Question:

How can I perform a factory reset on a Windows 10 device that is encrypted with BitLocker and keeps prompting for the recovery key? I have tried using the escape key, the F11 key, and a USB installation media, but none of them worked. Even after entering the correct recovery key, the installation process failed at 5 percent.

Answer:

How to factory reset a Windows 10 device with BitLocker encryption

BitLocker is a feature in Windows 10 that encrypts your hard drive to protect your data from unauthorized access. However, sometimes BitLocker can cause problems when you want to reset your device to its factory settings. For example, you may encounter a situation where your device keeps asking for the BitLocker recovery key, even after you enter it correctly. Or, you may find that the installation media you created to reinstall Windows 10 does not work on your BitLocker-protected drive. In this article, we will show you how to overcome these challenges and perform a factory reset on a Windows 10 device with BitLocker encryption.

Before you start, you will need the following items:

• A USB flash drive with at least 8 GB of space
• A working computer with Windows 10
• A BitLocker recovery key or a recovery password for your device

You can find your BitLocker recovery key or password in one of these places:

• In your Microsoft account, if you saved it there when you turned on BitLocker
• In a printout or a file that you saved when you turned on BitLocker
• In your Azure Active Directory account, if your device is joined to a domain
• In your email, if you received it from your system administrator

If you cannot find your BitLocker recovery key or password, you will not be able to access your data or reset your device. Therefore, it is very important to keep a backup of your BitLocker recovery information in a safe place.

Step 1: Create a Windows 10 installation media

The first step is to create a Windows 10 installation media on a USB flash drive. This will allow you to boot your device from the USB drive and reinstall Windows 10 on your BitLocker-protected drive. To create a Windows 10 installation media, follow these steps:

• On a working computer with Windows 10, go to [this website] and download the Media Creation Tool.
• Run the tool and accept the license terms.
• Select Create installation media (USB flash drive, DVD, or ISO file) for another PC and click Next.
• Choose the language, edition, and architecture (64-bit or 32-bit) for Windows 10 and click Next.
• Select USB flash drive and click Next.
• Choose the USB flash drive that you want to use and click Next. Make sure you have backed up any important files on the USB drive, as they will be erased during this process.
• Wait for the tool to download and create the Windows 10 installation media on the USB drive. This may take some time, depending on your internet speed and the size of the USB drive.
• When the process is finished, click Finish and safely remove the USB drive from the computer.

Step 2: Boot your device from the USB drive

The next step is to boot your device from the USB drive that contains the Windows 10 installation media. To do this, you will need to change the boot order in the BIOS or UEFI settings of your device. The exact steps may vary depending on the manufacturer and model of your device, but here is a general guide:

• Insert the USB drive into your device and turn it on.
• As soon as you see the manufacturer’s logo, press the key that opens the BIOS or UEFI settings. This is usually one of the function keys (F1, F2, F10, etc.), the Esc key, or the Delete key. You may need to press the key repeatedly until you see the BIOS or UEFI menu. If you see the BitLocker recovery screen instead, press the Esc key and try again.
• In the BIOS or UEFI menu, look for the boot options or boot order settings. You may need to navigate through different tabs or menus to find them.
• Change the boot order so that the USB drive is the first option. You may need to use the arrow keys, the Enter key, or the + and – keys to do this. Save the changes and exit the BIOS or UEFI menu.
• Your device should now restart and boot from the USB drive. You may see a message asking you to press any key to boot from the USB drive. If so, press any key.

Step 3: Delete the BitLocker-protected partition

The third step is to delete the BitLocker-protected partition on your hard drive. This will erase all the data on the partition, including the BitLocker encryption. To delete the BitLocker-protected partition, follow these steps:

• When you boot from the USB drive, you will see the Windows 10 setup screen. Choose your language, time and currency format, and keyboard or input method and click Next.
• Click Repair your computer at the bottom left corner of the screen.
• Click Troubleshoot and then Advanced options.
• Click Command Prompt to open a command prompt window.
• In the command prompt window, type diskpart and press Enter. This will launch the diskpart tool, which allows you to manage the disks and partitions on your device.
• Type list disk and press Enter. This will show you a list of the disks on your device. Note the number of the disk that contains the BitLocker-protected partition. This is usually the largest disk, unless you have multiple hard drives or SSDs on your device.
• Type select disk X and press Enter, where X is the number of the disk that contains the BitLocker-protected partition. This will select the disk for the next operations.
• Type list partition and press Enter. This will show you a list of the partitions on the selected disk. Note the number of the partition that is BitLocker-protected. This is usually the largest partition, unless you have multiple partitions on your disk.
• Type select partition Y and press Enter, where Y is the number of the partition that is BitLocker-protected. This will select the partition for the next operation.
• Type delete partition override and press Enter. This will delete the BitLocker-protected partition, along with all the data on it. You may see a warning message asking you to confirm the operation. If so, type Y and press Enter to proceed.
• Type exit and press Enter to exit the diskpart tool.
• Type exit and press Enter to exit the command prompt window.

Step 4: Reinstall Windows 10 on the new partition

The final step is to reinstall Windows 10 on the new partition that you created by deleting the BitLocker-protected partition. To reinstall Windows 10, follow these steps:

• Click Continue to go back to the Windows 10 setup screen.
• Click Install now to start the installation process.
• Enter your product key if you have one, or click I don’t have a product key if you don’t. You can activate Windows 10 later using a digital license or a product key.
• Accept the license terms and click Next.
• Choose Custom: Install Windows only (advanced) as the type of installation.
• Select the unallocated space on your hard drive and click Next. This is the space that was freed up by deleting the BitLocker-protected partition. Windows 10 will automatically create a new partition and format it for the installation.
• Wait for the installation process to complete. This may take some time, depending on the speed of your device and the size of the partition.
• Follow the on-screen instructions to set up your device and personalize your Windows 10 experience.

Conclusion

You

have successfully performed a factory reset on a Windows 10 device with BitLocker encryption. You can now enjoy a fresh and clean Windows 10 system on your device. However, you should also consider enabling BitLocker again to protect your data from unauthorized access. To do this, you can follow [this guide]. Just make sure you save your BitLocker recovery key or password in a safe place, in case you need it in the future.