BitLocker Recovery Key - Back Up in Windows 8

How to Back Up the BitLocker Recovery Key of a Drive in Windows 8
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   Information

If you forget the password for an OS drive, fixed data drive, or removable data drive that you've encrypted with BitLocker Drive Encryption, or if something happens to your PC that prevents it from accessing the encrypted drive, you can still use a recovery key (a string of 48 random numbers) to get back into the drive using either BitLocker recovery or the BitLocker Repair Tool. You create a recovery key when you turn on BitLocker for the first time on each drive that you encrypt.

It's essential that you store a copy of your recovery in a safe place. If you lose it, you might permanently lose access to all of your files on the encrypted drive. You can store the recovery key by printing it, saving it on a USB flash drive, or saving it as a file on locally or on a network. While you can save your recovery key to another drive on your PC that you're not encrypting, it's best if you store it separate from your PC to prevent someone from easily using the recovery key to gain access to your PC.

This tutorial will show you how to back up the BitLocker recovery key of an encrypted drive in Windows 8 to make additional copies for safe keeping.

   Tip

If you were signed in to your Microsoft account when you encrypted a drive with BitLocker, then you can get your recovery key from your OneDrive at the link below.

Microsoft account: BitLocker recovery keys

Here's How:

1. Do step 2, 3, or 4 below for how you would like to start.

2. Open the Control Panel (icons view), click/tap on BitLocker Drive Encryption icon, and go to step 5 below.

3. In File Explorer, open Computer, right click or press and hold on an unlocked encrypted drive, click/tap on Manage BitLocker, and go to step 5 below. (see screenshots below step 4)

4. In File Explorer, open Computer, select (highlight) an unlocked encrypted drive, click/tap on Manage (Drive Tools) tab, click/tap on BitLocker icon in the ribbon, click/tap Manage BitLocker, and go to step 5 below. (see screenshot below)

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5. Under Operating system drive, Fixed data drives, or Removable data drives - BitLocker To Go, click/tap on an arrow to expand the drive letter of the encrypted drive, and click/tap on the Back up recovery key link. (see screenshot below)

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6. If prompted by UAC, then click/tap on Yes (if administrator) or enter an administrator's password (if standard user).
NOTE: You will only not be prompted by UAC if this is a removable data drive.

7. Do step 8, 9, 10, and/or 11 below for how you would like to back up the recovery key for this encrypted drive. (see screenshots below)

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8. Save Recovery Key to your Microsoft Account

   Note

This option is only available if you are currently signed in to Windows 8 with your Microsoft account, and the PC is not joined to a domain.

If you saved the BitLocker recovery key to your Microsoft account, you will be able to log in to your Microsoft account online at the Microsoft's site below from any PC to view all of your saved recovery keys at anytime.

http://windows.microsoft.com/recoverykey

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A) Click/tap on the Save to your Microsoft account option, and go to step 12 below. (see screenshot below step 7)​

9. Save Recovery Key to a USB Flash Drive

   Note

This will save a BitLocker Recovery Key .txt file on a USB flash drive of your choice. When you open the .txt file, you will see the recovery key for the encrypted drive like below.

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A) Connect a USB flash drive that you want to save the recovery key to.​

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B) Click/tap on the Save to a USB flash drive option. (see screenshot below step 7)​

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C) Select the USB flash drive, click/tap on Save, and go to step 12 below. (see screenshot below)​

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10. Save Recovery Key to a File

   Note

This will save a BitLocker Recovery Key .txt file to a local or network location of your choice. When you open the .txt file, you will see the recovery key for the encrypted drive like below.

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A) Click/tap on the Save to a file option. (see screenshot below step 7)​

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B) Navigate to the local or network folder or drive location, leave the file name as is, click/tap on Save, and go to step 12 below. (see screenshot below)​

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11. Print the Recovery Key

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A) Click/tap on the Print the recovery key option. (see screenshot below step 7)​

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B) Select your printer, click/tap on Print, and go to step 12 below. (see screenshot below)​

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12. When finished, click/tap on Finish. (see screenshot below)

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13. If you like, you can now close the BitLocker Drive Encryption (Manage BitLocker) window. (see screenshot below step 5)


That's it,
Shawn

Related Tutorials

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• How to Unlock a Drive using BitLocker Recovery in Windows 8
• How to Use BitLocker Repair Tool to Recover a Drive in Windows 7 and Windows 8
• How to Turn On or Off BitLocker for Fixed Data Drives in Windows 8
• How to Turn On or Off BitLocker for Windows 8 OS Drive with or without TPM
• How to Copy the BitLocker Startup Key for the OS Drive in Windows 8
• How to Suspend or Resume BitLocker Protection of a Drive in Windows 8
• How to Turn On or Off BitLocker To Go for Removable Data Drives in Windows 8
• How to Turn On or Off Auto-unlock of BitLocker Encrypted Data Drives in Windows 8
• How to Choose BitLocker Drive Encryption Method and Cipher Strength in Windows 8
• Add "Lock Drive" to Unlocked BitLocker Drives Context Menu in Windows 7 and Windows 8
• How to Change or Reset the BitLocker Password of a Drive in Windows 8
• How to Allow or Prevent Standard Users from Changing BitLocker Password or Pin in Windows 8
• How to Check BitLocker Status of Drive in Windows 7 and Windows 8

 

[btowngurl1974]

Hi there....
I am about to give up on this laptop and just go with it.....seriously. I'm tired of trying to secure things and finding myself stuck.

I have a USB stick with my backup files/image in which I encrypted through Bitlocker. I have the passwords, but NOT the key. I saved the keys to ANOTHER USB stick, in which I inserted into the laptop I'm currently working on, and was able to 'import' the files but I don't understand 'where' they are imported to. I never created a Microsoft account when I reinstalled Windows the first time, only a local account. So, how are these files going to Microsoft if I didn't create an account? Since I have the USB stick that has the recovery key for the reset stick, can I not just pull up the recovery file or save it to documents? And as far as the actual stick with the recovery/backup on it, I also know the password for that one, can I not insert it into the laptop I'm working on and 'disable' the password or the encryption? I guess I don't understand how to 'decrypt' it now. The laptop I'm working on currently is installed with Win 7 Home Premium. My laptop in which I'm recovering is Win 8.1. I'm really confused with this and have pulled up every forum and don't seem to find a direct answer because I DON'T, nor did I EVER create a Microsoft account upon setting up Bitlocker. ....I know the passwords for both, I just don't have the actual 'recovery key' that my laptop is asking for. ....
Very lost and confused. ..
Many thanks.

 

[Brink]

Hello Lisa,

Anything saved to your Microsoft account would be saved to your OneDrive.

If you have the recovery key, then OPTION TWO below can help show you how to find it and use it to unlock the USB flash drive.

http://www.eightforums.com/tutorials/21433-bitlocker-recovery-unlock-drive-windows-8-a.html

If not, then you can recover the drive with the password using the tutorial below instead.

http://www.eightforums.com/tutorials/21714-bitlocker-repair-tool-recover-drive-windows-7-8-a.html

 

[btowngurl1974]

Thank you very much! I'll check them both out now... and will probably have more questions I'm most certain!!