{"id":498124,"date":"2022-10-03T21:00:37","date_gmt":"2022-10-03T18:00:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/how-to-back-up-your-bitlocker-recovery-key-on-windows-11\/"},"modified":"2022-10-03T21:00:37","modified_gmt":"2022-10-03T18:00:37","slug":"how-to-back-up-your-bitlocker-recovery-key-on-windows-11","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/how-to-back-up-your-bitlocker-recovery-key-on-windows-11\/","title":{"rendered":"#How to Back Up Your BitLocker Recovery Key on Windows 11"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_84 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-custom ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<label for=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a29204474eaa\" class=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-label\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/label><input type=\"checkbox\"  id=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a29204474eaa\" checked aria-label=\"Toggle\" \/><nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-1'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/how-to-back-up-your-bitlocker-recovery-key-on-windows-11\/#%E2%80%9CHow_to_Back_Up_Your_BitLocker_Recovery_Key_on_Windows_11%E2%80%9D\" >&#8220;How to Back Up Your BitLocker Recovery Key on Windows 11&#8221;<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-2' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/how-to-back-up-your-bitlocker-recovery-key-on-windows-11\/#What_Is_Encryption\" >What Is Encryption?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/how-to-back-up-your-bitlocker-recovery-key-on-windows-11\/#How_to_Back_Up_Your_Recovery_Key\" >How to Back Up Your Recovery Key<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/how-to-back-up-your-bitlocker-recovery-key-on-windows-11\/#Find_Your_Local_Recovery_Key\" >Find Your Local Recovery Key<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/how-to-back-up-your-bitlocker-recovery-key-on-windows-11\/#Find_The_Recovery_Key_Stored_By_Microsoft\" >Find The Recovery Key Stored By Microsoft<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/how-to-back-up-your-bitlocker-recovery-key-on-windows-11\/#Where_Should_I_Store_My_Recovery_Key\" >Where Should I Store My Recovery Key?<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-7\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/how-to-back-up-your-bitlocker-recovery-key-on-windows-11\/#On_Your_Cellphone\" >On Your Cellphone<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-8\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/how-to-back-up-your-bitlocker-recovery-key-on-windows-11\/#In_the_Cloud\" >In the Cloud<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-9\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/how-to-back-up-your-bitlocker-recovery-key-on-windows-11\/#A_Physical_Copy\" >A Physical Copy<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h1><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"%E2%80%9CHow_to_Back_Up_Your_BitLocker_Recovery_Key_on_Windows_11%E2%80%9D\"><\/span>&#8220;How to Back Up Your BitLocker Recovery Key on Windows 11&#8221;<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h1>\n<div>\n<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"type:primaryImage alignnone size-full wp-image-836539\" data-pagespeed-no-defer=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/www.howtogeek.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/Dark-Task-Manager-on-Windows-background.png?width=1198&amp;trim=1,1&amp;bg-color=000&amp;pad=1,1\" alt=\"Header image. Hard drive with open lock on Windows 11 background.\" width=\"1200\" height=\"675\"\/><\/p>\n<p>Drive Encryption is a wonderful feature. You can be confident that your data is safe, even if your device is lost or stolen. But if you lose your encryption key, you\u2019ll never be able to access your data. Here\u2019s how you can back up your encryption key somewhere safe.<\/p>\n<h2 role=\"heading\" aria-level=\"2\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_Is_Encryption\"><\/span>What Is Encryption?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Encryption is a means of obfuscating data such that it is unreadable without the proper key to \u201cunlock\u201d it. In practical terms, that means that your encrypted messages can\u2019t be intercepted and read by third parties, your sensitive medical data is safe to be transmitted digitally, and the files you encrypt before you upload them to the cloud are safe from prying eyes.<\/p>\n<p>Encryption is essential for safety in the digital world, whether you\u2019re a single person sending iMessages back and forth or you\u2019re the biggest financial institution on the planet.<\/p>\n<p>Windows has been slow to adopt drive encryption, but that is gradually changing. All Windows 11 devices will be capable of either device encryption or full BitLocker encryption, depending on which version of Windows 11 you\u2019re running. <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/general\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"3\" title=\"General\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">General<\/a>ly speaking, that is a good thing \u2014 that means even if someone steals your computer and rips out the storage drive, they will not be able to access anything on it.<\/p>\n<p><strong>RELATED:<\/strong> <strong><em>Should You Upgrade to the Professional Version of Windows 11?<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Of course, that also means that <em>you<\/em> won\u2019t be able to access your data either if you need to access your data and you don\u2019t have your encryption key handy.