Question Will deleted files be recoverable after decrypting a BitLocker drive?

[stargooo]

I have a data drive that is encrypted with BitLocker. I have upgraded to a larger (also encrypted) drive to hold this data.
I would like to re-use the old drive for something else.
I plan to delete all of the data from the old data drive, and then decrypt the drive via the Control Panel BitLocker page.

My question is: Can the files that were deleted while the drive was encrypted be recovered after the drive has been decrypted?

Or to ask the question a different way: when BitLocker decrypts a drive, does it decrypt ALL of the drive including "empty" space, or just the existing files (which in this case will be nothing)?

 

[Cilantro7536]

I haven't done what you want to do (permanently delete data, and then unbitlocker the drive), but I would investigate along the line:

1) Delete the partitions on the drive
2) Create new partitions without Bitlocker protection

This way, whatever was there before remains encrypted.

The following link suggests that you can format the Bitlocker drive without the key/password:

https://www.easeus.com/partition-master/format-bitlocker-encrypted-drive.html

The other way is to use the external drive as a bitlockered drive. You can set up your computer to automatically decrypt bitlockered external drives without a password if your system drive is bitlockered. I have a "permanently" attached external drive that is bitlockered and is decrypted automatically without any fuzz.

As far as I understand it, when you decrypt your bitlockered drive, you unencrypt everything including the "empty" spaces. When you set up a new bitlocker drive, you have the option to not encrypt “empty” spaces, but not so on decryption.

Here's a relevant thread:

https://superuser.com/questions/139...ter-deleting-files-a-secure-way-to-erase-data

 

[stargooo]

1) Delete the partitions on the drive
2) Create new partitions without Bitlocker protection

This way, whatever was there before remains encrypted.

Thanks, this is brilliant! And also much easier than what I was planning to do.