Password Locked Hdds

[Real name here]

I have 3 hard drives that are firmware locked with ATA security. I’m building a budget storage setup and would rather repurpose these hdds rather than purchase new/used ones. I don’t care about the data — just want to make the drive usable again. Any tools or methods I should try?

 

[FanlessOC]

One of these answers might work, I remember doing something similar with hdparm ages ago:

https://superuser.com/questions/1062333/how-to-unlock-an-ata-password-locked-hdd-with-an-upper-case-password-if-the-bios

 

[R-T-B]

Almost all answers will depend on knowing the drive's ATA password.

There are other ways, but I'm not comfortable discussing them without certainty as to how these drives were attained, no offense. Just wouldn't be a good look for me, as you could be anybody and getting the ATA password means getting full drive access, reading whatever maybe private data on them included. Besides, the tools are pricey.

You could try an opal reset using the PSID if any of the drives are opal comliant. Be advised that will completely purge the data on the disks. If said drives are OPAL, they will have a PSID number printed on them. If they aren't, this discussion is basically dead where it sits, sorry.

If they are OPAL drives, post so. I will post a guide including the tools required to get them usable again, sans data.

 

[LabRat 891]

The University of Texas, Austin - Information Security Office

Ultimately, given the ease with which ATA password security can be defeated the Information Security Office strongly recommends against this approach.

Breaking ATA Password Security

A number of departments on campus have started to use ATA password security in combination with Full Disk Encryption (FDE) drives, or Self-Encrypting Drives (SED), to comply with the mandatory encryption policy for portable devices without having to install encryption applications such as...

security.utexas.edu

 

[R-T-B]

The University of Texas, Austin - Information Security Office

Breaking ATA Password Security

A number of departments on campus have started to use ATA password security in combination with Full Disk Encryption (FDE) drives, or Self-Encrypting Drives (SED), to comply with the mandatory encryption policy for portable devices without having to install encryption applications such as...

security.utexas.edu

I didn't say they couldn't be defeated. I said it's not probably economical for a budget drive situation (you'll need to JTAG the drive controller at min), and that ethically, I cannot advise further in that direction.

Just being clear. However if they have an OPAL PSID sticker, there are ethical ways to tackle this problem.

 

[Real name here]

Almost all answers will depend on knowing the drive's ATA password.

There are other ways, but I'm not comfortable discussing them without certainty as to how these drives were attained, no offense. Just wouldn't be a good look for me, as you could be anybody and getting the ATA password means getting full drive access, reading whatever maybe private data on them included. Besides, the tools are pricey.

You could try an opal reset using the PSID if any of the drives are opal comliant. Be advised that will completely purge the data on the disks. If said drives are OPAL, they will have a PSID number printed on them. If they aren't, this discussion is basically dead where it sits, sorry.

If they are OPAL drives, post so. I will post a guide including the tools required to get them usable again, sans data.

It appears they are not opal.

I got these hdds from three of my old space monkeys storage nas, I’m pretty sure there’s no info on them as it has been said the data was wiped after they where discontinued.

 

[R-T-B]

It appears they are not opal.

I got these hdds from three of my old space monkeys storage nas, I’m pretty sure there’s no info on them as it has been said the data was wiped after they where discontinued.

Yeah, as was said I believe you but ethically and financially you are kind of screwed then. Even if I did offer help its cost would exceed what you'd save by using the drive...

...Sad to say I think they are etrash. Unless on the extreme offchance a master drive password works on some of them (google this, some early manufacturers did this)

 

[Real name here]

Yeah, as was said I believe you but ethically and financially you are kind of screwed then. Even if I did offer help its cost would exceed what you'd save by using the drive...

...Sad to say I think they are etrash. Unless on the extreme offchance a master drive password works on some of them (google this, some early manufacturers did this)

That’s super disappointing making these ewaste because they have a password. Thanks for the help though.

 

[R-T-B]

That’s super disappointing making these ewaste because they have a password. Thanks for the help though.

It is pretty sad tbh they do not at least provide a data destructive way to reuse the drives via a simple ata command.