Hardware Analysis - Password protected Hard drive

Re: Password protected Hard drive

Bobby Bowling — 2005-11-24T03:47:38-05:00

Locked hard drives can be easily unlocked; however, all data will be lost. I've done this when hacking my UltimateTV (to install a larger drive, then reuse the old "locked" drive in a PC) and used the same program to unlock a Travelstar I inadvertently locked in my Thinkpad 770ED. (I used a desktop PC and a 3.5-2.5" adapter.) The program you need is mhd3.exe.

Go to this link to download mhd3.zip without having to register:
http://archive.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=363885

This link provides good instructions but you have to register to download:
http://www.dealdatabase.com/forum/showthread.php?t=25827

Re: Password protected Hard drive

paul carter — 2005-11-22T14:18:44-05:00

I also have a problem with HDD password!.

The laptop HDD is an IBM Travelstar. When the laptop is switched on, it asks for the password & will not go any further. Tried it as a second drive (USB) but it does not show up in the directory structure. So U can NOT see it at all. (ps. The OS is WinXP). Any suggestion as how the password can be reset/ removed / erased / deleted. (ps. have already tried the ATAPWD with no success.

Thanks...

Re: Password protected Hard drive

Keith Schawel — 2005-11-21T23:10:04-05:00

Sunny, I doubt you'll get many responses from us for two reasons:

1) We are trying to figure out how to fix it ourselves and are not willing to pay for it. I have two hard drives that need the password removed and I don't care either way if it gets done. I am not willing to pay anything over a dollar or two because I could just buy a new 4GB hard drive to replace it.

2) You aren't even on the same subject. At least offer to fix the problem that is the original subject of this thread.

Thanks though =)

Re: Password protected Hard drive

Sunny Chen — 2005-11-21T23:03:57-05:00

I am trying to help those who have IBM latest model like T40, T50(the expensive ones) with password problem(excluding hard drive password), only the expensive ones worth repairing.

Hard drive password cannot be unlocked without external hardware. I believe so.

Re: Password protected Hard drive

Keith Schawel — 2005-09-17T02:06:13-05:00

I wish you luck with the magnet thing but I can tell you now that it probably won't work. With the density of the hard drives now I doubt you can find a magnet strong enough to erase data that you can hold in your hand. Also, even if you could get the hard drive platters completely erased, I would be skeptical as to whether you could even get the HDD working again. Like I said, good luck. But don't count on it.

Re: Password protected Hard drive

teen geek — 2005-09-16T22:22:27-05:00

Then agian, it depends on how many platters the drive has. I've never opened up a laptop hd, but I assume they're one platter, double sided, being how thin they are.

Re: Password protected Hard drive

teen geek — 2005-09-16T22:20:15-05:00

OK, you guys make sense... I understand what you're talking about. A harddrive is just a bunch of magnets, pointing north or south, right? What if you ran a very strong magnet over the top of the drive? Wouldn't it just wipe EVERY sector, even the ones that store this kind of stuff? It would remove all partitons, unformat the drive, even fill the partition table with gobbeldygook. Wouldn't that work? I'm getting a locked drive from a friend, and will try it out. I've actually got a magnet out of a dead 3.5" hard drive that is EXTREMELY strong.

Re: Password protected Hard drive

James Estep — 2005-08-11T20:25:47-05:00

I haven't been able to find any free ways to unlock hard drives either, though I did spend a day scouring the web and trying everything in this thread. However, my client did agree to pay the $69.50 to have the drive unlocked using AF-F Repair Station.

I just wanted to let you guys know that it worked like a charm. I ran a recovery on a Fujitsu MTH2040AH laptop hard drive from a Dell Latitude D600, having connected the drive as the secondary master on my workstation. It only took 2-3 minutes, and after it finished and I did a hard reset, the drive was accessible again. I made an image of the drive just to be safe, then I popped it back into the laptop. It booted and loaded Windows without problems.

