How to Recover your BitLocker Key
- Barb Yantha
- Gwendolyn Shaver
- Natasha Jennings
- Dania Murtaza
If a potential security risk is detected, BitLocker will lock the operating system drive and require a special BitLocker recovery key to unlock it. If you have access to another computer or mobile device, you can obtain the recovery key yourself. If not, please contact the IST Service Desk.
You must have logged in to your encrypted laptop at least once with your 8-character UWaterloo username (e.g. j25rober).
From an unlocked computer or mobile device:
In a web browser, navigate to https://spartacus.nexus.uwaterloo.ca/selfservice/. Note that this requires a VPN connection if you are not connected to the campus network. (Please see Virtual Private Network (VPN) for more information about VPN. )
Log on with your UWaterloo credentials (your 8-character UWaterloo username and password)
After reading the Security Notice, click the checkbox beside ‘I have read and understand the above notice‘
Select Continue
Enter the first 8 characters of the 32-digit code into the Recovery Key ID field. (This code should be displayed on the BitLocker recovery screen on your locked computer.)
Select the Reason for needing to recover the key
Select Get Key
You should receive a 48-digit Bitlocker Recovery Key
Enter this key into the Recovery Key field on the locked computer
Unable to enter the recover code? The Recovery key may need to be entered using the “F” keys at the top of the keyboard (e.g. F1, F2, etc.) instead of the usual number keys. The hyphens/dashes between every group of 6-digits will appear automatically.
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Need help?
Contact the IST Service Desk online or 519-888-4567 ext. 44357.