Unable to unlock the locked External Drive on conversion to Windows 11


Cay

Member
Local time
3:17 PM
Posts
5
OS
Windows 11 Pro 64-bit
Hello Folks,
I have been on Windows 10 under the name Bit.
I just converted my other Windows 10 to Windows 11. The other one did not have a TPM Chip and is otherwise a good machine. I simply downloaded the Windows 11 iso, mounted it and ran it from that as a drive. It converted and everything without a hitch. However, on the old system I had a OneTouch Seagate 6 TB drive with a lot of stuff on it, backups and Multimedia etc. During the conversion I did not disconnect the external HDD so in Windows 11 it is showing as a locked drive and I can't access it. It does not take the password I had to unlock it. I do have the SID and PSID codes to Reset it, but I am not sure how to use those.
I would therefore appreciate if some could help fix it and get it going.
Thank you and looking forward to some kind help in the matter.
Best regards,
Cay
PS: I shall enter the specs of the other system as soon as I am done.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 11 Pro 64-bit
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Lenovo
    CPU
    Intel Core i5 @ 2.50GHz Comet Lake 14nm Technology
    Motherboard
    LNVNB161216 (U3E1) %1 Chipset
    Memory
    8 GB RAM
    Graphics Card(s)
    NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 (Lenovo) 36 °C
    Sound Card
    Realtek High Definition Audio(SST
    Monitor(s) Displays
    1920 x 1080
    Screen Resolution
    Current Resolution 1475x829 pixels Work Resolution 1475x783 pixels
    Hard Drives
    476GB Western Digital WDC PC SN730 SDBPNTY-512G-1101 (Unknown (SSD))
    Internet Speed
    316/316 Mbit/s
    Browser
    Chrome/Firefox/Brave
The Bit Lock keys if thats your issue ,are saved on your Microsoft profile if you have one .

I use Rufus for usb boot drive, with Bit Locker disabled option , when reinstalling
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Windows 11 Pro 25 H2 / Windows 3.11 Emulator
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Self build Dec 2023
    CPU
    Pentium I9 14900K
    Motherboard
    Asus Rog Z790 E Wifi 7
    Memory
    64 GB Corsair Dominator DDR5
    Graphics Card(s)
    Sapphire Radeon Pure RX 9060 XT , 16 GB , ARGB Lighting ,.
    Sound Card
    Realtek Codec ALC 4080 internal + Creative Soundblaster X3 External , when former sometimes a problem
    Monitor(s) Displays
    32" Toshiba PC / TV , Corsair Xeneon Edge 14.5" screen Res : 2560 x 720
    Screen Resolution
    2560 x 1440
    Hard Drives
    4 x Corsair MP 600 Pro 500GB M2 drives ( Main ), + Samsung M2 USB 500GB +Corsair M2 1TB Ext USB+ Hitachi Sata Drive 1TB , 2 x DVD-RW
    PSU
    Corsair 1000 w
    Case
    NZXT Phantom 240 , 5 fans built in system
    Cooling
    Silentium PC Spartan 5 Max
    Keyboard
    Seenda Luminous
    Mouse
    1) Aston Martin DB9 Car , 2) McLaren Yellow P2 car , 3) Seenda Wireless
    Internet Speed
    950 mbps
    Browser
    Edge , Opera , Firefox , Brave, Samsung Browsers .
    Antivirus
    Norton 360 , 10 User
    Other Info
    Asus GT BE 98 Wifi 7 Router
    Pertelian X2040 ,
    Echo Show 8"
    Logitech Z906 5.1 speakers
    Aura Sync LED's Internal case lighting
  • Operating System
    Windows 11 25H2
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Microsoft Surface Go
    Memory
    8GB
    Hard Drives
    128 GB and 256 GB Micro SD
    Internet Speed
    950 mbps
  • Like
Reactions: Cay
Thanks, but it's not the Bit Locker Key. This is a simple 6TB external drive that's got stuck. It was open and running before installing Windows 11: it came back locked!
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 11 Pro 64-bit
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Lenovo
    CPU
    Intel Core i5 @ 2.50GHz Comet Lake 14nm Technology
    Motherboard
    LNVNB161216 (U3E1) %1 Chipset
    Memory
    8 GB RAM
    Graphics Card(s)
    NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 (Lenovo) 36 °C
    Sound Card
    Realtek High Definition Audio(SST
    Monitor(s) Displays
    1920 x 1080
    Screen Resolution
    Current Resolution 1475x829 pixels Work Resolution 1475x783 pixels
    Hard Drives
    476GB Western Digital WDC PC SN730 SDBPNTY-512G-1101 (Unknown (SSD))
    Internet Speed
    316/316 Mbit/s
    Browser
    Chrome/Firefox/Brave

