Remove password from laptop hard drive. How to remove the password from the hard drive. We enter the code into the program and get the unlock key

11.07.2020

However, this would not be a problem if people did not forget these most established codes. If this is the first time you have encountered such a situation and do not know how to remove the password from the hard drive on a laptop, then this article is designed just for you.

HDD

If you installed the code on internal media and forgot, then you will not even be able to boot the OS installed on your PC. That is, the possibility of using a laptop or computer for its intended purpose will simply be absent. In such a situation, the user can only delete the set password, because otherwise access to the computer cannot be obtained.

Online service

There are several ways to remove the password from the hdd, and one of them is the well-known online service " BIOS Password Removal for Laptops».

To get rid of a forgotten code by using it, you must:

Enter it incorrectly 3 times (any combination of numbers or letters).
After that, a special code should appear in the window.
We copy the received numbers.
We enter the same combination on the site, at the link above.

A few seconds after entering a combination of numbers in a specially designated line, you will receive a code that will help you reset the password from your drive.

It should be clarified that this program is suitable for all models and manufacturers of hard drives (seagate, hitachi, toshiba, wd, etc.). Moreover, it doesn't matter what operating system is installed on your computer or laptop, because. this service is considered universal.

BIOS

You can remove the password from the hard disk in the BIOS only if the cipher was originally set via bios'e.

All you need is to use the standard option to reset the default settings:

Thus, we reset the password from the HDD.

Second way

The next option is free, specially designed for a variety of hard drive operations.

First, you need to familiarize yourself with the scheme of the password protection of the drive:

Winchester can have high or maximum protection.
Using the MHDD application, you can set a custom protection level.
The master password set by the manufacturer can only be changed.
The use of a master password makes it possible to unlock the drive only with a high level of protection.
In the case of the maximum level of protection, the hard drive can only be unlocked if a user code is set.
If the maximum level of protection is set and there is no user password, then the drive can only be unlocked by destroying all data using the Security Erase Unit ATA command.

Given the above information, in order to remove the password from the hard drive, you should:

Thus, you can extremely quickly remove the previously entered and forgotten cipher.

Third way

The HDD_PW.EXE (18KB) program will also help you remove the password from the hard disk. In order to remove the code with its help, you need to do the following:

Find out the error code (when loading, press F2 and enter the wrong combination of numbers three times, after which a special code will appear on the screen)
Launch an MS-DOS application.
Select the name of the utility in the window that opens.
After a space, enter the error code that you learned earlier, and add 0 through the space.
By pressing "Enter", several passwords will appear in front of you, one of which is sure to work.

After entering the code, be sure to change it to a new one and write it down.

When performing these steps on a 64-bit system, you may encounter some difficulties. The system may generate an error due to a utility mismatch. In this situation it is necessary:

Download DOSBox, install and run.
Mount drive "C" with the command "mount c c: /".
Then, at startup, press "F2", again type the wrong cipher 3 times and do the same steps.

To eliminate the possibility of such situations, it is recommended to completely get rid of the cipher by disabling it in the PC settings. If you are in dire need of it, then you should write it down in a notebook or any other place so that you do not have to reset it again.

In the event that you have a Lenovo laptop and the message “enter hdd password” is displayed on the screen at startup, the method discussed in this video will help you:

youtube.com/watch?v=dKLZjrTyTeQ&t=174s

Good afternoon, dear blog readers! Today we will talk about not so frequent, but important. More than once I encountered such a problem as the password set on the hard drive or BIOS. Probably many do not quite understand, and perhaps do not understand at all what I mean. Now I will explain in more detail.

BIOS password

Bios is software that resides in a read-only memory (ROM) that performs device self-tests and searches for a bootloader. Naturally, the functionality of the BIOS is much wider than described above, but we will not dig deep, but consider directly on the topic of our article. The BIOS password is set to avoid manipulation by third-party people.

How to remove bios password

The set bios password does not make it possible to get into it, and in this case there are three options for solving this situation: by removing the CMOS battery on the motherboard, rearrange the CMOS jumper (jumper) on the motherboard in the opposite direction (not provided in laptops) or simply close the jumper contacts .

And the last way to remove the BIOS password using the BIOS Password Removal for Laptops online service. If you know the password and it's just inconvenient for you to constantly enter it, then you can turn it off by going into the settings.

HDD password

Here the purpose and function of the password is slightly different. If in the first case you simply cannot get into the BIOS, then with a password set on the HDD, you will not be able to boot the operating system. And this is the inability to use a computer or laptop for its intended purpose.

