How can I recover files and check BitLocker before reinstalling Windows?

BitLocker behavior depends on the Windows version, hardware, and how the account was configured. Some newer systems enable device encryption automatically, especially when a Microsoft account is used, but it is not guaranteed on every refurbished machine or every upgrade. The practical test is whether a bootable recovery environment can read the files without requesting a recovery key. After reinstalling, save or print the new recovery key and keep an additional backup.

Removing the SSD and connecting it to another computer is also a reasonable approach, provided you handle the drive carefully. If BitLocker is enabled, the other computer will ask for the recovery key. Without that key, the encrypted data generally cannot be recovered through normal means. If no key appears in your Microsoft account, that may indicate the drive was never linked to that account, encryption was disabled, or the key was saved somewhere else.

The previous owner’s recovery key would only help if the existing installation and encryption setup were still tied to that owner. A properly refurbished laptop should normally have been wiped, but that cannot be assumed. Try a bootable environment first, check the SSD before making changes, and copy the data elsewhere if it is accessible.

You can create a Windows PE or Linux bootable USB and start the laptop from it. If the SSD is readable, copy the important files to an external drive. From the Windows installer, pressing Shift+F10 opens Command Prompt, where you can inspect the drive and check its BitLocker status. Don’t start the clean installation until the files are backed up, since reinstalling will normally erase the existing data.