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Win11Pro 24H2 (26100.7462)
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    self-built
    CPU
    i7-12700f
    Motherboard
    gigabyte auros b660
    Memory
    32gb ddr4
    Graphics Card(s)
    nvidia rtx3060ti
    Sound Card
    onboard realtek
    Monitor(s) Displays
    1 x benq, 2 x lg
    Screen Resolution
    1 at 2560x1080, 2 at 1920x1080
    Hard Drives
    nvme 1tb crucial ssd
    sata 1tb samsung ssd
    1tb HDD, 3tb HDD
    PSU
    corsair rm750
    Case
    NZXT H710
    Cooling
    BeQuiet Dark Rock
    Keyboard
    steelseries apex 3
    Mouse
    generic usb
    Internet Speed
    500 down 20 up
    Browser
    librewolf
    Antivirus
    eset nod32
  • Like
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When something goes wrong you need to look at the last change you made, and that's Windows 11. That's not surprising. FYI: Newer versions of Windown 11 encrypt everything upon installation - actually during installation - using Bitlocker. There is no warning, no alert, no asking for permission. That can happen even if you don't have a Microsoft account, in which case you lost all your data on your drive. If you do have a Microsoft account, log in and see if you can find the key under Manage Devices (assuming Bitlocker is the problem).

You mentioned PSID, SID, so let's assume those are for encrypting and decrypting Seagate drive. Did you encrypt your drive without realizing it? Otherwise Seagate decided to encrypt your drive automatically when it freaked out that the OS had changed. There are other conditions that will cause a Seagate drive to lock automatically, such as a power surge or interruption. Sadly, you say you don't know how to use the drive decryption keys (SID, PSID) to unlock the drive. That should have been your first option. Get on the Seagate's website and figure it out. Otherwise, again, you lost your data.

Hopefully you can recover your data, but take precautions for next time. Have backups. Don't depend on magic software to do things that you don't FULLY understand. That's especially true for anything that promises to "safeguard" your data using encryption. We're talking about Bitlocker, OneDrive, Seagate, etc. In such cases you are actually giving the keys to your data to some corporate strangers who control all access to your data.

Finally, to help others on the forum diagnose a problem you need to be more descriptive and precise about the nature of your problem. Terms such as "under the name Bit", locked, stuck, SID, PSID, old and new machines, etc. .... don't help much.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Depends on the day and my mood. Windows 10.
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Dell
  • Like
Reactions: Cay
When something goes wrong you need to look at the last change you made, and that's Windows 11. That's not surprising. FYI: Newer versions of Windown 11 encrypt everything upon installation - actually during installation - using Bitlocker. There is no warning, no alert, no asking for permission. That can happen even if you don't have a Microsoft account, in which case you lost all your data on your drive. If you do have a Microsoft account, log in and see if you can find the key under Manage Devices (assuming Bitlocker is the problem).
I found that out a few months ago when I did a clean install of Windows 11 Pro. Fortunately, I did the setup disconnected from the Internet. I also started with a local account. I just happened to check and found that BitLocker was enabled. There was a message saying I needed to log in with my Microsoft account to complete BitLocker setup. Instead I selected to unencrypt my drive(s). It did so without any problem. If there was ever an encryption key I was never told me about it.
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Windows 11 Pro 25H2 (26200.6901)
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    ASUS TUF Gaming A15 (2022)
    CPU
    AMD Ryzen 7 6800H with Radeon 680M GPU (486MB RAM)
    Memory
    Crucial DDR5-4800 (2400MHz) 32GB (2 x 16GB)
    Graphics Card(s)
    NVIDIA RTX 3060 Laptop (6GB RAM)
    Sound Card
    n/a
    Monitor(s) Displays
    15.6-inch
    Screen Resolution
    1920x1080 300Hz
    Hard Drives
    2 x Samsung 990 Evo Plus (2TB M.2 NVME SSD)
    PSU
    n/a
    Mouse
    Wireless Mouse M510
    Internet Speed
    2100Mbps/300Mbps
    Browser
    Firefox
    Antivirus
    Malwarebytes
  • Operating System
    Windows 11 Pro 25H2 (26200.8246)
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Custom build
    CPU
    AMD Ryzen 7 5700X3D
    Motherboard
    ASUS ROG Strix B550-F Gaming WiFi II
    Memory
    G.SKILL Flare X 32GB (2x16GB) DDR4
    Graphics card(s)
    ASUS ROG-STRIX-RTX3060TI-08G-V2-GAMING (RTX 3060-Ti, 8GB RAM)
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Samsung G50D IPS 27"
    Screen Resolution
    1440p/180Hz
    Hard Drives
    SAMSUNG 990 EVO Plus (2TB] M.2 NVME SSD
    SAMSUNG 990 EVO Plus (4TB) M.2 NVME SSD
    PSU
    Corsair RM750x (750 watts)
    Case
    Cooler Master MasterCase 5
    Cooling
    Scythe Mugen 6
    Keyboard
    Logitech K520 (MK540 keyboard/mouse combo)
    Mouse
    Logitech M310 (MK540 keyboard/mouse combo)
    Internet Speed
    2100 Mbps down / 300 Mbps up
    Browser
    Firefox, Edge, Chrome
    Antivirus
    Malwarebytes (Premium)
    Other Info
    ASUS Blu-ray Burner BW-16D1HT (SATA) || Western Digital Easystore 20TB USB 3.0 external hard drive used with Acronis True Image 2025 backup software || HP OfficeJet Pro 6975 Printer/Scanner
  • Like
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I do have the SID and PSID codes to Reset it, but I am not sure how to use those.

