How to use my password protected sata hdd with data externally?

[sumith]

I was using Fujitsu A530 Lifebook (Intel Core i3 - 1st Gen). While I was using it, I set password for both BIOS settings and SATA HDD. Recently the machine will not power on.

So I tried to repair the problem but everybody asked to replace the mother board.

During this situation is going on, I tried to connect my SATA hard drive to another PC by way of both USB bridge connecting and internal booting using Toshiba Laptop. I think USB connecting not allow me to use it as external hard due to password I set (i.e. Hard drive is not initialized).

Since I know the SATA HDD Password, then I tried to connect it internally using Toshiba Laptop and to remove the password. But it will not allow me to change it saying Password Wrong and finally gave me system disable code of "23130". [[Additional: Security of Toshiba Laptop I tried is "Phoenix SecureCore(tm)] and unfortunatley I don't know the serurity system of origial machine i was used to set password i.e Fujitsu A530 lifebook.]

After that I tried to bypass the password using Hirens Boot CD by using the same toshiba laptop. But it was unable because instead of going to "boot menu" it always directed me to insert SATA Hard drive password display. I tried every thing to get boot menu but it will not directed me to boot menu. But if i tried to go to boot menu using the original sata hard drive of that toshiba laptop, then it allow me to go to boot menu and can load the hirens program without any problem. Unfortunately when I am trying it from my password protected sata hdd, it will not allow me to go to that boot menu.

Then I just connect my hdd to my android phone (Sony Xperia C3) using OTG and it asked me to reformat the external hard disk saying it is damaged (it give me format option). I never tried because I need to get some data in it.

image of sata hard drive is inserted


I'll be very much thankful for any help from you to use this sata as external harddrive without losing data.

 

[Megahertz07]

Welcome to the forum.
When you said that you set a password to the HDD, did you mean that you installed a encryption program?
What program did you use? Did you create a rescue disk?

 

[RolandJS]

Megahertz, my educated guess is that thread starter used the software already on the hard-drive to set up a HD password. I hope he did not write to the hard-drive with anything because if this Fujitsu A530 Lifebook is anything similar to WD Passport Ultra, it just might have on-board/circuit-level encryption, with or without a password set by user [i.e. similar to WD's Smartware], and just might have something similar to WD's DriveUnlock [which is the gateway, the bridge, between end-user and hard-drive]. If others correct - I will of course amend my post

 

[sumith]

Welcome to the forum.
When you said that you set a password to the HDD, did you mean that you installed a encryption program?
What program did you use? Did you create a rescue disk?

Thank you very much for your response. No, there were no encryption program used by me. It was done by totally through bios settings. It enable to set password for sata hdd to boot. Before machine goes down following is the way machine normally starts.
1. Firstly it ask to enter bios settings password.
2. Then Sata hdd boot password display comes.
3. After that windows is starting normal way.

That means i need to give both passwords to start windows.

 

[sumith]

Megahertz, my educated guess is that thread starter used the software already on the hard-drive to set up a HD password. I hope he did not write to the hard-drive with anything because if this Fujitsu A530 Lifebook is anything similar to WD Passport Ultra, it just might have on-board/circuit-level encryption, with or without a password set by user [i.e. similar to WD's Smartware], and just might have something similar to WD's DriveUnlock [which is the gateway, the bridge, between end-user and hard-drive]. If others correct - I will of course amend my post

Thank you very much for your reply Roland. As I said, password setting was done through the bios settings. I insert the picture of toshiba which gives similar user interface where I set passwords in orginal machine (Fujitsu A530) but dunno about the security system of that original board.

Further in toshiba bios settings hdd/ssd user password section said word of registered i have no idea what is that about.

 

[Barman58]

I believe the only way to resolve this is to talk to the manufacturer, as they are the only people that are likely to have the ability to circumvent the password lock on the drive. You will likely need to provide the full details of the system and also proof of purchase/ownership. The password system is there to protect the data on the hard Drive so it is normal to be asked to prove that it is your data.

Saying all this i actually think that due to the various methods you have used yourself the data may already be unrecoverable

 

[sumith]

I believe the only way to resolve this is to talk to the manufacturer, as they are the only people that are likely to have the ability to circumvent the password lock on the drive. You will likely need to provide the full details of the system and also proof of purchase/ownership. The password system is there to protect the data on the hard Drive so it is normal to be asked to prove that it is your data.

Saying all this i actually think that due to the various methods you have used yourself the data may already be unrecoverable

Thank you very much for your response barman58.

But what you mean by data may already be unrecoverable? And what manufacture do i need to contact? Hdd manufacture or laptop manufacture? The only proof i had is purchase invoices of laptop from distributor in our country.

 

[AddRAM]

A Bios password has nothing to do with a hard drive password.

You should be able to connect that drive to any system and explore it, no password needed.

 

[sumith]

A Bios password has nothing to do with a hard drive password.

