--- title: "Find your BitLocker recovery key in Windows 11 and Windows 10" canonical: https://saasranked.com/guides/find-bitlocker-recovery-key/ applies_to: Windows 11, Windows 10 checked: 2026-10-03 (against Microsoft's documentation) updated: 2026-10-03 --- # Find your BitLocker recovery key in Windows 11 and Windows 10 - The recovery key is a 48-digit number; the first 8 digits of the key ID on the recovery screen tell you which key to use [1]. - On a personal PC, sign in at https://aka.ms/myrecoverykey from another device; the key may be in the account of whoever set up the PC [1]. - On a work or school PC, go to https://aka.ms/aadrecoverykey, select Devices, expand your device and select View BitLocker Keys [1]. - Starting in Windows 11, version 24H2, the recovery screen shows a hint of the Microsoft account that holds the key [1]. - Microsoft Support can't retrieve, provide or recreate a lost key; without it you may have to reset the PC, which removes all your files [1]. To find your BitLocker recovery key, first write down the first 8 digits of the key ID on the recovery screen [1]. Then, on another device, sign in at aka.ms/myrecoverykey with your Microsoft account [1]. For a work or school PC, use aka.ms/aadrecoverykey or ask your IT department [1]. Also check printouts and USB flash drives [1]. Microsoft Support can't recover a lost key [1]. ## Before you start BitLocker asks for the recovery key when it can't unlock the drive on its own [1]. This can happen at startup after a hardware change or a security risk [1]. Common triggers include a BIOS or UEFI firmware upgrade, changes to the TPM, and moving the drive to a new computer [3]. You need a second device, such as a phone or another computer, to look up the key online [1]. Microsoft Support can't retrieve, provide or recreate a lost key [1]. Don't reset the PC until you have checked every place below, because a reset removes all your files [1]. ## Steps 1. **Note the recovery key ID.** On the BitLocker recovery screen, write down the first 8 digits of the recovery key ID [1]. They tell you which key to use if you have more than one [1]. 2. **Check your Microsoft account.** On another device, go to https://aka.ms/myrecoverykey and sign in [1]. Find the key with the matching ID and type that key on the locked PC [1]. Starting in Windows 11, version 24H2, the recovery screen shows a hint of the Microsoft account linked to the key [1]. 3. **Check the account of whoever set up the PC.** If someone else set up the device or turned on BitLocker, the key may be in their Microsoft account [1]. Ask them to sign in at the same address. 4. **Check your work or school account.** Go to https://aka.ms/aadrecoverykey and sign in [1]. Select **Devices**, expand your device, select **View BitLocker Keys**, and match the key ID [1]. 5. **Look for a printout.** Check where you keep important papers [1]. The key ID and the recovery key are printed together [1]. 6. **Try a USB flash drive.** Plug the drive into the locked PC and follow the instructions on screen [1]. If the key is saved as a text file, open it on a different device and read it there [1]. 7. **Ask your IT department.** If an organization manages the PC, contact its IT support [1]. Organizations can store keys in Microsoft Entra ID or Active Directory, and the help desk can be given access to them [3]. ## Check it worked Type the 48-digit key on the recovery screen [1]. Once the key is accepted, you can start Windows normally or open the Windows RE troubleshooting tools [3]. When Windows is running again, back up the key for next time. Open **Start**, type BitLocker, and select **Manage BitLocker** [2]. Select **Back up your recovery key** next to the drive, choose where to save it, and select **Finish** [2]. The choices are **Save to your Microsoft Account**, **Save to a USB flash drive**, **Save to a file** and **Print the recovery key** [2]. On a work or school device, the first choice may read **Save to your Azure AD account** [2]. ## Common problems - **Your account lists more than one key.** Use the key whose ID matches the first 8 digits on the recovery screen [1]. - **There is no key in your Microsoft account.** The person who set up the device or turned on BitLocker may hold it in their account [1]. On a work or school PC, check https://aka.ms/aadrecoverykey or ask IT support [1]. - **The screen asks for a USB drive, not a number.** That drive holds a recovery key file named in the format `.bek` [3]. Plug it in and follow the instructions [1]. - **You need help typing the key.** On the recovery screen in Windows RE, press WIN + CTRL + Enter to turn on Narrator, or tap a text box to open the on-screen keyboard [3]. These tools might not be available when the Windows boot manager asks for the key [3]. - **You can't find the key anywhere.** If you can't undo the change that triggered the prompt, you have to reset the device with Windows recovery options [1]. This removes all of your files [1]. ## Questions **Can Microsoft Support give me my BitLocker recovery key?** No. Microsoft Support can't retrieve, provide or recreate a lost BitLocker recovery key [1]. Check your Microsoft account, your work or school account, printouts and USB flash drives instead [1]. **Why is my PC suddenly asking for a BitLocker recovery key?** BitLocker asks for the key when it can't unlock the drive on its own, for example after a hardware change [1]. Firmware upgrades, changes to the TPM and moving the drive to a new computer can all trigger it [3]. **Where is my recovery key saved if I never backed it up?** The key is backed up automatically when BitLocker is first turned on, and with a Microsoft account it is typically attached to that account [2]. For PCs that aren't joined to a work domain, the Microsoft account is the recommended place to store it [3]. **What does a BitLocker recovery key look like?** It is a 48-digit number [1]. A printout shows the key ID and the recovery key together [1]. ## Sources 1. [Find your BitLocker recovery key](https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/find-your-bitlocker-recovery-key-6b71ad27-0b89-ea08-f143-056f5ab347d6), Microsoft Support, accessed 2026-10-03 2. [Back up your BitLocker recovery key](https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/back-up-your-bitlocker-recovery-key-e63607b4-77fb-4ad3-8022-d6dc428fbd0d), Microsoft Support, accessed 2026-10-03 3. [BitLocker recovery overview](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/security/operating-system-security/data-protection/bitlocker/recovery-overview), Microsoft Learn, accessed 2026-10-03 Checked against Microsoft's documentation on 3 Oct 2026.