I'm looking for some advice regarding a troubling situation we found ourselves in with a Windows update. My wife has been using Windows 11 Home Edition and recently clicked to update her system. Unfortunately, when she next booted her computer, it automatically activated BitLocker encryption. She doesn't have access to her Microsoft account anymore because she forgot to update her phone number after moving. Now, 30 years of family photos are encrypted and we can't access them. I have a few questions: 1. Will calling Microsoft help us resolve this issue? 2. Is there any guarantee that the recovery key is stored in her Microsoft account after the 30-day wait? 3. Is there currently any class action lawsuit against Microsoft for situations like this? Any feedback would be greatly appreciated, as we don't want to lose our precious memories.
5 Answers
Regarding the key, Microsoft’s documentation suggests that as long as she was logged into her PC with her Microsoft account, the key should be there when you regain access. Keep on them, and be persistent. However, if she wasn’t logged in at the time, the key might not be saved there. For the legal side, good luck finding a class action regarding this; these cases usually go nowhere since users are often held responsible for keeping track of their accounts.
That's disheartening to hear about the lawsuits, but at least we can try to keep pursuing the account.
You might try calling the old phone number back. If someone else has it now, they may be able to help you out with the verification code you need. Just a long shot, but you never know!
That’s not a bad idea! I’ll suggest that to her as one last effort.
Yeah, worth a try! I’d call it a long shot too, but it could work.
Honestly, this is a great example of why you should have a backup strategy in place. I recommend following the 3-2-1 rule for data backups. And going forward, always save those recovery keys somewhere safe if you decide to use BitLocker again after resolving this. Just remember that BitLocker can reactivate during updates unexpectedly, so stay vigilant.
Yes, I've been saying the same! Backups are essential and should be made a priority.
So true, setting up proper backups could eliminate such a huge headache in the future!
For recovery methods, you can try accessing the Windows Recovery Environment. If you can manage to get in there, you can check for a system restore point, which might help get things back without fully wiping it out. But yeah, if the drive’s BitLocker-encrypted, you’ll need the recovery key for that too.
I’d love to see if we can get to that restore point! Thanks for the tip.
Yeah, too bad the drive is locked or I bet that could have been a solution.
I feel for you! Automatic device encryption has been a thing since Windows 8.1, and sadly, it can lead to situations like yours. If you want to get that recovery key, you need to regain access to her Microsoft account. It’s a pain, but calling Microsoft is worth a shot, though don't expect miracles, especially since it's the Home Edition. You'll likely need to answer some security questions to verify the account.
Thanks for the heads-up on the account access! It's frustrating that this automatic feature can lead to such headaches.
I totally agree, it's infuriating how these updates can cause unexpected issues!
That makes sense, so her not being logged in is a big deal. It’s such a trap!