How to retrieve BitLocker recovery keys for data recovery?

Recovery keys are used to recover your endpoint data in case of hardware malfunction and also as an alternate means of login when the traditional authorization fails. Apart from being a workaround, BitLocker recovery key could be perceived as a gateway to access the drives, when the said drive become inaccessible.

What are the ways to retrieve recovery keys?

There are two ways the recovery key can be found:

• Endpoint Central
• Active Directory Users And Computers

Steps to retrieve BitLocker recovery keys using Endpoint Central

To find recovery key using this method, the recovery key identifier of the specific machine has to be obtained first.

The following steps guide you in finding the recovery key identifier:

Step 1: Under BitLocker Management in the Endpoint Central console, navigate to Managed Computers from the Insights tab.

Step 2: Select the pertinent Computer Name, where the Recovery Key ID is displayed.

Step 3: Once found, either select or copy the recovery key ID and navigate to the Retrieve Recovery Key under Recovery Key tab.

Step 4: Enter and select the relevant recovery key ID from the drop-down. Note: Selecting the recovery key identifier as shown in the STEP 3 would lead to the same page.

Step 5: Select on Show key to display the recovery key.

You have successfully obtained the recovery key using the Endpoint Central console.

Steps to retrieve BitLocker recovery keys using the Active Directory Users and Computers (ADUC)

Active Directory Users And Computers console enables admins to manage their active directory objects. It can be used as a Remote Server Administration tool (RSAT) to find the recovery key directly from a Windows machine.

The following steps guide you in finding the recovery key and password ID of a specific managed computer:

Step 1: Open the Active Directory Users And Computers console.

Step 2: Open the Properties tab of the managed computer.

Step 3: Click on BitLocker Recovery. The BitLocker recovery key and Password ID of the computer will be displayed.

You have successfully found the Recovery key of a Windows machine using ADUC.

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List of ManageEngine BitLocker Management documentation

1. BitLocker Management
2. BitLocker overview
3. BitLocker Encryption Pre-requisites
4. Complete feature list
5. How to create a BitLocker management policy
6. How to automate BitLocker deployment for encryption
7. Frequently asked questions

For more information on the new Endpoint Security suite products including BitLocker Management, refer here.