<\/p>\n<h2 role=\"heading\" aria-level=\"2\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"How_to_Back_Up_Your_Recovery_Key\"><\/span>How to Back Up Your Recovery Key<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Most users who are running Windows 11 will have created their PC user account with a Microsoft login. In that case, your recovery key is stored on Microsoft\u2019s servers. It is also saved locally \u2014 if you set up a local account, you\u2019ll only have a local copy. We\u2019ll cover both scenarios.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"admonishment_note\"><p><strong>Note:<\/strong> Users that have the Professional version of Windows 11 will have additional options associated with BitLocker. These instructions are designed to be one-size-fits-all and will work regardless of your Windows version.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Find_Your_Local_Recovery_Key\"><\/span>Find Your Local Recovery Key<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>The most universal way to get your recovery key is with PowerShell. Launch Terminal as Administrator\u2014the easiest way is by right-clicking your Start button or pressing Windows+X and clicking \u201cTerminal (Admin)\u201d\u2014and make sure you have a PowerShell profile open.<\/p>\n<p>(If you don\u2019t have a PowerShell profile open, click the down arrow in the tab bar and select \u201cWindows PowerShell.\u201d)<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-836792\" data-pagespeed-lazy-src=\"https:\/\/www.howtogeek.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/admin-powershell.png?trim=1,1&amp;bg-color=000&amp;pad=1,1\" alt=\"PowerShell open as Administrator in Terminal.\" width=\"300\" height=\"76\" src=\"\/pagespeed_static\/1.JiBnMqyl6S.gif\" onload=\"pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\" onerror=\"this.onerror=null;pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\"\/><\/p>\n<p>Copy and paste the following command into the Terminal, and then hit Enter:<\/p>\n<pre>(Get-BitLockerVolume -MountPoint C).KeyProtector<\/pre>\n<p>You\u2019ll see your recovery key displayed on the page. You can copy and paste it, screenshot it, or write it down.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-836806\" data-pagespeed-lazy-src=\"https:\/\/www.howtogeek.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/output.png?trim=1,1&amp;bg-color=000&amp;pad=1,1\" alt=\"The output from running a command to retrieve your recovery key.\" width=\"650\" height=\"318\" src=\"\/pagespeed_static\/1.JiBnMqyl6S.gif\" onload=\"pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\" onerror=\"this.onerror=null;pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\"\/><\/p>\n<p>Alternatively, you can make PowerShell write the information to a text file instead. This writes it to a \u201cTXT\u201d file on the Desktop named \u201crecoverykey.txt.\u201d Here\u2019s the command:<\/p>\n<pre>(Get-BitLockerVolume -MountPoint C).KeyProtector | Out-File -FilePath $HOME\\Desktop\\recoverykey.txt<\/pre>\n<p>If the commands don\u2019t do anything, nothing is displayed in the console, or nothing is written to the file, that means your drive is not encrypted and does not have a recovery key.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"admonishment_warning\"><p><strong>Warning:<\/strong> If you are using a local account and you try to enable Device Encryption, you\u2019ll get a message that says \u201cSign in with a Microsoft account to finish encrypting this device.\u201d That message would seem to imply that your device is not encrypted until you log into a Microsoft account. That impression is wrong. Your device will be encrypted, and you must be sure to manually back up your recovery key.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Find_The_Recovery_Key_Stored_By_Microsoft\"><\/span>Find The Recovery Key Stored By Microsoft<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Microsoft saves the recovery keys of all Microsoft logins online by default. Just head over to <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/account.microsoft.com\/devices\/recoverykey\">Microsoft\u2019s recovery key page<\/a>, and you\u2019ll see a screen like this:<\/p>\n<figure style=\"width: 650px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-836578 size-full\" data-pagespeed-lazy-src=\"https:\/\/www.howtogeek.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/encryption-key-pi-fine-structure-constant.png?trim=1,1&amp;bg-color=000&amp;pad=1,1\" alt=\"A recovery key on Microsoft's website.\" width=\"650\" height=\"224\" src=\"\/pagespeed_static\/1.JiBnMqyl6S.gif\" onload=\"pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\" onerror=\"this.onerror=null;pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">This is not a real recovery key or key ID.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>You can copy and paste that information into a text file, print the page, save it as a screenshot or photo on your phone, or do anything else that works for you.<\/p>\n<h2 role=\"heading\" aria-level=\"2\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Where_Should_I_Store_My_Recovery_Key\"><\/span>Where Should I Store My Recovery Key?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>The best place to store your key is up to you, as there are any number of good places you could store it, but they all carry some risk. Do <em>not<\/em> store it as a sticky note attached to your computer \u2014 that is probably the worst place to save it. Don\u2019t just save it onto your PC\u2019s hard drive either. It is completely useless there, since you wouldn\u2019t be able to access it when you need it.