Mhdd and Sata Drives

[just1taylor]

Hi all

This is my first post (just to warn you).

Without a long story this isn't a stolen laptop.

I am trying to use MHDD to remove a hard drive password. In the original laptop you can't choose a boot device without the hdd password.

I put the sata hdd in a usb enclosure and used the magic boot disc and mhdd, it recognised the drive but when I tried to use unlock etc it said that it only works on IDE drives.

I then put the hard drive in another laptop with sata connections as the main drive. This time it didn't find the drive.

Any ideas would be much appreciated.

Thank you

[Vulcan]

this isn't a stolen laptop.

But they all say that, even when it is stolen

I then put the hard drive in another laptop with sata connections as the main drive. This time it didn't find the drive.

MHDD will find SATA disks if the laptop BIOS is set to IDE mode (sometimes called compatibility mode) for the SATA controller. However not all BIOSes have that setting - hopefully yours does.

FYI you will be unable to remove a password (or do most other low-level actions) with the disk attached via USB.

For various reasons it can be easier to do this kind of work on a disktop PC, where hot-plugging the SATA connections after boot can be done more easily.

Also, as always, there are risks with DIY (accidental mechanical shock, ESD damage etc.) so be careful - and don't expect lots of enthusiasm to help a potential thief on here...

[just1taylor]

Thanks Vulcan

Will see what the bios says in the morning. To be honest I wasn't going to go into it but my friend's girlfriend was an alcoholic, her brother set up her laptop with her. It had a bios password and a hdd password. She's just out of rehab. Been clean for a few months but can't remember either. I sorted the bios one but stuck with the hdd. Her brother has his own life so can't remember what they did. I'm just trying to help out.

[Vulcan]

Thanks Vulcan

Will see what the bios says in the morning.

Since you're trying to get the disk recognised by MHDD, then I presume you already know what procedure you plan to use, once the drive is recognised by MHDD - you haven't explained that part.

To be honest I wasn't going to go into it [story snipped] I'm just trying to help out.

That story sounds plausible but we don't know that it's true - which is why I didn't ask for any explanation. There is no story or other information you can give via a web forum, that will prove you are a legit person to have the HDD password. In fact your story said that you are not the person who set the password, and not the owner of the laptop!

I appreciate that your story may be true, and you might be just trying to help a friend, but see it from the other side - you could just as easily be someone who stole the laptop (or received stolen goods) and is trying to get anonymous help to get the laptop working well enough to resell it, or to use the personal data on the disk for criminal purposes. There is nothing you can say to prove that this is not the situation. See what I mean?

[just1taylor]

Thanks Vulcan.

I moved from London to Scotland and set up a legitimate pc repair company as that is what I do.

I am a MCP but I am learning the hardware side.

My friend who knew what I did just paid £25.00 to send the laptop up to me as, I know the story is true.

Neverless, I just wanted a technical hand, not a few little sly remarks.

Thanks

[Vulcan]

Neverless, I just wanted a technical hand

And you've received that - I've pointed you in the right direction to be able to use MHDD.

not a few little sly remarks.

I hope you're not suggesting that is what I've done, as I've deliberately not been sly but have been very up-front about the risks of giving help via an anonymous web forum. So don't just hint; spell it out, then I can decide whether to help further or not

[hddguy]

What is model of HDD with set password?

[xsoliman]

Or get a ide to sata convertor board, and access the SATA drive from an ide port on the motherboard (thats what I do)

[fzabkar]

My friend who knew what I did just paid £25.00 to send the laptop up to me ...

If the data are of no value, then there is an online HDD unlock service that has a sliding scale of costs — US$5 for a 40GB drive, and up to US$40 for a 1.5TB drive or larger.

That's less than your friend's shipping cost.

If your friend wishes to preserve his data, then the cost is US$50.