Open a BitLocker Locked USB Drive on Another PC or Mac

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Unlock a BitLocker-encrypted flash drive on any computer

Written by Stan Kats | Edited by Nicole Levine, MFA

Last Updated: March 3, 2026 Fact Checked

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• On a Windows PC
|
• On a Mac
|
• FAQ
|
• Tips

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Have you encrypted your USB drive with Windows BitLocker and now want to use it on another computer? The good news is that you can open a BitLocker-encrypted USB drive on any other Windows PC or Mac computer, so long as you have the password or recovery key. On a Mac, you will need to install some extra software, as Macs don't recognize BitLocker-encrypted drives by default.

Quick Steps for Windows 10 & 11

1. Connect the USB drive to the computer.
2. Open File Explorer.
3. Double-click the USB flash drive.
4. Enter your password and click Unlock.

Steps

Section 1 of 3:

On a Windows PC

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1. 
   1
   Connect the BitLocker USB drive to the Windows computer. When you connect the encrypted USB drive to a computer, you will be prompted: “This drive is BitLocker-protected”. The USB drive is not accessible before it is unlocked.
2. 2
   Open File Explorer. An easy way to do this is to press Windows key + e, but you can also right-click the Start menu and select File Explorer.
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3. 3
   Double-click the flash drive. If you don't see the drive's name in the right panel, click This PC on the left to display all connected devices. You will then see the BitLocker-encrypted flash drive in the right panel with a gold padlock on its icon. Because the drive is encrypted by BitLocker, you will be prompted to enter your BitLocker password.
4. 
   4
   Enter your BitLocker password and click Unlock. First, if you have a recovery key instead of a password, jump to step 5. Otherwise, enter the password you used to encrypt the drive, then click Unlock now. Once you click Unlock, you will be able to open the USB flash drive and access its files.

   • If you want the flash drive to unlock automatically each time you connect it to this computer, click More options, then check the box next to "Automatically unlock this PC" first.
5. 
   5
   Unlock the BitLocker-encrypted USB drive with the recovery key. If you don't remember your password, you can use your 48-digit BitLocker recovery key to decrypt the drive. Click More options, select Enter recovery key, then click Unlock to access the files on the drive.

   • If you can't find your recovery key, you can usually find it in your Microsoft account, printed on a sheet of paper, or on a seperate drive.
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Section 2 of 3:

On a Mac

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1. 1
   Download a macOS BitLocker reader. BitLocker is not supported on Mac computers, so you can’t open it normally. You will need to download a third-party application. Unfortunately, all of the applications available cost money–if you don't want to buy an app, you can plug your USB drive into a Windows PC to unlock it. Otherwise, the following apps are available to install:

   • BitLocker Reader for Mac - Price ranges from $19.95-49.95
   • UUByte BitLocker Geeker - Price ranges from $29.95 to $59.95
   • Hasleo BitLocker Anywhere - $19.98
2. 
   2
   Install the BitLocker reading software. Once you download the application, you will usually double-click a file ending in ".pkg" and follow the on-screen instructions to install.
3. 
   3
   Unlock the BitLocker-encrypted USB drive. The steps vary by application, but the process is always pretty simple:

   • Open the BitLocker reading software you installed.
   • Connect the USB flash drive to your Mac.
   • Click the Unlock option in the software.
   • Enter the BitLocker password or recovery key when prompted.
     • If you don't remember your password, you can recover it from your Microsoft account as long as it's synced to the cloud.
   • Click Open, Mount, Unlock, or similar to open the USB drive on your Mac.
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Section 3 of 3:

Frequently Asked Questions

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1. 1
   Can the FBI or police decrypt BitLocker? Any law enforcement agency can decrypt BitLocker if they have your recovery key. If you sync your recovery key to your Microsoft account and they receive a valid legal order for your key, Microsoft will comply with the order. According to Microsoft, the company receives about 20 requests for BitLocker recovery keys per year from federal law enforcement. If you're worried about this, store your recovery keys offline.
2. 2
   How do I unlock my BitLocker password if I forget it? If you don't remember the password, you must enter your recovery key. If you have access to your Microsoft account, you can access any synced recovery keys at account.microsoft.com/devices/recoverykey. Otherwise, you may be able to get it from your IT department, or by looking for it on a different drive or printout.
3. 3
   How do I disable BitLocker drive encryption? Type manage bitlocker into the Window search bar and press Enter. Click Turn Off Bitlocker and confirm.
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Tips

• BitLocker comes with Pro, Business, Education, and Enterprise versions of Windows, but not the Home editions. This means you can't use BitLocker to encrypt a drive on any Windows 10 or 11 Home edition, but you can still access a BitLocker-encrypted drive you connect to the PC.
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