Unlock WD My Book Essential

[Doomer]

I told you that nothing would help if you don't have/know the password ...............

NOT true it is possible to decrypt the drive without the password based on the feedback I got from different DR services, so again that was useless.

I think that's a lie
I'm looking forward for public answer from these companies
I really would like them to recover data from encrypted WD drive with user password set and without knowing the password
I also guess that you misinterpreted their answer

You do understand that this makes encryption totally useless?

[aena9200]

You do understand that this makes encryption totally useless?

Yes I do, and I dont think 3 companies are lying anyways, time will tell.

[Doomer]

Tell the companies names then

[einstein9]

Tell the companies names then

Doomer you know and i know and most of the others knows also
IT IS A LIE

no way w/o the pass

[BlackST]

You do understand that this makes encryption totally useless?

Yes I do, and I dont think 3 companies are lying anyways, time will tell.

@aena9200,

If you already know the answer and have the solution at hand why come here and ask ?

[infuscifer]

Hopefully it's OK to reopen this topic.
Does anyone know if devices where the drive key has been changed using CBW C1 E3 can still be recovered?

@aena9200:

The AES256 key from your unlocked device appears to be:
8C F5 FD A1 97 1A 72 91 5C 21 7A 59 39 A9 04 45 E8 5E C4 8A 1C 9E 03 0C 40 E2 2D 2A F9 AC F4 14

You should be able to use any AES implementation, but you need to byteswap each 32-bit value (12 34 56 78 needs to be 78 56 34 12) before and after the AES decryption.

I would be grateful if you would search the drive that your unlocked sector came for either the sequence as listed, or in alternative order starting with 45 04 A9 39.

[LincolnKush]

Doomer, can you help with this WD HDD ACCESS? Can i pm

[kahunadude]

Can anyone please tell me if replacing the control board (part number 4061-705059-001 Rev AG) on my WD MyBook Essential 2TB external hard drive will allow me to bypass the password that WD software says I entered when I last used the drive (about 2 1/2 years ago when I bought it new). I do not remember entering a password or even why I might have even considering doing so. Even the password hint does not sound familiar and I've tried just about every password I think I've ever used. I just want to know if there is any data on the drive or if I just can re-format it and clear the password. Thanks for any help anyone can provide.

[fzabkar]

Can anyone please tell me if replacing the control board (part number 4061-705059-001 Rev AG) on my WD MyBook Essential 2TB external hard drive will allow me to bypass the password.

No, it won't.

I just want to know if there is any data on the drive or if I just can re-format it and clear the password.

The SmartWare user manual states that you will be given the option to erase your drive, including its password, after 5 unsuccessful password challenges.

See page 39:
http://www.wdc.com/wdproducts/library/U ... 705019.pdf

[kahunadude]

Is it possible that a password was entered that I did not enter or that the protection software thought one was entered?
What I mean is: is it possible this situation could occur again without me entering a passowrd?
In that case, should I consider, after re-formatting the drive and possibly losing my old data, re-installing the 2TB drive in an external case with a standard controller and not have to worry about getting locked out again and losing, potentially, much more critical data?

[kahunadude]

On a WD MyBook Essential drive is the data on the drive always encrypted whether or not a password is entered?
If so, does that mean if a control board goes bad the drive can't just be connected to a generic controller and the data saved?
In order to save the data a replacement controller must be connected, yes? Or not?

[Doomer]

On a WD MyBook Essential drive is the data on the drive always encrypted whether or not a password is entered?
If so, does that mean if a control board goes bad the drive can't just be connected to a generic controller and the data saved?

correct

[kahunadude]

Doomer,
...should I consider, after re-formatting the drive and losing any old data that might be on the drive, re-installing the 2TB drive in an external case with a standard controller and not have to worry about getting locked out again and losing, potentially, much more critical data?

[Doomer]

Thinking about backup would be more productive, in my opinion

[kahunadude]

Doomer,
That is exactly what I am thinking about. Do I count on restoring a backup that has been encrypted or one that has not?

[kahunadude]

Doomer,
I am an old-school machine/assembly language programmer. Is it possible to reverse engineer (disassemble) the WD encryption/password-checking code that WD uses to control access to the MyBook Essential drive in order to bypass the password verification process altogether?

[Doomer]

Why don't you try and see

[kahunadude]

Is the code located on the drive (if so, any idea where it might be?) or on the control board?
Also, what backup program do you recommend? The WD Smartware software does not appear to be very flexible.

[randy2]

I have the 2TB WD My book Essentials (WDBAAF0020HBK) and the USB port on the drive broke, taking some trace along with it. I've ordered and received an identical PCB already. I've transferred over the Winbond 8-pin chip and the Initio 1607E chip over to the new PCB. The drive actually gets detected by Windows now and the WD software prompts for a password but when I enter the password in, it doesn't seem to recognize it as the correct password. This is not my hard drive but the customer is sure of the password. I ran some software to check for ATA passwords but it did not detect any. Am i missing something? I feel like I'm so close to getting this thing solved.

[HaQue]

I have the 2TB WD My book Essentials (WDBAAF0020HBK) and the USB port on the drive broke, taking some trace along with it. I've ordered and received an identical PCB already. I've transferred over the Winbond 8-pin chip and the Initio 1607E chip over to the new PCB. The drive actually gets detected by Windows now and the WD software prompts for a password but when I enter the password in, it doesn't seem to recognize it as the correct password. This is not my hard drive but the customer is sure of the password. I ran some software to check for ATA passwords but it did not detect any. Am i missing something? I feel like I'm so close to getting this thing solved.

Are you sure the old board cant be fixed? i solder up these under a microscope and I have seen only 1 so far that had broken tracers in other layers and I could solder, or find alternative solder points to get the drive working enough for DR.
IMHO, exhausting the PCB fix avenue should be first step.