Bitlocker has locked a SSD in my laptop

GregH · 13 Sep 2020

Guessing I know the answer to this one but really hoping there is a workaround....
‘Laptop with two drives. Decided to do a clean install of Windows 10 Pro 2004 in an attempt to fix a few minor issues. Installed Windows to the C: using a USB set up using the Media Creation Tool. All went well. This is a Dell laptop.

However, the second SSD in the system is now showing as locked by Bit Locker, asking for a code to unlock the drive. I am so annoyed as I did not ever turn Bit Locker on! How was I to know this would be the case? I went back and checked in Bit Locker which is a part of Windows, and sure enough, it was turned on and encrypting my freshly installed C: also. So it turns on without user permission and with no warning of the consequences. I turned it off!

Now though, is there anyway of unlocking my D: or have I lost all my data on this drive. Yes I have a backup but it is a bit old. ;(

- - - Updated - - -

So relieved, problem solved. I found out that the Bit Locker security key is saved in your Microsoft account. That unlocked the drive. I have now turned it OFF!

jumanji · 13 Sep 2020

Looks like Device encryption got activated when you did a clean install and associated it with your Microsoft account. ( When you first got the laptop from DELL and did the initial setup, you perhaps created a local user account ( and not one linked to your Microsoft account), and so Device encryption was not activated)

"When a clean installation of Windows 10 is completed and the out-of-box experience is finished, the computer is prepared for first use. As part of this preparation, BitLocker Device Encryption is initialized on the operating system drive and fixed data drives on the computer with a clear key (this is the equivalent of standard BitLocker suspended state). In this state, the drive is shown with a warning icon in Windows Explorer. The yellow warning icon is removed after the TPM protector is created and the recovery key is backed up, as explained in the following bullet points."

Continue to read on: https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/win...iew-windows-10

You were unaware of this , but shrewd enough to check your Microsoft Account and get the Recovery key/s that were backed up there.

( Having said that if you had turned off Device encryption as you stated, your second fixed 500GB SSD data drive also should have gotten decrypted (unlocked) by itself without the need for inputting the Recovery Key . Perhaps you panicked and did not wait for sufficient time for it to encrypt and then decrypt and unlock.These actions once started cannot be stopped midway.)