How to find out the master password of a hard drive. How to remove the BIOS password on a laptop without disassembling it. How to unlock hdd on laptop
Situations with laptops locked by BIOS and HDD passwords arise mainly for the following reasons: you installed it and can’t remember the password, or your relatives decided to play with the laptop, installed it and forgot. When replacing HDD ( hard drives) password requests are also possible. What should an ordinary user do in this situation?
Eat available methods solutions to this problem that you can try to implement yourself and more complex cases in which you cannot do without the help of a specialist from service companies with special equipment, we will talk about these two options further.
For this we need:
- Find out the manufacturer and exact model of the laptop, they are on the label under the battery compartment or directly on the underside of its case (bottom). Record this data;
- Find out what prompts in the form of codes the laptop gives on the screen, if any, after several unsuccessful attempts to enter a password in the request window. Write down these codes.
The laptop model and codes are our initial data, then we begin to search for solutions available on laptop manufacturers’ websites and help forums, both paid and free: special utility programs, tables with response codes (ASUS), universal master passwords of laptop manufacturers . Each laptop manufacturer has its own specifics, and we will discuss them below.
The exception is Lenovo laptops (most models) and some Hewlett-Packard models, for which the manufacturer offers only one solution in case of such an incident - replacement motherboard, but we will talk about this in the second version.
The specifics of obtaining master passwords from laptop manufacturers are as follows:
ASUS
The master password to unlock the laptop is looked at in the password table by date, which will appear after entering 3 incorrect passwords. The date format is, for example, 07-07-08.
SONY
SONY BIOS password generation utility, calculates the master password using the last 7 digits serial number laptop, which must be entered into the utility field. 
Samsung
After 3 attempts to print the password, the laptop shows a message System disabled, Where 12345678901A1234— service code consisting of sixteen letters and numbers. The program will show the master password for the entered service tag, which is printed after launching the utility. Fig.3. Download the utility. 
Fujitsu-Siemens
There are 2 utilities available for obtaining master passwords, depending on what error message the laptop displays.
Dell
The utility is offered for Dell laptops in two series: 595B and D35B. After 3 incorrect password entries, the laptop displays System disabled, Where 12ABC1A— service code (seven letters and numbers). The program itself calculates the master password using the entered service tag after launching the utility. 
Hewlett-Packard and Compaq
The utility is offered for some models of Hewlett-Packard and Compaq laptops.
After 3 attempts to enter the password, the laptop will display a message System disabled, Where ABC1234ABC— service code (10 arbitrary letters and numbers). The program will calculate the master password using the entered service tag, which must be printed after launching the utility. 
InsydeH20 BIOS Notebook Acer, Hewlett-Packard
The utility is offered for some models of Hewlett-Packard and Acer laptops with BIOS InsydeH20. After 3 unsuccessful attempts enter the password, the laptop will display a message System disabled, Where 12345678
— service code (arbitrary letters and numbers). The program will calculate the master password based on the entered service tag, which must be printed after launching the utility. 
Phoenix BIOS Notebook
A utility is offered for laptops with Phoenix BIOS installed. After 3 attempts to enter the password, a message appears System disabled [*], Where *
— service code (arbitrary letters and numbers). The program calculates the master password based on the entered service tag, which must be printed after launching the utility. 
We turn to specialists for help
It is recommended to start by contacting technical support(Support) laptop manufacturer company, go to their official website and write a letter. It will be a plus to have a receipt and guarantee; take a photo of these documents and attach it to the letter. Describe in detail the problems that have arisen, the laptop model and the codes that the laptop produces, send it and wait for a response. There are usually two answer options: they can send you a master password, which will immediately unlock your laptop, this is the best option, or they will suggest you contact a local branded service center.
If in response to the letter they suggested contacting a company service, then we call them and clarify the options for solving the problem: remote using a master password or need to take the laptop to them.
Conclusion.
Before setting a password in the laptop BIOS and HDD, read the above-described options for removing passwords in the event of a force majeure situation, so as not to find yourself without a working laptop and to understand the existing methods for solving this problem, their cost, specifically for your laptop model.
In fact detailed description The operation of the security system is well described in the ATA-5 standard and higher. Also, a more convenient presentation, in my opinion, is available in the Product Manual on any IBM disk.
I will try to explain the essence in a nutshell.
Master password- a unique code that is stored in the service area of the drive, sometimes in encrypted form. On some hard drives it is present after leaving the assembly line and does not affect access to the hard drive. The master password is intended to delete the set user password (for example, if it has been forgotten).
