Bitlocker Enter the Recovery Key To get Going Again After Windows Dell Firmware Update?

[paulyron]

Dell XPS 15 9520 laptop with windows 11 pro.

 

 

I notice there was a windows update on the bottom right and when I click on it, it was a dell firmware update on the bottom right and usually I either update it now or wait sometime later.  However, when I went to click on shutdown, it didn't allow me to shutdown and required me to update the firmware and afterwards it would either shut down or restart... this is from the window start menu.  So I chosed update and shut down as the option.  After the dell firmware update was done, I noticed that it didn't shut down and I got the screen of

 

 

Bitlocker Enter the Recovery Key To get Going Again

 

 

The only options seem to be to enter this recovery key to get going again and then continue

 

or

 

Skip this drive?

 

 

I do believe I have my Bitlocker recovery key on a USB flash drive.  So I could plug that USB flash drive in my other laptop... a chromebook to check out what the bitlocker recovery key is?  The thing is I recall I had some similar message like this happen previously once a while back but it was my older xps laptop.   If it was this exact screen, I think I either clicked on Skip this drive or I just manually powered off my laptop and restarted again and then it ask me for my Bitlocker pin at startup and then I was able to get in my computer.

 

 

Can someone tell me what I should do right now?  The thing is I did not back anything up on my laptop.  How do I make sure my computer does not get wiped?  It's late at night right now so I'm going to leave my laptop on all night on this screen.

 

 

My options seem to be

 

 

1.  Enter the Bitlocker recovery key and click continue

 

2.  Click on skip this drive 

 

3.  Power off my laptop manually by clicking on the power button and then clicking it again to power it on?  If I do that... will it ask me for my bitlocker pin?  

 

 

 

 

Normally when I power on my laptop, I first enter my Bitlocker pin and then my windows 11 password to get in my laptop.  

 

 

 

Now in this situation, if I enter the recovery key and then click continue... will that bring me to my screen like normal with everything I have there?  Or would it be completely wiped?  I don't think I ever had this happen before after a windows update.  I think I had a similar screen message like this a while back when I just powered on the laptop but I believe it was an older XPS laptop.

[paulyron]

When it was doing the BIOS update, it did mention the BIOS update was done successfully.  However, I remember when it restarted, I saw some message that said TPM couldn't be found or something like that?

 

 

Then I got this screen of enter the recovery key to get going again.

 

 

Can someone tell me what I should do now?

[whispous]

Enter the recovery key that you saved.

It will get you going. You can read it on another computer - it's a long string of numbers.

[paulyron]

24 minutes ago, whispous said:

Enter the recovery key that you saved.

It will get you going. You can read it on another computer - it's a long string of numbers.

 

I believe I typed in my bitlocker recovery key on a usb flash drive.  Yes I recall it was a long string of numbers.  So just plug that usb flash drive in my other laptop (Chromebook) and open that file up and then type the recovery key to this bitlocker screen?   

 

 

One issue I have with this is I am not 100% sure I could open that file up because I'm not sure if I encrypted that file or not.

 

 

If I enter the recovery key, what will then happen?  It would bring me to my main screen or it would ask me for my bitlocker pin and windows password like it always does at startup?

 

 

What would happen if I either click on skip this drive?

 

 

What would happen if if I manually click on the power off button and then power it on again?  Would it most likely still show the same screen or it might just ask me for my bitlocker pin and windows password like it normally does?

 

 

The thing is I recall when the laptop restarted after the Dell firmware bios update, I saw some message that said TPM wasn't found or something like that.  Is that a concern?   I want to make sure I get back to my main screen because I did not backup my laptop files.

 

 

[whispous]

If you encrypted it, and forgot, you're out of all luck.

 

If you didn't, just plug it in, open it and do it.

 

If you skip this drive, it will skip reading that drive and your computer will not boot.

 

If you enter the code, and it is the right code, your computer will boot as normal.

 

You need to enter this code.

[paulyron]

Yes I have bitlocker enabled.  I did this a while back.  So everytime I turn on my laptop, I enter the bitlocker pin and then the windows 11 password to get into my laptop.

 

 

Okay so as long as I have that bitlocker recovery key, I'm fine?  So I still have all my data on the laptop?  So if I enter the bitlocker recovery code correctly, what screen would show up next afterwards?  Would it be directly my screen or would it ask for my billocker pin and windows password like normal?

 

 

Okay... what would happen if I manually power my laptop off and power it back on?  Will it be this same screen?  Or would it be the normal screen of asking me my bitlocker pin at startup? 

 

 

So you had this happen to you many times previously? 

 

 

Is this normal after a windows update?  This update was a Dell firmware update I recall. 

