Question Bitlocker/ Geek Squad

[domy6]

I bought a Lenovo laptop which stopped responding after two weeks. Since it is still under warranty, Lenovo told me to bring to Best Buy and that Geek Squad will diagnose and fix the problem. they sent to their Repair Center in KY and after a week, they said that they replaced the motherboard but that they are waiting for Microsoft to disable the bitlocker encryption I put on the hard drive. Two questions: 1) Will Microsoft help Geek Squad disable the bitlocker encryption on my drive? 2) If they replaced the motherboard and see that the computer works and boot in windows, why do they need my drive to be decrypted before they return it to me?

 

[rgd1101]

Are you sure they didn't mean to say disable to fresh format.
shouldn't be able to decrypt without the password

 

[domy6]

No, the rep read me the note that said "waiting for MSFT to turn off Bitlocker"
Also, if they replaced the motherboard, why would they need to do a fresh format of the M.2 SSD?

 

[rgd1101]

standard procedure. without a working OS, they won't know if that fix the issue or not.

 

[ex_bubblehead]

Sounds like you're being taken for a ride here. Microsoft cannot disable BitLocker without either the primary or backup key. It woudn't be secure if they could. The primary key is stored in the TPM module in the laptop and cannot be accessed directly, or transferred to another system. The backup key was presented to you when the drive was encrypted (you DID either write it down or store it on a USB stick, right?). I hope you have a full backup of that drive as I suspect that you'll get it back formatted, with a fresh factory image on it. Best Buy is one of the worst places (if not THE worst) you can take any form of technology for service.

 

[mdd1963]

Some Lenovo laptops have TPM encryption...to the point of, if (for intance) a BIOS password is entered, per their documentation anyway , if that password is lost/forgotten, the entire mainboard must no be replaced, do not pass go, straight to jail..!

If MB is/was swapped, different hardware codes (if TPM encryption was used) might very well preclude ever decrypting the data, but, perhaps there is a recovery procedure for this, but...this is NOT a quick 'let MS disable something related to Bitlocker' sort of fix...

 

[digitalgriffin]

Some Lenovo laptops have TPM encryption...to the point of, if (for intance) a BIOS password is entered, per their documentation anyway , if that password is lost/forgotten, the entire mainboard must no be replaced, do not pass go, straight to jail..!

If MB is/was swapped, different hardware codes (if TPM encryption was used) might very well preclude ever decrypting the data, but, perhaps there is a recovery procedure for this, but...this is NOT a quick 'let MS disable something related to Bitlocker' sort of fix...

There's also Opal encryption built into some SSD which makes recovery impossible within a reasonable time frame. Bitlocker will use Opal support.

https://www.esecurityplanet.com/net...and-Cons-of-Opal-Compliant-Drives-3939016.htm

 

[MrMoore]

Sounds like you're being taken for a ride here. Microsoft cannot disable BitLocker without either the primary or backup key. It woudn't be secure if they could. The primary key is stored in the TPM module in the laptop and cannot be accessed directly, or transferred to another system. The backup key was presented to you when the drive was encrypted (you DID either write it down or store it on a USB stick, right?). I hope you have a full backup of that drive as I suspect that you'll get it back formatted, with a fresh factory image on it. Best Buy is one of the worst places (if not THE worst) you can take any form of technology for service.

Couldn't have worded it better myself, these guys are talking <Mod Edit> lol, without either having the Recovery Key it'll be a format and back to factory defaults.

 

[domy6]

I have the recovery key. It doesn't work because the recover key is tied to the motherboard (checked with MSFT)
I entered the recovery key, but it didn't work.

 

[USAFRet]

I have the recovery key. It doesn't work because the recover key is tied to the motherboard (checked with MSFT)
I entered the recovery key, but it didn't work.

Whatever was on that drive is gone gone gone.
GeekSquad/Lenovo/Microsoft has exactly zero responsibility to safeguard or recover your data.
Especially behind BitLocker encryption.

(I wouldn't trust geeksquad to reliably change a lightbulb)

 

[ex_bubblehead]

I have the recovery key. It doesn't work because the recover key is tied to the motherboard (checked with MSFT)
I entered the recovery key, but it didn't work.

If it is truly the recovery key, and not just the recovery key ID, then it absolutely will work. This is one of the situations in which it is intended to be used.