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Is There A Way to Format a Drive Encrypted With BitLocker?

My HDD is Bitlocker protected. I only want to wipe the entire drive because I don't know the login, password, or restore key. I cannot access the drive when I attempt to boot from a Windows installation CD because it requests a restore key, which I do not have. Is it possible to format the entire drive?

Best Answered by

Roxanne· Answered on Apr 18, 2024

Bitlocker is a popular encryption tool developed by Microsoft that provides enhanced security for drives in Windows systems. In this article, we will guide you through the step-by-step process of formatting a drive encrypted with Bitlocker, ensuring you can securely erase your data.

Situation 1. Format BitLocker Encrypted Drive Without Password

Don't remember the Bitlocker password? You can use EaseUS Partition Master Professional to format a BitLocker encrypted drive without a password.

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Windows 11/10/8/7100% Secure

Step 1. Select "Format" with a right-click on the USB or external drive that you want to format.

Step 2. Click "OK" after setting the Cluster size, File system (NTFS/FAT32/EXT2/EXT3/EXT4/exFAT), and Partition label. Press "Yes" to proceed.

Step 3. To format the hard drive partition, click "Apply" after selecting "Execute 1 Task(s)".

Situation 2. Format BitLocker Encrypted Drive With Password

1. Unlock Bitlocker

Step 1. Enter the Windows File Explorer and find the BitLocker encrypted drive.

Step 2. Double-click the target drive and enter your password when a window appears.

Step 3. Select "Unlock" to disable the BitLocker.

2. Format Drive via Disk Management

Step 1. To find your disk partitions, open File Explorer by pressing the "Windows + E" keys.

Step 2. Choose "Format..." after performing a right-click on one of the disk partitions.

Step 3. Choose NTFS as your hard drive partition's new file system and check the option "Perform Quick Format."

Step 4. Click "Start" > "OK" to finish formatting.

If you need additional information, you can explore the following comprehensive guide post:

💡Further Information: How to Format BitLocker Drive/USB/SD Card With or Without Password

 

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