bitblocker for older surface

otto kloosterman 0 Reputation points
2026-05-18T20:02:01.6233333+00:00

Dear management i tried to find a bitblocker for my older Surface Pro patop bought in 2015 but i can not retieve it in my Microsoft account

Please help me so i still can use my old Surface as a tablet

Regards

Otto Kloosterman

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Surface | Surface Pro | Safety and security
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  1. AI answer

    2026-05-18T20:02:13.6166667+00:00

    BitLocker recovery keys are not stored by Microsoft automatically; they are only available in specific locations that were configured when BitLocker was turned on.

    To try to find the BitLocker recovery key for the older Surface Pro:

    1. Check the Microsoft account used on the device
    2. Check other common locations listed in the official guidance

    If the recovery key cannot be found in any of the locations described in the article, the key cannot be retrieved by anyone, including Microsoft support. BitLocker is designed so that without the recovery key, the encrypted data cannot be unlocked.

    In that case, the only way to use the Surface again is to reset/reinstall Windows on the device, which will erase all data on the drive. For Surface devices, this is typically done using a Surface recovery image:

    If data on the device is critical and the key cannot be found, professional data recovery will not be able to bypass BitLocker encryption without the key.

    References:

    AI-generated content may be incorrect. Read our transparency notes for more information.

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  2. S.Sengupta 32,031 Reputation points MVP Volunteer Moderator
    2026-05-19T01:19:03.8533333+00:00

    On another device open a browser and go to https://account.microsoft.com/devices/recoverykey, then log in with the same Microsoft account you used when you set up the Surface.

    The page will list all BitLocker recovery keys backed up to that account. Compare the first 8 digits of the Recovery Key ID shown on the blue BitLocker screen of your Surface with the Key IDs listed on the web page. When one matches, use the corresponding 48-digit recovery key to unlock the device.

    If it's not there You may have set up the Surface with a different Microsoft account (an old email, for example). Try signing in with any other accounts you may have had.

    If the key truly cannot be found, you can reset the Surface using Microsoft's official recovery image. You can find the Surface recovery images at: https://support.microsoft.com/surface-recovery-image

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