New BitLocker key id generated and not saved while in Linux! - locked out of Windows! - Plus need back Linux boot entry option!

Shahmeer Baweja

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I had previously set up dual boot linux-windows OS two years and also had bitlocker on to encrypt windows C drive which I should not have needed to I think. All was fine that time since I had keys saved to ms account (I had set bitlocker key to save to ms) that worked! But yesterday I logged onto linux (I dont even use linux and should not have had it installed) and hovered over the locked icon of C drive on linux and I entered the correct authenthication password to open it but instead a re-encryption took place which unknowingly to me generated new key id for which I need the associated key. This new key information is not being automatically to my ms account probably I was on Linux?! I cannot find the password. I tried the 'manage-bde' command on CMD prompt but it showed only that key id and no password because I am not in windows so I can not use the cmd within windows.

I am in desperation and anguish since all work files (the entirety of my graduate research) are in windows and not backed to the cloud! My career is in jeopardy it seems!

Microsoft support, Azure, or even UH System Administrator could not help but we all came to conclusion that since the issue happened in Linux, the key could be locally saved in there or that I could decrypt the Windows C drive in Linux which would also decrypt Windows so that would be the only way for me to access to Windows. Someone posted a very helpful tip to do that in Linux in response to my question in Microsoft Forum (https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/a...ft-ac.html?childToView=1159213#answer-1159213). BUT, in my desperation to fix the issue earlier before involving others, I reset UEFI settings to default so the Linux boot entry option is not there now even though Linux is still there since it is not deleted. I need to get the Linux boot entry option back first before troubleshooting the BitLocker key in Linux.

See my other questions on Microsoft Forums and the earlier responses
https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us...ot-in-ms/c062ad63-1911-4971-88d8-80adc468d64d
https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us...essageId=45944a60-441a-4890-be5c-e669fbea4155

I also asked on other Linux Forum (LinuxQuestions) but no one has responded yet:
https://www.linuxquestions.org/questions/showthread.php?p=6403372#post6403372

I'd really appreciate it if you could help!
 


Not very smart of yourself to not create backups of files that are very important to you. What happens when you turn your system on, do you see a Grub menu where you can select between Windows and Linux or do you see something else?

Looks like you should be able to recover your data using dislocker, this person did it this way.
 
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Yes, at the time when I just faced the BitLocker thing, I was able to see the Grub menu as before where I could select between Windows and Linux (Ubuntu). So soon in desperation to fix that BitLocker thing, I reset my UEFI settings to default so after that I found out there is no Grub menu now (Linux is still there). I really first need to get that Grub Menu back before I can troubleshoot BitLocker in Linux using dislocker.
 
I have no experience with Bitlocker but it seems the link I already shared is the best way to be able to access your data again is to use create a usb flash drive with a live Debian or Ubuntu environment. Then either follow either the Youtube video I shared in my first reply or the other article I shared, so one either one of these.
 
Okay thank you I will try those links. But how about the other issue of trying to get back the bootloader i.e. get back the GNU Grub menu (keep in mind I have no access to Windows right now)? I set UEFI settings to default and that made the GNU Grub Menu not appear on startup and so no way to select Linux. What should be done to get back the menu so I can work out those potential solutions in Linux?
 
If you have access to another pc you should be able to create a usb flash drive with a live Debian(or Ubuntu) environment, as the intro described in the first article I linked, that way you won't need grub to recover your data.
First create a Debian Live USB-stick. Download Debian from the live install images page and use a tool like Rufus to put it on a thumbdrive.

Next boot your system from USB and start the live mode.
After that follow the rest of the instructions there and at the end you should be able to access your files, then from there you can just recover your data and copy it to another drive and then reinstall your system.
 
trying to get back the bootloader i.e. get back the GNU Grub
Look here


And this way
These instructions are for partitioning with MBR and not GPT.

First, you can backup and eventually restore your mbr (assuming sda is the target disk):

Code:
dd if=/dev/sda of=/path/mbr-backup bs=512 count=1 # backup
dd if=/path/mbr-backup of=/dev/sda bs=512 count=1 # restore

Obviously would be sda1 if you installed grub in the partition and not the disk.

Note if it is in the disk (sda) don't change your partition table between backup and restore.

Second, if your Debian/Ubuntu is currently installed, just boot a Live CD and mount the root somewhere:

Code:
mkdir /tmp/x
mount /dev/sda1 /tmp/x # Debian root partition
# mount some needed filesystem
mount proc /tmp/x/proc -t proc
mount sysfs /tmp/x/sys -t sysfs
mount --bind /dev /tmp/x/dev

Chroot into the partition and reinstall grub

Code:
chroot /tmp/x
grub-install /dev/sda # or sda1 for the partition

Don't know yet if you need an update-grub also (should verify)

The grub's os-prober should find your Windows, then if it doesn't boot there's some other problem in the chain loader.
 
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