How to remove password from HDD

If we considered three options to solve problems with the BIOS, then in order to remove the password from the hdd, I have only one for you, all the same bourgeois online service. I have not described above how to use this site. To unlock a password you don't remember, you need to enter it incorrectly three times (for example, 1234 or whatever). After the attempts made, a code will appear in the window, enter it on the website http://bios-pw.org/ and in return you will receive a code to reset the password from the hard drive.

How to put a password on a hard drive or bios

Set these passwords to protect data and from various manipulations. Every BIOS has this feature. Current computers and laptops have a Security tab where you can set passwords. More about this in the pictures.

Setting passwords for BIOS and hard drive

Set Supervisor Password– set Administrator password
Set User Password– set User password
HDD Password- hard drive password
Password on boot is used to enable or disable the password on boot.

Well, that's it, my little article has come to an end. See you soon!

The best "Thank you" is your repost .sp-force-hide ( display: none;).sp-form ( display: block; background: #ffffff; padding: 15px; width: 560px; max-width: 100%; border-radius: 8px; -moz- border-radius: 8px; -webkit-border-radius: 8px; border-color: #289dcc; border-style: solid; border-width: 2px; font-family: Arial, "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; background -repeat: no-repeat; background-position: center; background-size: auto;).sp-form input ( display: inline-block; opacity: 1; visibility: visible;).sp-form .sp-form- fields-wrapper ( margin: 0 auto; width: 530px;).sp-form .sp-form-control ( background: #ffffff; border-color: #cccccc; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px; font -size: 15px; padding-left: 8.75px; padding-right: 8.75px; border-radius: 4px; -moz-border-radius: 4px; -webkit-border-radius: 4px; height: 35px; width: 100 %;).sp-form .sp-field label ( color: #444444; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-weight: bold;).sp-form .sp-button ( border-radius: 4px;-moz-border-radius: 4px;-webkit-border-radius: 4px; background-color: #0089bf; color: #ffffff; width: auto; font-weight: bold;).sp-form .sp-button-container ( text-align: left;)

Situations with laptops locked by BIOS and HDD password arise mainly for the following reasons: you installed it and you can’t remember the password, or relatives decided to play with the laptop, installed it and forgot it. When replacing the HDD (hard drives), password requests are also possible. What should an ordinary user do in this situation?

There are affordable ways to solve this problem, which you can try to implement on your own and more complex cases in which you cannot do without the help of a specialist from service companies with special equipment, we will talk about these two options further.

For this we need:

Find out the manufacturer and the exact model of the laptop, they are on the label under the battery compartment or right on the underside of its case (bottom). Record this data;
Find out what prompts in the form of codes the laptop gives on the screen, if any, with several unsuccessful attempts to enter a password in the request window. Write down these codes.

The laptop model and codes are our initial data, then we begin to search for solutions available on the websites of laptop manufacturers and help forums, both paid and free, for solutions: special utility programs, tables with response codes (ASUS), universal password masters for laptop manufacturers . Each laptop manufacturer has its own specifics and we will talk about it below.

The exception is Lenovo laptops (most models) and some Hewlett-Packard models, for which the manufacturer offers only one solution in case of such an incident - replacing the motherboard, but we will talk about this in the second option.

The specifics of obtaining master passwords from laptop manufacturers are as follows:

ASUS

Master password, to unlock the laptop, look in the password table by the date that appears after entering 3 incorrect passwords. The date format is, for example, 07-07-08.

SONY

Utility for generating BIOS SONY passwords, calculates the master password from the last 7 digits of the laptop's serial number, which must be entered in the utility field.

Samsung

After 3 attempts to print the password, the laptop shows the message System disabled, where 12345678901A1234- a service code of sixteen letters and numbers. The program will show the master password for the entered service tag, which is printed after starting the utility. Fig.3. Download utility.

Fujitsu-Siemens

There are 2 utilities to get the master passwords, depending on what error message the laptop gives.

Dell

The utility is available for two series of Dell laptops: 595B and D35B. After 3 incorrect password entries, the laptop issues System disabled, where 12ABC1A- service code (seven letters and numbers). The program itself calculates the master password according to the entered service tag after the utility is launched.

Hewlett-Packard and Compaq

A utility is available for select models of Hewlett-Packard and Compaq notebooks.

After 3 attempts to enter the password, the laptop will show the message System disabled, where ABC1234ABC— service code (10 arbitrary letters and numbers). The program will calculate the master password according to the entered service tag, which must be printed after starting the utility.

