How to Disable, Remove and Bypass Bitlocker

The BitLocker device encryption is integrated by Microsoft on most Windows devices and is primarily helpful in securing data.

However, in certain scenarios, it feels more troublesome for users. For example, purchasing a used device from the market with BitLocker enabled, and the critical unknown can create severe issues in resetting or accessing the device.

Similarly, unintended activation of BitLocker on your device or loss of the key after updating the hardware or OS can make data inaccessible.

Let’s learn the basics of removing BitLocker, disabling, and bypassing BitLocker and their steps to regain control of your system.

1Differences between Disable, Remove and Bypass BitLocker

	Disable/Turn off	Remove	Bypass
Purposes	The drive is no longer encrypted, and the data is accessible without any need for a BitLocker key.	The same as “Disable/Turn off”	A temporary measure that allows you to access a BitLocker-protected drive without entering the usual unlock credentials.
Risks	Removing BitLocker increases the chances of data breaches by exposing the data to unauthorized access.	The same as “Disable/Turn off”	It may show minimal feedback but still does not require user input.

2How to Disable BitLocker?

Before moving to the steps to disable BitLocker, please note that it is unavailable on Windows Home. So, if any user has such an OS, BitLocker will have no disabling option.

And Turing off BitLocker might require the recovery key saved in your Microsoft account if password or pin is not available.

Here are the steps for users having other Windows versions:

1Method 1. From Control Panel

Step 1:
Open Control Panel
Open the Windows menu and type ‘Control Panel’ to open it. Navigate to the ‘System and Security’ tab.

Step 2:
Manage BitLocker
Scroll down and choose ‘Manage BitLocker’ under ‘BitLocker Drive Encryption’.

Step 3:
Turn Off BitLocker
Here, you can check the status of BitLocker encryption for each drive. Find the drive you want to decrypt, tap ‘Turn off BitLocker’ and reconfirm it to disable it.

2Method 2. PowerShell

Step 1.
Open PowerShell
Open the Windows menu and type Power Shell or use the shortcut key Windows + X to select PowerShell (admin).

Step 2.
Give Command
Type 'Disable-Bitlocker –MountPoint "drive letter:"' and press 'Enter.' The decryption will initiate.
After some time, the BitLocker will disable and the status will change to ‘Off’.

3Method 3. Command Prompt

Step 1:
Run Command Prompt as Administrator
Log in to the admin account and use the command prompt to turn off BitLocker. Use the shortcut key Windows + R and type ‘cmd’ to open the command prompt.

Step 2:
Command for checking Status
Type the following command to check the status of each drive:
manage-bde-status

Step 3:
Turn off the BitLocker from Each drive
If the status is shown as ‘Percentage Encrypted: 100.0%’ then type the following command to turn it off:
manage-bde -off :
This command will set the device's status to ‘Dully Decrypted: 0.0%,’ meaning that BitLocker is turned off.

Note : Restarting the device is necessary, so restart it to use it seamlessly.

4Method 4. From Advanced Storage Settings (Windows11)

Step 1: Open the Settings app on your Windows 11 device and tap ‘Storage.’
Step 2: Choose the ‘Advanced Storage Settings’ tab under ‘Storage Management’ and choose ‘Disks and Volumes.’

Step 3: Now, choose the drive and select Volume. Then click on the ‘Properties’ button.

Step 4: Choose the ‘Turn off BitLocker’ option.

Note : You may need to press the ‘Turn off BitLocker’ option multiple times. After that, it will be disabled on the selected drive.

Finally: How to check the status

You have already learned how to turn off BitLocker. Now, uncover multiple ways to check the status of BitLocker on your device. Here are a few of them:

Way 1: Open ‘This PC’ and see if the drives have a lock icon. If yes, the specific device is encrypted.
Way 2: Open the Command Prompt, type ‘manage-bde-status,’ and press enter. It will show the status of BitLocker on the device.
Way 3: For Power Shell, type manage-bde (space)-status. It will show the status of BitLocker.

3How to Remove BitLocker?

As previously stated, turning off BitLocker is the same as bypassing it. You can use the methods described above to proceed.

Once decryption is complete, the recovery key is no longer needed, and you can sign in to the official Microsoft website to delete the saved recovery key.

4How to Bypass BitLocker?

Windows BitLocker bypass is the most risky method as it can cause severe damage, especially for professionals. So, we do not recommend anyone bypass it.

However, in a sporadic case, it can be tried when the key is lost, and there is no other option to decrypt the device.

In such a situation, connect a USB with Windows on your device and choose a custom installation option for Windows to create new partitions.

Delete old partitions and remind that the devices' data will also be removed. The BitLocker will automatically be removed with this process.

Note : If the bios (Basic input/output System) is locked with an admin password, you can install new Windows if you have forgotten the password.

FAQs about BitLocker

How do the methods for disabling BitLocker differ between Windows 10 and 11?

Maverick

All the methods involved in disabling BitLocker on Windows 10 and 11 differ. For example, the control panel is recommended for Windows 10, while using the Settings app is more appropriate for Windows 11. Similarly, the Windows on PowerShell and Command Prompt commands are similar, but some syntax differences exist. Moreover, the system requirements for Windows 11 are also different, as it requires TPM.

What is BitLocker recovery key?

Maverick

The BitLocker key is a unique code assigned for each device when it is encrypted. This code is helpful for recovering data from encrypted drives when a user forgets the password. It is a 48-digit code, and you can get it by signing in to your Microsoft account on the 'BitLocker recovery key' site.

Does

Maverick

The primary purpose of device encryption and BitLocker is the same, i.e., city. However, device encryption is preferred for consumer-level devices as it provides general security, while BitLocker offers customization and management options for professionals to ensure data protection.

Can I bypass BitLocker by changing the hard disk drive?

Maverick

No, you cannot bypass BitLocker by changing the hard drive. The reason is that BitLocker is not applied to a physical drive; instead, it is applied to individual files or drives in the system. So, the ultimate solution is to reinstall Windows, remove previous partitions, and add new ones.