Greetings,

I have a Seagate ST3120024A, Firmware v3.33. After it started to fail, I ran MHDD and noticed it said my HDD now was Password Protected (?). I'm sure I did not set any password, and just found such thing existed after running the MHDD program and searching the web.

MHDD says:
Security: hign, on
Warning: this drive is locked by ata password

And when I try Fasterase (I don't care about the data, I just can't put this HD in the trash can....at least without trying) It says:

FASTERASE:
* * * CATASTROPHIC FAILURE * * *
<Message>
Broken Drive.
<End Of Message>

After searching a bit, I found an "ATA Password Tool v1.1". It says:
* User Password, Lock Mode and Security Level High

No luck. Tried HDDERASE.EXE. No luck either.

Is there a way to clear everything in the drive, including this user password?

Just a bit off topic...

Your post made me remember that most times people stick to the same hardware to test disks. This is not a good idea.

I maintain all computers, servers, printers and so on in my company. I've also repaired lots of computers at home in the last 12-13 years, most of them old ones. This is an opportunity to deal with lots of different hardware configurations (from incredibly old to brand new), and I've seen the most strange behaviours coming from ATA devices when combined with other ones or specific motherboards/chipsets.

Some of the problems posted in this forum could probably be solved simply by changing the disk to another computer. This is specially true with some detection and start up issues.

For example, in our company we have a few Dell Optiplex GX110 computers. I tried a few times to erase the disks, and I always got the message:

* * * CATASTROPHIC FAILURE * * *
<Message>
Broken Drive.
<End Of Message>

I just need to move the disk to another computer and erase it.

okamikaze: unfortunately, I can't figger how you got that password, but remember that computer hardware can do strange things. Just try the disk in another computer with different motherboard, and the proceed.

And could someone please figger this one: One day I had to test some SIMMS in a Siemens-Nixdorf Scenic 5H/100 PCI (Pentium 100MHz). I had to disable the memory cache. After that, the computer just couldn't detect the disk


Regards,

Daniel

hi,
- connect to disk terminal Rs232 and look at log.

Okay, I'm a little excited now that I searched and read a little bit about this. I also like electronics, and I am going to build the cable.. But after connecting to terminal, what Log are you referring to? any directions on how to create this log or at least a clue on how to solve my specific problem? I'll try to RTFM, "Use the source, Luke"... and so on...but without knowing the "M", the RTF is a no-go...

Sorry the ignorance...but I need a starting point.

[]'s

OKamikaze

YOUR HDD LOCK BY ITSELF,I THINK SO.

hi,
- change M/B to test this disk.
- disk is frozen by M/B, maybe ....

Hi, I have already tried in a different Motherboard, and had the same problem. Is there a possibility to solve my problem by a firmware upgrade? I searched the web, and found no Upgrade Utility to this HDD, just other Seagate models and some links to the correct file that no longer exists.

I have another Seagate HDD (ST380024A) with the same firmware version (3.33). Is there a way, with this serial cable, to dump the firmware from the good HDD and write to the other one?

Thanks in advance,

OKamikaze

I have the same problem, please clear SMART record

Hi, If you hard drive is indeed locked with a user password under high security, then there are only two ways to unlock it: 1. sending a security unlock command with the correct user password. 2. sending a security unlock command with the correct master password. You can issue the security unlock command using MHDDs "unlock" command, but if you do not know either of the passwords then I am afraid your drive will never work again until it is unlocked. Your drive did not lock itself. If you are certain that you did not lock it, then some program you ran must have. Try to remember when you first got the message that your drive was locked and try to pin down any programs you were running on it at the time. Maybe you can find some info on how to unlock it then. Best of luck.

--dencee

u can also unlock the drive with the default pwd set by the company i dont know what it is for seagate find it u will get it .