Latest update: THIS IS NOT A GENERAL DISCUSSION. BITLOCKER JUST LOST ALL MY DATA AND THE SUPPORT HERE IS EQUALLY LOST I encrypted an external usb drive (140GB data) with bitlocker. I have the recovery key and the password. But ever since I encrypted the drive with bitlocker, I am unable to access any data. Windows 7 ultimate When I try to unlock, I get a prompt for entering pass. I enter the pass (wrong pass throughs error within a minute, so I know that I am entering the right password if I am not erroring out) and then the GUI freezes for ever! I left the system for about 3 hours, and it dint manage to open the files until then. Bitlocker screen was frozen. Now, I killed that process and tried to unlock again. This time, I used the recover key option and I supplied the key that I had stored in a file on my system. I get the same behavior with it too! The GUI freezes and I cant get past it. A little digging around, and I get to kb928201. So, now I try to recover data using the command: repair-bde.exe g: h: -rp 231858-224422-xxxxxx-xxxxxx-395065-XXXXXX-063415-131890 I get the following on the prompt: BitLocker Drive Encryption: Repair Tool version 6.0.6000 Copyright (C) 2006-2007 Microsoft Corporation. Beginning scan for BitLocker metadata. Scanning boot sectors for pointer to metadata: 100% Scanning cluster boundaries for metadata: 100% Scanning sector boundaries for metadata: 100% Finished scanning for BitLocker metadata. ERROR: The input volume has suffered damages to critical information related to the decryption key. Please try the -KeyPackage option to specify a key package. The volume may not be recoverable. Now, I am really stuck. I cant figure out how to use the -keypackage option, becuase I dont remember saving any key package. I was prompted to store information in a file, and I did that. So I have the recovery key and I remember the pass too. I read a few other threads related to the same topic and dint find anyone that would help me get my data back. So reaching out to all the geniuses who have solved this problem before for F1! Help! F1! Help!

Hi, Thank you for posting here. Please use BitLocker Repair Tool to solve this problem, you can refer: http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc734057(WS.10).aspx This following link maybe helpful to you: Windows BitLocker Drive Encryption Frequently Asked Questions Hope it helps. Regards, Leo HuangPlease remember to click Mark as Answer on the post that helps you, and to click Unmark as Answer if a marked post does not actually answer your question. This can be beneficial to other community members reading the thread.

Hi Leo, The first link that you posted eventually leads me to a KB that talks about bitlocker recovery. I had already gone through it and am stuck. I also mentioned about it in my initial post. The second link talks about applying a hotfix for moving data b/w win 2k8 and win-7. That does not apply to my scenario here. Here is my sys configuration: >Win 7 ultimate >4Gb ram >used bitlocker on external drive (western digital 500 gb passport) >Have the password and recovery key. But when I use them, or any recovery option using repair-bde.exe or cscript recovery option from command line. Based on this information, let me know if there is a new direction I need to look into. Also, are there any logs generated during the decryption process, that I can look for, for clues?

Hi, This link maybe helpful to you: Using a Data Recovery Agent to Recover BitLocker-Protected Drives (Windows 7) Hope it helps. Regards, Leo HuangPlease remember to click Mark as Answer on the post that helps you, and to click Unmark as Answer if a marked post does not actually answer your question. This can be beneficial to other community members reading the thread.

Anybody else has any better ideas?

Boot with the drive connected. Then Start\Control Panel\System and Security\BitLocker Drive Encryption and select Manage bitlocker under the BitLocker category. Select turn on bitlocker for the drive. Now try to unlock. Bit Locker to go is the appropriate bitlocker for a removable drive.

Nano Wrap, I still get the same behavior. "Bit locker to go" is enabled for the external drive. I put up a video on youtube to better explain the problem. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tUNLFzcNJOI

I watched your video. So when you use GUI, your system freeze. Lets do this: Open elevated command prompt and run the below command. >manage-bde -protectors -get H: where H is the drive letter of the USB device. >manage-bde -unlock H: -rp "xxxx-xxxx-xxxx-xxxx" Let me know results of these 2 commands. ThanksManoj Sehgal

Manoj, Thanks for looking into this. Here is the output: C:\Users\Administrator>manage-bde -protectors -get H: Microsoft (R) Windows Script Host Version 5.7 Copyright (C) Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved. Volume H: [Label Unknown] All Key Protectors ERROR: No key protectors found. C:\Users\Administrator>manage-bde -unlock H: -rp 31858-22-33-02-35-36-05-10 Microsoft (R) Windows Script Host Version 5.7 Copyright (C) Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved. C:\Windows\system32\manage-bde.wsf(1831, 6) SWbemObjectEx: The parameter is incorrect. note: I have changed the key deliberately here.

Ron, C:\Users\Administrator>manage-bde -protectors -get H: Microsoft (R) Windows Script Host Version 5.7 Copyright (C) Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved. Volume H: [Label Unknown] All Key Protectors ERROR: No key protectors found. There are no key protectors for bitlocker on this volume. Did you delete the protectors manually by using manage-bde command. When we encrypt a bitlocker to go volume, we add Password and Numerical Password as a key protector. Since you have 48 digit recovery password with you, this protector should have been listed here in the results. Are you looking at the correct drive? Manoj Sehgal

Manoj, It may be because I am running your commands on a different OS (win2k8) rather than win7. I had formatted my computer drive (not the usb) a couple of weeks back and havent got everything in place yet. Surprisingly, when I connect my usb drive, bitlocker does not recognise it (on win2k8..will check on win7 after factory restore) and prompts for formatting it. I dint get this behavior a month back. Even win2k8 would recognise the bitlocker drive and prompt for pass (and eventually freeze). But give me a couple of days to get back to you after I repeat your steps on win7. The drive is still the same. I did run some manage-bde commands listed in the msdn resources, a month back when all of this had happened. I am sure I did not use the delete command in manage-bde. Most of the usage was around recovery.

Manoj, I was able to do a factory restore. On win7, when I plug in the device, it prompts me for a password to unlock the drive. I do that, and the bitlocker-app screen hangs. I was able to run your commands from a win7 installation. Here is the output: C:\Windows\system32>manage-bde -protectors -get H: BitLocker Drive Encryption: Configuration Tool version 6.1.7600 Copyright (C) Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved. Volume H: [Label Unknown] All Key Protectors Password: ID: {FDCBC62C-F810-4D91-BFEE-06B98F4043A1} Numerical Password: ID: {C3EADE92-5379-41E4-857C-D9A0E5205359} C:\Windows\system32>manage-bde -unlock H: -rp 231858-224422-3XXXX3-0XXXX2-3XXXX5-3XXXX6-0XXXX5-1XXXX0 BitLocker Drive Encryption: Configuration Tool version 6.1.7600 Copyright (C) Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved. This prompt stays like this forever, unless I exit it (ctrl + c). I had this same behavior a month back too when I was exploring manage-bde. Now what do I do? Also, are there any logs generated during this process that can be looked at? My USB light is blinking, indicating some activity, but that will go on for ever.