HRESULT 0x8031003C (FVE_E_KEYFILE_NOT_FOUND): meaning and diagnosis

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Description:

BitLocker could not locate the startup or recovery key file expected on the supplied removable-media path.

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FVE_E_NO_PROTECTORS_TO_TEST	FVE_E_KEYFILE_INVALID

FVE_E_KEYFILE_NOT_FOUND

A recovery key file is a specific BitLocker artifact

BitLocker recovery and startup keys are stored in files whose names are associated with a protector identifier and normally end in .bek. FVE_E_KEYFILE_NOT_FOUND means the expected file was not available at the path or removable device inspected by the unlock operation. Merely seeing the USB drive in Windows does not prove that firmware or the preboot environment can read it.

Keep this separate from an invalid key file. Here the first failure is discovery: wrong drive, missing file, changed mount point, inaccessible filesystem, or a device that is not present at the stage where BitLocker searches.

What to verify

Compare the key file name and protector ID with the protected volume rather than copying an unrelated .bek file.
Check the media and filesystem from the same execution environment: Windows, Windows RE, or preboot firmware.
Preserve the original recovery password as an independent recovery option before modifying the USB device.
Capture whether the operation expected a startup key or a recovery key; they serve different workflows even when both use removable media.

References

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