Access Bitlocker Drive on Another PC

TL;DR

You can access a Bitlocker encrypted drive from another computer by unlocking it with your recovery key or password, and then mounting the drive in Windows. This guide explains how to do this.

How to Access a Bitlocker Encrypted Drive on Another Machine

1. Find Your Recovery Key: Before you start, make sure you have your Bitlocker recovery key. This is usually a 48-digit code. You might have saved it when you first encrypted the drive:
   • In your Microsoft account (https://account.microsoft.com/recovery-key)
   • Saved to a file on another drive
   • Printed out and stored securely
2. Connect the Drive: Plug the Bitlocker encrypted drive into the computer you want to access it from.
3. Unlock the Drive: Windows should automatically detect the drive and prompt you for a password or recovery key. If not, follow these steps:
   1. Open File Explorer (Windows Key + E).
   2. Locate the Bitlocker encrypted drive. It will likely show as locked with a padlock icon.
   3. Right-click on the drive and select “Manage BitLocker”.
   4. Select “Unlock Drive”.
4. Enter Your Password or Recovery Key:
   • If prompted for a password, enter it correctly.
   • If you don’t have the password, select “I don’t have the password”. This will open a window to enter your 48-digit recovery key. Carefully type or copy and paste the key into the field.
5. Mount the Drive: After entering the correct password or recovery key, Windows will unlock the drive and assign it a drive letter.
   • If the drive doesn’t automatically mount with a drive letter:
     1. Open Disk Management (search for “Disk Management” in the Start Menu).
     2. Locate your Bitlocker encrypted drive. It will likely show as ‘Healthy (Primary Partition)’ but without a drive letter.
     3. Right-click on the partition and select “Change Drive Letter and Paths…”.
     4. Click “Add…”
     5. Choose an available drive letter from the dropdown menu.
     6. Click “OK”.
6. Access Your Files: The drive should now be accessible in File Explorer like any other drive.
7. Safely Eject the Drive: When you’re finished, safely eject the drive before removing it from the computer. Right-click on the drive in File Explorer and select “Eject”. This prevents data corruption.

Troubleshooting

• Incorrect Recovery Key: Double-check that you’re entering the 48-digit recovery key correctly. It’s easy to mistake characters like ‘0’ and ‘O’, or ‘1’ and ‘l’.
• TPM Issues: If you have problems unlocking, there might be an issue with your Trusted Platform Module (TPM). Restarting your computer can sometimes resolve this.
• Drive Not Showing Up: Make sure the drive is properly connected and recognized by Windows in Disk Management.