Locate your BitLocker recovery key before Windows asks

Disk encryption protects a lost computer, but Windows may request a recovery key after certain security or hardware changes. If you cannot find the key when the screen appears, the same encryption can lock you out of your own files. Prepare while Windows still opens normally.

Check your recovery route​

1. Confirm whether the device uses BitLocker or Device Encryption in Windows settings. Do not disable it just to avoid the recovery screen; first find where its key was backed up.
2. From a different device, sign in to the Microsoft account that owns the PC and open the recovery-key page linked by Microsoft's support guide. For a work or school device, ask the organization's administrator; the key may be held in its managed account instead.
3. Compare the key ID shown in your account with the device's record. Microsoft says the first eight digits of the ID on a recovery screen help choose the correct key if several are listed.
4. Store an additional copy using a method you can access during a computer failure, and protect it from casual disclosure. A recovery key grants access to encrypted data; do not put its sole copy on the same locked PC.

If already at the blue recovery screen​

Note the key ID, then use another trusted device to check the right personal or work account. Microsoft's recovery-key guide lists the possible locations and says Microsoft Support cannot recreate a lost key. Do not pay a stranger who claims otherwise. Avoid repeatedly changing firmware settings while guessing; document recent changes and seek qualified support if the key is missing. Our device-encryption glossary explains what the key protects.