocker encrypted operating system drive and click Next to continue.
Step 5: Enter the password or 48-digit BitLocker recovery key.
If BitLocker recovery key is not working either in iBoysoft BitLocker Recovery, it means BitLocker metadata has been completely corrupted so that there is no way to decrypt data from the BitLocker encrypted drive.
Step 6: Scan the lost data from the BitLocker encrypted operating system drive.
Step 7: After the lost data is found, preview the found files, select them and click "Recover" to save the recovered files.