how to find my bitlocker key

Question

how to find my bitlocker key

James Babb 0

how to find mt bitlocker key.could you help me? i cannot not find it.

John Jefferson Doyon 86,980 Reputation points Independent Advisor

2026-08-15T22:47:00.86+00:00
Hi, @James Babb

To help narrow down where your BitLocker recovery key may be stored:

Is this your personal PC, or was it provided by work or school?

On the BitLocker recovery screen, do you see a Recovery Key ID? Please do not post the actual 48-digit recovery key here.

Have you already checked https://aka.ms/myrecoverykey using every Microsoft account that may have been used to set up this PC?

Also, was this PC originally set up by you, someone else, or purchased second-hand?

Click "Add comment" to let me know.

Thanks!

1 answer

Your answer

John Jefferson Doyon 86,980 Reputation points Independent Advisor

2026-08-15T22:47:00.86+00:00

Hi, @James Babb

To help narrow down where your BitLocker recovery key may be stored:

Is this your personal PC, or was it provided by work or school?

On the BitLocker recovery screen, do you see a Recovery Key ID? Please do not post the actual 48-digit recovery key here.

Have you already checked https://aka.ms/myrecoverykey using every Microsoft account that may have been used to set up this PC?

Also, was this PC originally set up by you, someone else, or purchased second-hand?

Click "Add comment" to let me know.

Thanks!

Answer 1

A BitLocker recovery key is a 48-digit number used to unlock an encrypted drive when Windows can’t unlock it automatically.

Use the recovery key ID shown on the BitLocker screen first. Note the first 8 digits so the correct key can be matched.

Check these locations:

Microsoft account
- On another device, open https://aka.ms/myrecoverykey
- Sign in with the Microsoft account that was used on the PC
- Find the matching key ID and use that recovery key
Work or school account
- If the device was ever signed into an organization account, open https://aka.ms/aadrecoverykey
- Sign in with the work or school account
- Select Devices
- Expand the device
- Select View BitLocker Keys
- Match the key ID and use the recovery key
Printed copy
- Check any papers saved when BitLocker was turned on
USB flash drive
- If the key was saved to USB, use another device to open the text file and read the key
Managed work or school device in Company Portal
- Sign in to the Company Portal website
- Go to Devices
- Select the locked PC
- Select Get recovery key > Show recovery key
- Enter the 48-digit key on the BitLocker recovery screen
- If no key appears there, contact the organization’s IT support

Important facts:

Microsoft Support can’t retrieve, provide, or recreate a lost BitLocker recovery key.
If someone else set up the device or turned on BitLocker, the key might be in that person’s Microsoft account.
Starting in Windows 11, version 24H2, the BitLocker recovery screen shows a hint of the Microsoft account associated with the recovery key.

If the key cannot be found in any of those places, the remaining option is to reset the device using Windows recovery options. This removes all files.

References: