Hi

I've been using MHDD for old HDD reparations and testing. So yesterday I took one old 20GB WD (1 bad sector). After erase/scan procedure everything seemed fine. Since I have all this utilities installed on primary master WD40 GB (DOS 7.1), I have never touched anything on channel 1.

And, today I have disaster - can't boot from my primary master HDD. When I Start MHDD, PWD is ON. I don't know how??? I have never used this command, so I don't know how the HDD is pwd protected???!!!

The worst thing is that I can't access to that HDD in any way. Data on it are not important, I only need a working HDD. I have tried with WD DLGDIAG software, than with LOWFMT, and also with new version of MHDD, but can't do anything.

How to reset this damn password? Any ideas?
Thanks anyway.

Hi,

At WD they set the user pwd to WDCWDCWDC... up till 32 chars.
try to ulock using this!

pepe

Thanks Pepe

I'll try that. But what is very interesting to me is HOW THE FUCK THIS DISK GOT PASSWORDED ANYWAY???
I didn't fool arround with it, and I've been using it at least for last 6 months as test & service hdd.
Never mind, I'll reply if unlocking succeeds.

Posted 21/2/2005, 12:14:

Pepe, thanks again! A lot!!!

Your advice helped. WDCWDC... password passed through.
Even no data has been destroyed, what is amazing.
Well, when you think a little bit harder, the purpose of
password is probably that you can't change or see contest of
hard disk in any way.

I'm still worried about how it got passworded???

Thanks again!

Modern Hard disk has the hability to develop password by themselfs, when somethinga bad happens to them.
And developping a password they will prevent that the end user or people that do not have the right knowledge hammer them more.
With this procedure manufactur was thinking in prevent theyer loss.
Hard disk with a small defect is easier to fix then hard disk with a big defect.

Shit!

After I booted once succesfully, and returned HDD to its original primary/master place, I have the same problem again.
But now WDCWDC... doesn't work! SHIT, SHIT SHIT ..... (maybe this will work ).
Will try on another PC, but I doubt that problem is in PC's IDE controler.

Are you using mhdd 3.6 or 3.7 or 3.8 or 3.9?

I think it was 3.9. Only "think", becouse I've replaced it on floppy with the newest (4.0) after problems started. But I have also used some old 2.8 version from HIREN'S BOOT CD 6.0. Maybe I fucked up something with it?

As I remember, the last thing which I was doing was AERASE in this old 2.8 MHDD, on secondary/master channel (also WD but 20GB). I was just trying to see what is the difference between this, so called "slow erase" and "normal one" (ERASE) in ver 3.9.

I didn't finish this AERASE completely, but breaked it with ESC, EXITED from MHDD and shutted down PC (couldn't wait - friday evening).

Thanks, guys!

Versions 3.6..3.9 have a bug, your drive will be locked one day if you are using them
So, be sure that you are using 4.0 and nothing else.

2.8 has a bug with unlock/dispwd commands (they do not work).

Yes, Dimitry, and what should I do now?
I tried again today with MHDD 4.0.
PWD flag is on, and UNLOCK/DISPWD combination fails
becouse WDCWDCWDC... password is not correct.

To refresh your memory, it worked ONLY ONCE,
I have booted successfully only once on secondary/master,
and when I connected HDD back to its original primary/master place
(WITHOUT DOING ANYTHING BUT RESTARTING XP), I got
DISK BOOT FAILURE... and PWD flag again in MHDD.

Isn't there any other way to destroy this ATA password
regardless the data on hdd? I do not need data becouse
I have backup.

Best regards.

Posted 22/2/2005, 16:46:

BTW, it just crossed my mind. Cold this ATA-PASSWORD feature be misused by some virus writers,
who will lock HDD-s? Then maybe ask for money to unlock them?

Well, I guess that it is very possible since everything is done by software (no hardware needed),
so the only problem is to "know how".

Obviously, there are people with such a knowledge, outside of the hdd manufacturing companies.

MHDD does not change master password (wdcwdc...), so if it doesn't work — you have problems with hdd, not with mhdd

Why people do not try to read the messages and think about what are in them ?
Why to think that everything is magic?

Dear Cehanum.

I've read your post, and not replaying to it means that I DO NOT agree with you. In fact, I think that your post is pure stupidity.

I have been "wrestling" with hundreths (yes, 100s) of bad HDDs,
and never have found or heard ever that:
HDD LOCKED ITSELF NOT TO BE DESTROYED MORE !!!???

