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

 

[levik]

Dear All

hi.

i really face problme.

i have a external hard. i apply bitlocker on my hard. i have the recovery key.
the problem is that as soon as i conect the hard to my laptop, the system is not responding ( hanging).

i need the data in my hard, so plz let me know is there any way to open my hard???

 

[Brink]

Hello Levik, and welcome to Seven Forums.

Does this happen on any other computer you connect the external drive to?

If not, then you could use the tutorial on another computer with your recovery key to unlock it.

 

[Csangelo123]

I have an external drive. I tried to encrypted it with bit locker. The process was failed and stope in the halfway.
And now i cant access to the drive. Passwords and recovery key are useless thought they are correct.
i have tried like the way you describe but it is not working.
what should i do?

 

[Brink]

Hello Csangelo, and welcome to Seven Forums.

What was the full error message, or was it interrupted?

 

[Aviscall]

USB drive decryption process interrupted

After decryption process halted, I am unable to access my drive. Windows always asks me for password, but password doesn't work, recovery key as well doesn't work.
I tried to format drive with diskmgmt and diskpart, but it failed with error that drive is write protected. I could remove the write-protection flag with diskpart attributes disk readonly clear, but it has still an "actual" write protection state, which seems to be not editable.
I tried to do some regedit hacks without a result.
With the program "M3 Bitlocker Recovery Free" I was able to access the volume with the recovery key. Also this program shows a partition 0 on that drive with FAT32 and NTFS volumes, wicked. Why can't I access that drive with manage-bde or repair-bde and recovery key but with that 3rd party tool?
I'm really lost, how can I override the MBR of that drive and remove completely the bitlocker, I just want to reuse the drive, I don't need to recover the data. I still have it on my PC.
I also tried to flush the USB with a Low Level Formater and Mass Production Tool from manufactorer, but always fails with that freaky write-protected error message.

Any ideas/help?

 

[Brink]

Hello Aviscall, and welcome to Seven Forums.

Does the USB flash drive have a physical write protect switch on it that may have been turned on?

Disk Write Protection - Enable or Disable in Windows - Windows 10 Forums

Once you're sure that write protection is turned off for the USB, see if running a "clean" command on the USB will wipe it to allow you to be able to format it afterwards.

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/52129-disk-clean-clean-all-diskpart-command.html

 

[Banker]

Hi All

Please assist me as I am a little bit desperate to recover my data from my old OS drive.

My drive crashed because of bitlocker and I had it replaced with, now when I plug in my old drive into another machine and I enter my recovery password/key to decrypt the drive it just says not responding and hangs there until I force close the application.

Is there anything I can do to work around this?
The first time I tried, it worked and gave me access to the drive and I was quite relieved because I thought my drive was okay, now I cannot access it.

PLEASE HELP!!!!

 

[Brink]

Hello Banker, and welcome to Seven Forums.

You might see if you may be able to use the BitLocker Repair Tool in the tutorial below to hopefully recover your drive.

BitLocker Repair Tool - Recover Drive in Windows 7 and 8

 

[Banker]

Hi Brink

I am having difficulties with running the command as it gives me a syntax error.

is there anyway you could please provide me with an email address for me to chat to you directly?

thank you

 

[Brink]

I'll be happy to help here. If you like, post some screenshots to see if anything stands out.

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/9733-screenshots-files-upload-post-seven-forums.html

 

[Banker]

This is the error I get

 

[Banker]

the affected drive is F and I want to be restored to the C drive.

 

[Banker]

This is what happens evertyime I enter the recovery ID, I am simply unable to attain any sort of access to the drive.

 

[Brink]

You won't be able to recover F: to C: since C: is the Windows drive. You'll need to recover F: to a different drive letter.

 

[Banker]

I have entered another external drive in G and the error persists, am I typing the command correctly?

 

[Brink]

I don't see any issues with the command.

Is the G: drive of equal or larger size than the F: drive?

If you have the BitLocker recovery key for F: , then you might try the command in step 3 for it instead.

 

[Banker]

I will try the recovery ID as a method of recovery also.

I have a 250GB 2.5" as my external, the drive I am trying to recover from is a 320GB 2.5" but the data is not more than 150GB.

does the drive itself need to be equivalent to or larger than the affected drive?

so in other words I will a 320GB or more?

 

[Brink]

Yep, the amount used doesn't matter. You will need a drive at least 320GB or more to recover to.

 

[Banker]

Please see this error again.

I am trying to recover :F(320GB) to drive :H (320GB).

Am i doing something wrong?

 

[Brink]

I don't see any obvious issue with the syntax of the command.

Try the command below to see how it does without -f instead:

repair-bde F: H: -pw