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HP updated BIOS which turned on BitLocker and locked and encrypted my drive. I never set up BitLocker so I don't have the key or a password. It is not saved in my Microsoft account since I never set it up. BestBuy set up my laptop and transferred files from my old computer last November but they don't have the key. They claim the manufacturers are turning it on when they're shipped. HP states they don't have the key. HP has also stated it's a known problem with HP Envy laptops but they don't have a fix or workaround. Microsoft wasn't any help either. They claimed HP should have the code and of course they state they don't. So far the only advice I've gotten is I'll have to reload a fresh Windows 10 and will lose all my data files, which I'm trying to avoid. I've looked in the registry editor and there are things there for BitLocker. I didn't want to make any changes w/o knowing what they might do but on the other hand it's a doorstop now so I'm not sure how I could make it worse. Anyone have any ideas how to get around this?
Locked Question. This question was migrated from the Microsoft Support Community. You can vote on whether it's helpful, but you can't add comments or replies or follow the question.
This suggestion is only applicable if you actually created a Bitlocker recovery key. Many people did not do this. Hard drives from HP and Dell have Bitlocker activated by default if you choose to use the Microsoft account as the log in instead of creating a local account.
Good day!
When I shut down my HP Envy laptop today, it automatically did a BIOS update. After that, I also encountered the Bitlocker issue. It was asking for recovery keys that I thought I do not have.
I followed the specified instructions. I went to aka.ms/myrecoverykey. After logging in to Microsoft account, there's no Bitlocker recovery keys in there. I've read most of the comments here and I was in the brink of resetting my laptop even if I'd lose my data. Then, I tried to log in again to Microsoft account but this time I used my another email. Fortunately, I have Bitlocker recovery keys in there. There are actually 2 recovery keys but I used the one corresponding to the recovery ID indicated in the instructions. And yay, I was able to log in to my PC again! I was only successful on my third try because I did not enter 0 using F10 key (the instructions are in Japanese).
Suggestion:
Try logging in to your Microsoft account using all the email addresses you are using or you have used. It might turn out that the recovery keys are in one of those addresses.
Thank you for all the help from this discussion! Arigatou gozaimasu! :)
I hope you can fix your PCs too.
If you ever used the locked laptop for your work or school, try the link with your work or school email even you never created a Microsoft account with the email. https://myaccount.microsoft.com/
It worked for my HP. Hope it helps!
I had this issue after bios update. I had/have a local windows login, no windows.com/microsoft.com account used on my pc. I knew bitlocker was enabled because after setting up my 1 month old pc it said it was on but no setup prompt was offered to backup the key or allow me to have the option of turning it on or off. I never imagined a bios update would trigger a lockout like this so i never backed up the key nor did i know how to do that. I think this is a way for microsoft to force microsoft.com accounts on everyone, and those who refuse get treated like this to lost data. This is a M$ issue and they could easily fix this but refuse because they want you to use a microsoft.com account. I am ok loosing my data because the laptop was virtually empty and the secondary partitions were not bitlocker locked so I am crossing my figures I can access those with a new bootable usb.
This happened to me on this past Monday. I checked email at 6am, put my pc back to sleep. Came back about 2 hours later and got the BitLocker Recovery on my screen. I've done alot of research (found this thread today), called Microsoft, HP, and no help. I really can feel the frustration as this thread continues. What frustrates me, when I followed the instructions on trying to recover the BitLocker key and went to my Microsoft account. Everything was there, my devices, 2 phones, 2 laptops, and 3 pc's were listed. I found the device name for my downed computer, clicked, scrolled down to see, "BitLocker-On" and clicked on "Manage Recovery Key" and got the message - "You don't have any BitLocker recovery keys uploaded to your Microsoft account. Note: If someone else helped you set up your PC, the BitLocker keys you're looking for might be on their account."
I guess what really gets me, all the personal info and device info that is automatically uploaded to my Microsoft Account, if a recovery key was generated, why cant it be part of this auto upload?? The one thing you have to put in manually. Really? I didn't physically put in all the data on the other devices.
I bought my HP Envy Aug 2020. I dont remember the BitLocker key. I've resorted to searching every file, scrap of paper, notebook for a recovery key. I write down all my passwords on index cards and lock them up. I know I would have written it down if the computer prompted me with the code, in addition, printing a copy.
I mean, you get your Recovery Key ID to identify your key, I find it hard to believe, other than the one time opportunity to print it out when you perform the initial setup, that this key is not accessible to the user. I'm referring to those that didnt know this security feature was turned on.
