[SOLVED] Can I recover BitLocker data ?

[StellaMan]

I have in my possession a Client's laptop that has failed during a Windows 10 "upgrade" to Windows 11 ... it won't boot up, there are no recovery options and no Reset option in Windows Repair Tools.

The data is also protected by BitLocker. The owner doesn't have a key as this was a work machine and the company is now bankrupt.

If I remove the Hard Drive and access it as an external USB drive on my PC, will I be able to copy / recover his personal data or will it still be encrypted and I'll be wasting my time ?!?

Thanks in advance ...

 

[USAFRet]

I have in my possession a Client's laptop that has failed during a Windows 10 "upgrade" to Windows 11 ... it won't boot up, there are no recovery options and no Reset option in Windows Repair Tools.

The data is also protected by BitLocker. The owner doesn't have a key as this was a work machine and the company is now bankrupt.

If I remove the Hard Drive and access it as an external USB drive on my PC, will I be able to copy / recover his personal data or will it still be encrypted and I'll be wasting my time ?!?

Thanks in advance ...

Without the bitlocker key, you are Out Of Luck.
Period.

If bitlocker were easy to circumvent without the key, it wouldn't be much good, would it?

 

[bignastyid]

If the data is encrypted and they don't have the key it's pretty much gone.

 

[ex_bubblehead]

I have in my possession a Client's laptop that has failed during a Windows 10 "upgrade" to Windows 11 ... it won't boot up, there are no recovery options and no Reset option in Windows Repair Tools.

The data is also protected by BitLocker. The owner doesn't have a key as this was a work machine and the company is now bankrupt.

If I remove the Hard Drive and access it as an external USB drive on my PC, will I be able to copy / recover his personal data or will it still be encrypted and I'll be wasting my time ?!?

Thanks in advance ...

This is a full wipe and clean install of the OS and applications. Without the recovery key there is absolutely no recovery of data from a drive so encrypted. As already said, if it were easy to bypass then it wouldn't be useful now, would it?

 

[DRagor]

Storing PERSONAL data on WORK machine PROTECTED by BitLocker ... and not having it backed up somewhere else? Your client likes to live dangerously.

 

[StellaMan]

Thanks for your replies, I suspected this was the case but had to make sure 🤷‍♂️