Windows 10 Upgraded from Insider, Lost access to locked drive?

[Zak Brindle]

A while back before the launch of windows 10 I joined the insider program as I was working with Microsoft to promote Win10 at launch.

Once Windows 10 was fully released I upgraded. But a few months later, an automatic update occurred and took me back to an insider build.

Anyway, I have a partitioned drive to store some sensitive work files, and last night I had to do a fresh install of windows (this should not have effected the partitioned drive at all).

However, now that the installation of windows 10 is complete I do not seem to be able to access the bit-locked drive even though I am putting in the correct password, it says it is incorrect.

Any ideas?

Thanks,
Zak




EDIT: I do have access to the old windows files if that helps at all.

On a side not:
I notice my C drive is rather full, Is this due to the Old Windows files? If so, would moving the to my E drive be a good solution? Thanks

 

[MikeHawthorne]

Hi

Yes the Windows.old file is probably what is using up your space.

I don't know a way to get around the password thing.

What are the options you get if you click on the "More Options" link?

Did you save your recovery key someplace when you encrypted the drive?
I believe it's a 48 character long number generated by the computer when you encrypt it, it should have asked where you wanted to save it.

You may be able to restore the folder that the password or recovery key is in by getting it from the Windows.old file.

I can't find anyplace that tells me where Windows puts the file that holds the password or what the file is called.

Unless someone else here has a way to restore the bitlocker function from the old install, you may be out of luck.

Mike

 

[Zak Brindle]

So is it okay to move the Windows.old folders to a different drive?

And Yes more options asks for the 48 character key. I will look for it and hope to find it,

Thank you very much for the response,
Zak

 

[MikeHawthorne]

Hi

Yes you can move the Windows.old file to a different drive.

I tried to find a way to search for a 48 character number using Agent Ransack but since I don't have any bitlocker stuff on my computer it wasn't conclusive.

I tried having it look for a 48 character number by putting a quote then 48 asterisks and another quote, in the Contains Text line.

You should install Agent Ransack anyway, I couldn't get along without it.
It's the best search engine I've found...

Agent Ransack - Free File Searching Utility

If you can remember anything about how you might have identified the code number i.e. part of the folder name etc. it can find it.

Mike

 

[Zak Brindle]

Thanks Mike,

I will install this now and attempt to find the file.

Thanks again,
Zak

 

[MikeHawthorne]

You should try searching through your Windows.old folder using Agent Ransack too.

In the future you might look at Wise Folder Hider it will make your folders invisible without a password, it won't stump the FBI but they would not be visible to someone snooping through your computer with no risk to your files.

And when you get this settled, do make a System Image file of you Windows drive.
I recommend EaseUS Todo back up.

It's really easy to use.

Mike

 

[Zak Brindle]

Yeah im trying to search using it but I dont seem to be having any luck, here I am searching for the number shown top right

 

[MikeHawthorne]

You might try and do what I did, 48 * in quotes.

I'm just trying to get to search for a 48 character string, there can't be that many of those.
I'm on my tablet so I can't check and see if there is another way to do it.

Good luck.

Mike

 

[Zak Brindle]

You might try and do what I did, 48 * in quotes.

I'm just trying to get to search for a 48 character string, there can't be that many of those.
I'm on my tablet so I can't check and see if there is another way to do it.

Good luck.

Mike

When I did the 48 * in " quotes " it only found text files that contained exactly that, 48 asterisk's.
Thanks for looking, appreciate it!

 

[MikeHawthorne]

Hi

If you have any clue as to what you would have named the folder you saved the number in, or what format the number document is in, I.e. txt, or .doc you can narrow it down.

 

[Zak Brindle]

Ah I have a very well laid out folder structure, been searching through all possible places it would be and no luck. Must have been one of them days where a files placed in the wrong place horror.