Some manufacturers have their own Master password for a specific family of drives ( the lineup). For other manufacturers, on the contrary, the Master password can cover quite a few models and lines. Any information about Master Passwords is not subject to open distribution and is the property of the manufacturer.
User password- this is a code up to 32 characters long, entered by the user using special utilities or using the appropriate function Computer BIOS(present mainly only in NoteBook). The password is also stored in the service area of the drive and is also sometimes encrypted.
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The security level can be High or Maximum.
1. At the High level, it is possible to unlock the drive using the Master Password, in this case all user data is saved.
2. At the High level, it is possible to unlock the drive using a User password, in this case all user data is also saved.
3. At the Maximum level, it is possible to unlock the drive using the Master Password, but in this case the user data is completely destroyed without the possibility of recovery.
4. At the Maximum level, it is possible to unlock the drive using a User password, while the user data is completely saved.
Accordingly, if the drive’s security mode is activated and neither the Master nor the User passwords are known, the drive cannot be unlocked. A locked drive must be detected correctly in the BIOS, however, it will generate an error for any read or write operation. And guessing a password using home-made brute-force utilities is out of the question - after five incorrect attempts, the drive goes into the Freeze state and can only be exited by turning the power off and on again. (http://www.hddr.ru/faq.htm)
A small caveat: If you set a user password in MHDD ver.4.0 (appears on Maxtor screws, possibly on others) for "FAST ERASE", then after this operation you should REMOVE the password WITHOUT REBOOTING, because It is possible that after a reboot the password cannot be removed using MHDD itself.
So, we have set the password.
MHDD -> read the documentation and remove using the unlock and dispwd commands. The data will be saved. (the password is removed by the _same_ version of the program that was installed)
Another option: After loading mhdd, turn off the power and try to remove the password, i.e.:
1. Download mhdd.
2. Remove the power supply from the screw.
3. Insert it back.
4. Type unlock and enter the password you set.
You can also try the ATAPWD program (http://rockbox.haxx.se/atapwd.zip):
1. ATAPWD: UNLOCK WITH USER/MASTER PASSWORD. The data will be saved.
2. ATAPWD: First we do ERASE PREPARE (Preparing to remove the user password by complete erasure disk), hereinafter referred to as ERASE UNIT. The data, of course, is destroyed.
Blank password.
Dmitry_Postrigan: A blank password in MHDD can be removed by entering the character with code 255 as a password (press ALT+type 255+release ALT). (- mhddsoftware forum).
We don’t know the password (forgotten/lost/etc):
SAMSUNG
MHDD: You can try entering 32 “B” characters (in capital letters and in Latin) when prompted for a password.
VTOOL: In disk editor mode, find the sector with the text "SECURE" in the negative sectors and clear it (except for the word Secure) and another sector - a copy of the 1st.
SEAGATE
Master password- "Seagate + 25 spaces."
The presence of a terminal (you need to make a cable) will greatly simplify the solution to the problem.
In the terminal:
CTRL-Z
T>GFFF3 (for Barracuda V)
T>/1
1>B200,200
There you will see your password. Then ATA using the F2 and F6 commands with a buffer containing what you saw....
Also for U5,Barracuda II,III,IV you only need to read B0,0.
For 7200.7 you need to enter GFFF2.
W.D.
Master password- "WDCWDCWDCWDCWDCWDCWDCWDCWDCWDCWD".
xB series:
"The password is at the end of the second sector on track -2 in clear text."
Hddl: 57 44 43 00 00 A0 8A - send, 00 01 01 00 0F E0 21 - send, clipboard - receive, view - at the end. 00 01 01 10 0F E0 21 - the same thing, but for the first head.
for WD307AA 272AA, 450AA and 205AA:
"The password is at the end of the third sector on track -1 in clear text."
Hddl: 00 00 00 00 E0 A0 8A - send, 00 01 02 00 0F E0 21 - send, clipboard - receive, view - at the end. 00 01 02 10 0F E0 21 - the same thing, but for the first head.
Fujitsu
fakel.exe: count the modules and look at No. 12 and No. 13.
PC3K: You can rewrite module 0D.
MAXTOR
Master passwords- "Maxtor INIT SECURITY TEST STEP" (for N40P), "Maxtor+26 spaces" (541D).
IBM
Can be used HDDL:. Read the documentation for this program.
PS. There are other effective programs (for example PC3000). If you were unable to remove your password using the above methods, then your path lies with the owner of these products. I also advise you to use search engines on this topic because... There is a lot of information on the net.
More utilities:
Complex
However, this would not be a problem if people did not forget these very installed codes. If this is your first time encountering this situation and you don’t know how to remove the password from hard drive on a laptop, then this article is intended just for you.
