Hi, looking for any advice on a ssd that won't unlock, I have the key and am able to type it in, but then the drive disconnects and theres a message theres something wrong with it. I tried booting from Easeus, same type of result, can't read it. I presume the os is corrupted but my hands are tied without being able to unlock it, anybody know of any good tools to repair/recover it?
[REQUEST] Corrupted Bitlocker SSD will not unlock
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phaZed
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You may be SOL.
The thing to do is attempt to clone the encrypted drive in it's entirety using a bit-by-bit copy/clone (ddrescue), then see if you can unlock the new clone.
If the bit-by-bit copy fails or has any amount of corruption or failed "spots" on the drive, recovery chances start dwindling really fast.
The problem is, once it's encrypted, it needs to be decrypted - and you can't decrypt garbage or a block of zero's... rendering the entire drive useless. Encryption is not forgiving.
The thing to do is attempt to clone the encrypted drive in it's entirety using a bit-by-bit copy/clone (ddrescue), then see if you can unlock the new clone.
If the bit-by-bit copy fails or has any amount of corruption or failed "spots" on the drive, recovery chances start dwindling really fast.
The problem is, once it's encrypted, it needs to be decrypted - and you can't decrypt garbage or a block of zero's... rendering the entire drive useless. Encryption is not forgiving.
hi, thanks for your suggestion. I am SOL I'm afraid, DDRescue can't stay connected to it long enough to make an image.
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nlinecomputers
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Encryption requires all the bits to be intact. If you are missing a part of it you can't decrypt it. THERE IS NO WAY MATHEMATICALLY AROUND IT. Bitlocker encrypts on a file-by-file basis but if the partition table which is also encrypted is lost then the whole drive is toast.
I assume you meant can't stay connected. It's a brick. A professional data recovery company might have better luck but see my comment about partition tables.
phaZed
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I'm assuming you meant DDRescue can't stay connected long enough...
Just to be sure, you're using a "ddrescue infile outfile mapfile.log" command, including the end mapfile? You should be able to restart the clone after it fails, retaining whatever was already copied/start over where it left off. If it's failing almost immediately, then yeah - roger that!
Also try the -d command for "direct" reading. Depending on the drive make and model, it can help get past some of the drives internal memory and buffering - which can choke on a bad platter all by itself (the cache controller, that is).
-R (Capital R) to reverse read or -i xxxxxMB to start 'past' a bad spot.
You likely already know all this.. and the drive is just too far gone, but worth a read anyways.
Yes, I would have tried those usual rescue methods but I couldn't keep it connected for more than a few seconds, toast.
lcoughey
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Stop fighting with it and get it to a pro with proper SSD recovery equipment before it is too late or a lot more expensive.
I "always" ask up front if it's critical data and if they would be willing to pay for my data recovery partner's services, they seldom do, but when they do at least I get a commission. I don't play around with people's data duh
I do with new systems with little data, but if they have hundreds of gigs I don't have time to tie up my bench that long, it's kind of like putting your finger in the dike, so insane msft does this now, I'm getting more and more clients losing their data because of lost accounts especially.
sapphirescales
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This. I convert EVERY client to a local account and turn off encryption (and fast startup, OneDrive, Teams, etc.). The chances of their laptop not booting for whatever reason and them needing me to recover their data is like 10,000x more likely than their laptop getting stolen. Microsoft's reasoning for encryption is total BS. The only reason they're doing it is to force people to use OneDrive and a Microsoft account. As much as I hate Apple even they don't force you to use an iCloud account and while they do password protect the drives, it's just the login password of the local account.
lan101
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Yep I've thought the same thing ever since they came out with the MS accounts. Give me the option sure but don't try to make that be my only choice. 99.9 percent of people won't know the trick to making a local account with win11.
sapphirescales
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Yes, and 99.9% of people don't need and shouldn't have a Microsoft account. The only reason why Microsoft pushes it is because they want to make money through their stupid app store, collect more data about you, and sell you Office and OneDrive subscriptions. You notice how NONE of that actually benefits the end user? Now if you want to use Microsoft's services, be my guest, but most people do not. Their "app" store is an absymal failure. It might do better once they get more Android apps and make it easier and more obvious that you can do this. But honestly, "apps" belong on a phone. It's nice to have the option to run Android apps but if given the choice 99% of people would rather have the app on their phone. A computer is a computer and a phone is a phone. This is one thing that Apple got right.
britechguy
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So say you. I've already had multiple instances where having the licensing information associated with a Microsoft Account "save the bacon" of the clients where that was the case.
I refuse to set up local accounts when I configure a new machine. There are many advantages to having a Microsoft Account and having one's Windows 10 or Windows 11 User Accounts linked to same.
And given the nonsense of automatic encryption that's the default now, having the Bitlocker key associated with a Microsoft Account is very often a bigger lifesaver than the licensing information is.
sapphirescales
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Saying you need a Microsoft account to keep your Office license credentials is BS. If people bought it in the store they'll have a product key card. 99% of the time the installer EXE for Office (which includes their licensing information) is still in their Downloads folder. If they bought it online and deleted their installer EXE for whatever reason (nobody ever cleans out their Downloads folder so it's more likely that their drive failed and they lost all their data), they can still get it by searching their email for "Microsoft." If all else fails then yes, they can log into office.microsoft.com and retrieve their licensing information but they don't need to have their whole freaking computer tied to a Microsoft account to be able to do that.
