Read Important Tips on How to Recover Lost BitLocker Data
BitLocker device encryption is a built-in Windows feature that prevents malicious users from damaging, stealing, or plagiarizing your data. However, how can deleted data be recovered from BitLocker-encrypted hard drives? BitLocker Recovery Tool will be a great help to recover lost BitLocker data from formatted drive, encrypted drive, pen drive and other storage media.
After saving sensitive data to a hard drive, most people are concerned about how to prevent unauthorized access, modification, or destruction. Therefore, many of them will utilize BitLocker to protect hard drives containing sensitive information.
A Brief Overview of BitLocker – Ways to Recover Lost Data
How Does BitLocker Work?
Microsoft‘s BitLocker is a built-in encryption utility. It has existed since Windows Vista and has always been straightforward to use. The addition of this function to Windows is primarily intended to improve the security of data on PCs.
BitLocker uses TPM to help protect Windows OS (Operating System) and your data, ensuring that system settings and vital data cannot be altered even if the computer is lost or stolen and you are not present.
Additionally, BitLocker can function without TPM in regions where TPM is prohibited. To change the default behavior of the BitLocker configuration wizard or to configure BitLocker with a script, you must use a group policy.
BitLocker feature is available for Windows 11, Windows 10, Windows 8 and Windows 7 Ultimate, Professional, Enterprise, and Education.
Also read: BitLocker Recovery Guide
Positive aspects of BitLocker encryption
Windows BitLocker may be your best option if you want to encrypt your private/sensitive/business data for data security. A Google search for “BitLocker” returns numerous results in a single second. It indicates that many individuals are intrigued in BitLocker.
A survey reveals that BitLocker is enabled for the following reasons.
- BitLocker is enabled by default when Windows is installed.
- The company’s data security decision.
- Users’ high regard for data security.
- For scientific purposes.
Principal Causes of Data Loss on a BitLocker Drive
A growing number of individuals are requesting information on how to recover data from BitLocker-encrypted hard drives. The direct cause is that an increasing number of users are experiencing data loss due to BitLocker drive encryption.
Let us now examine the most frequent instances in which data are lost when BitLocker is enabled.
BitLocker will not take effect immediately following the completion of encryption. Instead, it can be accessed as usual prior to a computer restart. Currently, your data may be destroyed as a result of improper operations such as file deletion and drive formatting.
Even with BitLocker protection enabled, it is still possible to loose data stored on a BitLocker-protected drive. For instance, you could accidentally format the device or it could be infected with a virus.
In conclusion, there are several common causes of data loss on BitLocker-encrypted devices.
- Inadvertent user mistakes: deleting files, formatting drives, getting assaulted by viruses by browsing unsafe sites, etc.
- Problems with the hardware, including physical injury to the disk, a poor connection between hard drives and computers, an unstable power supply, etc.
- BitLocker crashes: an unanticipated error may occur during encryption, causing the process to terminate. Then, you may falter no matter what you do to continue the process.
Here is what you should do if you run into these issues.
First of all, please maintain your composure and positive outlook; this is frequently the key to success.
Next, select third-party data recovery software to begin the data recovery process.
Thirdly, examine the files that were recovered and, if possible, repair the damaged hard drive or partition.
How to Recover Lost Data from BitLocker Encrypted Drive
Let’s learn how to retrieve data from hard disks that have BitLocker encryption and powerful methods to recover lost BitLocker data from any drive.
A BitLocker drive encryption recovery must be carried out with the aid of a third-party recovery application.
The popular BitLocker Recovery Tool is a wise choice. If you have this technology on hand and an unexpected loss of data occurs, you can recover the data as quickly as feasible.
Note: Reset or recover the lost BitLocker recovery key if the BitLocker key is mistakenly lost or erased permanently. This program cannot access and scan a drive that has BitLocker encryption without a password.
You can test BitLocker Recovery Tool right now by downloading and running it.
Then, adhere to the instructions below to successfully recover data from a drive that has been BitLocker encrypted.
1st Step: Double-click the BitLocker-encrypted drive in File Explorer. After that, enter the password to decrypt it in the pop-up box.
2nd Step: Run the program to access its main window. Choose the appropriate drive from the list of logical drives, then click Scan to start looking for files on that disk.
3rd Step: After scanning, the app will display the files that it has discovered. They can be previewed to ensure that the necessary files are present.
- You can click the “Stop” button to stop the scanning if it has discovered the files you require.
- You can wait for the scan to be done and then browse the scan results if it has not yet turned up any items you want to recover.
4th Step: Pick out all the data you wish to recover. After that, select a storage location for those files by clicking Save. Finally, click OK to confirm your decision and begin file recovery at the designated location.
