HDD Password is set how to boot to CDROM

[phelix]

One of my no-longer students has set a HDD password to my laptop he was using. I need to boot to a bootable CDROM. But it will not even boot past the bios wihout prompting me for this HDD password. Is there a way I can at least boot to cdrom without having to type that password in?

[kpeddie]

Depending on the brand, you might be able to clear it by removing the CMOS battery on the motherboard. This isnt going to clear it off the hard drive(if it is an hdd password rather than BIOS/BOOT) password in the system so you would need a new one but might let you use system again. If you're needing access to hard drive then you will likely need to take it to someone with the required equipment.

[STeALtH]

To boot to CD you need to go 'into' the BIOS and set CD as 1st boot device, assuming he hasn't also set a BIOS password which you didn't mention, if he has then as above remove batt for a while, if he hasn't it shouldn't be a problem to alter the boot sequence? Or take the drive out and boot.

Had an ex-girlfriend do that once, got past the BIOS pw no problem but the HDD I couldn't get into, she obviously didn't want me to have it so I took it out and epoxied it to her wing mirror as a keepsake.

Can't go round and see the 'student's ' parents, or is it not a kid?

S

[phelix]

I can get to the bios by removing the hard drive and going in and changing the settings to boot to the ROM first. But it seems that it wants a hdd password as soon as the system tries to inialize the HD. I can't even get into the bios without the hdd password as it wants it in order to do anything at all.

[STeALtH]

Ok I just tried this on an old Acer I have lying around on which the HDD is password locked, (unfortunately because I can't remember the bloody thing), and without even changing the boot order it boots fine from CD when the HDD is out?

Try clearing the BIOS as kpeddie suggested.

What make/model is it btw?

S

[phelix]

Yes, if I take the h/d out it will book. But then I can't get the hard drive back in so that I can run some diagnostic software on it. It is a Lenovo G550. It has a Western Digital HD. This hd seems to request the password before it will even let the BIOS initialize it.

[kpeddie]

Remove hard drive, go into BIOS and stop it setting a hard drive password. Get a new hard drive and reinstall OS. Make sure u remove HD password from BIOS first else it will password protect your new hard drive and you will be back to square 1.

Alternatively, do the above but go somewhere and have them remove the password from the hard drive and you will, or at least should, be able to boot in as normal. Shouldnt ask you for any passwords at post.

Thats your only real two options to get the system up and going again. Hard drive passwords are designed not to be circumvented so you cant do much about them without expensive equipment. Apparently MHDD can unlock some drives but never tried it so cant give you any feed back on that.

[phelix]

Not sure how they even enabled this. The BIOS doesn't even have a hard drive password option on it. They must of done it with some software on windows or something. But I guess this hard drive is just garbage. That's pretty annoying.

[Vulcan]

The BIOS doesn't even have a hard drive password option on it.

You don't give any reason for that comment, but I suspect you're basing it on looking in the BIOS with the locked disk removed. Try again with another unlocked disk installed, and I expect that you would then see a hard disk password option. I can't remember ever seeing a laptop without that BIOS option...

They must of done it with some software on windows or something.

See above.

If, as you mentioned earlier you want to run some diags on the locked disk (SMART test commands should still be accepted, but I don't know if that's what you mean), then as others have mentioned already, moving that disk to another machine (e.g. a desktop system) as a secondary disk, may be the easiest way to work around the BIOS limitations of your laptop regarding booting from CD while having a locked hard disk.

[STeALtH]

Just been playing around with this Acer (Aspire 4930), which is tricky as screen is cracked and hard to read but with the locked drive in and a Linux CD in the drive, without changing boot order in BIOS I can still boot to CD by pressing F12 (Boot Menu) at the same time that the Press 'F2' to Enter Setup notice appears on screen and boot successfully into Linux. Keys should be the same for your Lenovo, F2 & F12?

Have to be bloody quick though or the HDD Password screen comes up. If you're wanting to 'run diagnostics' on the drive from CD to try and find the password, give up now and don't waste more precious time, send it to a recovery specialist and ask them to remove the password from the drive.

I went through all of this a few weeks back (same Acer) and ended up getting in touch with pcimage (from here) who is able to remove the pw for me via hardware, I'm not interested in the data (it's just a few TV eps & some security progs I was playing with) but if you need the data it's more expensive as it's harder to do, I am reliably informed, and you'll probably have to prove that it's you machine/data too for legal reasons.

I've been searching for your BIOS options and it seems there aren't too many I think you have one of those stripped down BIOS's that gives you just the very basics?

Best bet as already said, reset BIOS, get a new drive/have pass lifted and chalk it up to experience, making sure to protect any future laptops you loan out yourself so the ******* can't do it again.

No chance of getting the ex student to own up and give you the password?

S

[northwind]

send it to a recovery specialist and ask them to remove the password from the drive.

Also be prepared to show proof that you're the legit owner of this drive.

[STeALtH]

Yep, I did mention that.

As an aside, what sort of proof is required for that kind of job? I doubt if I could find a receipt for any of my drives, but I could describe pretty much to the file what is on em, partition structure, encryption used.

I fully understand the need for proof of ownership/ID but it must be kind of limited.

S

[northwind]

and you'll probably have to prove that it's you machine/data too for legal reasons.

Sorry I missed that part of your previous message.

As an aside, what sort of proof is required for that kind of job?

We usually request proof of purchase of notebooks and/or drives with serial number mentioned on receipt. When requesting only the receipt of a notebook, that just doesn't prove anything.
Someone could have stolen a locked drive, put it in his legit notebook and bring it to us for password breaking. Therefore we request proof of ownership of all devices.

If no proof is provided, we decline service.