Recovering Data Protected by BitLocker Drive Encryption

Recovering Data Protected by BitLocker Drive Encryption

Here’s an instruction for recovering your data after BitLocker has entered recovery mode. BitLocker locks the computer when a disk encryption key is not available. The following is a list of likely causes:

• A TPM error occurs.
• The boot files is modified.
• The TPM is inadvertently turned off and the computer is turned off.
• The TPM is inadvertently cleared and the computer is turned off.

When the computer is locked by Bitlocker, it would interrupt the startup process, before the operating system starts. So you must use the recovery password from a USB flash drive, or use the function keys to enter the recovery password.

Before this happens it’s best to test your data recovery, prevention is better than finding a cure for it, remember that.

To test data recovery

When you restart the computer, you will be prompted for the recovery password, because the startup configuration has changed since you encrypted the volume.

1. Click Start, click All Programs, click Accessories, and then click Run.
2. Type tpm.msc in the Open box, and then click OK. The TPM Management Console is displayed.
3. Under Actions, click Turn TPM Off.
4. Provide the TPM owner password, if required.
5. When the Status panel in the TPM Management on Local Computer task panel reads “Your TPM is off and ownership of the TPM has been taken,” close that task panel.
6. Close all open windows.
7. If the USB flash drive that contains your recovery password is plugged into the system, use the Safely Remove Hardware icon in the notification area to remove it from the system.
8. Click the Start button, and then click the Shutdown button to turn off your computer.

To recover access to data using BitLocker Drive Encryption

1. Turn on the computer.
2. If the computer is locked, the BitLocker Drive Encryption Recovery Console will appear.
3. You will be prompted to insert the USB flash drive that contains the recovery password.
4. If you have the USB flash drive with the recovery password, insert it, and then press ESC. Your computer will restart automatically. You do not need to enter the recovery password manually.
5. If you do not have the USB flash drive with the recovery password, press ENTER.
6. You will be prompted to enter the recovery password.
7. If you know the recovery password, type it and then press ENTER.
8. If you do not know the recovery password, press ENTER twice and turn off your computer.