Dell BitLocker recovery key: where to find it and why it appears

Applies to: Dell laptops and desktops (Inspiron, XPS, Latitude, Vostro and others) running Windows 11 or Windows 10 with BitLocker or device encryption turned on.

Why your Dell laptop is asking for a recovery key

Many people are surprised by this screen because they never turned BitLocker on. On most new Dell PCs with a TPM security chip, Windows turns on device encryption automatically when you sign in with a Microsoft account, and quietly uploads the recovery key to that account.

The TPM normally unlocks the drive for you at every start. Windows asks for the 48-digit recovery key when something about the startup looks different, for example:

• A BIOS or firmware update, including ones installed by Windows Update, Dell Update or Dell Command Update.
• A changed BIOS setting, such as Secure Boot, the TPM or PTT option, boot mode or boot order.
• A dock, USB-C or Thunderbolt device connected at startup.
• Repairs, such as a replaced motherboard or drive.
• Several wrong PIN or password attempts at startup on PCs that use a BitLocker PIN.

Step 1: Undo what triggered it

You’ll still need the key to get in this time in most cases, but undoing the change can stop the prompt from coming back on every start:

1. Unplug docks, USB drives, card readers and other accessories, then restart.
2. If you changed a BIOS setting just before this started, press F2 at the Dell logo to open BIOS setup, change it back, save and restart.
3. If a BIOS update just installed, restart once more. If it still asks, use the key; after you sign in, Windows refreshes the TPM so the next start should be normal.

Step 2: Get the key from your Microsoft account

1. On the recovery screen, write down the first 8 characters of the Recovery key ID.
2. On a phone or another computer, open aka.ms/myrecoverykey (or go to account.microsoft.com, choose Devices, then Manage recovery keys).
3. Sign in with the Microsoft account you used on the Dell. If someone else set up the laptop, try their account.
4. Find the entry whose Key ID matches, labelled OSV for the Windows drive, and type its 48-digit recovery key on the Dell. Press Enter.

Typing tip: the key is 8 groups of 6 digits, and you don’t need to type the dashes. On the recovery screen you can type digits with the number row, and on most PCs the F1 to F10 keys also enter 1 to 0 if the number row doesn’t respond.

Step 3: Check the other places the key can be

• Work or school laptop: go to aka.ms/aadrecoverykey, sign in with your work account, open Devices, choose the laptop and select View BitLocker Keys. If you can’t see it, your IT team can look it up.
• A printout or saved file: the key may have been printed or saved as a text file named something like BitLocker Recovery Key followed by the key ID. Read the file on another device.
• A USB flash drive: if the key was saved to USB, plug that drive into the Dell and follow the on-screen instructions.
• Another Microsoft account: family members or the shop that set up the PC may have signed in with a different account.

Can’t find the key? Your options

There is no legitimate way to bypass the BitLocker recovery key; that’s what keeps a stolen laptop’s data safe. Dell and Microsoft both state that they can’t retrieve, provide or recreate a lost key, and tools that claim to “bypass” it can’t decrypt the drive either.

If you’ve checked every account and can’t find it, the only way to use the laptop again is to erase the drive and reinstall Windows. Your files on that drive will be lost unless they were also in OneDrive or another backup. Dell PCs include SupportAssist OS Recovery: restart, press F12 at the Dell logo and choose SupportAssist OS Recovery, or use Windows’ own reset options as described in how to reinstall Windows.

After you’re back in: stop it happening again

Back up the key now. Open Control Panel > System and Security > BitLocker Drive Encryption and select Back up your recovery key (this page is on Pro editions; on Home, the key is already in your Microsoft account if device encryption turned on there). Save it to your Microsoft account, print it, or save it to a USB drive you keep somewhere safe. To see the key while you’re signed in, open Command Prompt as administrator and run:

manage-bde -protectors -get C:

Suspend BitLocker before BIOS updates. Dell’s BIOS installers usually suspend BitLocker for you, but not every update path does. Before a manual BIOS update or a BIOS setting change, select Suspend protection in the same Control Panel page (Pro editions), or run this as administrator to suspend it for one restart:

manage-bde -protectors -disable C: -RebootCount 1

Protection turns itself back on after the restart. If startup changes also broke Windows Hello, see Your PIN is no longer available due to a change; on AMD PCs a firmware TPM reset can also trigger recovery, as explained in fTPM/PSP NV corrupted.

Turning encryption off is possible but makes a lost or stolen laptop easy to read. If you still want to: on Windows 11 Home, go to Settings > Privacy & security > Device encryption and turn it off; on Pro editions, choose Turn off BitLocker in the Control Panel page. Decryption can take a while, so leave the laptop plugged in.

Related guides

• Your PIN is no longer available due to a change: how to fix it
• New CPU installed: fTPM/PSP NV corrupted, press Y or N?
• 0xC1900101 – 0x20017: how to fix the SAFE_OS boot error
• How to reinstall Windows 10: reset, repair install or clean install

Official sources: for more detail, see Microsoft’s and Dell’s own documentation:

• Microsoft Support: Find your BitLocker recovery key
• Dell Support: How to get a BitLocker recovery key from your Microsoft account

Frequently asked questions

Can Dell give me my BitLocker recovery key?

No. Dell doesn’t store recovery keys, and neither does Microsoft Support outside your own account. Check your Microsoft account, your work account or any printout or USB backup.

Why does my Dell ask for a BitLocker key after a BIOS update?

The TPM checks the firmware at every start. When the BIOS changes and BitLocker wasn’t suspended first, the check fails and Windows asks for the recovery key once. After you enter it, it should start normally again.

Is there a way to bypass the BitLocker recovery screen on a Dell laptop?

Not without the key. You can erase the drive and reinstall Windows, but the encrypted data is lost. That’s by design, so a thief can’t read your files.

Where is the recovery key ID?

It’s shown on the blue BitLocker recovery screen as Recovery key ID. Match its first 8 characters with the Key ID in your account so you use the right key.