Where do I find my BitLocker recovery key?
Most home users can find it in their Microsoft account. On another device, go to aka.ms/myrecoverykey, sign in with the same account you use on the PC, and match the key ID on the blue screen. The key is a 48-digit number.
BitLocker and Device Encryption scramble your drive so a thief can't read it. The recovery key is the spare that unlocks the drive when the normal sign-in can't, for example after a hardware change or a firmware update. Windows often saves it to your Microsoft account automatically when encryption is turned on.
If it isn't in your Microsoft account, check a work or school account, a printout kept with important papers, or a USB flash drive you saved it to. If an employer or school manages the computer, their IT team can usually look it up. Microsoft support can't create a new key for you.
- Use a phone or another computer to open aka.ms/myrecoverykey
- Sign in with the Microsoft account you use on the locked PC
- Find the entry whose key ID matches the one on screen
- Type the 48-digit key carefully, then save a copy somewhere safe for next time
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Formatting, Encryption and Wiping
From the Files & Storage Deep Dive course. Format a drive, guard your recovery key and wipe a computer before you sell it.
Try it on the practice computer Read the full lesson
The reading is free. The hands-on lab is part of Pro.