How to find Bit-locker Recovery Key
How to find Bit-locker Recovery Key
Hi. I encountered an issue with updating the BIOS. Previously, turning on TPM was complicated, and some motherboards came out with a BIOS that would turn it on automatically. For my ASUS TUF GAMING X570-PLUS (WI-FI), version 4021 was stable and still in use. Later, they dropped 4021 and introduced 4022. They often label Beta versions with "next" but didn’t add a Beta tag to 4021—just swapped it out completely. I updated to 4021 without realizing it enabled TPM automatically. I wasn’t planning to upgrade to Windows 11, and I still aren’t. I attempted to upgrade to a newer version but received an error. Not understanding the message, I searched YouTube for guidance. Their instructions didn’t help me locate where the key was stored. I didn’t update then. I emailed ASUS asking about the storage location, and they replied with a screenshot. They told me BitLocker was disabled. I never enabled it, so I had no clue where it was saved. I checked Microsoft’s site, but it felt unclear. I’m completely new to BitLocker. If anyone uses the same board or knows how to back up the key and update BIOS, please let me know. Thanks. By the way, I’m trying to move from 4021 to 4403 now.
Without Bitlocker activated and no intention to turn it on, you're likely fine and can disregard the warning. I anticipate this notice will appear each time you enter BIOS, mostly as Asus handling it.
It's a typical notification from most board makers when updating the BIOS. The same message shows up when updating on a HP device with a TPM chip active. It acts as a backup in case the update removes the TPM or something similar. This ensures you can still access the OS and regain control of the TPM, allowing BitLocker to be re-activated smoothly. If you don't disable BitLocker and the update clears the TPM, you're in a good spot—provided you have that recovery key handy.
When BitLocker isn't enabled, you won't find a way to see the recovery key. BitLocker is typically offered as a business laptop solution.
Thank you for your response. I went to sleep after posting. Considering your advice, since I didn’t enable BitLocker, there’s no backup key initially. If I had activated BitLocker, a key would have been available for backups before updating BIOS. Also, Asus emailed me assuming BitLocker was on, indicating my drives were encrypted and required a key backup before BIOS changes. Now I’d like to resolve some uncertainties. If BitLocker was enabled, should I back up the key first and then disable it before updating BIOS, or is it possible to update BIOS with BitLocker active?