Summary: Discover effective solutions for data recovery from BitLocker-encrypted drives, a popular encryption feature designed to safeguard data from unauthorized access. In this informative write-up, we explore methods to retrieve lost data from BitLocker-protected storage devices. Read on to unlock valuable insights into recovering data from BitLocker encrypted drives.
Content Table:
- What is BitLocker Drive Encryption?
- Reasons for data loss in BitLocker encrypted drive
- How to Recover Data from BitLocker Encrypted Drive?
- Data recovery from BitLocker encrypted drive by decrypting
- Method 1: Data decryption using Windows GUI mode
- Method 2: Decrypt using Command prompt
- Method 3: Decrypt drive using Windows Powershell
- Recover files from BitLocker encrypted drive using professional tool
- Steps to use SFWare data recovery tool for BitLocker encrypted drive data recovery
What is BitLocker Drive Encryption?
BitLocker is a Windows built-in encryption solution; encryption helps you protect sensitive data. BitLocker uses AES (Advanced Encryption Standard) algorithm to encrypt every bit of your data. Below you can find some benefits of using BitLocker,
- Enhanced data security: If your device is lost or stolen, the data is secure and cannot accessed without decryption.
- Ease of use: BitLocker can be set up easily and fits in smoothly with Windows.
- Protects the entire drive: BitLocker encrypts all the data in the hard drive, rather than some folders or files.
- Supports multiple authentication methods: BitLocker supports multiple authentication methods, including passwords, smart cards, or TPM.
Reasons for Data Loss in BitLocker Encrypted Drive
After examining the benefits of utilizing BitLocker encryption, let’s explore the common causes of data loss in encrypted drives:
- Forgetting Password or Losing Recovery Key: If you forget the password or misplace the recovery key, accessing the data on the encrypted drive becomes impossible.
- Physical Damage to the Storage Device: Even with encryption in place, physical damage to the hard drive or storage device can still lead to data loss. This could occur due to factors like hardware failure, water damage, or impact.
- Malware or Virus Infections: Malicious software or virus infections can corrupt the data stored on the encrypted drive, making it inaccessible or causing data loss.
- Accidental Deletion or Formatting: Mistakenly deleting or formatting the encrypted drive can result in the loss of important data. It’s crucial to exercise caution when performing actions on encrypted drives to prevent accidental data loss.
- Software Bugs, Hardware Issues, or Compatibility Problems: Data loss can occur due to various technical issues, such as software bugs within the encryption software, hardware malfunctions, or compatibility problems between the encryption software and the operating system.
How to Recover Data from BitLocker Encrypted Drive?
Having covered an overview of BitLocker and the causes of data loss in encrypted drives, let’s now shift our focus to exploring methods for recovering data from BitLocker-encrypted drives. In the following section, we will examine various approaches and techniques that can be employed to retrieve data from a BitLocker-protected drive.
Data Recovery from BitLocker Encrypted Drive by Decrypting
Decrypting the drive makes data recovery easy most of the time. This is because you may think there is a data loss in the drive if you forgot you have encrypted the drive. So, if you are in this situation try and decrypt the drive, following the methods below,
Method 1: Data decryption using Windows GUI mode
- In the start menu type Control Panel and open it.
- Now in the System and Security, select BitLocker Drive Encryption
- Then select the drive that you want to decrypt and click on Turn off BitLocker.
- Wait for the process to complete and check the drive for the data.
Method 2: Decrypt using Command prompt
- In the search bar type CMD and select Run as administrator.
- In the window, type manage-bde -status and press Enter, to check the status of BitLocker encryption.
Note: If the Percentage Encrypted: 100% then the drive is encrypted. If the drive is not encrypted then it shows, Percentage Encrypted: 0.0%.
- Now note down the drive letter for the encrypted drive and type manage-bde -off [drive letter]: and press Enter.
Note: Replace [drive letter]: with the drive letter you note down.
- Once the process is complete check the status again and restart your system.
Method 3: Decrypt drive using Windows Powershell
- Type Powershell in the search bar and select Run as administrator.
- In the Powershell window and type Get-BitLockerVolume and hit Enter.
Note: If the value under Percentage Encrypted is 100 then the drive is encrypted. If the drive is not encrypted, then it will be 0.
- Now type Disable-BitLocker -MountPoint “[drive letter]:” and press Enter.
Note: Replace the [drive letter]: with the corresponding drive letter of the drive.
- Wait for the process to complete and restart your system.
Recover Files from BitLocker Encrypted Drive Using Professional Tool
Now, let’s consider the situation where data is still lost despite attempting various decryption methods. In such cases, it is crucial to utilize a reliable and professional data recovery tool. SFWare Data Recovery software is highly recommended for efficiently recovering lost data in a wide range of storage devices. With its purpose-built features and comprehensive capabilities, SFWare Data Recovery is designed to handle diverse data loss scenarios effectively.
Steps to use SFWare data recovery tool for BitLocker encrypted drive data recovery
Step 1: Download and install the SFWare data recovery software on your computer.
Step 2: Launch the software and choose Recover Files from the home screen.
Step 3: Then choose Deleted File Recovery from the two options on the next screen.
Step 4: Now, select the drive to recover data then click Next.
Step 5: After the scan is complete, the files will display in the Data view and File type view.
Step 6: Preview and select the files you want and choose a location to save the recovered files then click Next.
Note: It is recommended to save the files to a different drive than the one you scanned.
Step 7: Click on the Recover button to restore the files.
Conclusion
In conclusion, this article provided an in-depth exploration of BitLocker encrypted drives and the potential data loss scenarios associated with them. We discussed the advantages of utilizing BitLocker encryption and examined common causes of data loss in encrypted drives. Additionally, we explored methods for decrypting the drive and recovering lost data. We encourage you to share your experience with this issue in the comment box below, as your insights and feedback are valuable to us.