Bitlocker Automatically Activated on External Drive

[tektmz]

Left my Seagate external drive plugged into the docking station at work. Next day Bitlocker was activated. Been through the ringer with IT who shows our Bitlocker for External Drives was disabled. No recovery key available as supposedly it wasn't done by anyone. Can't lose the data. Ideas, thoughts, experiences? 

[#2]

Check if you've Device Encryption enabled. Turning it off may help.

FYI: https://www.kapilarya.com/enable-device-encryption-in-windows-10-home

Hope this helps!

Note: Included link in this reply refers to blog post by a trusted Microsoft MVP. 

[#3]

@tektmz 

Hi, you certainly shouldn't fix it yourself!

the computer should be disconnected from the network and forwarded to the IT department - for checking (it may have been infected and partially taken over)

These are the scenarios of an attack on an organization, and your attempts at repair are the next steps that the attacker predicted. 

Ask for a new computer to work with.

[#4]

Please write if this has been fixed?

[#5]

@A1 thanks for asking, and no, it has not. Again, it is the external Seagate drive that is locked. Company maintains it was not done by them, yet Bitlocker isn't even available on my home laptop, and the drive was connected to the work docking station when it happened. 

I spoke to a programmer friend who said maybe I should talk to the company Global Admin for Microsoft, perhaps the daily Tech Support contact has more pressing matters to handle than my problem. Will try that but don't hold out much hope. 

Love to hear any other ideas anyone has. Again, thanks! 

[#6]

@tektmz 

In that case, at work, someone connected to the docking station and as an administrator encrypted the drive - I still think that this can be a dangerous situation - it can happen again!
Surely this is not the expected behavior - never will a drive automatically encrypt itself without changing the settings , so who did it?