The OP is locked out of their data and needs instructions on how to use their SID/PSID codes to regain access to the drive under Windows 11.

ChatGPT / Google Gemini:

The mention of a PSID reset is important:
  • A PSID reset is usually a last-resort factory reset for encrypted SSD/HDDs.
  • It normally erases all data while unlocking the device.
  • So using the PSID is not the same as recovering access.

Because you upgraded Windows using an ISO mount while the drive was connected, Windows 11 likely changed the drive's initialization state or security context in Disk Management, which frequently blocks the standard unlock prompt.

To safely unlock the drive and keep your data:
  1. Download Seagate Toolkit: Ensure you have the latest version of the official Seagate Toolkit software installed on Windows 11.
  2. Launch the Software: Open Toolkit manually. It should detect the locked 6 TB OneTouch drive.
  3. Unlock via Toolkit: Click on the Seagate Secure activity tile and select Unlock.
  4. Enter Your Original Password: Try your password here. Often, the software can bypass Windows-level interface bugs that prevent the password from working in standard File Explorer prompts.
  5. Test a Different PC: If it still rejects the password, try plugging the drive into a completely different Windows 10 or 11 computer that has Seagate Toolkit installed to rule out an OS upgrade conflict.
 
Last edited:

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Windows 11 Pro
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    CPU
    AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D
    Motherboard
    ASRock B650E Taichi Lite
    Memory
    Kingston FURY Beast 64GB (2x32GB) DDR5 6000MT/s
    Graphics Card(s)
    ASUS TUF Gaming Radeon RX 9070 OC Edition 16GB GDDR6
    Hard Drives
    Solidigm P44 Pro 2TB M.2 NVMe SSD
  • Operating System
    Windows 11 Home
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Lenovo Legion Pro 7i Gen 10 16"
    CPU
    Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX
    Memory
    64GB (2x 32GB) DDR5-6400
    Graphics card(s)
    NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080 16GB GDDR7 Laptop GPU
    Hard Drives
    2x 1TB M.2 NVMe SSD (SK Hynix)
  • Like
Reactions: Cay
Hi @Cay

Check whether this helps:
Since you have installled Windows 11, it can be be considered as another/new PC

The AI overview on "how to unlock onetouch Seagate drive on another PC?" (Google search)

To unlock your Seagate OneTouch drive on a new PC, plug it in and open the built-in Unlock Drive app on the drive, or use the downloadable Seagate Toolkit app. Enter your password to access your files.

Follow these step-by-step methods:

Method 1: Using the Built-In Unlock App (No Installation Needed)
The easiest way to unlock your drive on a PC without downloading extra software is to use the lightweight application stored natively on the drive.
Connect your Seagate OneTouch drive to the new PC.
Open File Explorer (Windows) or Finder (Mac).
Locate and click on the DriveLocked volume that appears in your drive list.
Double-click the Unlock Drive for Windows or Unlock Drive for Mac executable file.
Enter your password (it is case-sensitive) and click OK.

Method 2: Using the Seagate Toolkit (Recommended)
If you are using the drive frequently across multiple computers, it is highly convenient to download and install the management software.
Download and install the free Seagate Toolkit software from the Seagate Support Page.
Open the Toolkit app.
Go to the Seagate Secure activity menu.
Click Unlock.
 
