after reinstall of windows I found my 25 digit key

This key is for this particular install only. If you are going to use it on a different install or different device then the answer is no.

I hope the steps I provided were helpful. At this point, I will proceed with releasing your question. Thank you for reaching out to us today.

Hi Steven Longhenry, Thanks for posting here in Microsoft Community, I understand that after reinstalling Windows 11, you found your 25‑digit BitLocker recovery key and want to know if it can still be used.

To answer your question, Yes but only for a very specific purpose. Your 25‑digit BitLocker recovery key can still be used to unlock (decrypt) a BitLocker‑protected drive, not to restore or reinstall old Windows settings after Windows has already been reinstalled.

If you still needed further assistance or you still have any more question feel free to comment I'll be happy to assist you.

Best regards,

Ice C.

The 25-character code that was found is a Windows product key, not a BitLocker recovery key. A BitLocker recovery key is always a 48‑digit numeric key.

A Windows product key can be used to activate Windows (for example, after reinstalling Windows 11), but it cannot be used to unlock or restore BitLocker‑encrypted data or “reinstall” previous locked settings.

To unlock a BitLocker‑protected drive or restore access to data, a valid 48‑digit BitLocker recovery key is required. If that key cannot be found in any of the documented locations (Microsoft account, work/school account, printout, USB, etc.), the only remaining option is to reset the device using Windows recovery options, which removes all files on the drive.

References:

• Find your BitLocker recovery key
• Find your Windows product key