 

 

 

[paulyron]

Is that message I saw of something like TPM not found after the restart or something like that a concern?

 

 

I want to make sure I don't make a mistake here.

 

 

 

[Kilrah]

Just enter the key and it'll proceed as normal as if nothing happened.

 

When you have bitlocker enabled and update the bios you must "suspend protection" on the boot drive first to avoid having to use the recovery key because the update wipes the TPM, you'd think if the BIOS update is part of Windows updates it'd do it on its own but maybe that's hoping too much or something simply broke. 

 

But yeah if you have bitlocker enabled having a copy of the recovery key in a very safe place is crucial.

[whispous]

1 hour ago, paulyron said:

Yes I have bitlocker enabled.  I did this a while back.  So everytime I turn on my laptop, I enter the bitlocker pin and then the windows 11 password to get into my laptop.

 

 

Okay so as long as I have that bitlocker recovery key, I'm fine?  So I still have all my data on the laptop?  So if I enter the bitlocker recovery code correctly, what screen would show up next afterwards?  Would it be directly my screen or would it ask for my billocker pin and windows password like normal?

 

 

Okay... what would happen if I manually power my laptop off and power it back on?  Will it be this same screen?  Or would it be the normal screen of asking me my bitlocker pin at startup? 

 

 

So you had this happen to you many times previously? 

 

 

Is this normal after a windows update?  This update was a Dell firmware update I recall. 

 

 

 

You need to take this advice and just do it friend

 

Most of these were answered already.

 

Powering it off and on won't change anything

 

Yes it is normal

 

Your data will be fine as long as you HAVE A BACKUP in case of errors. I don't expect you'll see errors.

[keskparane]

You can turn PC off, enter wrong key, won't matter, but until you enter correct key you wont get access.

[Mumintroll]

Have you checked in your Microsoft account?

Login to your Microsoft account from another pc and look at https://account.microsoft.com/devices/recoverykey

Hopefully you'll see the keys there.

 

If you manage to get into Windows I recommend you to disable Bitlock.

Most people don't need it anyway.

[paulyron]

10 hours ago, Kilrah said:

Just enter the key and it'll proceed as normal as if nothing happened.

 

When you have bitlocker enabled and update the bios you must "suspend protection" on the boot drive first to avoid having to use the recovery key because the update wipes the TPM, you'd think if the BIOS update is part of Windows updates it'd do it on its own but maybe that's hoping too much or something simply broke. 

 

But yeah if you have bitlocker enabled having a copy of the recovery key in a very safe place is crucial.

 

I never suspend protection before any windows update.  I had many dell firmware updates which were BIOS updates and this never happened.  I had no idea you are suppose to suspend protection because of a BIOS update.  

 

I have my bitlocker recovery key on a usb flash drive and in another location.  The issue is when I plugged in the USB flash drive into my other laptop (Chromebook), it said it can't read the file and it's because I had encrypted it with axcrypt.  I notice the file end with a.xx or something like that.  I remember encrypting the file because I thought since I have my laptop and USB flash drive in the same location, well if someone got my laptop... then having the USB flash drive with my bitlocker recovery key means that person could access my laptop anyway without the bitlocker pin and windows password right?

 

So I could ask the person where I left the bitlocker recovery key to read the code to me or text me it then?

[paulyron]

10 hours ago, whispous said:

You need to take this advice and just do it friend

 

Most of these were answered already.

 

Powering it off and on won't change anything

 

Yes it is normal

 

Your data will be fine as long as you HAVE A BACKUP in case of errors. I don't expect you'll see errors.

So ask the person where I left the bitlocker recovery key to read or text me it right?  My USB flash drive that has the bitlocker recovery phrase, it's encrypted with axcrypt as I couldn't open the file on my Chromebook.

 

The backup you mean is the bitlocker recovery key right?  

[paulyron]

10 hours ago, keskparane said:

You can turn PC off, enter wrong key, won't matter, but until you enter correct key you wont get access.

I remember I had an older XPS laptop where one day when I turned it on, it ask for me the bitlocker recovery key that looked very similar to this I believe... but not sure.  I don't think I entered the recovery key but instead powered it off and powered it back on again and then it just ask for me my bitlocker pin and windows password and that was it.  That was just powering on my laptop one day though.

 

 

This time this happened after a dell firmware bios update so this is much different?  I don't remember if the screen was the same but I did remember my older XPS laptop one day after turning it on ask for the recovery key.  I am not sure if I entered it or not... for some reason I remember powering it off and powering it on again.

[paulyron]

9 hours ago, Mumintroll said:

Have you checked in your Microsoft account?

Login to your Microsoft account from another pc and look at https://account.microsoft.com/devices/recoverykey

Hopefully you'll see the keys there.

