BitLocker Key seems to be a blank value

Hi

After yesterday's install, no network access and using a Local Account, I find that I need a BitLockerKey.

On the few w10 and 11 installs I have done there has never been any offer/option to save or store a Key.

Using PowerShell (getbitlocker etc etc) | outfile filepath "C:\key.txt" produces a txt file of ZERO bytes, so I am confused.

Any pointers please.

ann_droid said:

After yesterday's install, no network access and using a Local Account, I find that I need a BitLockerKey.

Click to expand...

What leads you to believe that BitLocker is enabled?

ann_droid said:

On the few w10 and 11 installs I have done there has never been any offer/option to save or store a Key.

Click to expand...

Automatic Device Encryption is only activated when an administrator signs in to Windows with a Microsoft account (at which time the Recovery Key is automatically saved to that Microsoft account).

You may not have a keyprotectors, surprisingly they are not required, but highly recommended.

In powershell

If you get a result back and it states 'FullyEncrypted' then you have Bitlocker enabled. If however your protectors is empty then you do not have a recovery key for the bitlocker volume.

To add a key protector

You will want to backup the long code it outputs as this is your backup key.

Hi

2 things, Linux Mint wanted a password (that is the BL key) to access and mount, and I just de-crypted the drive. So now it mounts.

Also yesterday in a list of tasks BitLocker was there running in the background.

Automatic Device Encryption is triggered, according to the internet, in at least half a dozen ways, and TPM along with Secure Boot and a BIOS upgrade I did are listed as possible triggers.

Hopefully in 29 days time my Microsoft Account will delete itself and I can create a new one. Until then internet access is, as yet, switched OFF.

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I would prefer to have encryption and keep my key written down here, but it seems that is not achievable.

I assumed that

Thanks.

I am hopefully learning, and having to switch OS's and Laptops is hard, but safety first.

I may well try and wipe W11 and try W10 again.

I am grateful for the help and will try and give credit accordingly.

The key is stored in the TPM, the recovery key I mentioned is what would be used to decrypt the drive if tamper protection triggers or from another device.

ann_droid said:

On the few w10 and 11 installs I have done there has never been any offer/option to save or store a Key.

Click to expand...

I had the same experience on the last 3 new Notebooks I setup in the last 4 months, also found booting a Linux LiveUSB outside of Windows prevented access to the drive, ended up turning off Bitlocker.

For Linux you can use 'dislocker' and even add that to your mount file or systemd. It supports a few Bitlocker key protectors. Easier to add a 'password' vs 'recoverypassword' key protector and then use that with dislocker

ann_droid said:

Automatic Device Encryption is triggered, according to the internet, in at least half a dozen ways, and TPM along with Secure Boot and a BIOS upgrade I did are listed as possible triggers.

Click to expand...

Automatic Device Encryption is only activated when an administrator signs in to Windows with a Microsoft account (at which time the Recovery Key is automatically saved to that Microsoft account).