How to remove Write Protect from WD 070A 500GB

[datarecoverycenterPH]

Good Day Data Recovery Professionals,

I have a WD 500gb 070A Passport which is write protected.

HDD is detected in device manager but not visible in explorer.

not visible in other freeware HDD tools

I would like to ask if there's a way to remove this in PC3000
or other tools.

Thanks and hope to hear from you experts.

Jerry, Philippines

[pcimage]

Passworded?

[Vulcan]

Good question pcimage.

In my (limited) experience, a write-protected status is a result of something else (e.g. failed decryption, perhaps unreadable sectors in that special encryption-related area etc.) and hence that write-protected status isn't actually the issue to be fixed. The real problem needs to be diagnosed and fixed, and then the drive will no longer be write-protected.

[datarecoverycenterPH]

Using PC 3000 UDMA, There is no user or master password for the drive..

How do you guys think Ill go around this problem? I need to recover the files by the end of the month. =((

[fzabkar]

@datarecoverycenterPH, I'm curious as to how you arrived at the "write protected" diagnosis, since it begs the question, why would you want to write to a drive from which you wish to recover data?

You say that the "HDD is detected in Device Manager but not visible in Explorer". This suggests that the USB-SATA bridge IC is functional, but that there may be something wrong with the HDD behind the bridge, or maybe that its file system is corrupt.

You also say that the HDD is "not visible in other freeware HDD tools", so this would suggest a physical problem with the HDD. I'm assuming that you tried to examine the drive with a disc editor.

AIUI, the drive will have a 12-pin header with two Tx/Rx pins that allow access to the drive's serial console. This should give you access to the SA. I believe PC3000 is able to do this.

[Vulcan]

I'm curious as to how you arrived at the "write protected" diagnosis, since it begs the question, why would you want to write to a drive from which you wish to recover data?

FYI my (limited) experience is that you can get the "write protected" status (and no data) even when trying to read from WD Passport drives, in the example situations that I mentioned

[einstein9]

@datarecoverycenterPH, I'm curious as to how you arrived at the "write protected" diagnosis, since it begs the question, why would you want to write to a drive from which you wish to recover data?

You say that the "HDD is detected in Device Manager but not visible in Explorer". This suggests that the USB-SATA bridge IC is functional, but that there may be something wrong with the HDD behind the bridge, or maybe that its file system is corrupt.

You also say that the HDD is "not visible in other freeware HDD tools", so this would suggest a physical problem with the HDD. I'm assuming that you tried to examine the drive with a disc editor.

AIUI, the drive will have a 12-pin header with two Tx/Rx pins that allow access to the drive's serial console. This should give you access to the SA. I believe PC3000 is able to do this.

but will never Answer Q1 that he asked, this is IF CONDITION.

[datarecoverycenterPH]

I don't know if this is the right thread for this..
but can anyone teach me how to handle this write protect issue in pc3000?
Service Area

Thanks much... will treat for beers if anyone visits the Phils =)

[einstein9]

I don't know if this is the right thread for this..
but can anyone teach me how to handle this write protect issue in pc3000?
Service Area

Thanks much... will treat for beers if anyone visits the Phils =)

well, good luck then with someone willing to pay to drink hehehe

all the best..

[BlackST]

AIUI, the drive will have a 12-pin header with two Tx/Rx pins that allow access to the drive's serial console. This should give you access to the SA. I believe PC3000 is able to do this.

AIAI, with all the other ports isn't it unnecessary?

"Unfortunately" PC3000 is human driven, otherwise it would be a luxury doorstop (quite expensive too!).

[datarecoverycenterPH]

I don't know if this is the right thread for this..
but can anyone teach me how to handle this write protect issue in pc3000?
Service Area

Thanks much... will treat for beers if anyone visits the Phils =)

well, good luck then with someone willing to pay to drink hehehe

all the best..

Beers are those Data Pros who want to visit the Phils.. not actually payment for teaching me these stuff.

anyways.. anyone willing to give me a little nudge to the right direction in using PC3000 udma SA to fix this?