<\/p>\n<p><strong>RELATED:<\/strong> <strong><em>What&#8217;s the Best Way to Back Up My Computer?<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"On_Your_Cellphone\"><\/span>On Your Cellphone<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Modern cellphones can create encrypted notes that can only be read with another password or the device\u2019s PIN. You could save the recovery key there, that way it is always with you, and it is unlikely that someone could steal your phone and bypass the encryption.<\/p>\n<p>You could also take a photo of it with your cellphone.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"In_the_Cloud\"><\/span>In the Cloud<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>You can always save the recovery key in a text file or screenshot and then upload it to the cloud \u2014 that is basically how Microsoft handles the situation automatically, anyway. However, you can upload it to any reputable cloud service you like. If you\u2019re concerned about storing it in the cloud, you can always double up on your security by putting it in a password-protected ZIP file first.<\/p>\n<p><strong>RELATED:<\/strong> <strong><em>How to Password Protect a ZIP File on Windows<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"A_Physical_Copy\"><\/span>A Physical Copy<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>You can always make a physical copy of the key, either by printing it out or writing it down on a piece of paper. If you have a safe for important files, documents, or photos, you could put it there. Alternatively, you could just file it away with the rest of your paperwork. Just don\u2019t lose it.<\/p>\n<p>Regardless of which options you choose, you should save your recovery key in a few locations. Things h<a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/download-scripts-themes-apps\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"9\" title=\"Download Scripts &amp; Themes &amp; Apps\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">app<\/a>en \u2014 phones go for a swim or a tumble accidentally, cloud logins get forgotten, and papers are easily lost or damaged. Losing access to your files because you lost your recovery key is entirely preventable if you plan in advance.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><script>\n setTimeout(function(){\n  !function(f,b,e,v,n,t,s)\n  {if(f.fbq)return;n=f.fbq=function(){n.callMethod?\n  n.callMethod.apply(n,arguments):n.queue.push(arguments)};\n  if(!f._fbq)f._fbq=n;n.push=n;n.loaded=!0;n.version='2.0';\n  n.queue=[];t=b.createElement(e);t.async=!0;\n  t.src=v;s=b.getElementsByTagName(e)[0];\n  s.parentNode.insertBefore(t,s) } (window, document,'script',\n  'https:\/\/connect.facebook.net\/en_US\/fbevents.js');\n   fbq('init', '335401813750447');\n   fbq('track', 'PageView');\n  },3000);\n<\/script><\/p>\n<blockquote><p><strong><span style=\"color: #ff6600;\">If you liked the article, do not forget to share it with your friends. Follow us on\u00a0<span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><a style=\"color: #ff0000;\" href=\"https:\/\/news.google.com\/publications\/CAAqBwgKMLG0nwswvr63Aw\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">Google News<\/a><\/span>\u00a0too, click on the star and choose us from your favorites.<\/span><\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">For forums sites go to <span style=\"color: #ff9900;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/forum.buradabiliyorum.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Forum.BuradaBiliyorum.Com<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>If you want to read more like this article, you can visit our <span style=\"color: #ff9900;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/technology\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Technology category.<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"color: black;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.howtogeek.com\/836536\/how-to-back-up-your-bitlocker-recovery-key-on-windows-11\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Source<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&#8220;How to Back Up Your BitLocker Recovery Key on Windows 11&#8221; Drive Encryption is a wonderful feature. You can be confident that your data is safe, even if your device is lost or stolen. But if you lose your encryption key, you\u2019ll never be able to access your data. Here\u2019s how you can back up&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":498125,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.howtogeek.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/Dark-Task-Manager-on-Windows-background.png?height=200p&trim=2,2,2,2","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[18],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-498124","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-technology"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/498124","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=498124"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/498124\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/498125"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=498124"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=498124"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=498124"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}