InsydeH20 BIOS Notebook Acer, Hewlett-Packard

A utility is available for some models of Hewlett-Packard and Acer notebooks with InsydeH20 BIOS. After 3 unsuccessful attempts to enter the password, the laptop will display a message System disabled, where 12345678 — service code (arbitrary letters and numbers). The program will calculate the master password according to the entered service tag, which must be printed after starting the utility.

Phoenix BIOS Notebook

A utility is provided for laptops with Phoenix BIOS installed. After 3 attempts to enter the password, a message appears System disabled [*], where * — service code (arbitrary letters and numbers). The program calculates the master password according to the entered service tag, which must be printed after starting the utility.

We turn to specialists for help

It is recommended to start by contacting the technical support (Support) of the laptop manufacturer, go to their official website and write a letter. A plus would be the presence of a check and a guarantee, take a photo of these documents and attach to the letter. Describe in detail the problems that have arisen, the model of the laptop and the codes that the laptop issues, send and wait for a response. There are usually two possible answers: they can send you a master password, which will immediately unlock your laptop, this is the best option, or you will be offered to contact a local branded service center.

If in response to a letter they suggested contacting a company service, then we call them, clarify the options for solving the problem: remote by master password or you need to bring a laptop to them.

Conclusion.

Before setting a password in a laptop on the BIOS and HDD, read the above options for removing passwords in case of force majeure, so as not to be without a working laptop and to understand the existing methods for solving this problem, their cost, specifically for your laptop model.

Quite often, users set a password on the HDD. However, this would not be a problem if people did not forget these most established codes. If this is the first time you have encountered such a situation and do not know how to remove the password from the hard drive on a laptop, then this article is designed just for you.

Online service

There are several ways to remove the password from the hdd, and one of them is the well-known online service "BIOS Password Removal for Laptops".

To get rid of a forgotten code by using it, you must:

Enter it incorrectly 3 times (any combination of numbers or letters).
After that, a special code should appear in the window.
We copy the received numbers.
We enter the same combination on the site, at the link above.

A few seconds after entering a combination of numbers in a specially designated line, you will receive a code that will help you reset the password from your drive.

BIOS

You can remove the password from the hard disk in the BIOS only if the cipher was originally set via bios'e.

All you need is to use the standard option to reset the default settings:

Thus, we reset the password from the HDD.

Second way

The next option is the free MHDD utility, specially created for a variety of hard drive operations.

First, you need to familiarize yourself with the scheme of the password protection of the drive:

Winchester can have high or maximum protection.
Using the MHDD application, you can set a custom protection level.
The master password set by the manufacturer can only be changed.
The use of a master password makes it possible to unlock the drive only with a high level of protection.
In the case of the maximum level of protection, the hard drive can only be unlocked if a user code is set.
If the maximum level of protection is set and there is no user password, then the drive can only be unlocked by destroying all data using the Security Erase Unit ATA command.

Given the above information, in order to remove the password from the hard drive, you should:

Thus, you can extremely quickly remove the previously entered and forgotten cipher.

Third way

The HDD_PW.EXE (18KB) program will also help you remove the password from the hard disk. In order to remove the code with its help, you need to do the following:

Find out the error code (when loading, press F2 and enter the wrong combination of numbers three times, after which a special code will appear on the screen)
Launch an MS-DOS application.
Select the name of the utility in the window that opens.
After a space, enter the error code that you learned earlier, and add 0 through the space.
By pressing "Enter", several passwords will appear in front of you, one of which is sure to work.

After entering the code, be sure to change it to a new one and write it down.

When performing these steps on a 64-bit system, you may encounter some difficulties. The system may generate an error due to a utility mismatch. In this situation it is necessary:

Download DOSBox, install and run.
Mount drive "C" with the command "mount c c: /".
Then, at startup, press "F2", again type the wrong cipher 3 times and do the same steps.

In the event that you have a Lenovo laptop and the message “enter hdd password” is displayed on the screen at startup, the method discussed in this video will help you:

onoutbukax.ru

Reset password from HDD or BIOS

BIOS password

How to remove bios password

The set bios password does not make it possible to get into it, and in this case there are three options for solving this situation: resetting the BIOS settings by removing the CMOS battery on the motherboard, rearranging the CMOS jumper (jumper) on the motherboard in the opposite direction (not provided in laptops) or simply close contacts

and the last way to remove the BIOS password using the BIOS Password Removal for Laptops online service. If you know the password and it's just inconvenient for you to constantly enter it when entering the BIOS, you can turn it off by entering the settings.