 

If you manage to get into Windows I recommend you to disable Bitlock.

Most people don't need it anyway.

I don't believe I set up my account with Microsoft?  I recall when I set up laptop, it was with a local account?  So if I did that, then there is no email right?  

 

I use bitlocker because if someone has access to my laptop, I don't want that person to just power it and then all my information is there just like that.  So that is why I have a bitlocker pin and windows password.  

 

 

 

[paulyron]

My blue screen looks like this

 

 

Bitlocker

 

Enter the recovery key to get going again (Keyboard Layout:  US)

 

Recovery Key ID (to identify your key):  XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX

 

 

Here's how to find your key:

 

Try your Microsoft account at aka.ms/myrecoverykey

For more information go to :  aka.ms.recoverykeyfaq

 

 

Drive Label:  Pauly OS     Date of When I believe I Got My Laptop

 

 

Change keyboard layout                                                          Skip This Drive

 

 

 

 

So ask the person where I left the bitlocker recovery key to read it to me then over the phone or by text or email then?

[Tridefender]

5 minutes ago, paulyron said:

So ask the person where I left the bitlocker recovery key to read or text me it right?  My USB flash drive that has the bitlocker recovery phrase, it's encrypted with axcrypt as I couldn't open the file on my Chromebook.

 

The backup you mean is the bitlocker recovery key right?  

Very well done, frankly you should either memorize your keys, or place them at an accessible place. Encrypting your keys will only cause you inconvenience, since it corresponds to a local device and will only be a problem when you lose it along side your computer. 

 

Oh and nice try using text/email, decrypting information and sending it over unencrypted channels? Seriously? What's the point of encrypting it anyways?

[paulyron]

1 minute ago, Tridefender said:

Very well done, frankly you should either memorize your keys, or place them at an accessible place. Encrypting your keys will only cause you inconvenience, since it corresponds to a local device and will only be a problem when you lose it along side your computer. 

 

Isn't the bitlocker recovery key 48 characters?  I just googled how long it is.  How would you even memorize that?

 

Well, I'm currently outside the US at the moment and I did write down my bitlocker recovery key a while back when setting up bitlocker and left it back in the US.  I have a copy of the bitlocker txt file with the recovery key on my USB flash drive but it's encrypted with axcrypt.  Yes encrypting the keys will only cause inconvenience as it shows now but if I don't do that... well if someone has access to my windows laptop and that USB flash drive... well that person is going to have access to my laptop right?  That is the same as me not having a bitlocker pin and windows password or them having access to my bitlocker pin and windows password?  So because of that, that is why I encrypted the bitlocker txt file with the recovery phrase on my USB flash drive.

 

I'm confused with your last statement.  If I could download axcrypt and KeePass on my Chromebook now and then upload my current KeePass file from Google drive which I saved to the Chromebook, wouldn't that mean I would have access to the bitlocker recovery key though?  I download KeePass and then upload the KeePass file from my Google drive.  Then I download axcrypt.  Then I look at KeePass and get my axcrypt email and password and enter it into axcrypt and then open that bitlocker txt file that is encrypted on my USB flash drive and wouldn't that open the file?  

[paulyron]

So have that person call me over the phone then and read me the bitlocker recovery key then right?  

 

The bitlocker recovery key is useless to anyone else unless they have physical access to my laptop right?

 

I encrypted the bitlockey recovery phrase on my USB flash drive because if someone has access to my laptop... that person will have access to my USB flash drive since both my laptop and USB flash drive is in my location?

[Kilrah]

yes...

[paulyron]

2 minutes ago, Kilrah said:

yes...

Can you tell me what will happen after I enter the bitlocker recovery key assuming it is correct?  I want to know exactly what will show up afterwards.

 

I will ask that person to call me and read me the bitlocker recovery key.

[Kilrah]

Already told you, just continues normally.

[whispous]

2 hours ago, paulyron said:

The backup you mean is the bitlocker recovery key right?  

By backup, I was talking about your data.

 

If your data is in one single location, it is a very VERY silly course of action you have taken given you seem to care about it's integrity.

[paulyron]

2 hours ago, Kilrah said:

Already told you, just continues normally.

I entered the bitlocker recovery key and it showed as correct.

 

However, I'm on this page that says

 

 

SupportAssist On-board Diagnostics

 

 

Alert!  TPM device is not detected.  Options are continue, bios-setup and diagnostics.

 

 

I clicked continue and I believe the laptop shut off.  I then unplugged my 2 external monitors from it.

 

 

I then powered on laptop again and go back to the same screen.

 

 

What do I do now?  Does this mean I still have my data?

 

 

 

[paulyron]

The BIOS Version is 1.27.1 and it's a Dell XPS 15 9520.