BitLocker offers military-grade security, which is excellent for protecting data, but terrible if you lose the key. Without the user password or the 48-digit "Recovery Key," the data is mathematically inaccessible.
Where to look for the key
- Microsoft account online (devices).
- Active Directory domain (if it's a corporate PC).
- Paper prints saved during setup.
- A .TXT file on a backup USB drive.
There are no "hacks" to break AES-256 in a reasonable time. Data recovery on physically damaged encrypted drives involves repairing the drive enough to make an exact image and then applying the valid key to decrypt.
