BitLocker Drive Encryption - Unlock a Locked Data or Removable Drive

How to Unlock a Data or Removable Drive Locked by BitLocker Drive Encryption​

   Information

This will show you how to unlock a internal data drive or a removable drive (ex: USB flash drive or external) that was locked by BitLocker Drive Encryption in Windows 7, and now cannot be accessed.

These drives normally would be locked after you have either logged off or restarted the computer.

   Warning

If you forgot or lost the password for the data or removable drive, then you must have it's BitLocker recovery key to be able to unlock and gain access to the drive again.

You should have a copy of the BitLocker recovery key if you did what was recommended in step 6 or 11 of OPTION ONE in the tutorial below to either Save the recovery key to file, save and print recovery key again, or write down the recovery key somewhere for safe keeping.

BitLocker Drive Encryption - Internal Data Hard Drives - Turn On or Off

OPTION ONE

To Unlock a Data or Removable Drive Using BitLocker Wizard

1. Do either step 2 or 3 below for what option you would like to use.

2. Open the Control Panel (icons view), click on the BitLocker Drive Encryption icon, and click on the Unlock Drive link for the locked drive that you would like to unlock. (see screenshot below)



A) If prompted by UAC, then click on Yes.

B) Close the Control Panel, and go to step 4 or 5.
OR

3. Open the Computer window, right click on the locked drive that you would like to unlock, and click on Unlock Drive.... (see screenshot below)



A) If prompted by UAC, then click on Yes.

B) Go to step 4 or 5.
4. To Type in the Password to Unlock this Drive
A) Type in the password, and click on Unlock. (see screenshot below step 5A)
NOTE: The password will be at least 8 letters and/or numbers long.

B) Go to step 6.
5. To Enter the "BitLocker Recovery Key" to Unlock this Drive
NOTE: This step is for if you lost or forgot the password for this drive.
A) Click on the I forgot my password link. (see screenshot below)

B) Using the provided "recovery key ID" number in the screenshot below, locate the BitLocker recovery key for this drive, and then click on Type the recovery key. (see screenshots below)






C) Type in the long BitLocker recovery key number, and click on Next. (see screenshot below)

D) Click on Finish, and continue on to step 6. (see screenshot below)
NOTE: If you had forgotten the password, then you can now click on Manage BitLocker, and Change password to unlock drive to create a new one to use.

6. The drive will now be unlocked until you log off or restart the computer next.

OPTION TWO

To Unlock a Data or Removable Drive in a Command Prompt

1. Open a elevated command prompt, then do step 2 or 3 below for what option you would like to use.

2. To Use the Password to Unlock this Drive
A) In the elevated command prompt, type the command below and press Enter. (see screenshot below)
NOTE: Substitute E: in the command below with the drive letter of the locked drive that you wanted to unlock instead.
manage-bde -unlock E: -password


B) When prompted in the elevated command prompt, type in the password for the drive and press Enter.
NOTE: You will not see the password as you type it. The password will be at least 8 letters and/or numbers long.

C) Go to step 4.
3. To Use the "BitLocker Recovery Key" to Unlock this Drive
NOTE: This step is for if you lost or forgot the password for this drive.
A) Locate the BitLocker recovery key for this drive. (see screenshots below)




B) In the elevated command prompt, type the command below and press Enter. (see screenshot below)
NOTE: Substitute E: in the command below with the drive letter of the locked drive that you wanted to unlock, and substitute BitLocker Recovery Key in the command below with the actual long number recovery key for the drive.
manage-bde -unlock E: -rp BitLocker Recovery Key


C) Go to step 4.
4. The drive will now be unlocked until you log off or restart the computer next.
That's it,
Shawn

Related Tutorials

---

• How to Unlock a Windows 7 Computer Locked by BitLocker Drive Encryption
• How to Use BitLocker Repair Tool to Recover a Drive in Windows 7 and Windows 8
• How to Turn Windows 7 BitLocker To Go On or Off for Removable Drives
• How to Turn Windows 7 BitLocker On or Off for Internal Data Hard Drives
• How to Lock an Unlocked BitLocker Drive
• How to Create a Windows 7 BitLocker Drive Encryption Shortcut
• How to Check BitLocker Status of Drive in Windows 7 and Windows 8

 

[tkwetina]

Yes I can access the data but I aim to boot from the SSD rather than backup the data , install and configure, which will take me a day or more

Tobias

 

[mabu085]

Hi
I have a encrypted drive -data only (on a laptop with TPM) & keep the password (which I had entered when the drive was encrypted). Now my OS drive is dead (win 7 Enterprise x64) & I have replaced a new one with new OS (win7 Ulti x64). CAn I unlock the encrypted data drive with new OS?

 

[Brink]

Hello mabu85, and welcome to Seven Forums.

If you have the BitLocker password or recovery key for the encrypted data drive, then you should be able to unlock it from within the new OS.

 

[anissanka]

Hi My external Hard drive encrypted using Bitlocker..

I have the encryption key and couldn't open the drive using key .

I tried to using command prompt

this was the result can you explained what happned to External Drive please .

Any luck to access to the data please ?



View attachment BitLocker Recovery Key B6771FC7-482A-4A63-AAB0-F5DBB0E31552.txt

 

[Brink]

Hello anissanka, and welcome to Seven Forums.

If you have another drive the same size or larger than this one, you could use an option in the tutorial below to try and recover the data on it.

:ar: BitLocker Repair Tool - Recover Drive in Windows 7 and 8

 

[Jan Cronje]

Jan Cronje

Hello Team, I am in desperate need for help. I am using the external drive on my Dell laptop since the internal drive (C has crashed. Drive F: is asking for the recovery key to unlock the drive. I didn't use this drive for quite a while and lost the page where I kept the recovery key. Is there a way that I can recover the key again? One of my books that I have to submit to the publisher is stored on this drive. I sincerely hope that you can assist me. I thank you for you time and I am looking forward to hearing from you.
Kind Regards
Jan Cronje

 

[Brink]

Hello Jan, and welcome to Seven Forums.

Sorry to hear about your predicament. If you have either the BitLocker startup key, password, or recovery key, you could use the method in the tutorial below to recover the BitLocker drive to another drive that's at least the same size.

:ar: BitLocker Repair Tool - Recover Drive in Windows 7 and 8

 

[polutakK]

Hi,

In my Company, one laptop was encrypted by bitlocker before joining group's domain.
Now, HDD in it was locked somehow, and it won't accept the recovery key.
When Windows prompts and shows part of the Identifier (AE8ED0B0) it matches the same one on the print-out from when it was encrypted, but when entering the Recovery Key into prompted field, it says "this key doesn't match the drive".

Any help, other than asking for password, because the user that was using the laptop says he didn't put any password (doubt)...

Thanks in advance

 

[Brink]

Hello polutaKK, and welcome to Seven Forums.

If able, you could try using the BitLocker Repair Tool to recover the drive.

:ar: BitLocker Repair Tool - Recover Drive in Windows 7 and 8 Tutorial | Windows 8 Help Forums

 

[polutakK]

Hello polutaKK, and welcome to Seven Forums.

If able, you could try using the BitLocker Repair Tool to recover the drive.

:ar: BitLocker Repair Tool - Recover Drive in Windows 7 and 8 Tutorial | Windows 8 Help Forums

I've just realised that this is Windows 7 help & support, gotta go to Win10 Department, sorry for hassle.

 

[Brink]

I've just realised that this is Windows 7 help & support, gotta go to Win10 Department, sorry for hassle.

See you at www.tenforums.com if you like.