Last edited:

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Windows 11 Pro Version:25H2 OS Build: 26200.8524
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Beelink Mini PC Model: SEi12
    CPU
    12th Gen Intel core i5-1235U(Alder
    Motherboard
    SEi (manufactured by AZW)
    Memory
    16*2 (32 GB) DDR 4-3200(1600MHz) Crucial Technology
    Graphics Card(s)
    Intel Iris Xe Graphics (Internal)
    Sound Card
    Internal
    Monitor(s) Displays
    BenQ GW2283
    Screen Resolution
    1920*1080
    Hard Drives
    500GB NVME (Kingston SNV2S500G)
    1TB (Crucial CT1000BX500SSD1)
    PSU
    Power Brick 19V-6.32A , 120.08W
    Keyboard
    Dell KB3322Wi (Wireless)
    Mouse
    Dell WM118t (Wireless)
    Internet Speed
    4G/5G
    Browser
    MS Edge, Chrome
    Antivirus
    Malwarebytes Premium - Subscription
  • Operating System
    Windows 11 Home Version 25H2 Build 26200.8524
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Dell Inspiron 3280 AIO 22"
    CPU
    Intel Core i3 8145U
    Motherboard
    Dell inc. 027W48
    Memory
    Intel Optane 16GB module + DDR 4 16GB (Optane disabled.)
    Graphics card(s)
    Intel UHD Graphics 620
    Sound Card
    Internal
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Dell Monitor 22"
    Screen Resolution
    1920x1080
    Hard Drives
    Crucial CT1000BX500SSD1 ; 1000,2 GB
    PSU
    Power Brick
    Case
    All-in one
    Keyboard
    Dell Wireless KM636
    Mouse
    Dell Wireless KM 636
    Internet Speed
    4G
    Browser
    Edge, Chrome
    Antivirus
    Malwarebytes
    Other Info
    Upgraded from Windows 10 Home to Windows 11 Home on 28 Oct 2023
  • Like
Reactions: Cay
@jumanji
Hello! You have helped me before, sometime last year.
I thank you all graciously, and now suddenly it dawned on me that it must be due to BitLocker because the files names on the locked drive appear in Blue as that is evidently while these must have been encrypted. unless it treats these as system files. I do have some Microsoft accounts (I logged out of this computer's this morning). Finally as Seagate & Co were unable to troubleshoot, they offered to retrieve the Data and give me a new drive as it has valid Warranty and Replacement. It would take about a month as it is done by their staff in the Netherlands and it would be picked up and delivered at their cost by UPS. I have 30 days time to take on their offer.
So now I shall check with Microsoft and see if there is anything there. If they do that then it is quite like Ransomware!
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 11 Pro 64-bit
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Lenovo
    CPU
    Intel Core i5 @ 2.50GHz Comet Lake 14nm Technology
    Motherboard
    LNVNB161216 (U3E1) %1 Chipset
    Memory
    8 GB RAM
    Graphics Card(s)
    NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 (Lenovo) 36 °C
    Sound Card
    Realtek High Definition Audio(SST
    Monitor(s) Displays
    1920 x 1080
    Screen Resolution
    Current Resolution 1475x829 pixels Work Resolution 1475x783 pixels
    Hard Drives
    476GB Western Digital WDC PC SN730 SDBPNTY-512G-1101 (Unknown (SSD))
    Internet Speed
    316/316 Mbit/s
    Browser
    Chrome/Firefox/Brave
@jumanji
Hello! You have helped me before, sometime last year.
I thank you all graciously, and now suddenly it dawned on me that it must be due to BitLocker
Oh....... that must have been in Windows 10 forums. Thanks for remembering.

And yes, when you installed windows 11 your external disk could have gotten encrypted automatically.

You may not find the key in your Microsoft account .

Please see XxXxX's post here BitLocker key? and Alexey2912's post following it, to get the bitlocker Recovery Key. Once you decrypt the drive , turn off bitlocker encryption to that drive. Allow enough time for bitlocker decryption to complete.. Once fully decrypted,that should leave you only with the Seagate encryption. To gain access and read the contents, go ahead as in my post #8.
 
