How to Save and Back Up Your BitLocker Recovery Key

Secure your data by saving your BitLocker recovery key. Follow this guide to store your key in your Microsoft account, as a file, or in print.

1. Open the Manage BitLocker menu. Click the Start button and type Manage BitLocker. Select the top result to open the BitLocker Drive Encryption control panel. Ensure you have administrative privileges to view these settings.
2. Select Back up your recovery key. Identify the drive you wish to back up. Click the link labeled Back up your recovery key located next to the drive icon. If this link is not visible, select Manage BitLocker and choose the option to back up the key again.
3. Choose a backup destination. Select one of the three provided options: Save to your Microsoft account, Save to a file, or Print the recovery key. Saving to your Microsoft account is the most reliable method for cloud-based recovery.
4. Save the file to a secure location. If selecting Save to a file, navigate to an external drive or a secure cloud folder that is not synced to the local encrypted drive. Click Save. A .txt file containing the 48-digit recovery key will be generated.
5. Confirm the key is synced. If you chose the Microsoft account option, log in to account.microsoft.com/devices/recoverykey from a different browser or device. Confirm the recovery key appears in the list associated with your specific device ID.