HDD password

How to remove password from HDD

How to put a password on a hard drive or bios

Setting passwords for BIOS and hard drive

Set Supervisor Password - set the Administrator password Set User Password - set the HDD User password Password - the password for the hard disk Password on boot is used to enable and disable the password at boot.

Well, that's it, my little article has come to an end. See you soon!

I would be grateful if you use the buttons:

ssecond-life.ru

How to remove the password from the BIOS and HDD on a laptop.

We turn on the laptop and see this ... A beautiful picture, isn't it? I suppose those who safely forgot the password on the BIOS, or someone very smart joked like that with a laptop, will not agree with me. Have you ever reset a forgotten BIOS password on a laptop? Believe me, this activity is not for the faint of heart, where the chances of success tend to zero.

The fact is that, unlike conventional computers, in laptops, passwords are usually stored in non-volatile memory. There are no jumpers here to reset the BIOS to factory settings, and removing the battery rarely resets the password. It remains to rely either on luck in choosing the unlock code, or on replacing the BIOS and all sorts of "shamanism" with soldering the legs of the EEPROM (there are such materials on the net). So think again before password-protecting a laptop through the BIOS.

If my warnings still didn’t stop you, take a look at the picture below, you will see something similar when you disassemble the notebook to remove the password.

Is it scary now? Okay, I was joking, the eMachines E510 had to be disassembled so radically for another reason. In this case, everything was solved easier ...

Removing the password from the BIOS of the eMachines E510 laptop

In general, they brought a laptop with a request to see what can be done and put into working condition. Previously, he visited the service, where he was given a verdict about the need to replace the password-protected hard drive. Apparently in the same place, to the heap, they also set the password for the BIOS (so that there was no temptation to turn to somewhere else?). I don’t presume to say, but the owner has no idea about the password to turn on the laptop, but the password for the hard drive is asked after ...

Well, for starters, let's try to remove the password from the laptop's BIOS. Climbing the net, I realized that the last good advice ended in 2005, that way. Now no one wants to share secrets for free. True, there are specialized forums (on which you first need to register), where they post different codes for unlocking at the request of the participants, but the sources are kept in the strictest confidence and they are covered with an area of mystery (probably in order to emphasize their chosenness in front of the rest).

At the end of the article, I will give a link to one such mysterious source that helped unlock a TOSHIBA hard drive without talking to these "gurus". And the English-speaking GOOGLE brought me there.

Removing the BIOS password on the eMachines E510 was not at all difficult, it was only necessary to bridge the battery contacts. To be honest, I didn’t really hope for success, but sometimes simple methods turn out to be very effective. I do not claim that this unlocking method is suitable for all laptops, but it's worth a try, especially since it does not require any special knowledge and skills.

The eMachines E510 laptop is practically a serviceman's dream (unless serious repairs are required), because. provides easy access to the internals. For example, you can clean it by removing just one back cover, although the latches are very tight. Removing the cover, we get access to the desired battery:

Attention! Before closing the contacts, you must turn off the power and remove the battery from the laptop. Just in case, I held a screwdriver (it was with it that I closed it) for a couple of minutes, because I didn’t know for sure and I don’t know how much is needed. The main result is that the BIOS password is gone! However, happiness did not last long ...

Removing password from HDD TOSHIBA MK1246GSX

This is where the main ambush awaited me. To understand what I'm talking about, read the article Password system of modern HDDs. The article is not mine, I just posted it on my blog so that it does not disappear (I will gladly add a link to the source when I recognize the author).

I cited the article only to get acquainted with what we are dealing with, the advice from it did not help. If you carefully read the text, you noticed that it is not recommended to enter the Master password from a laptop, it will convert it. However, it was not by chance that I wrote at the beginning of the topic about specialized forums and "gurus". You don't have to be a genius to understand - unlock codes are obviously not taken out of my head, but I don't believe in supernatural possibilities and chosenness.

I got into the jungle of the Internet and came across an entertaining article BIOS Password Backdoors in Laptops on the Dogbert's Blog blog. There was also a link to an online calculator for removing passwords.

The point is that after three incorrect attempts to enter a password to access the hard disk, a certain code is issued - Encrypt HDD Key:

It's time to share the link promised at the beginning of the topic: BIOS Password Removal for Laptops. Many thanks to the author of this resource. At my request (I entered my Encrypt HDD Key), two unlock codes were issued, for Acer, HP and Fujitsu-Siemens. The code for Acer suited me perfectly, because eMachines is almost the same Acer. The password from the HDD was safely removed :)

mdex-nn.ru

How to remove the password from the hard drive?

