Bitlocker Process - 2 bek (startup) keys and one recovery key


  1. kevvyb
    Posts : 247
    Windows 10 Pro version 21H2 (standalone licence)
       New #1

    Bitlocker Process - 2 bek (startup) keys and one recovery key


    I don't know if this what should happen but I was watching the process of key storage as I went through the BitLocker encryption process.

    To see what was happening on the usb drive to which I was saving the startup and recovery keys I had to enable 'show system files' in order to see the .bek key.* I have seen posts stating that these are 'hidden files'. Maybe they are both? I am assuming that if the restart to check that usb key works succeeds, then presumably the machine is 'booting' from the usb key (.bek file)...?

    1. Turned bitlocker on the C drive
    2. usb drive was preselected to save STARTUP KEY
    3. clicked on save
    4. ONE bek key created on USB drive
    5. Question re save location for recovery key > selected save to usb flash drive
    6. USB drive preselected > clicked on save
    7. Another bek key and recovery key saved with same timestamp
    8. clicked on next > encrypt entire drive > run check > restart

    So TWO .bek (startup) keys......Does anyone know why two?

    One for each partition although I did not yet have BitLocker turned on my data partition.
    Or maybe one for the Windows recovery partition?* Although I thought I had read that this remained unencrypted...?
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  3. kevvyb
    Posts : 247
    Windows 10 Pro version 21H2 (standalone licence)
    Thread Starter
       New #2

    answer to two bek keys


    Just worked out what it is. There is a bek key for StartUp and a bek key for Recovery. A bit confusing as there is also a 'BitLocker Recovery Key' (different format to bek Recovery key)....???

    Can anyone shed any further light?

    UPDATE:
    Must be that the system partition requires both startup and recovery .bek keys.

    The data partition appears to only have one .bek key, presumably a recovery key.

    The encryption of both system and data partitions has created just one BitLocker Recovery Key in a text file for each partition.
    Last edited by kevvyb; 28 Jan 2017 at 09:35.
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