PowerTip: Use PowerShell to Write BitLocker Recovery Key to Text File

Summary: Use Windows PowerShell to write your BitLocker recovery key to a text file.

 If I forgot to save my BitLocker recovery key when I enabled BitLocker on my laptop, how can I use Windows PowerShell to write it to a text file so I can copy it to a USB key for safe keeping?

 From an elevated Windows PowerShell console, use the Get-BitLockerVolume function, select -MountPoint C, choose the KeyProtector and the RecoveryPassword properties, and then redirect the output to a text file:

(Get-BitLockerVolume -MountPoint C).KeyProtector.recoverypassword > c:\bitlockerkey.txt