The newest addition to the family of sophisticated data recovery technologies developed by DiskInternals allows recovering data from BitLocker-encrypted NTFS partitions created in Windows 7 and Vista. Currently available in DiskInternals EFS Recovery, the new technology will be gradually embedded into DiskInternals’ other recovery products.
Background: What Is BitLocker?
The original promotion for the BitLocker to Go reader stated: “The BitLocker To Go Reader is an application that provides users read-only access to BitLocker-protected FAT-formatted drives on computers running Windows XP or Windows Vista”. BitLocker To Go is BitLocker Drive Encryption on removable data drives. This feature includes the encryption of: USB flash drives; SD cards; External hard disk drives; Other drives that are formatted by using the NTFS, FAT16, FAT32, or exFAT file system. Drive partitioning must meet the BitLocker Drive Encryption Partitioning Requirements. 2 ways to view BitLocker Recovery password. There are 2 ways to view BitLocker Recovery Password. Through ADSI Edit and another one is through feature installed BitLocker Recovery Password Viewer. Get Recovery Password through ADSI Edit. First one is using ADSI Edit where information is stored under class msFVE-RecoveryInformation. Adds an Autorun.inf file, the BitLocker To Go reader, and a Read Me.txt file to the USB flash drive. Creates a virtual volume with the full contents of the drive in the remaining drive space. Encrypts the virtual volume to protect it.USB flash drive encryption takes approximately 6 to 10 minutes per gigabyte to complete. MacOS BitLocker Reader only serves as the agent to connect the encryption drive with Mac. It will not cause any data loss to both the drive and the Mac. Also, if you cannot offer the password or recovery key, this software cannot help you to open the BitLocker drive.
Essentially, BitLocker is just a name used by Microsoft to describe an algorithm employed in Windows Vista and Windows 7 to encrypt disk volumes sector by sector. BitLocker is something else than setting security permissions on files and folders and is different from EFS (Encrypted File System) used for encrypting files and folders from the Security tab in Windows Explorer.
Unlike other access restriction and content-encryption methods employed in Microsoft's latest operating systems, BitLocker deals with entire disk volumes. The algorithm of Microsoft BitLocker Recovery uses low-level, sector-by-sector encryption to protect the entire partition, disk, or disk volume.
Two versions of BitLocker exist. The first version, BitLocker 1.0, is used in Windows Vista. This version of BitLocker has certain limitations on which volumes can be encrypted.
For Windows 7 Bitlocker Recovery is a key to restoring Encrypted NTFS Volumes. Windows 7 uses Recovery 2.0. The second version of BitLocker is much easier to use, lifting most limitations of the first edition. Apparently, Windows Vista PCs won’t be able to natively access volumes using BitLocker 2.0 encryption. DiskInternals works around these limitations, making such access easily possible - providing that you know the original password or volume recovery key.
Finally, there’s a BitLocker To Go. Introduced in Windows 7, BitLocker To Go encrypts removable volumes and supports the new exFAT file system.
Practical uses for Bitlocker
There are situations when you lose your laptop, or it’s been stolen, or you want to dispose of your computer, but at the same time, you worry about the confidentiality of your data. It is for this purpose that BitLocker was created. It protects all computer data and prevents unauthorized access to it.
You can manage BitLocker using several tools:
- BitLocker Password Viewer. All recorded recovery passwords are stored here and, if necessary, you can see them; for example, for data recovery. Naturally, this viewing is possible only when you are the administrator of this computer and have all the permissions and privileges for this device.
- Various BitLocker drive encryption tools. These can be manage-bde, the command line, repair-bde, and BitLocker cmdlets. Using these tools, you can create all kinds of scenarios and perform tasks in case of emergency data recovery (i.e., when standard recovery is impossible).
About BitLocker recovery
As it was said above, BitLocker is the technology that lets you encrypt your hard drive.
At the same time, if you cannot access your BitLocker-encrypted disk, you need to begin recovery right away. It is possible to get access to the disk with a BitLocker recovery password.
But if you forget or can not find the password, this can be a problem for you and restoring BitLocker is the only chance you have to get access to the disk. Otherwise, you will need to reinstall the operating system (and that’s equal to data erasure).
So here’s what you need to know about BitLocker recovery. This is a process that allows you to access an inaccessible drive that is protected with BitLocker. Recovery is important if unlocking the drive in the usual way does not work.
Storage options for the BitLocker recovery key
There are several ways to store recovery keys:
- Quite often, the BitLocker recovery key is stored on a USB drive. In this case, the key can be simply transferred to the computer with a locked disk and you can use the Wizard to restore it.