[drc]

Does the smartware VCD show up?

[loki]

Just to clarify you can get the media is write protected if the WD Smartware password is enabled.

The attachment My Passport - Write Protected.png is no longer available

Regarding connecting the drive to PC3000 UDMA. Use the 4 pin Toshiba connector but with a shift see pic:

Attachments

[datarecoverycenterPH]

Use the 4 pin Toshiba connector (Check!)
USE pc3000 UDMA (Check!)...

What to do after I connect this?

Sorry for being a noob at this.

What command should I use to remove the write protect status?

Thanks a lot..

[BlackST]

If you really have PC3000 you should have no problems especially about ASSISTANCE.

(P.S. this kind of discussions are not welcome and usually lead to no answer/ignore/report thread with subsequent action - unlocking PW removal etc. are potentially used for illicit purposes and we don't want unnecessary troubles. OK ?)

[loki]

If you really have PC3000 you should have no problems especially about ASSISTANCE.

(P.S. this kind of discussions are not welcome and usually lead to no answer/ignore/report thread with subsequent action - unlocking PW removal etc. are potentially used for illicit purposes and we don't want unnecessary troubles. OK ?)

+1


Loki

[datarecoverycenterPH]

Im not going to use it for illicit purposes.
and I have both portable and UDMA PC3000

I didn't have the proper training for PC3000. Im currently studying this on my own.
So I was really hoping someone would guide me through this...

Im sure you guys can fix this in just a wink on an eye.

Me, clueless....

Sorry guys for the trouble...

[loki]

:( Im not going to use it for illicit purposes.
and I have both portable and UDMA PC3000

I didn't have the proper training for PC3000. Im currently studying this on my own.
So I was really hoping someone would guide me through this...

Im sure you guys can fix this in just a wink on an eye.

Me, clueless....

Sorry guys for the trouble...

Dont be sorry.
As you say you have the PC3000 UDMA, did you buy it from acelabs or deepspar within the last year? if so then you can contact Acelab for assistance as you will have technical support. If you dont have support or its expired then you will need to renew it.

Also when pcimage said Password he wasnt meaning the hard drive password set via BIOS which you seemed to think
"Using PC 3000 UDMA, There is no user or master password for the drive"

Just for info:
These drives have a WD software called Smartware which users can set a password through.
If you download & install the WD Smartware software. when you run the Smartware software with the drive connected it will tell you if it is locked or unlocked

WD SmartWare.zip

(15.42 MiB) Downloaded 2337 times

Loki

[einstein9]

:( Im not going to use it for illicit purposes.
and I have both portable and UDMA PC3000

I didn't have the proper training for PC3000. Im currently studying this on my own.
So I was really hoping someone would guide me through this...

Im sure you guys can fix this in just a wink on an eye.

Me, clueless....

Sorry guys for the trouble...

Dont be sorry.
As you say you have the PC3000 UDMA, did you buy it from acelabs or deepspar within the last year? if so then you can contact Acelab for assistance as you will have technical support. If you dont have support or its expired then you will need to renew it.

Also when pcimage said Password he wasnt meaning the hard drive password set via BIOS which you seemed to think
"Using PC 3000 UDMA, There is no user or master password for the drive"

Just for info:
These drives have a WD software called Smartware which users can set a password through.
If you download & install the WD Smartware software. when you run the Smartware software with the drive connected it will tell you if it is locked or unlocked

WD SmartWare.zip

Smartware.png

Loki

Well, Loki FYI no need to install the whole damn thing to know since it slows your PC
i suggest, use the WD FW Uploader tool from WD, once you run it, it scans, and:

if locked will ask you to unlock it first
if not detected also will let u know

good luck

[datarecoverycenterPH]

yep its locked! (via smartware and WD FW updater tool...)

Doesn't even let me format the drive (error after clicking drive erase in smartware.)

=( This is so frustrating...