Thank you very much for your response AddRAM.
Do i need to find the same kind of motherboard system to remove the hdd password. If not why in this situation it will not allow me to change password saying wrong password.

 

[Megahertz07]

What AddRam said is that your disk isn't lock by any password. You should have access to it when you connect it to a desktop.

Explain how did the failure happened.
Did the Fujitsu A530 fall (like on the floor) when you're where using it?

 

[AddRAM]

1) No

2) You must be entering the wrong password


What do you mean "HDD Password" ????

Are you talking about your Windows password ??

Please explain.......

Hard drives do not have passwords on them unless you encrypt them, and you said you didn`t, so what hard drive password are you talking about ???


Why won`t the original PC power on anymore, did the power supply go bad ? Did you destroy the motherboard ?

 

[Barman58]

Looking at the image posted above ^^^ there appears to be the normal user and supervisor BIOS password setting entry points but also one for the HDD which is why I suggested that a call or email to Fujitsu if the A530 also uses this system (as on the Toshiba used for example).

If the normal Bios Lock was the only lock in place then I agree that the Dive should be readable in another system or external caddy - The mention of Double Password requirement when logging in would suggest that a non standard system is involved.
sumith The reason that i said the data could be unrecoverable is that changes made by the various options you've tried could actually make things worse

 

[sumith]

What AddRam said is that your disk isn't lock by any password. You should have access to it when you connect it to a desktop.

Explain how did the failure happened.
Did the Fujitsu A530 fall (like on the floor) when you're where using it?

The laptop was 5 old to this december 2016. Aftrr one year of the purchase batry goes down. Therefore i then totally used the laptop using direct power. Batry is removed. Without any single matter laptop worked. Even it didnot slow it performace speed at any second. The orginal speed remains till this power issue raised. Last year after normal shutdown of windows laptop did not powered on. It take the power and released at glance. That meana power is not holding. I gave this laptop to distributor to check the issue and they said to replace board. But i came back home just give one more try and it started without no matter. After that i used it few months no matter. Again the same power issue arised and within few mins the machine will again can power on. During this period i set the both passwords. After i set the password, i used the machine for more than three months. Then again power issue of laptop came and it did not turned in like that way. After that i remove the hdd saftly and try to connect it using adapter. Then it will not initialize and under disk management it will not allow to initalized. Further when m using hdd it had two partitions "C" and "D". 56gb for windows system i.e. "C" and other partion for personal data i.e."D". In disk management only shows "D partion" i think as unallocated space. I.e around 250 gb.
After that i tried to connect it internally.

 

[sumith]

1) No

2) You must be entering the wrong password


What do you mean "HDD Password" ????

Are you talking about your Windows password ??

Please explain.......

Hard drives do not have passwords on them unless you encrypt them, and you said you didn`t, so what hard drive password are you talking about ???


Why won`t the original PC power on anymore, did the power supply go bad ? Did you destroy the motherboard ?

No i know the both bios settings and "SATA hard drive password" i set because i backed up all my password in my very much perosnal email account. Further for windows password i just set 1234 as password because of the two password gates need to crossed before windows.

The power issue i think it arise because of not using batry for long time. After dead of the batry i used the laptop using direct power.

No i didnt do anything motherboard

 

[sumith]

Additionally when i gave this laptop to repair the service company took 2 months to give unreparired machine back to me. In that period hard drive is idle coz i was hoping they will repair the machine. So it saftly stored in my locker during this period.

 

[AddRAM]

Well, it sounds like you waited and waited and pushed the issue, instead of fixing what needed to be fixed.

Now it looks like you`ll be paying someone to get the data off.

2 Months

We are just a humble group of people trying to help people with their Windows 7 problems, what you are asking is out of our control.

 

[Megahertz07]

I can be wrong, but as I wrote before, I think your disk doesn't have any access password. What had a password was the Fujitsu A530 as it was blocking access via BIOS.
My suggestion is to place the HDD into a desktop SATA port, boot the desktop, launch a command prompt and type chkdsk <x:> /r.
Replace <x:> by the HDD letter. If it gives you bad blocks or bad clusters, your disk is dead.

 

[RolandJS]

Folks, my desktop has three possible passwords: administrator [setup], user [boot/startup], and HD [once started, it must be entered or no access]; three passwords. What I do not know: if the HD password "travels" with the HD or "remains" with the desktop.

 

[samuria]

Can you boot any pc with the drive connected and use a linux live cd which wont touch the normal drive as it all runs from cd and see if you can then see the drive in lunux The Five Best Linux Live CDs | Linux.com | The source for Linux information

 

[Megahertz07]

BIOS is the first software loaded and it defines how hardware will work, regardless of the OS.
It also has some security features to prevent unauthorized use of the computer.
I've never seen a HDD locked by BIOS. I can be wrong, but I think that all passwords (administrator [setup], user [boot/startup], and HD [once started, it must be entered or no access]) are computer protection.
My opinion is that HDD password isn't set on it, doesn't "travels" with the HDD.