BitLocker & Recovery Key Manager - Never get locked out of your own PC (Updated Oct 2026)


Description:
Many PCs encrypt their drive with BitLocker without the owner knowing - and after a BIOS or firmware update, a hardware change or a Secure Boot change, Windows can suddenly ask for a 48-digit recovery key. Without it, the files on that drive are gone. BitLocker & Recovery Key Manager shows whether your drives are encrypted, checks that each one has a recovery key and that the key has been backed up, and lets you save the keys somewhere safe in one click.

It also shows whether Windows and Microsoft Office are activated, so a technician has one standard check to run before any firmware or boot work. Checking doesn't change anything.

How to use:
1. Run FW Admin Tech Tools as administrator and open the tool (Security & Privacy). If you've turned on Ask me to sign in with Windows before opening the password and recovery key tools in Options > Security, Windows asks you to sign in first - and again before keys are shown, copied or saved. Options > Security can also close the tool when it's left idle.

2. Read the coloured banner: Recovery keys are safe or No recovery key needed (green), Back up your recovery key, BitLocker protection is suspended or Activation needs attention (amber), or No recovery key (red).

3. Drives lists every drive with its BitLocker status, encryption progress, encryption method and key protectors (TPM, PIN, password, recovery key and so on).

4. Recovery keys lists each key's ID - the one Windows shows when it asks for a key - and whether a backup is recorded. The keys stay hidden until you click Show keys, and hide again when you leave the tab. Copy selected key keeps the key out of clipboard history; Save recovery keys… saves them all to a text file and warns you if you're saving a drive's key onto that same drive.

5. Activation shows Windows and Office activation, the licence type (retail, OEM, volume, Microsoft 365 sign-in) and the last five characters of the product key.

6. What to do next lists the steps for this PC.

7. Copy report, Export to TXT and Export to CSV give you a report for a ticket or client. Reports never contain the recovery keys.

What You Can Do With This Program

What it checks:

• BitLocker on every drive:
  • Whether the Windows drive, other drives and USB sticks (BitLocker To Go) are encrypted and protected, or whether protection is suspended - as it often is during a firmware update.
  • The key protectors on each drive, and whether the TPM security chip is ready.
  
  
• Your recovery keys:
  • Flags any encrypted drive with no recovery key, and shows the command to add one.
  • Shows whether each key's backup is recorded - in your organisation's directory (Active Directory or Microsoft Entra ID) or saved with this tool - and reminds you to check aka.ms/myrecoverykey for keys saved to a Microsoft account.
  • Saves the keys to a text file with clear instructions, for a USB stick, printout or password manager.
  
  
• Windows and Office activation:
  • Activation status and licence type for Windows and Office, including Microsoft 365 apps licensed by signing in.
  • Whether a Windows licence key is stored in the PC's firmware, so a reinstall activates by itself. Full product keys are never shown.
  
  
• For IT support and technicians:
  • A standard check before BIOS, firmware or Secure Boot work - it pairs with Secure Boot & Boot Health Check.
  • Export a report for a ticket or client; recovery keys are never included in it.