A USB drive is a portable device for you to store, transfer, and carry data from one device to another. Nowadays, people consider not only about the portable data storage devices but also about the security of data. Some people use password-protected USB drives to protect their data from cyber crimes or other possible risks. However, it can also become a tricky task to recover files from a password protected USB drive in some cases, such as when you forget the password.
Can You Recover Files from an Encrypted USB Drive
Recover data from a partially encrypted drive
I have an external USB drive that's been partially encrypted (less than 5%) by BitLocker and am wondering if it's somehow possible to extract the unencrypted data. The drive contains mostly small files - documents, pictures, etc. I should mention that I lost the password and all of the BitLocker recovery information. - pingererreddit.com
Many people wonder if it is possible to recover encrypted files on a USB drive. Fortunately, the answer is positive. The first step is to decrypt the USB drive. You should know that the decryption methods of the USB drive depend on the way you lock it. The easiest method is to unlock the USB drive with a password. What if you don’t have the password right now? Don’t worry, this post will share with you other methods to unlock the USB drive. After decrypting, you can follow the detailed data recovery tutorial to recover files.
Action 1: Unlock an Encrypted USB Drive
You can encrypt the USB drive in plenty of ways on Windows, while the most commonly used method is to encrypt the USB drive with BitLocker. Assuming you lock your USB drive with BitLocker, here are four methods for you to unlock the USB drive in different situations.
#1. Decrypt a USB Drive with Password in the Control Panel
If you remember the right password, you can easily decrypt the USB drive in the Control Panel. Here is how to do it.
Step 1: Connect the encrypted USB drive to your computer.
Step 2: Type Control Panel in the Windows Search bar and hit Enter to open the window.
Step 3: Head to System and Security > BitLocker Drive Encryption. Then, you can scroll down to find the locked drive.
Step 4: Click on it and choose Unlock drive. You need to type the password in the prompt window and click Unlock.
Alternatively, you can open File Explorer and shift to the This PC selection on the left sidebar. Then, right-click on the encrypted USB drive on the right pane to choose Unlock Drive from the context menu.
However, some of you may forget the property password. Don’t worry, you can still decrypt the USB drive with the following methods.
#2. Unlock a USB Drive without Password Using the Recovery Key
The method to unlock the USB drive without the password is using the recovery key. Generally, after you set the password with BitLocker, you can choose to save the recovery key file. If the file remains on your device, you can work with the steps below.
Step 1: Press Win + E to open File Explorer.
Step 2: Shift to the This PC option on the left pane and locate the encrypted USB drive.
Step 3: Right-click on it to choose Unlock Drive, then click More options in the prompt window.
Step 4: Click Enter recovery key. You can easily find the key after opening the BitLocker Recovery Key file, and then input the recovery key into the box.
Step 5: Click Unlock to decrypt the drive.
#3. Reset BitLocker Password
If you don’t remember the password or have the BitLocker Recovery Key file, you can reset the BitLocker password. Here are two ways for you to change the password.
Way 1: Reset the BitLocker Password via File Explorer
Step 1: Press Win + E to open File Explorer.
Step 2: Shift to the This PC tab on the left pane and right-click on the encrypted USB drive on the right pane.
Step 3: Choose Change BitLocker password from the context menu, then in the following window, click Reset a forgotten password.
Then, you can set a new password to unlock this USB drive.
Way 2: Reset the BitLocker Password Using Command Prompt
Alternatively, you can run Command Prompt to change the BitLocker password more effectively. Here is how to do it.
Step 1: Press Win + R to open the Run window.
Step 2: Type cmd into the text box and press Shift + Ctrl + Enter to run Command Prompt as administrator.
Step 3: Type manage-bde -changepassword X: and hit Enter to execute this command. You need to change X with the drive letter of the locked USB drive.
You can type the new password in the window to decrypt your USB drive.
#4. Unlock a Physical Encrypted USB Drive Manually
Some USB drives are equipped with physical switches to help decrypt drives. This kind of switch helps to protect your USB drive from malicious attacks, accidental erasure, overwriting, and other problems. To decrypt this kind of USB drive, you can just turn the lock switch to the off position.
