How to Recover Data from Bitlocker Encrypted Drives

Is it possible to recover data from BitLocker encrypted drive?

Most users use login passwords to protect their computer and the data from being stolen/plagiarized/leaked, etc.

But, some prudent users will find it insufficient; thus, they would like to use Bitlocker Encryption to guard their drives. For example, some users are willing to encrypt external hard drives since the external devices are easily stolen.

However, sometimes, a well-fortified door can also hinder the owner from entering. Some users have lost data from their Bitlocker encrypted drives and don’t know how to recover them.

You might be in a similar plight now. But there’s no need to worry; this article is about offering feasible solutions to help users recover data from Bitlocker encrypted drives. Before that, let’s take a closer look at Bitlocker Encryption.

What is Bitlocker encryption?

Bitlocker Encryption is a full-volume encryption feature built into Windows PC since Windows Vista. It encrypts the whole volume to protect the users’ data from leaking/being stolen.

It uses the Trusted Platform Module (TPM) to confirm/validate the integrity of the boot & system files of Windows PC. If the validation fails, it prevents the system from being accessed.

The encryption starts once a user logs in using a Microsoft account with administrative privileges. The Bitlocker encryption key is required to visit the protected device. Users can find it in their Microsoft account/work or school account, etc.

Main reasons for data loss on Bitlocker encrypted hard drives

Though many users urgently need data recovery from Bitlocker encrypted hard drives, the causes of data loss they meet are various.

• User errors.
• Virus attack.
• Disk corruption.

In a word, users might need to seek Bitlocker data recovery solutions after inadvertent deletion/disk formatting/disk crashes/physical or logical damages, etc.

Luckily, recovering files from Bitlocker encrypted disks after these problems is not impossible. In the next part, you can learn how to achieve it.

How to recover data from Bitlocker encrypted drives?

To access files from encrypted devices, the recovery key is required. According to Microsoft, there is no “back door” if you forget or lose the key. But don’t worry; this part will help you find your key and recover the data.

Beforehand: find the encryption recovery key

Firstly, we need to locate the key before searching for the lost files. When the Bitlocker encryption is activated, the system will ask if you would like to back it up by saving it to the account/a USB/a file or printing it. So, you could start with these places.

1. Check your Microsoft account.

>> Log into your Microsoft account on another machine > click Device on the toolbar > choose the encrypted device > click info & support > Manage recovery keys.

Then copy the keys to a safe place.

Or, you could directly go to the site of the Microsoft recovery key to locate them.

Notes:✎...

If you receive the notice that says, “You don’t have any Bitlocker recovery keys uploaded to your Microsoft account, the keys might be kept on account of those who have helped set up the machine. Go and contact them.

2. Check the USB device used to store the keys

When the Bitlocker encryption is enabled, you may have saved the text file of the keys on an external storage device like USB. You could just plug the USB into another device and find the keys.

3. Check the work/school account

If your device is associated with a work or school account, your keys might be stored in the org’s account. Contact the IT support apartment to access your keys and unlock the drive.

4. Find it on the printed paper

If you have printed the recovery key, locate your keys where you used to place the essential documents and then recover encrypted hard drives.

Perform Bitlocker data recovery using MyRecover

With the recovery key in hand now, we can move on to the data recovery solution. Faced with data loss on a hard drive, one of the easiest and safest data recovery methods is using professional Windows data recovery software.

Using a data recovery tool, users can get rid of doing further damage to the affected hard drives; in addition, it is cost-effective compared to sending the drive to an in-lab data recovery service.

MyRecover is an efficient app you can rely on. It is developed by the leading benchmark in the data security industry, supported by a sophisticated team with over 10 years of experience.

All users can use this app to recover data without any challenges. Not only encrypted drive, you can also use it to recover data from encrypted SD card, USB drive, etc.

Notes:✎...

Before scanning for lost data, it is better to stop reading and writing data to the affected drive to avoid overwriting. 

This app offers a free version for users to recover 30 MB of files for free every time. Upgrade MyRecover to Pro/Tech now to enjoy unlimited data recovery on multiple devices.

Step 1. Download & install MyRecover > hover the mouse over the Bitlocker encrypted hard drive (decrypt it first in File Explorer) > click Scan.

Step 2. During the software searches for the files, you could preview, sort, filter, or directly choose the files to recover.

Step 3. Check the Deleted files > go to the file's original location to restore the data with filenames/formats/paths intact. Also, you could check the Other missing files to retrieve files selectively.

To avoid data from being lost again, you should back up encrypted hard drive to a safe place using professional data backup tools.

FAQ

This article aims to help users recover data from Bitlocker encrypted drives. For those who have lost their keys, this tutorial also gathers some tips to find the keys. In addition, some extra info is also ready in the following questions.