Unlock & Remove BitLocker without Password and Recovery Key

Now, I have forgotten the password and recovery key, so is there a chance to open the BitLocker encrypted drive again? How do I unlock BitLocker encryption without password and recovery key?

Even if you forget your recovery key and password, you can still unlock the BitLocker encrypted drive, but you will lose all the data stored on your hard disk. This article will guide you through how to remove BitLocker without password and recovery key.

• Part 1: How to Unlock BitLocker without Password and Recovery Key on Windows
• Solution 1: Try to Find BitLocker Recovery Key to Unlock BitLocker
• Solution 2: Remove BitLocker by Formatting the Encrypted Drive
• Solution 3: Unlock BitLocker Using Command Prompt
• Part 2: How to Remove BitLocker without a Password or Recovery key on Mac
• Part 3: Is There a BitLocker Recovery Key Generator?

How to Unlock BitLocker without Password and Recovery Key on Windows

BitLocker is driven by the AES algorithm, encrypting each bit of the hard drive. Therefore, it is not easy to unlock the BitLocker encrypted drive without password and recovery key. However, if you forget both of them, you still have the chance to bypass BitLocker and reset your computer, such as formatting the encrypted drive or using a third-party tool to retrieve the password or recovery key.

Solution 1: Try to Find BitLocker Recovery Key to Unlock BitLocker

When encrypting the drive, you are asked to back up your recovery key by saving it to your Microsoft account, saving it to a specific file on the computer or USB drive, and printing it. So, if you've backed up your secret key, you can try to retrieve it.

If you save it to your Microsoft account, use another available device and sign in to Microsoft page using your Microsoft Account. From here, you will find your recovery key. If you can't remember which one it was, you can try them one by one.

If you saved your BitLocker recovery key to a USB drive or computer but can't remember the location, you can search for it on the Windows search bar. Simply type "BitLocker Recovery Key" into the search bar and press Enter. The search will look for files named "BitLocker Recovery Key.txt" (assuming you didn't change the default name).

If the file name was changed, you can still use iSumsoft BkeyFixer to retrieve it with just one click.

Solution 2: Remove BitLocker by Formatting the Encrypted Drive

Step 1: Right-click on the Win icon and then select Disk Management.

Step 2: Right-click on the encrypted drive or partition and select Format.

Step 3: Select the file system and set the cluster size. Then check Perform a quick format.

Step 4: Then click OK to start formating the BitLocker encrypted drive.

Solution 3: Unlock BitLocker Using Command Prompt

If you do not have a recovery key or BitLocker password, then BitLocker will fail to unlock and you will not be able to access the system. In this case, formatting the drive requires the help of the Windows Installation Disk. If you don't have a Windows Installation Media then you can create one by using Microsoft's Media Creation tool.

Step 1: Boot your system from the Windows 10 installation media.

Step 2: Wait for the "Windows Setup" screen, then press the SHIFT + F10 keys to open the command prompt.

Tip: If you prompted for the recovery key, click SKIP this drive.

Step 3: On the Command Panel, type the following command lines and press enter after each command.

• diskpart
• list volume
• exit 
• dir F: ( F: can be replaced with the drive letter of any existing volume that may contain the system partition.)

Step 4: After finding the system partition, enter format F: /fs:ntfs (F should be the drive letter of the system partition you have found) and press Enter.

Step 5: When you are prompted with a warning that you will lose all data on the selected volume, type Y and press Enter to confirm the formatting. Then you just need to wait until the process is completed.

How to Remove a BitLocker drive without password and recovery key on Mac

Step 1: Open the Disk Utility.

Step 2: Select the BitLocker-protected disk under the External in the Disk Utility.

Step 3: Click on the Erase tab. You will be asked to provide the disk name and then select the file system as MS-DOS (FAT), if you want to boot it both Mac and PC, then click on Erase.

Part 3: Is There a BitLocker Recovery Key Generator?

Unfortunately, there isn't a tool to generate a BitLocker Recovery key. The recovery key is a 48-digit string generated automatically upon encrypting the drive. When you activate BitLocker, a complex algorithm generates a unique string key, which isn't stored on your encrypted drive itself but you have to save it by printing, backing up, or saving it on your PC.