Data Recovery From BitLocker-Encrypted Drive After Deletion | Complete Guide

BitLocker encryption is present by default on Windows and is widely trusted by both businesses and individuals to protect their sensitive files from unauthorized access.

However, while BitLocker does do a great job of keeping intruders out, it can sometimes lock out the actual owner! You may have forgotten your recovery key or accidentally shift-deleted files from an encrypted drive, and now you just can’t recall the recovery key.

At this point, the idea of a lengthy data recovery process would seem daunting. But don’t worry, we’ll show you how Stellar’s advanced tools can recover data from BitLocker-encrypted drives after deletion, provided you have the key (or what you should do if you’ve lost the key).

We’re going to guide you through the best methods to recover your BitLocker-encrypted files safely.

Note: Recovery of accidentally deleted data on BitLocker-encrypted drives is possible using Stellar Data Recovery software. However, if you have lost your key, read on, as our in-lab data recovery experts may be able to help in some scenarios.

BitLocker Encryption: What You Need to Know

Before we start with the actual recovery, let’s quickly understand what exactly BitLocker does. BitLocker is a drive encryption feature by Microsoft that secures individual volumes, and it protects your data by scrambling it using an advanced algorithm called AES encryption. You can only access this encrypted data if you unlock your drive using:

🔑 A BitLocker recovery key or password

🛅 A TPM (Trusted Platform Module) chip with PIN or startup authentication

So while BitLocker enhances your data’s security, it also means that if you lose the recovery key, your data remains encrypted in a way that even professional tools can’t access it unless very specific conditions are met.

So, what does this mean for your data and the chances of successful data recovery? It essentially means that you’ll need different approaches depending on whether you have the key or not and whether the auto-unlock feature was enabled.

Data Recovery With the BitLocker Key

If you have the BitLocker recovery key, consider yourself lucky because this is the best-case scenario. With the recovery key, you can:

• Unlock your encrypted volume safely.
• Use Stellar Data Recovery software to scan your drive (as if it were just a regular partition).
• Recover your files that were lost through deletion.

You can use a trusted software like Stellar Data Recovery Professional to recover BitLocker-encrypted files by following a few simple steps. You’ll just need to select your encrypted volume and enter the recovery key when prompted. Once you decrypt the drive by providing the key, the software will perform a deep scan and find a list of all your recoverable data, including documents, photos, videos, and other files.

If your files were accidentally deleted, having the key makes the recovery process much easier. Data recovery with a key is not only possible, it’s typically very successful. Read on to see how to use Stellar’s data recovery software to recover BitLocker-encrypted data. However, if you are unable to find the key, skip to the next section.

Step-by-Step Guide to Using Stellar Software for BitLocker-Encrypted Drive Recovery

If you have the key, here’s how you can use Stellar Data Recovery Professional to recover files from your BitLocker-encrypted drive.

1. Download and install Stellar Data Recovery on your computer.
2. Connect the BitLocker-encrypted drive to your system. Now, in Stellar’s main interface, select the type of files you want to recover from the What To Recover section (e.g., documents, videos, etc.).

3. When you reach the drive selection screen, choose your BitLocker-encrypted volume.
4. Enter the BitLocker recovery key when prompted.
5. In the next step, choose Deep Scan for better results, especially after deletion. Now press Scan to start. The software will take some time to finish the scan, depending on the size of your drive.

6. You can now preview your recovered files once the scan completes. Select the files you want and save them to another drive.

Important: Never save the recovered files on the same drive. This is to prevent data loss in case the original file system was corrupted or damaged).

It’s really simple to use, and the intuitive interface makes it easy even for non-technical users to recover BitLocker-encrypted data from HDDs, SSDs, and even USB devices.

Recovering Data Without the BitLocker Key

Now to the challenging part—when you do not have the key. Let’s look at some sub-scenarios to understand your options better.

1. Cases Where Stellar Can Retrieve Data From Auto-Unlocked Drives Without the Key

Some BitLocker-encrypted drives can be set to auto-unlock on trusted systems. If you’re using the same PC where the drive was originally set to auto-unlock, the encryption key may already be cached, allowing access without re-entering the recovery key. In such cases, experts at Stellar data recovery can perform some manual workarounds and access the volume normally since the key is technically present, just cached.

Moreover, if your drive was already unlocked (either by key or auto-unlock), and some of your files were deleted, Stellar can help. This isn’t rare and happens more often than you’d think, for example, if someone empties the Recycle Bin.

Even if you accidentally deleted some important business documents, photos, or even other complex file types like CAD drawings or emails, Stellar’s experts use signature-based recovery algorithms to dig deep into your drive and bring them back.

