Use BitLocker and enter your recovery key to restart after the Windows Dell firmware update.
Use BitLocker and enter your recovery key to restart after the Windows Dell firmware update.
Have you verified your Microsoft account? Access it from another device and visit https://account.microsoft.com/devices/recoverykey. You should see the recovery options there. Once logged in, consider turning off BitLock for Windows if possible. It’s usually not necessary for most users.
I never disabled protection before any Windows update. I received several Dell firmware updates that were also BIOS updates, and I wasn’t aware of this requirement. I didn’t realize you should disable protection during a BIOS update. I have my BitLocker recovery key on a USB flash drive and another backup copy. The problem arises when I connect the USB drive to my Chromebook—it reports it can’t read the file because it’s encrypted with AxCrypt, ending in a specific extension like .xx. I recall encrypting the file because I assumed if my laptop and USB were together, someone could access it without my BitLocker PIN or Windows password. Could you ask the person where I stored the recovery key so they can decrypt it for me or send it via text?
I recall using an older XPS laptop where, one moment when I turned it on, it requested a BitLocker recovery key that seemed quite alike to this one I think it was... but I’m not sure. It doesn’t seem like I had entered the key beforehand; instead, I powered it off and back on, and then it just asked for my BitLocker PIN and Windows password. That was just starting up again. This time it happened after a Dell firmware BIOS update—this feels different. I don’t remember the screen being the same, but I did recall asking for the recovery key once before.
I doubt I created my Microsoft account myself. I remember setting up my laptop with a local account. That means there should be no email associated with it. I use BitLocker for extra security, so if someone gains access to my machine, they won’t be able to just turn it on and steal my data. That’s why I have a BitLocker pin and a Windows password.
The blue screen displays a BitLocker recovery prompt. Enter your recovery key to restart. The keyboard layout is set to US. To locate your key, use the Microsoft account at aka.ms/myrecoverykey for more details. The drive label shows "Pauly OS," and you can ask someone who last had it to read the key over the phone, text, or email.
Great work overall. Just remember to keep your keys in a convenient spot or memorize them. Encrypting them won’t help much because they’re tied to a local device and could become an issue if you lose both the key and your computer. Also, using text/email to send decrypted info over unsecured channels isn’t very secure—what’s the real purpose of encryption?
The recovery key is indeed 48 characters long. I searched for its length and found the details. Storing it securely is important, especially when you're not in the US and have it saved on a USB drive. It's similar to having your Windows login info or password—access depends on who has the physical device. You mentioned using encryption to protect it, which makes sense since it prevents unauthorized viewing. If someone gains access to both your laptop and the USB, they could potentially get the key. Your concern about copying files between devices is valid; you're essentially creating a backup method. By uploading your KeePass file from Google Drive and using it with AxCrypt, you would have the necessary credentials to decrypt the BitLocker key. Yes, that should work if you follow the steps correctly.
Yes, you should call me over the phone and share the BitLocker recovery key. It’s useless to others without physical access to your laptop. I stored the BitLocker recovery phrase on a USB drive because if someone gains access to my device, they’ll also get the USB since both are in the same location.