3rd desktop I tried isn't blocked from normal booting by a password protected drive from a Dell laptop. HP Pavilion p6340f blocked from booting off anything or getting into BIOS setup. Dell Optiplex GX520 behaves like the laptop, setup accessible, boot order changes ignored and boot menu access blocked. MPS Clientpro 385, success! Sat there a long time but eventually booted to USB.

Got it booted from a FreeDOS formatted USB stick with ZU on it. Ran zu /P and I have a timer that's been going for over 30 minutes. Locked HDD is the only HDD connected.

If this doesn't work on this 500 gig Samsung, I should at least be able to nuke it with ATAPWD then be able to use the drive. Going to wipe it anyway to replace Vista with 7.

Try this ...

Samsung HD204UI ATA Password Removal:
viewtopic.php?f=1&t=34435

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A backup a day keeps DR away.

I set the drives to Legacy in BIOS setup and ZU now recognizes the drive, and can't unlock it.

ATAPWD isn't the program I thought it was. That's HDDERASE from http://web.archive.org/web/201307230441 ... rase.shtml

That recognizes the drive and after answering the equivalent of Yes I really bleeping want to nuke the drive! a half dozen times it... stops dead at

P0 is SAMSUNG HM500JI
P1 is NONE_

without continuing on to ask which drive I want to erase. More searching finds other people wanting to erase or unlock a HM500JI and no successes. at least none reported.

Parted Magic's eraser failed to work on it.