HDD
If you installed the code on internal media and forgot, then you will not even be able to boot the OS installed on your PC. That is, there will simply be no possibility of using a laptop or computer for its intended purpose. In such a situation, the user can only delete set password because there is no other way to access the computer.
Online service
There are several ways to remove the password from the hdd, and one of them is the well-known online service “ BIOS Password Removal for Laptops».
In order to get rid of forgotten code by using it you must:
- Enter it incorrectly 3 times (any combination of numbers or letters).
- After this, a special code should appear in the window.
- We copy the received numbers.
- We enter the same combination on the website using the link provided above.
A few seconds after entering a combination of numbers in a specially designated line, you will receive a code that will help you reset the password from your drive.
It should be clarified that this program Suitable for all models and manufacturers of hard drives (seagate, hitachi, toshiba, wd, etc.). Moreover, it doesn't matter which operating system installed on your computer or laptop, because This service is considered universal.
BIOS
You can remove the password from a hard drive in the BIOS only if the encryption was initially installed through BIOS.
All you need to do is use the standard reset settings to default option:
Thus, we reset the password from the HDD.
Second way
The next option is a free one, specially created for a variety of operations with hard drives.
First, you need to familiarize yourself with how the drive’s password protection works:
- The hard drive can have high or maximum level protection.
- Using the MHDD application, you can set a custom protection level.
- The master password set by the manufacturer can only be changed.
- Using a master password makes it possible to unlock the disk only with a high level of protection.
- In the case of the maximum level of protection, the hard drive can only be unlocked if a user code is installed.
- If the maximum level of protection is set and there is no user password, then the drive can only be unlocked by destroying all data using the Security Erase Unit ATA command.
Considering the above information, in order to remove the password from the hard drive, you should:
This way, you can very quickly remove a previously entered and forgotten code.
Third way
The program HDD_PW.EXE (18KB) will also help you remove the password from your hard drive. In order to remove the code using it, you need to do the following:
- Find out the error code (when loading, press F2 and enter the wrong combination of numbers three times, after which a special code will appear on the screen)
- Launch the MS-DOS application.
- Select the utility name in the window that opens.
- Enter the error code you learned earlier, separated by a space, and add 0, separated by a space.
- By pressing “Enter”, several passwords will appear in front of you, one of which will definitely work.
After entering the code, be sure to change it to a new one and write it down.
When performing these steps on a 64-bit system, you may encounter some difficulties. The system may generate an error due to a utility mismatch. In this situation it is necessary:
- Download DOSBox, install and run.
- Mount drive “C” with the command “mount c c:/”.
- Then, at startup, press “F2”, again type the wrong code 3 times and do the same steps.
To eliminate the possibility of such situations occurring, it is recommended to get rid of the encryption altogether by disabling it in the PC settings. If you urgently need it, then you should write it down in a notepad or any other place so that you don’t have to reset it again.
In case you have Lenovo laptop and upon startup the message “enter” is displayed on the screen hdd password", the method discussed in this video will help you:
youtube.com/watch?v=dKLZjrTyTeQ&t=174s
How to unlock hdd on laptop
Quite often, a specific problem arises associated with restricting access to their hardware, these problems arise from ignorance of how to flow around such a blockage, and such knowledge can become a very effective tool in the event of an obstacle and can serve as a tool for helping other people or realizing one’s own superiority , if you don’t want to share “secret” knowledge. Next, we’ll look at the question of how to remove the password from a laptop’s hdd, or rather about unlocking it - how a hard drive can be locked, how to avoid it, and what to do if the user still gets into trouble - he needs to gain access to the digital data stored on the device.
Let's make a reservation that hdd is magnetic disk, the basis for which is made of hard material, which is why its name is connected - (Hard disk drive, English HDD). Most of the data is stored on it, which makes the drive a very, very important part of the laptop. Sometimes an access problem can arise when changing hardware, say, when a person changes a digital drive on a laptop. The system can automatically block the hdd, or rather not block it, but request a password for the device. The likelihood of this is greater if the drive is purchased, so to speak, secondhand, and not from the factory’s online store and the previous owner set a password on his device; of course, something could go wrong - a codeword will pop up on its own, but let's move closer to the immediate question.
Locking is a standard process that is provided to protect data on the device; if any attacker tries to hack the computer, or simply steal hardware, then some disks may default to the closed hdd mode - this function is installed at the factory and controlled from the BIOS, similar capabilities were introduced into mass production back in 2012. In order to remove such an obstacle, the user will need a password.