- Also, the BitLocker recovery key can be stored in a Microsoft or Azure Active Directory account. In order to access the key, you need to log in to the appropriate account and go to the “BitLocker recovery keys” tab.
- The BitLocker recovery key can simply be printed and stored in a safe place on demand.
- The BitLocker recovery key can also be saved as a file and stored in a safe place.
Recovering BitLocker Volumes: Recovery Keys
DiskInternals can recover files and folders from damaged volumes using BitLocker encryption. However, one important pre-requisite must be met. You have to supply the original encryption password or volume Recovery Key generated by BitLocker at the time the protected volume was created.
DiskInternals does not, and will not break into protected volumes if the original password or volume recovery key is unknown. This is as much of a policy issue as it is a technological limitation. BitLocker protection is strong enough to sustain many years of brute-force attacks.
The password part is simple; if access to your BitLocker volume was protected with a password, simply enter that password into DiskInternals EFS Recovery when prompted, and the recovery will go on seamlessly.
Bitlocker Recovery Keys are something else. These keys are returned by BitLocker at the time the encrypted volume is created and if hardware Trusted Platform Module keys, USB keys or combinations of thereof are employed for transparent encryption. You can save the key as a text file on the USB flash drive and use a different computer to read the text file. A proper BitLocker Recovery Key may look like this:
If you used a USB key to unlock your BitLocker volume, the Recovery Key (in the format shown above) is stored in a .BEK file with a name that looks like this:
Either way, you’ll need a volume Recovery Key to recover information from your BitLocker encrypted volume.
Bitlocker Genius
The Easy Part: use EFS Recovery to restore BitLocker files
DiskInternals EFS Recovery is a professional software tool that can easily recover data from locked volumes using BitLocker encryption. You just need to enter the key, and then it will automatically scan. After this, select the necessary files for recovery, which will then also happen automatically.
Bitlocker Reader For Mac
This software works with the following file systems: BitLocker, EFS, FAT12, FAT16, FAT32, NTFS5, and NTFS.
A free trial version of the program is always available, as well as a free preview function before recovery.
Use the following detailed guide to restore BitLocker files using DiskInternals EFS Recovery.
Step 1. Download and install DiskInternals EFS Recovery.
Step 2. Run the application and scan the disk where the key is located (For EFS, you should choose the disk where Windows encrypted the data; for BitLocker, choose the disk with the BitLocker). Then a new window will appear asking you to enter the key. If there is no such request, then the master key has not been restored.
Step 3. Then select the disk to Decrypt.
Step 4. Select the recovery method: fast or full. Wait for the process to complete. The quick method searches existing and deleted files and takes several minutes. The full method also restores partition structures and searches for signatures. This method will take much longer, but it is preferable if you have a reformatted or damaged disk.
Step 5. Preview. Right-click on the file and select “Preview in a new window”. If the decryption was successful, then you will be able to preview the files.
Step 6. Saving. Buy a license for this product and enter the license key in the appropriate window.
You can save data at any place convenient for you.
Let's make a summary: to recover files and folders from the encrypted drive, launch EFS Recovery and enter your volume Recovery Key. If the key matches, the product will automatically scan the BitLocker volume to locate any recoverable files and folders, detecting and fixing file system errors if that option is selected. Everything happens completely automatically; all you need to do is selecting which files to recover.
*DiskInternals EFS Recovery overcomes limitations of older versions of Windows being unable to natively access BitLocker volumes. You can run DiskInternals EFS Recovery on Windows 10, Windows 2000, XP, 2003 Server, Vista, Windows 7 or 2008 Server, and it will still be able to successfully recover BitLocker 1.0 and 2.0 volumes completely automatically.
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Mail Recovery - all in oneOffice Recovery - all in oneExcel RecoveryWord RecoveryAccess RecoveryOutlook RecoveryIf you have come across this review for iSumsoft BitLocker Reader for Mac, it is likely that you have a BitLocker encrypted drive that you want to get into on your Macbook, Macbook Pro, or Macbook air. While it is frustrating that the BitLocker encryption feature is designed only for Windows computers, this doesn’t mean that you can’t unlock your drive or use it, it just means that you have to use special software to mount it to your Mac. In this review, we are going to take a look at iSumsoft BitLocker Reader, a utility program for Mac users who have BitLocker encrypted drives, and outline its pros, cons, and an alternative option for those who don’t want to make a purchase just yet.
