I have a Dell laptop that won't charge anymore, and it has some important files that I need to recover. I removed the SSD and put it in an enclosure to plug it into another laptop. However, when I try to access the drive, I get a message saying that I need a Bitlocker recovery key on Windows or a password on Linux to unlock it. I've seen videos where people just connect their SSDs and access their data instantly, but that's not happening here. Is there a way to retrieve my files, or do I need to do something special? Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!
1 Answer
Your issue is because the data on the SSD is encrypted with Bitlocker for your security. To access your files, you'll need the Bitlocker Recovery Key. If you set up your Dell laptop, that key is likely linked to your Microsoft account. You can check for it at account.microsoft.com/devices/recoverykey. Once you have the key, you should be able to unlock the drive through File Explorer.
I looked for my keys there, but it says there are none linked to my recovery account. I never logged into my Microsoft account on that laptop.