Solving the problem with accessing the hdd
As a rule, such problems are typical only for a laptop and unlocking a password is not easy task, but nothing is impossible - next we will consider the most effective ways unlocking the BIOS and magnetic storage along with it.
Next, we’ll talk about how to unlock the hdd on a laptop and remove such a lock on your device - there are several ways. But first, a few words about the BIOS - it’s worth restarting it (if it’s locked, of course) by shorting the battery that supplies the BIOS when the main power is turned off or not available; the battery is needed to calculate time and save some characteristics, including the password . First, you will have to get to the device itself by disassembling the computer, and then solve the problem by mechanically connecting the battery contacts, after first removing the main battery. But this is not such a big problem compared to blocking the storage medium itself, which will be discussed below.
As for the hdd itself, finding a solution to the problem on the Internet is not so easy. When typing in the request “how to properly remove a block,” a person receives a number of forums, discussions on which ended either at the end of the 2000s or are shrouded in a certain aura of mystery. People who have knowledge of the solution and hacking skills are not in a hurry to share what they have learned from reading such articles. There is also little practical advice and they are not accurate, do not make a difference in the types of protection, or do not explain what they do, simply giving solutions to the problem only in a narrow range of one type.
Ways to solve the blocking problem.
The most clear and simple way to unlock a device is to choose a password; in this case, you can use ready-made sets of standard Master keys (why they are and where they come from will be discussed below), which are selected for certain laptop models and can differ greatly.
For analysis hdd can be used enough a simple program– MHDD, which has a number of standard commands that will help facilitate the disassembly and unlocking of the hardware part of the laptop. It is needed to analyze the hdd and to unlock it.
Let's talk about the types of blocking, on which the bypass methods depend - there are two types that can be used to protect data on the drive - high and maximum; you can find out the level of protection by identifying the hard drive in MHDD. It is possible to password protect your drive if you send it a specific command, which changes the user key along with the security level. There is also a Master Key, which can provide access to the hard drive if the user code word has been entered more than three times, but this option is only possible with a high level of code locking; if the level of protection is maximum, then unlocking the disk is possible only by knowing the user password.
Naturally there is a way to remove closed system hdd and on maximum level protection in the laptop, but this is associated with some negative conditions. If the user code is lost, but the Master password is known, you can use the Security Erase Unit command in the already named program, which will allow you to restore access to the hardware by erasing all data previously recorded on the device, unfortunately there is no other way and if everything is so serious, then formatting is the only way out to continue using the computer and its efficient, stable operation.
The master password is set at the factory; if the user has not changed it, then with a high level of protection, the hardware can be unlocked with sufficient efficiency. After three incorrect unlocking attempts when using a custom key, unlocking is offered with some factory code - Encrypt hdd Key, with which, oddly enough, things are somewhat simpler.
There are specific calculator programs that allow you to select the necessary symbols by entering the initial data into the program; there are also online calculators on the Internet that offer their functions without prior installation. Let us stipulate again that this method will only work if the Master key has not been changed on the laptop in advance, which can be done if the user has access to the device on which the data is located.
ATA password on a hard drive is usually set in two cases:
1. The user sets the password himself and forgets it (perhaps it is set by another user, or a child completely by accident), but the fact remains that someone passwords the hard drive in the BIOS of a laptop or computer manually.
2. The hard drive (hdd) itself or the BIOS of the laptop motherboard sets a password on the storage device due to a system failure (such cases have also happened). These failures usually occur due to problems with the electrical power supply of the device.
So don’t be surprised if suddenly, out of the blue, your hard drive turns out to be corrupted: there are two options, see above.
In order to remove ATA password from a Samsung hard drive in 5 minutes, you need to perform several simple steps, this is not at all difficult, but in order to reset the password you need special program to remove it, which works very simply (you can get the program by making a request for it on our website using the link. Having received the request, I will send you the program to specified mail or I’ll send a link to Yandex or Google cloud, where the program will be located.) In Free access I can’t post the program, it’s very rare and closed, thank you in advance for your understanding.
The program works for all major hard drive manufacturers:
Samsung, Hitachi, WD, Seagate - personally verified (if you were unable to generate a key the first time, then you may have entered the error code incorrectly, try again, the key should consist of 8 characters as in Fig. 4., when entering the code, the layout should be on English language, if it doesn’t work the first time, try again and again, usually you need to carry out this procedure no more than three times to get the correct key to unlock the hard drive.)
In order to remove/reset the ATA password from the hard drive, Fig. 1, 2, 3. just turn on the laptop, enter the wrong password 3 times and get a code that is generated by the system.
Next, we launch the program, the one that I sent you at your request on any other computer and enter the code that you received when you entered the wrong password three times. Fig 4.
