Use at your own risk.
I use local accounts on Windows.
A Windows update or some other event might require an encryption key even though I never turned BitLocker on.
To be on the safe side, you can acquire and save the encryption key without encrypting the drive.
Winkey "Manage BitLocker"
Turn On Bitlocker
Save the key
1. To a flash drive
or
2. Print to PDF
You can not save the .txt file to an encrypted drive.
Of course you need to keep the key somewhere other than the encrypted drive.
*Then cancel if you don't want the drive encrypted.
You will end up in encryption limbo, waiting for the encryption to finish.
Yor drive in Explorer will have an unlocked symbol.
Open CMD as Admin "manage-bde -off C:"
This command "decrypt" the drive (which wasn't actually encrypted but the process was started).
It will take a while but the lock symbol should disappear.
I keep my keys in my password locker. I don't care if someone gets it because I don't encrypt my drives. I'm only preparing for a Windows screw up.
You can disable BitLocker in Registry.
Computer\HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\BitLocker set to 1 to disable bitlocker
This reg does not protect you against something crazy happening.
You now have a key. You've done what you can.
