Is anyone else unable to access BitLocker recovery keys through a Microsoft account? The recovery-key page keeps redirecting indefinitely instead of displaying the keys. This is for a family member's home computer, which suddenly triggered BitLocker recovery and now requires the key to start. A work-managed device would normally have other ways to retrieve it, but this personal machine is currently locked until the key can be found. Are there any reliable workarounds or alternate sign-in methods?
4 Answers
For future emergencies, save a copy of each device’s BitLocker recovery key somewhere offline, such as a protected USB drive or printed document stored securely. If the key is available only through an account page, an outage can leave the computer inaccessible at exactly the wrong time.
Several people have reported that resetting the Microsoft account password and then signing in again makes the recovery-key page load normally. It may not work for everyone, but it’s one of the more consistent workarounds.
This appeared to be a broader Microsoft service issue rather than a problem with the individual computer. Support reportedly acknowledged that many customers were affected and that the issue was being investigated. Trying again later, using another browser or sign-in route, may be necessary while the service is repaired.
It also helps to distinguish between a personal Microsoft account recovery-key page and an organization-managed device portal. They store or expose keys differently, so the correct location depends on how the computer was enrolled.
Make sure you’re signing in with the exact account that was used on the computer. If the account’s email address was changed or aliased, try the older sign-in address as well. The key may still be associated with that original account identity.
Signing in with two-factor authentication instead of the regular password also helped some people. For example, using a verification code sent to the account’s email allowed the page to open.