Re: Password protected Hard drive

Joe Garrett — 2005-07-19T16:07:24-05:00

So, I have seen a program that does read the ID String of the hdd for a system that has been locked. The program can be found by searching through google (of course)...MastID.

Note: MastID works two fold (it can be used to reset bios specific pwd and hdd specific pwd).

In a nutshell the bios has the hardware id string of the offending hdd. This string is whats used to create the alogorithm used to pwd protect the drive. To disable the pwd (or retrieve it use mastid to read in the hdd string).

You will need to use a bootable floppy...and you are likely to have to change your boot up options (Floppy | CDROM | HDD | Network).

There are more helpful documents online that should give you and idea of how to use this program in your unlocking efforts. Though, personally I would just replace the drive.

Thank You,

Re: Password protected Hard drive

James McGuire — 2005-07-04T01:20:53-05:00

are there any known brute force programs for any operating system?

Re: Password protected Hard drive

Robert Benotti — 2005-07-03T23:37:15-05:00

I have bin dealing with this same problem for about 13-14 months. I buy and sell on eBay and have come accross a snot load of locked hard drives...I have tryed brute force, dictonary, and other hack's, and have yet to find an unlocking program...I mean, I could care less about the data on the 20 someodd drives I have that are locked...I want to format and re-sell. Thats all, and not have to pay some $hit head 50 bucks for a drive I couldn't sell for 20...Well the reason I'm posting is because Im looking for an up to date Brute force program for Xp...If any one knows of one...lets see it. I will keep looking for a cheap way to unlock these little son's of b....'s, Lets hope someone will let the masses know how to do it...Keep the faith and say a prayr for our boy's oversea's. Thanks

Re: Password protected Hard drive

Keith Schawel — 2005-07-02T22:26:15-05:00

You ask why we don't just throw these away and get new ones? Well, I have gotten new drives. I don't care about the data on them. The reason I still care is more out of curiosity or a hobby than actually needing the drive. Also, if I do get it recovered, I have a free drive.

Bottom line, I really don't care if this thread gets resolved or not. You gave a link for a company that does this type of recovery. So there is a way to make our drives usable again: for free.

Cheers,
Keith

Re: Password protected Hard drive

Ha Net — 2005-07-02T16:54:19-05:00

I guess if the disk is only 50 quids worth, why not just throw it away and get another ?.

Saying that i set my toshiba laptop security to maximum, only because i was travelling alot and yes like normal people i forgott the bloody thing. Now when youve got all your emails and sales lists and everything else locked in the laptop, you wonder when the heart attack is supposed to kick in.

I read this site a year ago but forgett the bookmark because it was on the locked laptop :o(. So in desperation I tried everything, well short of driving over it with the car. Anyway After contacting many different companies and suffering days of repeat heart problems and how to tell your boss excuses I was blessed. One of my clients had this problem so gave me this contact http://www.diskeng.com/security.htm.

I dont believe i will ever be in this possition again but it was a sad story with a happy ending, the boss does not know even today, thanks for the paid sick days !.

Re: Password protected Hard drive

Keith Schawel — 2005-06-27T03:55:04-05:00

Mark Corby, I don't believe the ATA-password lives in the boot sector. As far as I understand, it is a separate part of the hard drive and since the HDD is locked, you cannot read/write from it anyway (thus negating even the ability to rewrite the boot sector). I appreciate the response and wish you well with that program, but I think you are on a dead end trail with that one.

At least this thread is still alive though. Let's keep it going. I'm subscribed to it and I'm sure many others are too.

Cheers,
Keith

Re: Password protected Hard drive

mark corby — 2005-06-26T08:43:32-05:00

Theres a program called Partition Table Doctor
which looked promising
type it in google and go to the homepage
It automatically fixes the boot sector of
a hard drive
You can download a free trial,
so at least youll be able to get access to it
and format it hopefully
Havent tried it yet though.