Laptop HDD not allowing me to login to computer

[lovelldr]

Hi guys.

I work at a school, and set up some Samsung laptop computers.

I set them up about 2 weeks ago, and have returned to the school and gave out the laptops to the teachers. Now, I'm getting the teachers coming to me, saying that the password I gave them to open the computers is not working?!

I set them up using a $ symbol in the password (mistake by the looks of it now, as I think that might be why it's not playing ball!). On the samsung laptops I set them up on, when I try to enter the dollar symbol, it constantly will not enter anything in to the system.

However, I took the hdd out of that laptop, and put in a different samsung laptop I have, and I can enter the $ symbol, but it still won't work?! Comes up as locked, and a code on the screen. Found some software (pwgen-samsung, which states "Master Password Generator for Samsung laptops (12 hexadecimal digits version)") which gave me a password, which still doesn't work. However, my code was 18 digits. So, guess that doesn't work. But, I found "biospassword.eu" website, which claims "Fixed algorithm samsung 18-hex". Using the free password section gave same password as above, and the bios section said I need to buy credits to remote unlock... So, guess that won't work.

I've managed to connect it up to a desktop computer that allows me to load ubuntu and see the hdd, and this shows it's locked. But, I cannot remove the security, as it just comes up saying I didn't enter a password (think because of the $). Entering the password generated by the software mentioned above tells me input/output error.

Then, I read something about mhdd. So, I tried loading that up, but it doesn't recognise the hdd. Saw that I need to change from AHCI to IDE. Did that, but now the computer asks me for the hdd password before it will do anything else...

So, I'm at a total loss, and just really need someone to help me out with this...

It's not a case of I've entered the password wrong on one of them, as they all seem to have stopped working. The laptops are now out of warranty (and even if they were in warranty, they would claim that this isn't warranty applicable). So, is there anything I can do, other than just buying 8 more hdds to swap over?!

Thanks,

David

[lovelldr]

Also, just to note, I don't mind any method that will erase the hdd, as it was a blank hdd, just set up with an image for the teachers to use. So, I can re-image the hdd once the password is unlocked... I just need to remove the password lock...

[lovelldr]

Just logged back in to ubuntu to get the data from hdparm if it'll make any difference:

Code:

ATA device, with non-removable media
   Model Number:       SAMSUNG HM321HI                         
   Serial Number:      S26VJ9DB300368     
   Firmware Revision:  2AJ10002
   Transport:          Serial, ATA8-AST, SATA 1.0a, SATA II Extensions, SATA Rev 2.5, SATA Rev 2.6
Standards:
   Used: unknown (minor revision code 0x0028)
   Supported: 8 7 6 5
   Likely used: 8
Configuration:
   Logical      max   current
   cylinders   16383   16383
   heads      16   16
   sectors/track   63   63
   --
   CHS current addressable sectors:   16514064
   LBA    user addressable sectors:  268435455
   LBA48  user addressable sectors:  625142448
   Logical  Sector size:                   512 bytes
   Physical Sector size:                   512 bytes
   device size with M = 1024*1024:      305245 MBytes
   device size with M = 1000*1000:      320072 MBytes (320 GB)
   cache/buffer size  = 8192 KBytes
   Form Factor: 2.5 inch
   Nominal Media Rotation Rate: 5400
Capabilities:
   LBA, IORDY(can be disabled)
   Queue depth: 32
   Standby timer values: spec'd by Standard, no device specific minimum
   R/W multiple sector transfer: Max = 16   Current = 16
   Advanced power management level: 254
   Recommended acoustic management value: 254, current value: 0
   DMA: mdma0 mdma1 mdma2 udma0 udma1 udma2 udma3 udma4 udma5 *udma6
        Cycle time: min=120ns recommended=120ns
   PIO: pio0 pio1 pio2 pio3 pio4
        Cycle time: no flow control=120ns  IORDY flow control=120ns
Commands/features:
   Enabled   Supported:
      *   SMART feature set
      *   Security Mode feature set
      *   Power Management feature set
      *   Write cache
      *   Look-ahead
      *   Host Protected Area feature set
      *   WRITE_BUFFER command
      *   READ_BUFFER command
      *   NOP cmd
      *   DOWNLOAD_MICROCODE
      *   Advanced Power Management feature set
          Power-Up In Standby feature set
      *   SET_FEATURES required to spinup after power up
          SET_MAX security extension
          Automatic Acoustic Management feature set
      *   48-bit Address feature set
      *   Device Configuration Overlay feature set
      *   Mandatory FLUSH_CACHE
      *   FLUSH_CACHE_EXT
      *   SMART error logging
      *   SMART self-test
      *   General Purpose Logging feature set
      *   64-bit World wide name
      *   IDLE_IMMEDIATE with UNLOAD
      *   WRITE_UNCORRECTABLE_EXT command
      *   {READ,WRITE}_DMA_EXT_GPL commands
      *   Segmented DOWNLOAD_MICROCODE
      *   Gen1 signaling speed (1.5Gb/s)
      *   Gen2 signaling speed (3.0Gb/s)
      *   Native Command Queueing (NCQ)
      *   Host-initiated interface power management
      *   Phy event counters
      *   Idle-Unload when NCQ is active
      *   NCQ priority information
      *   DMA Setup Auto-Activate optimization
          Device-initiated interface power management
      *   Software settings preservation
      *   SMART Command Transport (SCT) feature set
      *   SCT Long Sector Access (AC1)
      *   SCT LBA Segment Access (AC2)
      *   SCT Error Recovery Control (AC3)
      *   SCT Features Control (AC4)
      *   SCT Data Tables (AC5)
Security:
   Master password revision code = 65534
      supported
      enabled
      locked
   not   frozen
   not   expired: security count
      supported: enhanced erase
   Security level high
   80min for SECURITY ERASE UNIT. 80min for ENHANCED SECURITY ERASE UNIT.
Logical Unit WWN Device Identifier: 50024e9204b808b6
   NAA      : 5
   IEEE OUI   : 0024e9
   Unique ID   : 204b808b6
Checksum: correct

[HaQue]

hi, on the original system, try to input the code using the alt+036 key combination

test it in notepad, control+alt+036 (036 on numpad)
test it on a laptop with no numpad: alt+funct+036 (036 is in blue on the M,L and O keys on my laptop)
test it in windows command prompt with above

then reset the password to something better

also do a search on the forum for ata password and keyboard scan codes as it may have useful info in that thread.

[lovelldr]

Thanks for that Haque...

Well, I managed to get it sorted... I used the code that was generated by the software I mentioned above to unlock the hdd, and it did nothing. However, I was doing that with the hdd in a laptop other than the main laptop I used to encrypt the hdd... So, I followed the instructions by HaQue to try and enter the $ symbol. This didn't work, it took each character as a single entry, since it was in bios mode, not windows. But, since i had the hdd locked again, entered the 18 digits to the software to unlock the hdd, and bam, it unlocked and removed the passcode on the hdd...

However, another little twist to the story, it seems that some of the laptops I had, used a different bios version to that on some of the others. Trying to download the latest bios was not gonna work, as it isn't showing on manufacturers website... But, on the ones with newer bios, the $ symbol works fine in the password. So, I am currently awaiting a service desk to email through the bios update for me to try to update, and then hopefully all will be sorted

Thanks again guys.

I do have another hdd that is locked, but I will try to contact you another time regarding that one, as I don't need it now, and will be more of a side-hobby for when I have more time...

Thanks again,

David

[HaQue]

glad you got it sorted.
I work in edu and we have so much new hardware and software this year that I seem to have a lifetime of IT issues to sort out in just this year alone