Name one. Other than the storing of the encryption key, which was a problem created by Microsoft in the first place so that doesn't count. I can think of about a million benefits to MICROSOFT if they force people to sign into their computer with a Microsoft account but there's literally no advantage to the actual user. Even if the user uses OneDrive, they can just sign into OneDrive itself. You don't need the whole computer tied to a Microsoft account.
britechguy
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@sapphirescales
I've already given the biggest two, and I don't intend to play the "list 'em all" game. Those two, alone, are worth it.
I don't get why you, or any other tech, is so "anti-Microsoft-Account-linked" when it comes to user accounts. It has virtually no difference in day to day use for an end user. You can log in exactly the same as you do for a local account whether or not there's an internet connection. When the machine is originally set up, you can pick your telemetry level (and you can change it later, too, should you wish to give more or less information - and there is telemetry with a local account, too).
And it's time to stop the inanity of saying you're forcing anyone to sign in to Windows with a Microsoft Account, because that's not what is happening or has ever happened. The Windows user account is a thing of its own and it either has a linkage to a Microsoft Account or it does not (a local account). And why in heaven's name you'd want to sign in to a Microsoft Account to use any one of the Microsoft Services, which signs you in to all of them (though you may not be using them at the moment) rather than have this done for you as part of your Windows login I do not know. It gets you nothing other than more work to do.
Having Edge (which a very great many use simply because it's the modern equivalent of IE) already syncing for you if you use other machines with the same Microsoft Account associated to the Windows login is a huge plus in and of itself. Things automatically and seamlessly follow you wherever you go. And if you don't think that Microsoft is data mining just like Google does with Chrome (though I'll bet even MS is less invasive) if you're using it locally the I've got some oceanfront property in Omaha you should take a look at!
I've already given the biggest two, and I don't intend to play the "list 'em all" game. Those two, alone, are worth it.
I don't get why you, or any other tech, is so "anti-Microsoft-Account-linked" when it comes to user accounts. It has virtually no difference in day to day use for an end user. You can log in exactly the same as you do for a local account whether or not there's an internet connection. When the machine is originally set up, you can pick your telemetry level (and you can change it later, too, should you wish to give more or less information - and there is telemetry with a local account, too).
And it's time to stop the inanity of saying you're forcing anyone to sign in to Windows with a Microsoft Account, because that's not what is happening or has ever happened. The Windows user account is a thing of its own and it either has a linkage to a Microsoft Account or it does not (a local account). And why in heaven's name you'd want to sign in to a Microsoft Account to use any one of the Microsoft Services, which signs you in to all of them (though you may not be using them at the moment) rather than have this done for you as part of your Windows login I do not know. It gets you nothing other than more work to do.
Having Edge (which a very great many use simply because it's the modern equivalent of IE) already syncing for you if you use other machines with the same Microsoft Account associated to the Windows login is a huge plus in and of itself. Things automatically and seamlessly follow you wherever you go. And if you don't think that Microsoft is data mining just like Google does with Chrome (though I'll bet even MS is less invasive) if you're using it locally the I've got some oceanfront property in Omaha you should take a look at!
lan101
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My issue with the MS account is people remember the pin number but have no idea there was a "password" for the account. That's created issues too because they never use the MS account for anything in their day to day usage. Luckily we can usually recover it but it's still a PITA to deal with. I'm not for or against MS accounts really...if people just kept track of their stuff better it wouldn't be a problem either way lol.
britechguy
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I can't argue with you there, and that's one of the reasons I avoid creating PINs when at all possible. I try to force my clients to use their passwords so that they will remember them. I also try, with less success, to convince them to use a portmanteau "formula" for creating passwords for each site so that what the password "should be" based on that formula is obvious to them, but virtually unguessable by anyone else.
Even where I have created PINs, if the user doesn't object, I switch the default login verification back to password. Practice truly does make both perfect and remembered.
In case you haven't noticed @britechguy, newer Windows 10 versions and Windows 11 actually make using a local account when needing a MS account for services seemingly exactly the same as MS account login (including Edge sync and OneDrive). You can remain as local account login and still have an MS account associated with it, and all MS services are automatically supplied that account. As far as I can tell, the two types of logins are now indistinguishable.
The big advantage of MS account for me, is the simpler login process. Simpler for techs to set up is a big plus as a tech, but also the end user can decide on their own password rules (e.g. simple password or none or no PIN), and less confusion with users (e.g. changing their hotmail password on another device doesn't change PC login). I am yet to meet an ordinary end user that really understands the MS account login, and most don't really get it after trying to explain.
Ironically, the seamless experience with local account combined with auto login to Microsoft services that has been achieved in recent years, also comes at a time when Microsoft is trying to prevent ordinary users from using MS account logins. It neatly illustrates the 2 sides of Microsoft: flexibility for techs and corporate IT departments, and the milking of consumers for valuable information and services.
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