What would be the purpose of this? To send HDD to original manufacturer, so that they would repair it? There is the S.M.A.R.T. shit in BIOS which could alarm you if HDD is becoming bad, but in my expirience, when BIOS reports S.M.A.R.T. failure, usualy it's too late. Usualy but not allways!
Why then, to lock HDD with PWD and not enable user to try to save HDD if S.M.A.R.T. warning is on?

The problem wich I have is DEFINITELY NOT becouse of bad HDDs, becouse I have the same problem with another 20GB HDD which has been connected together with primary/master 40GB.
Most probably, the problem is some bug in MHDD v.2.8, when I interrupted AERASE command (on secondary/master) and something after that went wrong (both disks PWD locked).

BTW, reading other posts, I have noticed that you, dear Cehanum, are patronizing others and not trying to help too much as to flame with them. Maybe you have had experience from fighting "zillions" of bad HDDs, but that doesn't give you right to spitt on others.
I think that on such important site as this one is, patronizing and flame-ing is not appropriate. If I can and if I want, I'll help. If not, I'll stay silent.

Best regards to all.

I'm not here to help you or anyone else, this is your first mistake.
Second for a person with:
"I have been "wrestling" with hundreths (yes, 100s) of bad HDDs, "
Seams to me a little bit wear your comments.
Don't call me "dear" because I do not know you, and I do like this.
Untill now I think that I do not desrespect you, so DON'T DO.
If you agree or do not agree with my thoughts this is a simple question of point of view.
I do not agree with most part of what I'm seeyng here, but this do not give the right to ofend people.
SO DON"T DO.
You have your ideias I have mine.
Don't mix the things.
I do what I want to do and you have the same right - IMHO - but you do have the right to OFEND me. DON'T DO.
You do not saw one question mine, this does not means that I do not need help. But this means that here do not have someone that will give one answer at least.
So if you have million billion of experience - WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE ?
Read what you asked - think in what you wrote.
AND AGAIN DON'T DO.

MHDD 2.8 has no password-related code in aerase function so drive cannot be locked by using it. (another question is why to use aerase?)

Drive can be accidentaly locked by using broken IDE cable or overclocked bus, or even bug in drive's firmware...

No, Dimitry, cable is NOT broken and PC is not overclocked.
Specially not both IDE cables (primary & secondary are both UATA66).
It is an old P3/866 on Asus CUV4X-C which I use for HDD imaging, formating, repairing etc.

I have been playing with MHDD, so I have tried AERASE since it says that it is a "SLOW ERASE", so I tought that this "SLOW" erase is more precise in lowlevel formating of HDDs sectors. Never mind, those HDDs are not so important to me. Obviously I made some things which I shouldn't. The important thing is to find out what went wrong so that me and others do not repeat the same mistake on something that is really important.

BTW, MHDD is fine piece of software and I like it a lot.
You can't find today such a fine software easyly, specialy not written for simple DOS.

Thanks to all, yes even the flames.. I succeeded!!

Ok just so you all know:

I had been unlocking and locking several drives for the xbox platform with much success...until

I got tired and forgot to remove my workstation drive from the IDE cable.
SO basically I had 2 devices as master.

Now Dmitry and mhdd fans I like the software, however for unlocking I have been using atapwd.exe. So here is the issue. 2 masters and atapwd only saw one drive( the one I wanted) I tried unlocking, and it failed. I noticed that both were on the bus, so I shutdown and pulled the power out of my workstation, leaving the IDE bus connected to both my target and workstation.


Ok, unlocking target fine. I finished my project on the unlocked target drive and then locked it. I use the "lockhd" app that is common for xbox softmods. It returned a successful lock, setting the master and the user as usual...

NEXT: tears

Ok, so remove target drive, reattach power to workstation drive. boot pc.
DRIVE ERROR... umm what is up... run my tools, and the drive is LOCKED..

long story even longer.. OK so I try the usual.. no go.. I try the xbox passwords thinking it got set.... no workie..

PANIC....yes this is the part where you say... HOW COME you don't have all your stuff backed up. I also have an identical drive, same bios. I swapped logic circuits, and same issue.(cause its stored on the platter right?)

..ok, relax I think there is info on HDDGURU... as its helped me out before...

PEPE you da Man... you probably dont come by.. but thank ya much

WDCWDC for the full 32 works ( from atapwd.exe) and in my case AS MASTER and not user.
Also not mentioned often you need to disable with MASTER as well!!

SO HOW is the question....
the WDC is an OEM off the shelf drive... never locked.. Some how when I issued either the unlock or lock command with 2 masters it got confused..

Anyway Thanks to all...and keep sharing the knowledge!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

_________________
--thanks to the all...

If you have pc3000,unlock WD`s password is piece of cake

Can i unlock Samsung HM120JC with PC3000?

Thank's