Note: Your deleted files on BitLocker-encrypted partitions aren’t going to vanish, provided that the space is not overwritten. That’s why you need to stop using that drive immediately. Stellar’s data recovery experts can locate these deleted files by scanning the unallocated space and system metadata on your drive.

2. Is Data Recovery Possible When You’ve Completely Lost Your BitLocker Recovery Key?

If your drive is fully encrypted and not set to auto-unlock, and you’ve truly lost the recovery key, then unfortunately, recovery will not be possible.

To put this into perspective, you have to understand that BitLocker uses an advanced encryption standard (called AES-128 or AES-256), which is designed to be pretty much unbreakable without the unique decryption key. No recovery tool on earth can decrypt a BitLocker-encrypted volume from scratch if you don’t have the access credentials.

That said, in some rare situations, our team of in-house recovery experts might be able to find your lost key itself (for example, if it’s auto-saved to your Microsoft account or saved on some lost text file on one of your non-encrypted drives). Basically, the only way to recover your data is by looking for the key.

Note: In such scenarios, the best move is to contact a professional data recovery service. Stellar’s data recovery experts will inspect the hard drive in a Class 100 Cleanroom lab to determine the possibility of data recovery from the BitLocker-encrypted drive and advise you accordingly.

Cases Where Recovery Is Not Possible

There are certain situations where recovery may not be possible. These include:

🔏 Drives that are fully encrypted and locked, and the recovery key cannot be recovered.

🧹 Drives that were securely wiped after encryption, using tools that overwrite data.

👾 Damaged drives with critical encryption metadata corrupted beyond repair.

In such cases, even professional labs and forensic tools cannot retrieve data. BitLocker’s encryption is military-grade, and that’s by design. The best defense is prevention, so always back up your important drives and write down your key and store it somewhere safe.

How to Avoid Data Loss From BitLocker-Encrypted Volumes

Most BitLocker-related data loss is avoidable. Here are some easy, practical tips to protect your data.

• Back up the recovery key and store it in multiple places (such as on your Microsoft account, external USB drive, password manager, and on paper).
• Enable auto-unlock on trusted systems for BitLocker-encrypted drives to reduce your dependency on the manual key.
• Keep regular backups of important files (especially if you’re using encrypted partitions).
• Avoid formatting or deleting partitions unless you’re 100% sure you have the key.

Check out case studies showcasing successful BitLocker data recovery:

• BitLocker Encryption – 3 TB Crucial Data Recovered for Electronic Design & Manufacturing Company
• SSD Data Recovery: BitLocker-Encrypted ASUS NVMe Restored by Stellar

Conclusion

BitLocker encryption is a powerful tool, and when things go wrong, it can feel like your data is locked out behind an unbreakable wall. If you’ve got the recovery key, or have access via auto-unlock, or you’ve simply deleted files from an encrypted drive, Stellar Data Recovery gives you a safe and reliable path toward recovering your data that might otherwise be lost forever.

Keep in mind, recovery is only possible when certain conditions are met, and the sooner you act, the better your chances of recovery are. Do not try random internet tricks or unreliable tools. Use something that’s built to work with encrypted environments, like Stellar Data Recovery Professional. And if your case is too critical or complex, we also offer in-lab data recovery services, although success rates without the key depend completely on the situation.

Here’s a real story of how one of our customers successfully recovered data from a BitLocker-encrypted drive with Stellar’s help:

FAQs

1. Can I recover data from a BitLocker-encrypted drive without the recovery key?

If your BitLocker-encrypted drive was set to auto-unlock on a trusted PC, Windows may already have the cached the decryption key. In such cases, Stellar Data Recovery can access the unlocked drive directly and recover files without asking for the key. However, if the drive is locked and the recovery key is lost, recovery is not possible due to BitLocker’s strong AES-128 / AES-256 encryption.

2. What to do if I’ve accidentally deleted files from a BitLocker-encrypted drive?

If your BitLocker drive is already unlocked (either with the password or recovery key) and you delete files by mistake, stop using the drive immediately to avoid overwriting. Run Stellar Data Recovery software and conduct a Deep Scan to find and recover deleted files—even those missing from the Recycle Bin.

3. Is it safe to use Stellar Data Recovery software on a BitLocker-protected drive?

Yes, Stellar is completely safe and non-destructive. The software does not write to or modify your drive during scanning or recovery. It reads your drive in a read-only mode and preserves the encryption structure as well as the original data. If the drive is encrypted, Stellar will prompt for the key, and once decrypted, it will begin scanning for your lost or deleted files.

4. What happens if my BitLocker-encrypted drive is corrupted or Windows cannot detect it?

If Windows can’t access your BitLocker-encrypted drive due to file system corruption or OS issues, you can still unlock it with your recovery key. Once the volume is recognized, you can perform a deep scan with Stellar’s software to recover lost or inaccessible files.