Removing the password on the hard drive and BIOS of a laptop is a fairly common problem that users often encounter. There are several ways (utilities) that can help you remove the password. At this point in time, many utilities are popular in solving this problem. To correct this situation, you need to follow certain rules.

Instruction

If you set a password and forgot it, these programs will be useful to you:

BIOS_PW.EXE (18KB) to remove the password on the BIOS of the computer.

HDD_PW.EXE (18KB) to remove the password from the hard drive.

To do this, when booting, press “F2” and enter the wrong password three times.

Enter the five-digit error code separated by a space, which the laptop issues when the password is entered incorrectly.

Add the number 0 separated by a space.

Now press Enter. The program will provide you with several passwords. Of these, one should go to the BIOS.

After you enter the passwords on the BIOS or HDD, do not forget to change them to new ones.

In the event that you try to do the above steps on a 64-bit platform, difficulties may arise.

The system will report that it is impossible to run the utility or component because the program is not compatible with the 64-bit version. The solution is pretty simple.

Download DOSBox from the developer's site, install and run.

First, mount drive C. You can do this with the following command: “mount c c:/”.

imguru.ru

Password system of modern HDDs

I’ll make a reservation right away that the article is not mine and is quite ancient (tentatively 2005). It is an addition to the previous post How to remove the password from the BIOS and HDD on a laptop. It was not possible to establish the exact source, so if you have information about the author, I will gladly post a link.

Any modern drive supports a password system. Before you start working with the password system of drives, you need to learn two things:

The drive can be password-protected either with a high ("High") level of protection, or with a maximum ("Maximum"). The difference is described below. MHDD reports the security level when identifying the drive (F2).
You can password-protect a drive by sending the corresponding command, selecting the mode (high or maximum), and sending a new User password to the drive. In MHDD, you can lock the drive with the PWD command.

Contrary to popular belief, it is impossible to “lock” or “lock” a drive using a Master password. The master password can only be changed. The master password can unlock the drive if the USER password is forgotten, but this is only possible if the "High" security level has been set. If the protection level is “Maximum”, then the drive can only be unlocked by knowing the User password.

If the protection level is “Maximum”, the User password is unknown, but the Master password is known, then it is possible to unlock the drive with the destruction of all data using the Security Erase Unit ATA command. This is implemented in MHDD (FASTERASE command), but this procedure in MHDD only works with User passwords.

Thus, a drive locked with a "High" security level can be unlocked using either the Master or User password. If the protection level is “Maximum”, then the drive can only be unlocked using the User password, or using the Master password, but with the destruction of all data.

Manufacturers set factory Master passwords, and if they are not changed in advance, then they can be used to unlock a password-protected drive, the protection level of which is “High”.

You can set the User password by issuing the PWD command to MHDD. This sets the protection level to "High". The ability to set a different level in MHDD is not available for security reasons. Also, the entered password is displayed in the mhdd.log file. After setting the password, the drive must be turned off.

Unlocking a drive password-protected with the "High" protection level is possible using a User or Master password. If the password is unknown, then, in general, it is impossible to unlock the drive, although there are two ways:

If the password is not encrypted by the drive itself, you can try to read it from the surface using technology commands;
Unlocking is possible using specially developed methods.

If the password is known, then the procedure for unlocking the drive in MHDD is as follows:

issue the UNLOCK command, select the User password, and enter the password. This temporarily unlocks the drive (until the power is turned off).
issue the DISPWD command, select the User password, and enter the password again. This completely removes the blockage.

According to the ATA/ATAPI standard, you cannot suppress the DISPWD command without first unlocking the drive with the UNLOCK command.

If the password is unknown, and the protection level is “Maximum”, then special tools are indispensable. If the password is unknown, and the protection level is “High”, and the Master password has not been changed, then it is possible to unlock the drive, knowing the factory Master password.

List of known Master passwords

Fujitsu hard drives: thirty-two spaces. In MHDD, you need to enter 32 spaces to ask for a password.

Seagate hard drives: the word "Seagate" without quotes, capitalized, padded with 25 spaces to 32 characters. In MHDD, when prompted for a password, you must enter the word Seagate, followed by 25 spaces.

Maxtor hard drives: the phrase "Maxtor INIT SECURITY TEST STEP" - case is important! There is one space at the end of the phrase. The password length is 31 characters.