Last edited:

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Windows 11 Pro Version:25H2 OS Build: 26200.8524
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Beelink Mini PC Model: SEi12
    CPU
    12th Gen Intel core i5-1235U(Alder
    Motherboard
    SEi (manufactured by AZW)
    Memory
    16*2 (32 GB) DDR 4-3200(1600MHz) Crucial Technology
    Graphics Card(s)
    Intel Iris Xe Graphics (Internal)
    Sound Card
    Internal
    Monitor(s) Displays
    BenQ GW2283
    Screen Resolution
    1920*1080
    Hard Drives
    500GB NVME (Kingston SNV2S500G)
    1TB (Crucial CT1000BX500SSD1)
    PSU
    Power Brick 19V-6.32A , 120.08W
    Keyboard
    Dell KB3322Wi (Wireless)
    Mouse
    Dell WM118t (Wireless)
    Internet Speed
    4G/5G
    Browser
    MS Edge, Chrome
    Antivirus
    Malwarebytes Premium - Subscription
  • Operating System
    Windows 11 Home Version 25H2 Build 26200.8524
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Dell Inspiron 3280 AIO 22"
    CPU
    Intel Core i3 8145U
    Motherboard
    Dell inc. 027W48
    Memory
    Intel Optane 16GB module + DDR 4 16GB (Optane disabled.)
    Graphics card(s)
    Intel UHD Graphics 620
    Sound Card
    Internal
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Dell Monitor 22"
    Screen Resolution
    1920x1080
    Hard Drives
    Crucial CT1000BX500SSD1 ; 1000,2 GB
    PSU
    Power Brick
    Case
    All-in one
    Keyboard
    Dell Wireless KM636
    Mouse
    Dell Wireless KM 636
    Internet Speed
    4G
    Browser
    Edge, Chrome
    Antivirus
    Malwarebytes
    Other Info
    Upgraded from Windows 10 Home to Windows 11 Home on 28 Oct 2023
  • Like
Reactions: Cay
Would love to follow your esteemed advice, but I am in a thicker soup now. I went ahead and bought Microsoft 365 and all hell broke loose. MS365 is (activated, the last I checked) but the individual Apps could not be installed, perhaps some vestigial older 365 was still lingering somewhere, though I know I uninstalled it all and couldn't any residue anywhere! That's what error said. Then all of a sudden a window screen saver appeared, it had also picked out a picture out of the files all by itself. As I never use a screen saver I wanted it gone... go to the settings and fix it. It went but now a log in screen appeared. Okay, I clicked for the sign in, the dotted wheel turned once and the Sign in font became smaller, but no field appeared. What the hell, I tried again and nothing, no sign in field. In the right corner below the switches to restart, accessibility etc. were there so I restarted. So again it asked for a Sign In, but no log in field again. I cant go into the computer anymore and fix things. Totally flabbergasted and frustrated now. How do I get in.
I am right now using my Laptop and really up the creek without a handle!
Any suggestions to calm my badly frayed nerves?:eek1:
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 11 Pro 64-bit
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Lenovo
    CPU
    Intel Core i5 @ 2.50GHz Comet Lake 14nm Technology
    Motherboard
    LNVNB161216 (U3E1) %1 Chipset
    Memory
    8 GB RAM
    Graphics Card(s)
    NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 (Lenovo) 36 °C
    Sound Card
    Realtek High Definition Audio(SST
    Monitor(s) Displays
    1920 x 1080
    Screen Resolution
    Current Resolution 1475x829 pixels Work Resolution 1475x783 pixels
    Hard Drives
    476GB Western Digital WDC PC SN730 SDBPNTY-512G-1101 (Unknown (SSD))
    Internet Speed
    316/316 Mbit/s
    Browser
    Chrome/Firefox/Brave
In the meantime I have positive tidings, that the external drive has not fortunately been encrypted. I attached it my Laptop this morning and as asked me to unlock it. So I did and it works all the Files and folders are there! is there! Therefore I shall not attach it to the Desktop Computer until that is fixed.
I did try to repair (by using Shift on starting the system and finally asking Windows to fix the system and it failed to do so. There are other options available and one of them being to reinstall Windows 11 which I am reluctant to do. So I will try if I can start in Safe mode somehow and see if I can switch off the safe screen and start system without a password.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 11 Pro 64-bit
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Lenovo
    CPU
    Intel Core i5 @ 2.50GHz Comet Lake 14nm Technology
    Motherboard
    LNVNB161216 (U3E1) %1 Chipset
    Memory
    8 GB RAM
    Graphics Card(s)
    NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 (Lenovo) 36 °C
    Sound Card
    Realtek High Definition Audio(SST
    Monitor(s) Displays
    1920 x 1080
    Screen Resolution
    Current Resolution 1475x829 pixels Work Resolution 1475x783 pixels
    Hard Drives
    476GB Western Digital WDC PC SN730 SDBPNTY-512G-1101 (Unknown (SSD))
    Internet Speed
    316/316 Mbit/s
    Browser
    Chrome/Firefox/Brave
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