Free tools to unlock HDD?

[GlacierFreeze]

*Someone* went into BIOS (yes, I know, should've had BIOS locked down) and put a password on an HDD. Saw that hddunlock.com supposedly will work but no way I'm spending money on that. Anyone know of any free tools? And no, don't care about the data. Will reimage/reformat. Just need the drive working again.

 

[ArisVer]

Try a linux live version. Not sure whether it will work but it worth a try.

 

[Cerb]

http://www.tomsguide.com/forum/id-1803520/unlock-hard-drive.html

Check the spoilered section of the 1st post.

 

[Binky]

Was the *someone* you after a few beers, or your kid?

 

[razel]

Lots of different ways through the years to do a HDD BIOS password lock. Back in the day, you would remove the BIOS battery to get past it. Later when SMART was more standardized, HDD manufacturers has DOS utilities where you could wipe the drive, which also removed the password.

I assume we're still at that point now, so that's what I would try. ultimatebootcd contains nearly all HDD drive manufacturer's DOS based tools. I'd try to secure erase it and hope that it removes the password.

 

[GlacierFreeze]

Was the *someone* you after a few beers, or your kid?

Haha nah on the first one. It actually was a kid. Not mine though.

And thanks for the responses. Will try those things posted when I get back to it. Only around this certain computer on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Trying to gather ideas before then. My Google-fu was weak.

 

[schmuckley]

Is it a platter drive or an ssd?
Download Parted Magic,burn to disc and secure-erase it.

 

[GlacierFreeze]

Platter

 

[Shmee]

Is it a platter drive or an ssd?
Download Parted Magic,burn to disc and secure-erase it.

Yes this is probably the easiest way. A very useful tool btw.

 

[riahc3]

DBAN the drive. I dont think anything can survive that.

 

[VirtualLarry]

DBAN the drive. I dont think anything can survive that.

Uhm, the drive is "locked" with an ATA password. That's the whole point. You can't access it, so you can't DBAN it.

 

[iluvdeal]

What a pain. What about human engineering? If you know the kid who has the password, I assume he's your kid's friend, you can get your kid to get the password. Why would he screw with you like that? What a dick.

 

[Smoblikat]

Get a new PCB from ebay for it

 

[GlacierFreeze]

If you know the kid who has the password,

Well, was gonna keep info limited but guess it doesn't matter that I mention this is at a school. It's in a computer lab. Definitely no way in knowing which kid it was, unfortunately. Especially when problems don't get reported until... well who knows how long after it actually happened. :\

But yeah, was gonna try to ask for the password if it were in a classroom, but it's in a lab. blah

 

[sm625]

Just have the kid's parents buy you a new HDD. Tell them it is hosed. They will then beat the password out of him, or worse, take away his internet until he gives it up.

 

[slag]

Just have the kid's parents buy you a new HDD. Tell them it is hosed. They will then beat the password out of him, or worse, take away his internet until he gives it up.

He already said he didn't know who did it. He can't get the kids parents to buy a new drive for the lab because he doesn't know who did it.

 

[GlacierFreeze]

Tried Parted Magic first since I've heard it mentioned a lot over the years. I think maybe a newer version Secure Erase may have worked, but newest Free version from like 2013. In Erase Disk, it does have a Secure Erase feature, but I'm not sure it's working with this setup. After selecting the drive and Nexting through a couple confirmation windows, I hit Ok or whatever to run, a window flashes for a second, disappears then displays a Usage for Xdialog window. Don't really know enough about Linux to know what happened lol. Assuming it didn't work. Doesn't show any type of Wait or Progress window that I've seen pics of, from most likely newer versions of PM.

Anyway, tried Cerb's link. After wading through that a bit, I stumbled up 'hdparm'. It appears to have commands that just might work. Don't have a blank CD with me, so will try that Thursday.

https://tinyapps.org/docs/wipe_drives_hdparm.html

http://linux.die.net/man/8/hdparm

 

[RecoveryForce]

Get a new PCB from ebay for it

The password is stored in the drive's firmware which, in turn, is stored in the service tracks on the platters. Plus, to swap the PCB, you need to transfer the unique from from the patient PCB. so, if it were stored in the PCB, it would need to transferred too.