Windows 10: bitlocker key for extranl hard disk

Hi Team,Could you please help me with the below?I recently updated to Windows 11 and I have installed the SSD card instead of HDD. After this process when I connected to the external hard drive it asking the Bit locker key but I never gave the Bit locker key. Could you please help me with this?I am using a Dell laptop and attached a screenshot of the error.

:)

 

BitLocker - External Hard Disk

I have Western Digital Hard Disk. It is BitLocker protected. I have Key ID i.e. 7BF91855.

Is there anyway I can retrieve my bitlocker recovery key?

 

BitLocker Key

There may be a software that triggered the BitLocker in your Windows 10 PC. To assist you better, we suggest that you check these articles for further information:

• Find my BitLocker recovery key.
• BitLocker recovery keys: Frequently asked questions.

• BitLocker

Let us know if you need further assistance.

 

External USB HDD drive bitlocker encrypted without a key

Hello CatchyWater7200,

Thank you for reaching Microsoft Community. We're sorry for the inconvenience this has caused you.

I am aware that you're having trouble accessing your external USB disk drive that has been encrypted by BitLocker. I am here to help. Allow me to ask a question.

• Would you mind sharing what exactly the message shows when ask for the USB key?
  

Your drive appears to have been encrypted using BitLocker, a function that guards your data against illegal access. For access to the drive, BitLocker requires a password or recovery key. Since you don't have a BitLocker USB key, you can try using the BitLocker recovery key to unlock the drive. Here are the steps to do that:

1. Connect the external USB disk drive to your Surface Pro 6.
   
2. When prompted to enter the BitLocker key, click on "More options". Or you can enter "Esc" key or the Windows key to continue.
   
3. Click on "Enter recovery key".
   
4. Enter the BitLocker recovery key that you found on your Microsoft account.
   
5. Click on "Unlock".
   

If the above steps don't work, you can try disabling BitLocker on the external USB disk drive. Here are the steps to do that:

1. Connect the external USB disk drive to your Surface Pro 6.
   
2. Open File Explorer and right-click on the external USB disk drive.
   
3. Click on "Manage BitLocker".
   
4. Click on "Turn off BitLocker".
   
5. Follow the on-screen instructions to disable BitLocker on the external USB disk drive.
   

Please note that disabling BitLocker will remove the encryption from the external USB disk drive and make it less secure. Therefore, it's recommended to re-enable BitLocker once you've accessed your files and photos.

Let me know how it goes.

Kind regards,

Lavenia