Resetting HDD Password

fatboyonadiet

A friend of mine was selling an old laptop and went to check it before he posted and got the error "Enter HDD Built-in password".

Some more info that he's managed to find out;

It is not the BIOS password, this has been removed and set to off. I know it's definitely not the BIOS password as the message changed from "enter password" to "Enter HDD Built-in password" when I edited the BIOS options.

There are loads of posts about shorting certain 'jumpers' & removing the CMOS battery; these only affect the BIOS password and therefore do not work for this problem.

The HDD password is specific only to the hard-drive. The password it refers to is stored within the locked drive.

I have spoken to Toshiba and they are insistent that they do not use master passwords etc as all the forums claim they do. He says this means that the password is only being requested because of one of the following:
1. The HDD has become damaged or corrupted
2. A Virus has set a password
3. The BIOS password facility was used at some point which activated the HDD request (this is the most likely reason and if correct means the password should be one I've set)

I think 1 & 2 are unlikely as the drive was functional and virus free last time i used the laptop and has not been connected to a network, the internet or had any external drives etc connected since.

I have tried every variation of my usual passwords and have no reason to think it would be anything other than one of those (I deliberately stick to certain passwords to avoid just this!)

This is the specification of the laptop: http://uk.computers.toshiba-europe.com/innovation/jsp/SUPPORTSECTION/discontinuedProductPage.do?PRODUCT_ID=122807&DISC_MODEL=1&service=UK

HELP!

leemoss

I've had a similar issue with a Dell laptop which used a fairly rare (in laptop terms) ZIF hard drive. The password was stored on the hard drive itself and even switching it to another dell laptop gave the same password prompt.
In the end I bought an adapter, ZIF to IDE, put the drive in a normal PC. Then paid for a hddunlock licence which broke the password. (tried to post the link but as new user I couldn't, just google hddunlock).
As far as I know, Dell could have supplied the password however the laptop was passed on to me from work and its warranty had expired.

fatboyonadiet

Cheers for that, will pass the details on and get him to give it a whirl!