Hp pro tablet 408 g1 locked by bitlocker

[Mbo91]

I have hp pro tablet 408 g1, suddenly it have a start up issues and opened recovey mode, when i choose start up dignostic its require recovery key now the tablet is locked and every option require recovey key and i do not have the key and i can not open the tablet since its require recovey and each option require recovery key.

What should i do??

[IT_WinSec · Accepted solution]

Hello @Mbo91

Welcome to the HP Support forum.

BitLocker is a Microsoft software designed to protect your PC against offline attacks, unauthorized access typically if your PC gets stolen. BitLocker is full disk encryption software. More info:

>> https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BitLocker

>> http://www.windowscentral.com/how-use-bitlocker-encryption-windows-10

BitLocker was activated by someone and during the activation time it prompts the user to save/store the key in a safe place.

If this is company owned asset/tablet, you should turn to your company's IT support guys and they should be able to provide you with the recovery key

If this is your own device, most probably you use a slightly different BitLocker version for certain PCs and tablets known as Device encryption. Probably your key is stored in Microsoft OneDrive with your Microsoft account here :

>> https://onedrive.live.com/recoverykey

More info >> https://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2015/12/microsoft-may-have-your-encryption-key-heres-...

Try these and let me know if you manage to find the key.

[Mbo91]

No its my own device and i have it since one week and i do not if there is a microsoft account configured in the tablet.
Is there anyway to reset the pc without the keys?
Can i format the tablet and install fresh. Windows version? Or i should use specific windows version from hp designed for this tablet?

Thank you very much for your support

[Mbo91]

@IT_WinSec

[IT_WinSec]

---

@Mbo91 wrote:
No its my own device and i have it since one week and i do not if there is a microsoft account configured in the tablet.
Is there anyway to reset the pc without the keys?
Can i format the tablet and install fresh. Windows version? Or i should use specific windows version from hp designed for this tablet?

Thank you very much for your support

---

How do you login ?  If you use an email + the email password for login to the tablet (account), then you use Microsoft account to login.

I cannot be 100% because I am not in front of the PC but since this is your own PC, you probably use Device encryption and it is the BitLocker key on your Microsoft account. I suggest you try to login there (details in the initial post of mine) and try to extract the key from there.

Have you tried to hard reset/hard restart the tablet - press and hold the power on button for 5-10 seconds. Wait few more seconds and power it back on as usual. Doesn't Windows start up like normal ?

Yes, generally speaking you could format the reinstall the tablet but if I were you this is something I would do as a very last resort. Such a thing is not recommended on tablet because you will have to reinstall tablet specific drivers and apps - this might be tough.  However, if anything else fails, HP probably have USB drive to be used as a recovery media which can be used to reinstall Windows, drivers and all the apps on the device.

So, try to login and extract the key from your MS account and let me know how it goes.

[Mbo91]

Yes i extract the key from MS account by the link you provided to me in your first reply and now everything is ok.

Thank you very much

[Mbo91]

Dears,

I obtained the recovery key from the MS account,

and try all recovery options with no luck, i even try reset the pc, also with no luck, when. Its completed and restart its stuck in. Black screen what should i do??

[IT_WinSec]

Hello @Mbo91

Please, clarify few things:

- did the tablet originally come with Windows 8 or Windows 10 ?

In your initial post you posted you use Win 10 now but it is important to clarify if it came with W8 or W10 ?

- Did the recovery/reset complete 100% and restarted eventually ?

- Can you load to the recovery partition again (recovery menu and F11 option) ?

[Mbo91]

Its comes with windows 8 but last 2 weeks i upgrade the OS to windows 10 from hp update, after that i faced many issues, drivers performance… etc

The reset pc process comes in two part the first one take to two hours and its completed, when tha tablet restart its start with windows installation and this process is two part the fisrt one is install windows features and drivers, the second part install wondows configuration, the fisrt part is completed successfully then the tablet is restarted and stuck in black screen, so i do not think the windows installation process completed sucessfully and i tried the reser two times with no luck.

i dont understand the third question but yes i have access to the f2 and f11 f12 menu which contaions bios and system dicnostc and recivery and network boot ..etc

Thank you for your support

[IT_WinSec]

---

@Mbo91 wrote:
Its comes with windows 8 but last 2 weeks i upgrade the OS to windows 10 from hp update, after that i faced many issues, drivers performance… etc

(...)

Thank you for your support

---

You are welcome.

The upgrade has probably corrupted the recovery partition.

The upgrade to Win 10 should no longer be free but paid one. Do you keep your license to Windows 10 ?

Generally speaking, I believe it was a mistake to upgrade the device. Although these devices support OS upgrade on theory, practically this always ends up bad because the device has been designed to the OS it came with originally.

Basically, you have 2 options now :

- perform clean Windows 10 installation if you keep the license or if you used Microsoft account to login and it activation was enabled based on Windows account

- use HP recovery media to reinstall Windows 8

Which OS you prefer and want to use from now on - Windows 8 or Windows 10 ?

Looking forward to your clarifications