[Solution]How to recover data from BitLocker encrypted hard drive? (2024)

Microsoft offers BitLocker encryption feature for Windows to encrypt entire volumes, thus protecting data from unauthorized access. When you enable BitLocker on a hard disk, USB flash drive, or SD card, it encodes the files and folders stored on the device.

At times, you format the encrypted hard drive, resulting in data loss. Once you’ve formatted the hard drive, recovering the erased data could be difficult. In this post, we’ll be sharing the solutions to recover data from formatted BitLocker encrypted hard drives.

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Table of Content

Reasons for Formatting BitLocker-Encrypted Hard Drive
Methods to Decrypt BitLocker-Encrypted Hard Drive
Recover Data from Formatted BitLocker Encrypted Drive
BitLocker Encrypted Hard Drive Recovery Services

Reasons for Formatting BitLocker-Encrypted Hard Drive

Some possible reasons for formatting BitLocker-encrypted hard drives include:

Accidental Formatting: At times, while trying to format some other disk, you may end up formatting the disk containing important data.
Intentional Formatting: If the file system on a drive has turned RAW, you lose access to the data. In such a situation, formatting the disk is the only solution. But formatting may lead to loss of data.
Virus Attack: If your hard disk has been attacked by a virus, the data in the hard disk may get damaged or become inaccessible. In this situation, the computer’s antivirus or firewall may block the disk and force you to format it. In such cases, the Windows firewall may remove BitLocker’s metadata, resulting in data loss.

Methods to Decrypt BitLocker-Encrypted Hard Drive

Here are the methods to disable BitLocker encryption:

Method 1: Using BitLocker Drive Encryption Feature

Follow these steps to decrypt BitLocker-encrypted drive:

Go to the Start button.
Select Control Panel.
Choose System and Security.
Select BitLocker Drive Encryption.
Click Decrypt Drive. (This option automatically unlocks the selected drive.)

Method 2: Decrypt using Certificates

To decrypt BitLocker-encrypted drive by using certificates, follow these steps:

Method 3: Using Windows GUI Mode

Follow the steps below to disable BitLocker encryption.

[Note: Ensure that you have administrator credentials to disable BitLocker encryption.]

Go to Start > Control Panel > System and Security > BitLocker Drive Encryption.
Look for the BitLocker-encrypted drive and click Turn Off BitLocker.
A message will be displayed stating that the drive will be decrypted and that decryption may take some time. Click Turn off BitLocker/Decrypt the drive to continue and turn off BitLocker on the drive.

This process may take some time to decrypt the drive and remove BitLocker protection.

Method 4: Decrypt via Windows PowerShell Mode

To disable BitLocker encryption via Windows PowerShell mode, Windows PowerShell must be installed on your system. If it isn’t, download and install the supported Windows PowerShell version from the Microsoft website. Then, follow the given steps:

[Note: If the partition with the operating system contains any automatic unlocking keys, the cmdlet to disable BitLocker encryption won’t work. Use the Clear-BitLockerAutoUnlock cmdlet in the PowerShell window to remove all automatic unlocking keys to disable BitLocker for the partition.]

Launch PowerShell in administrator mode.
Execute the following commands:

- PS C:\>$BLV = Get-BitLockerVolume
- PS C:\>Disable-BitLocker -MountPoint $BLV

Verify that the decryption is in progress through the following commands:

- Execute the command: PS C:\> Get-BitLockerVolume
- Check decryption progress in “Volume Status” and “Encryption Percentage”

Also Read: Stellar® Recovers 150 GB Data from a Self-Encrypting SSD Having Firmware Corruption

Recover Data from Formatted BitLocker Encrypted Drive

You need to use reliable data recovery software, such as Stellar Data Recovery Professional to recover data from a formatted BitLocker-encrypted drive. The software can help in recovering lost, deleted, and inaccessible data from BitLocker-encrypted storage devices. You can recover any file type from an encrypted or password-protected storage device with the help of Stellar Data Recovery software.

To recover data from the formatted hard drive by using windows data recovery professional software, follow these steps:

Install and launch Stellar Data Recovery Professional.

On the “Select What to Recover” screen, select the file type that you want to recover. Click Next.

Concepts Covered in the Article:

BitLocker Encryption:
- BitLocker is a feature offered by Microsoft for Windows that provides encryption for entire volumes, protecting data from unauthorized access.
- It encodes files and folders on hard disks, USB flash drives, or SD cards, ensuring data security.
Formatting BitLocker-Encrypted Hard Drives:
- Formatting can lead to data loss, and the article addresses solutions for recovering data from formatted BitLocker-encrypted hard drives.
Reasons for Formatting BitLocker-Encrypted Hard Drive:
- Accidental Formatting: Formatting the wrong disk containing important data.
- Intentional Formatting: Necessary when the file system turns RAW and data becomes inaccessible.
- Virus Attack: Malware can damage the data, leading to the need for formatting.
Methods to Decrypt BitLocker-Encrypted Hard Drive:
- Method 1: Using BitLocker Drive Encryption Feature.
- Method 2: Decrypting using Certificates.
- Method 3: Using Windows GUI Mode.
- Method 4: Decrypting via Windows PowerShell Mode.
Data Recovery from Formatted BitLocker Encrypted Drive:
- Recommends using reliable data recovery software such as Stellar Data Recovery Professional.
- Steps involve installing the software, selecting the file type, choosing the BitLocker-encrypted drive, scanning, and recovering data.
Professional Data Recovery Services:
- Recommends Stellar Data Recovery as a professional service provider for complex data recovery scenarios.
- Highlights the expertise and infrastructure of Stellar Data Recovery in dealing with various data loss situations, including formatted and physically damaged encrypted drives.
Recovery Process by Experts:
- Stellar's experts assess the affected hard drive, followed by a data recovery process.
- Emphasizes the importance of encryption key/password for unlocking the drive during the recovery process.

In summary, the article provides a comprehensive guide for users facing data loss due to formatting of BitLocker-encrypted hard drives, covering methods for decryption, data recovery software usage, and the option of professional data recovery services for intricate cases. The depth of information and step-by-step instructions reflects a strong understanding of data recovery processes and BitLocker encryption mechanisms.