Action 2: Recover Files from a Password Protected USB Drive
After you decrypt the USB drive, it’s time to start the file recovery process. Files lost or deleted from removable devices are unable to be restored from the Recycle Bin. These files are permanently removed from your device; thus, you can only get these files back with the help of reliable data recovery software, like MiniTool Power Data Recovery.
MiniTool Power Data Recovery is specifically designed to recover files from various data storage devices, including USB drives, SD cards, hard drives, memory cards, and more. Regardless of file type, this file recovery software works well for data recovery, causing no damage to your original files.
Step-By-Step Guide to Recover Files from an Encrypted USB Drive
You can get MiniTool Power Data Recovery by clicking the download button below, then go through the tutorial below to restore files.
MiniTool Power Data Recovery FreeClick to Download100%Clean & Safe
Step 1: Double-click on the software to enter the This PC interface. All detected partitions and connected devices will be displayed here. You should hover the cursor over the target USB partition and click on the Scan button.
Step 2: When the scan process is completed, all found files will be classified into different folders according to their paths: Deleted Files, Lost Files, and Existing Files. You can expand different folders to find your wanted files or make use of the functional features to quickly locate the required files.
- Filter: Click on the Filter button on the toolbar to set filter conditions, including file size, file type, file category, and last modified date. After settings, the file list will be narrowed down to help you locate wanted files.
- Type: Turn to the Type list to check files according to their types, such as Picture, Document, Archives, Audio & Video, etc. This feature makes great sense when you need to recover a certain type of file.
- Search: Type the file name into the search box and hit Enter to filter matched files swiftly. Partial or complete names are all available for you to find wanted files.
One more function can help you improve data recovery accuracy. The Preview feature allows you to verify photos, videos, audio, documents, and other types of files before saving them.
Step 3: Tick files you need to restore and click on the Save button to choose a destination path. You are not suggested to save files to the original path which may lead to data overwriting, causing file recovery to fail.
This is all about how to perform data recovery on an encrypted USB drive with MiniTool Power Data Recovery. The Free Edition of this software provides you with 1GB of free file recovery capacity. To eliminate the capacity limitation, you need to get a premium edition from the MiniTool Store.
If you are unsure about which edition to choose, the Personal Ultimate edition can be the best option for individual users. This edition contains unlimited data recovery capacity and lifetime free upgrades.
Safeguard Your Data with MiniTool ShadowMaker
You should know that files are not secure only to be saved on one device as errors might happen to a digital device without any sign. Backups should be the easiest and quickest way to recover lost files whereas most people are not used to backing up files. Here I’d like to share with you a reliable backup software, MiniTool ShadowMaker.
This free backup service is able to back up files, folders, disks, and systems in a secure environment. Additionally, you can perform incremental or differential backup by using this software to avoid duplicate files on your backups. You can read this post to learn the differences between the two backup types: Full vs Incremental vs Differential Backup: Which Is Better?
For people who always forget to back up files, the automatic backup feature plays a vital role. You can set the backup period based on your situation, then the software will back up automatically. You can download and install MiniTool ShadowMaker to experience the backup features. The Trial edition gives a 30-day free trial.
MiniTool ShadowMaker TrialClick to Download100%Clean & Safe
Bottom Line
This post introduces you to how to recover files from a password protected USB drive. You can decrypt the USB drive with the proper password or try the methods above to unlock the USB drive. After this, you can run MiniTool Power Data Recovery to restore your required files.
MiniTool Power Data Recovery FreeClick to Download100%Clean & Safe
Furthermore, should you have any puzzles when using MiniTool software, please feel free to let us know by email at [email protected].
Encrypted USB Data Recovery FAQ
Secondly, download and install MiniTool Power Data Recovery on your computer to scan the USB drive and find and recover lost files. You should choose a new destination to save the recovered files.
About The Author
Position: Columnist
Andrea graduated in English and has a keen interest in the IT industry and questions that arise when computers are used. She is passionate about new things and challenging things and has a wide range of interests like playing guitar, gaming, and crafting.