Part 2: Best Alternative to iSumsoft BitLocker Reader for Mac - iMyFone BitLockerGoMac
1iSumsoft BitLocker Reader for Mac Review
The iSumsoft BitLocker Reader for Mac is a third-party software designed to help you unlock, open, and read BitLocker encrypted drives. Normally, these types of drives would be completely locked off to a Mac user, but with iSumsoft BitLocker Reader utility program, you can open up the drive, read the files inside, edit the files, copy the files, transfer the files, or even delete the files as needed. It takes away the need to install Windows on your Macbook, keeps data files secure, and automatically recognizes BitLocker drives on Mac.
1What Are the Pros & Cons of iSumsoft BitLocker Reader for Mac?
If you are planning on using iSumsoft, it is important to familiarize yourself with the software’s upsides and downsides. To learn more about what iSunsoft Bitlocker Reader offers, check out the pros and con lists below.
Cons | |
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2Is iSumsoft BitLocker Reader for Mac Safe to Use?
Yes, the program is safe to use on your Macbook computer. The download for the software comes away clean on all virus and malware scans. The iSumsoft website is also clean of unwanted spyware, viruses or malware, and does have a valid encryption certification. This means that any transactions you make through their website will go through encryption protocols and will be safe.
2Best Alternative to iSumsoft BitLocker Reader for Mac - iMyFone BitLockerGoMac
While the iSumsoft BitLocker Reader for Mac does come with some major positives, it will work on older Mac models and come with free life-time upgrades with technical support. This is especially true if your local currency exchange rate is incredibly high compared to the U.S. dollar, which is what the program is initially sold in. For example, the sale price of $19.95 for iSumsoft still comes to $26.00 CAD approximately and that’s before taxes are applied. Now imagine buying it at $29.95 when the program is not on sale. There is an alternative software you can use called iMyFone BitLockerGoMac.
Features of iMyFone BitlockerGoMac:
Requires the passcode or recovery key txt file to decrypt your BitLocker drive on Mac.
Comes with a beginner-friendly user-interface. No technical know-how required to use. When the drive is mounted, it can be viewed through your Mac Finder.
You can add files, delete files, modify files, rename files, and even transfer files when you mount the drive in read-write mode.
Supports all kinds of storage devices, including external hard drives, flash drives, USB drives, memory sticks, thumb drives and other storage devices.
iMyFone BitLockerGoMac supports Mac OS Catalina 10.15/10.14/10.13/10.12 and for Mac OS X it supports 10.11/10.10/10.9.
It is compatible with all kinds of Macs, including Mac Minis, Macbook, Mac Pro, Macbook Pro, Macbook Air, iMac, and iMac Pros.
How to Use the Best Alternative to iSumsoft BitLocker Reader for Mac - iMyFone BitLockerGoMac:
Bitlocker To Go Reader
Step 1: Download, install & launch BitLockerGoMac on Mac. Then connect a BitLocker encrypted drive to your Mac.
Step 2: Click the Mount button and enter the passcode or import the recovery key file to mount this drive.
Step 3: After the drive is successfully mounted, you can access the files stored on it just like a Mac computer's native drive.
Comparison of iSumsoft BitLocker Reader for Mac & iMyFone BitLockerGoMac
Here is a brief overview of these two software options.
iSumsoft BitLocker Reader for Mac | ||
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OS Versions | macOS 10.14/10.13/10.12 and Mac OS X 10.11/10.10/10.9/10.8/10.7 | Catalina 10.15/10.14/10.13/10.12 and Mac OS X 10.11/10.10/10.9 |
Any device running macOS or Mac OS X | ||
| Supported Storage Devices | External Hard Drive, USB Flash Drive, Memory Card, Memory Stick, SD Card, CF Card, Other. | External hard drives, USB drives, flash drives, SD cards, memory cards, memory sticks, USB sticks, pen drives, thumb drives and other storage devices. |
Able to unlock, mount in read-write mode, and unmount as well. | Can be mounted in read/write-mode only and used in Finder. | |
Easy to use with just a few clicks. | ||
Trial Version | Preview file directory & read BitLocker drive. | |
30-day money back guarantee. |
Conclusion
The main thing you want to make sure of when downloading and using BitLocker decryption software like the ones mentioned above, is that your Mac Utility Disk can recognize your BitLocker drive and that the drive itself is healthy. If your Mac Utility Disk can’t recognize the drive, any third-party program won’t be able to either, making your drive inaccessible. If your drive is unhealthy, you need to clean it, before mounting it to your Mac - this avoids spreading corrupted, viruses, or damaged files.