Note: Retry making the BitLocker-encrypted drive useable if you’ve already formatted it. You must retrieve data from a formatted hard drive as soon as you can since otherwise you will lose all information saved on this device.
Of course, if you need to retrieve crucial files from a BitLocker-encrypted device, you can rely on a data recovery tool. But after the recovery is complete, you must be ready to pay a sizable sum of money for it. Additionally, if any sensitive data is involved, this could result in privacy leaks.
However, as practically all third-party BitLocker data recovery programs and BitLocker key recovery tools are not accessible for physically damaged hard drives, you will be forced to seek the assistance of a data recovery specialist if your file loss issue is unluckily brought on by hardware issues.
How to Use BitLocker to Encrypt and Decrypt a Hard Drive
You may have noticed the BitLocker option in File Explorer’s right-click menu, but you probably haven’t really utilized it. The procedures below might be used if you want to give BitLocker encryption a try.
BitLocker’s encryption
Right-click the drive you wish to encrypt and choose Turn on BitLocker from the context menu.
After that, you can finish the encryption procedure by following those instructions.
- Choose a PIN or a smart card as one or more ways to open the drive.
- Click on “Next” to move on.
- You can choose to save the restore key to your Microsoft account/a file or print it.
- Click the “Next” button and follow the directions on the screen to set other values.
- In the “Are you ready to encrypt this drive” box, press the “Start encrypting” button to confirm.
Note: While the encryption is happening, you can still use the drive. So, if you do something wrong at this time, it could hurt the data in the target drive.
Second: BitLocker’s code was broken
You can use the following methods to get into the BitLocker drive.
Method 1: Use a password to decrypt it right away
1st Step: Right-click the protected drive and choose “Manage BitLocker.”
2nd Step: Choose the encrypted drive and click “Unlock drive.” Type in the password to unlock the drive and decrypt the partition.
Method 2: TPM chip
The BitLocker feature of Windows requires a 1.2 or higher version of TPM chip. This is a specific chip that needs to be corrected or additionally put on the motherboard to hold all the keys & other information required in the encryption-decryption process.
Method 3: Enter a PIN code
Use the PIN code if there is no TPM chip. Simply said, use a smart card to unlock your disk.
Method 4: Use the BitLocker recovery key
The BitLocker recovery key is a file created during encryption; it can only be utilized in conjunction with a TPM chip or PIN code.
Summary:
You must be mindful of data security in everyday life. Turning on BitLocker in Windows is one of the common ways to safeguard private or business-sensitive data. However, issues with data loss typically arise during or following the encryption of the drive. So the above blog is informative and helpful to know how to recover deleted BitLocker data, how to recover BitLocker formatted data and how to recover lost BitLocker data from fixed drive and external drive.
For the purpose of recovering from BitLocker disc encryption, you need select reputable data recovery software like BitLocker Recovery Tool.
FAQ for BitLocker Drive Encryption and Recovery of Deleted BitLocker Drive Data
What is the recovery key for the BitLocker drive encryption?
When BitLocker is turned on for a drive, a 48-digit numeric password with no duplicates is generated. You can use the BitLocker recovery key to unlock the system if BitLocker is unable to verify that the attempt to access your system disks has been authorized.
How can I obtain my BitLocker recovery key?
- To obtain the recovery key, go into your Microsoft account.
- A text file saved to a USB flash drive should be opened.
- Access the Azure Active Directory account by logging in.
- Find the printout that you saved when BitLocker was turned on.
- Ask – System administrator.
What and How do I turn off BitLocker in the BIOS?
- Hold the F1, F2, F4, Delete, or other buttons while restarting the machine to enter BIOS.
- If necessary, enter the password to access the BIOS menu.
- Look for the Set User Password feature (or other features with similar names) under Security.
- Enter your password here.
- Leave BIOS after saving modifications.
How much time does BitLocker require to encrypt a drive?
Microsoft claims that the BitLocker encryption process typically moves at a rate of 500MB per minute. The customer also reported that it took him close to three hours to decrypt a 238 GB SSD disk. In actuality, the time is determined by the disk type, disk size, disk layout, and other things.
What If I don’t encrypt my data and drive with BitLocker?
Well there is nothing going to happen until and unless your system/laptop is secured in your own access. BitLocker provides safety so no such other person can access the drive data without by passing the BitLocker key to drive.
How to easily recover BitLocker Deleted Data from a Drive I formatted?
There is some situations applies on it –
First case is if you have knowingly formatted the drive or accidently formatted the drive then you can use a Data recovery tool that is been recommended and perform recovery of BitLocker Deleted data from that drive.
Second Case – recovery is not possible and might be in partial if you have stored the data on the formatted drive, storing data on formatted drive cause the overwritten case. Overwritten case lead to data loss and partial recovery and data corruption and that cannot be fixed with any technology.
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