Password Protect Hard Drives

[dhongyt]

Please help me! I currently bought 2 laptop hard drive off ebay, seeing as how I'm a new ebay user I thought that a 40gig and a 30gig hdd for $41 was a great price not know that when it said AS IS it probably meant that it was bad. So of my friends are saying that the hdd is dead, but the owner is saying there is just a password on the hard drives. I'm guessing it is not just any regular password since the computer can't detect it without it and I can't format it either. I'm guess its a hardware password if that does even make sense. Does anyone know any way to bypass this either hacking it or removing it?

 

[YOyoYOhowsDAjello]

Originally posted by: dhongyt
Please help me! I currently bought 2 laptop hard drive off ebay, seeing as how I'm a new ebay user I thought that a 40gig and a 30gig hdd for $41 was a great price not know that when it said AS IS it probably meant that it was bad. So of my friends are saying that the hdd is dead, but the owner is saying there is just a password on the hard drives. I'm guessing it is not just any regular password since the computer can't detect it without it and I can't format it either. I'm guess its a hardware password if that does even make sense. Does anyone know any way to bypass this either hacking it or removing it?

Welcome to AT.

Sounds like you have two dead harddrives to me.

Did the seller mention anything about them working or being password protected before you bought them? If he did, then you could file a complaint about them, but if they were sold as-is, then you're screwed.

 

[dhongyt]

I don't think that they are dead because I have been searching on website out there that says that IBM came up with a thing call hard drive lock which basically enables a user to set a password on the hard drive which is store in the hard drive's firmware.

 

[montag451]

There are companies around that claim to be able to unlock the password settings on these drives, but they might bump up the cost of you drives substantially, and you still won't know if they are in good working order.

 

[dhongyt]

That's true. I have been look for some companies, but I did find one in Tornato that will do it for $85. I might be thinking of selling it back on ebay and at least get some money back. But people are saying that there are hacks out there, I just can't find them.

 

[whistleclient]

honestly? you probably got scammed and they are dead drives.

 

[montag451]

I did a couple more hours research after reading this thread last nite [done it a few months ago as well] just to check on a few things.

Seems this is the only sure fire way to stop your hdd from being used if it has been stolen from your lappy!!!!
There are some ways around this, but the hardware for this is bought by security/forensics organisations, and the passwords are cracked by brute force - still no guarantee that you will get the password in a few years!!!!!