Remove hdd password from my Seagate hdd

[Mich-C]

Hi guys. My laptop has this hdd:
---2.5" mechanical IDE
---Seagate Momentus 4200.2
---model st950814a

Recently I changed the Hdd password from BIOS but I can't remember it. I followed some guides found on internet so I tryed to unlock the hdd using 2 softwares from hiren boot cd. The procedure asked me the Hdd master password, I typed "Seagate"+ 25 spaces but it results as a wrong password.

What can I do to unlock the disk? (firmware update, hdparm, other programs ecc...)
I could use FF repair station software but in my case I need an Ide to Sata adapter to connect this hdd to my desktop PC. Will the software work correctly?

Thanks in advance, Michele

Attachments

[rogfanther]

First, try to remember the password. If you remember it should be something, maybe try it in all caps or no-caps. It is possible that when entering the password in bios you inadvertently left the keyboard capslock activated.

If not remembering, then take it to a professional . At this stage with only the password it should be cheap.

[dick]

Here is an old thread explaining how to do it before newer tools were developed.
https://forum.hddguru.com/viewtopic.php ... r+Password
Its like going back in time.

[Mich-C]

First, try to remember the password. If you remember it should be something, maybe try it in all caps or no-caps. It is possible that when entering the password in bios you inadvertently left the keyboard capslock activated.

If not remembering, then take it to a professional . At this stage with only the password it should be cheap.

Thanks togfanther. When I could use the previous password, I noticed that the Hdd password is not case sensitive. I don't know maybe t's just the firmware for this model that works this way

[Mich-C]

Here is an old thread explaining how to do it before newer tools were developed.
https://forum.hddguru.com/viewtopic.php ... r+Password
Its like going back in time.

Thanks forum the link! The Hdd in that thread is the 100gb version, mine is 50 but I think that It shouldn't be a problem

[Mich-C]

Oh ...

Regards.

Hi Spildit! Many many thanks for all your advices!
I will buy a ttl adapter anyway because I like learn new things but think the first things I'll do would be connecting the Hdd to my PC using an Ide adapter and then use zu. But it's not cear to me if zu allows me to preserve my files or not... Actually there's not so much important on this Hdd but I will prefer to getto back these files

[Mich-C]

The way ZU works on ST-10 drives is simple, it will issue an ATA vendor specific command that will try to retrieve the user password from the drive and if it can do so it will use that password to unlock the drive using the standard ATA commands to do so. If ZU does unlock your drive there will be no data loss. ZU unlock the drive with the same password that it was set on it so it would be like having the correct password.

I just launched ZU from freedos. Using both the /s and /p paeameters I have 2 alternatiting screens, one full of "6C" abd the other full of "l" emoticon smiles.
I can't even see the timer or any "unlocking" text...

[MasterHDD]

I would be able to brute force the password for you unless you used 256bit encryption for it, which I highly doubt , but I would ofc need the physical device.

[Mich-C]

Finally started zu. I think that the first time I tryed I downloaded the old version.
with "zu/p" I immediately have this (no timer/loading)

3.06 st950814A
UNLOCK NOT DONE

with "zu/s" I just have the blinking underscore and I must reboot (I think it's normal on a laptop with just 1 hdd slot )

Zu actually support this hdd because I don't have "NOT SUPPORTED" like other users...

What could be the problem and how can I solve it?

[Mich-C]

Tryed again with the /a parameter. Now it's scanning and I see the timer.
I started the process 1 hour ago and zu is still working on this 50 gb hdd. Is it normal?

[Moltke]

To Readme it is written that only families with parallel ROM and C1/C2 are supported.

the only program which supported all families was A-FF
Dmitry Postrigan.

[Mich-C]

Well ... Small correction now that I did re-read this thread...

On some ST-10 drives ZU can only get the password IF the original MASTER password was not changed ! Otherwise the VSC (ATA) used by ZU will not work ...

Thanks
I don't rember to have changed also the Master Password...
if I'm not wrong my bios has always allowed me to change the hdd password only...

[Mich-C]

Just use the TTL to read Vendor and get the password. Or use manual method ... Or try to use ZOC script ... Many options there ... Read the first posts on this thread.

Yes Thanks! I' m starting in these next days because at the moment I'm not at home.

1) Connection
I'll post here an image to show you if I connected the HDD the right way (it's very simple but it's better to be 100% sure)

2) Read
I just have to read the vendor track to get the password, I don't want to write anything to HDD for now.
The method described in this post ( http://www.hddoracle.com/viewtopic.php?f=83&t=25#p3574 ) is very simple, if I understood right it just requires the "STCom" software and I'll get a dump of the vendor track
The problem is that I googled for this STCom tools, but I didn't find any download link

[Mich-C]

Forgive my ignorance but I didn't expect this...
How can I connect the ttl connectors to my hdd if the power adaptor is physically in the way?

Moreover reading this connection guide (http://www.hddoracle.com/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=193) I don't understand why I have to connect the TX RX and GND cable to the ttl adaptor but I have to connect just TX and RX to the hdd.
P.S I' ve already downloaded the Sediv Demo

[cpm0088]

Solder the wires to the pins instead.

[Mich-C]

Just send me the drive in for unlocking ... Should be faster ...
This thread is already one year old ...

Actually I play with this Hdd in my spare time and I do this also to learn something new. We could fix this hdd even the next year, it's not a problem This hdd could store important data such as old photos of my family how in the same way it could store just some old videogame... actually I don' remember. Moreover queuing up at the post office, sending it and receiving it is not so fast

You can use some other type of "power" like a PC-3000 2.5 IDE adaptor if you don't want to play with HDD pins ...

The connection problem could be instantly solved using a cable like this (https://it.aliexpress.com/item/40-Pin-3 ... 3c001EW6UK)
Spildit, could you just guide me trough skype, discord or something like that? Now that I correctly attached the hdd it should be a matter of 10 minutes, really. If you want I could make a simbolic donation for having helped me