Almost every modern person now uses various types of electronic media. For all of them, as a rule, they are characterized by a compact size, large capacity and quite acceptable reliability in the safety of information.
Sometimes it’s very convenient to have encrypted data on a USB flash drive. What for? Yes, in principle, because we often give this medium, for example, to our friends, employees or relatives. They dump us photos, some necessary information, films or audio books, and on the flash drive, you must agree, there may well be content that is generally not supposed to be shown to outsiders.
Having established protection, you can be sure that even if you lose a flash drive, nobody will be able to use your confidential information. For example, copies of documents, materials or own developments.
But each time the same question worries about what will happen if you suddenly forget, lose or cannot remember the password you need. How to unlock a flash drive? And can this be done at all?
I suggest that you carefully study the step-by-step instructions on how to properly unlock the USB flash drive, while saving your nerves and time.
For all this procedure you will need: a computer or laptop and a flash drive with a forgotten password.
I would rate the complexity of this operation as easy, designed for a novice user.
1. Initially, when you only create a password, say, with the Bitlocker function, available both in Windows Vista and in more modern Windows 7, use the program recommendation. She will offer you to save the desired key in one of two options. Firstly, you can print it to a printer and print it, and secondly, you can save it in a special file.
2. Subsequently, in order for the flash drive to unlock, you will need to use this key saved for subsequent recovery. It should be found. And if you are faced with the fact that you don’t know how to unlock the USB flash drive, first of all, start with the search for the key previously used in the system for this operation. Are you done?
3. Go to the “My Computer” folder, find the flash drive icon, click on it with the right mouse button. If you did everything correctly, a dialog box will appear on the screen. In it we select the option “Unlock disk” we need. As a result, a new window appears and manually enter the recovery key into it. Although in the event that it is stored on any electronic media, then in principle it can be selected, copied and pasted into the desired field.
4. Have you entered or copied the key? Have you checked the correct spelling again? Now, before you unlock the flash drive completely, it is not long. Click the “Finish” active tab that appears. However, you should not sigh with relief. Your media is unlocked only temporarily. If you remove it from the computer now, then when you turn it on again, you will need to start the entire process listed above from the very beginning. How to be? Let's try, taking into account the further prompts of our system, to change the password to a new one.
5. We again turn to the dialog box. But now we already need an option called “Bitlocker Management”. You will see a whole list of actions that will need to be performed in turn. First, change your forgotten password. Only then will the electronic media be considered fully unlocked. Secondly, to prevent a recurrence of the above situation, save the recovery key in a safe place. In addition, here you can even delete the password if you no longer need it.
As you could see for yourself, finding the answer to the question of how to unlock the USB flash drive was not at all difficult, the main thing is not to forget (and not be too lazy!) To save the key for recovery to the computer or any accessible portable device during the encryption process itself.