Cant wipe locked HDD.

[Grego86]

I have a old laptop Toshiba 250GB HDD that is locked with a password. I'm not interested in recovering the data. I just want to wipe it clean so I can use. I've tried several programs MiniTool Partition Wizard, Eraser, EaseUS Partition Master and Active@ KillDisk. The MiniTool Partition Wizard says its a bad disk and won't give me any options to do anything with the disk. EaseUS Partition Master will attempt to wipe but says it runs into errors about half way through and kills the process. I've also tried formatting with the program with the same results. Active@ KillDisk gives me cyclic redundancy error. So is this HDD toast ? Also can't remember which program it as but one of them said the MBR needed to be fixed.

 

[onewayback]

A passworded hard drive could be very problematic but have you tried connecting the HDD with a USB cable or a SATA docking station? You may be able to access and format it, that way if it will allow.

The simplest things may work.

 

[Grego86]

Sorry took so long to reply but yes I have a SATA/IDE to USB bridging. I've tried using it with all the steps I've mentioned and then I actually used a guinea pig desktop to add the hard drive to and do the same procedures with no success. I've given up and just ordered a replacement HDD since its only about $38.

 

[AddRAM]

I was going to say, just chuck it in the trash

Or take it apart to learn what one is made of, if you`ve never done that.