Samsung hard drives: 32 "t" characters. In MHDD, you need to enter 32 characters t to ask for a password.

Western Digital hard drives: the phrase "WDCWDCWDCWDCWDCWDCWDCWDCWDCWDCWD", without quotes.

IBM hard drives:

DTTA series: "CED79IJUFNATIT", space-padded to 32 characters. in MHDD, when prompted for a password, enter the above phrase, followed by 18 spaces.

DJNA series: "VON89IJUFSUNAJ" padded with spaces to 32 characters. in MHDD, when prompted for a password, enter the above phrase, followed by 18 spaces.

DPTA series: "VON89IJUFSUNAJ" padded with spaces to 32 characters. in MHDD, when prompted for a password, enter the above phrase, followed by 18 spaces.

DTLA series: "RAM00IJUFOTSELET", space-padded to 32 characters. in MHDD, when prompted for a password, enter the above phrase, followed by 16 spaces.

Hitachi hard drives, DK23AA, DK23BA, DK23CA series: thirty-two spaces. In MHDD, you need to enter 32 spaces to ask for a password.

Toshiba hard drives, all series: thirty-two spaces. In MHDD, you need to enter 32 spaces to ask for a password.

Important Note: If you are trying to unlock a drive that has been locked by a laptop, be aware that laptops change master passwords automatically. Also, the password entered from the laptop keyboard is different from the password that the laptop sends to the drive. The password entered from the keyboard is pre-encrypted and only then sent to the drive.

If you find the article useful, do not be lazy to like and share with your friends.

You will need

Instruction

If you set a password and forgot it, these programs will be useful to you:

BIOS_PW.EXE (18KB) to remove the password on the BIOS of the computer.

HDD_PW.EXE (18KB) to remove the password from the hard drive.

More on unlocking the password. First you need to know the error code.

To do this, when booting, press “F2” and enter the wrong password three times.

Next, the system will issue “System Disabled.

Launch an MS-DOS application.

Next, in the DOS window that opens, select the name of the program.

Enter the five-digit error code separated by a space, which the laptop issues when the password is entered incorrectly.

Add the number 0 separated by a space.

Now press Enter. The program will provide you with several passwords. Of these, one should go to the BIOS.

After you enter the passwords on the BIOS or HDD, do not forget to change them to new ones.

In the event that you try to do the above steps on a 64-bit platform, difficulties may arise.

The system will report that it is impossible to run the utility or component because the program is not compatible with the 64-bit version. The solution is pretty simple.

Download DOSBox from the developer's site, install and run.

First, mount drive C. You can do this with the following command: “mount c c:/”.

Then again, when loading, press “F2”, and type the wrong password three times.

Tip added November 12, 2011 Tip 2: How to remove the password from the hard drive The password protection feature of modern hard drives allows you to protect the contents of the drive without real data encryption by restricting access. Using the free MHDD utility, designed to perform various operations with computer hard drives, can help in solving the problem of removing the password.

You will need

- MHDD

Instruction

Familiarize yourself with the operation of the hard drive password protection function: - access to the drive can be protected by a high (High) or maximum (Maximum) password level; - a user level of protection can be set using the MHDD application; - the master password set by the hard drive manufacturer can only be changed; - using a master password allows you to unlock the hard drive only with a high level of protection (High); - with the maximum level of protection (Maximum), unlocking the hard drive is possible only when using a user password; - with the maximum level of protection (Maximum) and no user password, unlocking the hard drive can only be performed by destroying all information using the Security Erase Unit ATA command and confirming the procedure with a master password.

Determine the security level set using the MHDD utility during the hard drive identification process (F2 function key) b Use the PWD command to set a user password. This action automatically uses the High security level.

Use the UNLOCK command in the MHDD program and enter your user password in the corresponding field of the User Password section to perform the operation to unlock the hard drive.

Select the DISPWD command and enter your user password in the corresponding field of the User Password section to disable the hard drive's password protection function, or use the master password (if it has not been changed) to perform the necessary operations.

Useful advice Known master passwords: - 32 spaces - for Fujitsu, Hitachi, Toshiba hard drives; - Seagate padded with spaces up to 32 characters - for Seagate hard drives; - Maxtor INIT SECURITY TEST STEP padded with a space up to 32 characters - for Maxtor hard drives; - 32 characters t - for Samsung hard drives; - WDCWDCWDCWDCWDCWDCWDCWDCWDCWDCWD - for Western Digital hard drives. Sources

Password system of modern drives

How to remove a password from a hard drive - printable version