Unlock, Turn off BitLocker ENCRYPTED Drive WITHOUT a RECOVERY KEY in 1 Minute

Introduction

This tutorial will guide you through the process of unlocking and turning off a BitLocker encrypted drive without a recovery key. This is particularly useful if you have forgotten your Windows login password and need access to your bootable drive. Follow these steps to regain access to your data efficiently.

Step 1: Access Command Prompt as Administrator

1. Click on the Start menu.
2. Type "cmd" or "Command Prompt" in the search bar.
3. Right-click on the Command Prompt result and select "Run as administrator."

Step 2: Unlock the Encrypted Drive

1. In the Command Prompt, type the following command to unlock the encrypted drive (replace D: with the appropriate drive letter):

   manage-bde -unlock D: -Password
   

2. You can also use this alternative command:

   manage-bde -unlock D: -pw
   

3. Enter the password when prompted.

Step 3: Turn Off BitLocker Encryption

Once the drive is unlocked, turn off BitLocker by typing:

manage-bde -off D

Step 4: Check BitLocker Status

To verify the current status of the BitLocker encryption, use:

manage-bde -status D

Step 5: Resolve Common Errors

• If you encounter an error code 0x80070057, it may indicate that Windows Recovery Environment (RE) is disabled. To enable it, run:

  reagentc /enable
  

If you see a yellow triangle warning on the encrypted drive or error codes 0x80310021 or 0x8031004e, try fixing it with:

manage-bde -on D

Step 6: Use a Bootable Windows USB Drive if Necessary

• If the command prompt option is not accessible due to a password requirement, use a bootable Windows 10 or 11 USB drive to access advanced recovery options.

Step 7: Disable Secure Boot and TPM

• To prevent Windows from prompting for the BitLocker key during startup, consider disabling Secure Boot, TPM, and Intel Platform Trust Technology (PTT) in your BIOS settings.

Conclusion

You have now unlocked and turned off BitLocker on your encrypted drive without a recovery key. This guide covered accessing the Command Prompt, unlocking the drive, turning off BitLocker, and resolving common errors. For future security, consider creating a BitLocker recovery key and maintain backups to avoid similar issues.