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March 24th, 2020 17:00
XPS 15 7590: How to pass by BitLocker recovery key
I try my best to describe the issue. My XPS 15 7590 encountered a problem with USB-C. Dell sent an engineer to fix. The engineer first suspended the Bitlocker and then started to fix. He replaced some parts including the main board. Then when starting the laptop, it required the BitLocker recovery key....
I had no idea what it was. Following some online information, I checked my microsoft account. I found this laptop as one of devices on the account, but no the BitLocker recovery key. I then logged in aka.ms website using my work account, I found my profile, but no key again. It was also suggested that the IT department or system administrator might keep the key. I called the IT, they said no and I gonna lose all my files...
Now the Dell service request has been closed as the engineer believed that he fixed the problem and the key should be my organization's IT's job. IT claimed he could do nothing. It is quite disappointing...
I come to see who can help the issue. I would like to pay.
Dubistmein
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March 28th, 2020 12:00
@jphughan I have figured out something new to me. I find that I can login in portal.azure.com with my work account. It means that I have been a member. However, When I tried to access the Azure Active Directory, the system reminds me that I do not have access.
The guy in my work IT department claimed that the organization does not use Azure Active Directory. But since I have a membership, I suspect whether it is true.
I know Azure Active Directory might not be a topic for Dell community. But could jphughan or anyone else can help? How could I access the Azure Active Directory?
I get down my knees and thank you in advance!
Dubistmein
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March 28th, 2020 15:00
@jphughan Thank you for replying. But a detail is that I use my work account (with an organization domain) to login on the microsoft azure. (I cannot use my work account to login on the microsoft account). After logining on azure, I tried to access the active directory, then got an error message 'no access'.
Frankly to say, the IT guy who is assigned to my current issue is not responsible or capable. I tried my personal microsoft account and work microsoft account following FAQs by my own. I understand much better about this issue at Dell Community. He did nothing useful but just tried to close a service request as soon as possible. And also I can't trust him anymore. He said active directory was not in place. But I immediately found that an old news (in 2015) of the IT department said that recent slow connection was caused by Azure Active Directory!
I just believe that the key must be somewhere. First, I didn't encrypted the laptop and I don't have that habit. It was automatically done by windows 10. If microsoft allows windows 10 automatically to do that, the recovery key must be somewhere.
If I proactively encrypted the device and I did not keep the recovery key, it should be my fault. But even nobody metioned that to me! Windows did not give me a warning or notice about automatic encryption. Then Dell technician only suspended the bitlocker without asking me to keep the recovery key. Then even my work IT department claimed that active directory was not in place. What a trap for a common user like me?
Dell is trying to find those replace parts back, and I do appreciate it.
My supervisor asked me to buy a new laptop. I know I still can use the current one by losing all data on it! But probably I should use Mac and don't use windows any more...
Dubistmein
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March 29th, 2020 00:00
@jphughan I try to make it more clear.
1. If I encrypted my laptop without keeping the recovery key, it would be my fault. BUT, I did NOT encrypted it and I even did not know what that meant. Windows 10 automatically did so without a notice.
The link below states that 'Dell and Lenovo systems that ship with the Windows 10 operating system and are equipped with TPM capability will have Microsoft BitLocker encryption enabled from the factory. It has been found that once the device is registered to a Active Directory domain - Office 365 Azure AD, Windows 10 automatically encrypts the system drive.
https://hardsoft-support.kayako.com/article/99-windows-10-bitlocker-turns-on-without-a-notice
2. I cannot find a recovery key from my personal microsoft account (not work domain) as it is a work laptop. the link below suggests that 'saving a recovery password with your Microsoft account online is only allowed when bitlocker is used on a PC that is NOT a member of a domain.’
3. Since windows encrypted my laptop automatically without a notice, it must keep it somewhere by default, and it could be Azure Active Directory, or something else. Though my IT admin claimed that the work place did not have active directory structure, the recovery key must be kept somewhere in this world. Otherwise, microsoft and relevant computers are too risky to use.
4. If microsoft kept my recoverykey somewere, they might be able to help to find it.
5. It is a horrible trap to all colleagues in my organization who use dell shipped with windows 10, not only to unlucky me.
As it seems a joint issue of hardware and software, I still post here. I have asked microsoft community the same question.
Thank you again.
Dubistmein
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March 30th, 2020 06:00
@jphughan Though I cannot understand all technical details as a common user, but indeed I understand your last point.
I believe that at least software/hardware should not decide for users whether to use encryption. If they do, they need to guarantee that common users can solve issues in easy way, so that common users like me will not have to struggle such a lot!
Dubistmein
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March 30th, 2020 11:00
OK. Finally my organization IT found the recoverykey from the Azure Active Directory. They also recognized that what happened to me could happen to other employees, and something new will be established by them afterwards.
After one week's hard struggle. Finally!
I am just a common user and I cannot understand all details. To my understanding, as windows 10 encrypted my laptop, the recover key must be somewhere. If it is not in my personal microsoft account, it should be in organization's azure active directory, though the organization may not proactively use or access it.
Thank you so much @jphughan! If without your contribution, it is not possible for me - a non-IT person without power and authority - to push forward and rescue my important materials on the laptop.
I do hope the discussion can benefit other people. Thanks jphughan again.
Dubistmein
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March 30th, 2020 16:00
@jphughan A million thanks! After this disaster I will keep the recovery key by my own and back up my data more often!
Hope this thread can benefit more people.