Hey peeps,
My names Alan and I'm a 15 veteran nerd :-P so thought I would offer my services on here if people need them.

Before you get going franticly posting issues lets start off by getting the basics down...

Software issues
If you need help with software I would request you take a screenshot of the error and please explain what happened up to encountering the issue, please note any new installed or removed software and any hardware changes.

Hardware issues
This ones a bit more complex as it could mean your unable to be at the pc at the time, but I would request info on any noticeable sounds/errors that its creating and what happened up to encountering the issue including software installs or driver changes.

Want web help?
Well if your a coder or designer like myself then I'm sure we can get technical but I think you will need to message me direct to discuss as otherwise this topic will get bloated quickly, but include the language your using e.g. php, asp, jquery etc and what the issue is and if possible a link to the page in question so I can test myself.

Well that wraps it up so let me know and I'll try to help in anyway I can.

OK. I got a test for your Kung Fu. I likewise am a veteran computer builder and I do a lot of repair work as well. I do not write code or Program but I do know my way around hardware and know how to utilize the tools provided to effect repairs including rooting our DEEP virus infections. But i have had one challenge cross my path and this one is a toughie. A customer of mine handed me a laptop with Windows 7 that their daughter managed to change an administrator password that locked the hard drive of the computer. Before I say any more the hard drive is a Seagate SATA 80GB Momentus 5400.3. It has a password on the hard drive to lock it in the event the computer is stolen. I could not get past that password since the girl changed it and never wrote down the password effectively making the hard drive a paperweight.

I pulled the hard drive and installed it on my main workhorse computer and attacked to the SATA bus on the MOBO. My computer recognizes the hard drive but I could not wipe or format it without the password. the computer's owner wants me to install Ubuntu on it and I would gladly oblige but I cannot wipe or format that damn hard drive even with the assistance of some of the heaviest hitting software I have for wiping a hard drive including Disk genius, D-Ban, Active X Kill Bits, I mean I have tried everything I know including attempting to hack the password. How the hell do I get past the password and get this hard drive back to useable again? The owner is strapped for cash and I have found a new 120 GB Western Data for $35 but it would be nice to get THIS hard drive useable again.

I know for a fact this is going to be a challenge considering I have removed the hard drive and tried to just wipe it clean and instead got laughed at for hours by two of my computers!!

The computer in Question is a an ACER MS2220. The specs should be readily found online. Even SeaTools and Sea Gates Disk utility were a waste of time.

BTW, even most experts just say, "Toss the hard drive."

Why can't I get Skyrim to install on my Commodore 64?

How about going for broke and Degauss the Sucker?


http://www.tomshardware.co.uk/forum/202635-14-degauss-hard-disk-cheap-bulk-erase

http://www.google.ch/search?hl=en&safe=off&client=firefox-a&hs=wfb&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&q=degauss+hard+drive&revid=9577318&sa=X&ei=XNmOUNG8GIXGtAaEzYGwCg&ved=0CH8Q1QIoAw&biw=1279&bih=683

Nice idea but I want to reuse the hard drive if at all possible. Magnetic degausing can do real mechanical damage to a hard drive.

Got to be careful and hope for the best!
Might be the only way to get use of it again.
Also,the Price of a new HDD will probably be lower than all the work you're putting into the locked Drive!

I know. The hammer option really is appealing!

Hey Andy,
Have a look through the following link
http://www.affordablecebu.com/load/computer_tricks/how_to_unlock_hard_disk_drive_fujitsu_hitachi_maxtor_seagate_and_others/18-1-0-235
this is a full list of available options, unfortunately none are guaranteed to work but if you willing to put in the work to try them it could help in gaining access to the drive beyond this I'm afraid your right and the hdd is pretty much a paper weight.

I tried everything on this page already! I already have the entire list of softwares on this page too. It is a Momentus hard drive and Seagate has the hard drive store a password in such a way that unless you HAVE THAT PASSWORD AT ALL YOU ARE NOT ACCESSING THAT HARD DRIVE. Even loaded onto another computer as a slave drive it still will not let me in no matter what I have tried so far short of actually exposing the drive to a Degausser. A friend of mine had an old one for degaussing old CRT monitors but he tried to wipe a hard drive with it and actually fried the electronics.

This hard drive is a paperweight now. I just need the customer to pony up the $40 so I can replace it and load the new OS in and make sure their daughter never screws this machine up again!

most likely the PASS is in the HDD-Firmware,and can't be accessed or changed unless you have the Pass residing in those Electronics at the time!
Like a Safe-Lock!
If you don't know the Combination,you don't get in!

+ PLUS +



= EQUALS =



RELIEF

Its a pity but at least you know that this form of protection is definitely secure and good to use if you wish to protect your data.

You are aware that if the MBR becomes corrupted once you do manage to find the PW any hopes of getting to the data are shot even then. I will Seagate this though, you are right, this does keep people out of your computer!

...................and if you can't fix it with a Hammer,it must be electrical!

I'd call Seagate and find out what they suggest you do in this
situation. If they have no good suggestion that you have not already
tried or their suggestion fails, you get an RMA and send it back to
them to handle the issue. They might be able to reset it easily enough
- after all they actually have caused the problem - but if not they
will have to send you a new hard drive.



Plus you don't have to tire your arms and risk an asthma attack
swinging a sledge.

they,Seagate or any other Manufacturer would probably have to change the Firmware to get the Device be useful again!
Possibly cost more than the Data on the Disk on most Occasions is worth!

Regarding the password-locked Seagate drive, have you estimated the time required on a "brute-force" approach of trying all possible passwords with some cracking software? Is the option worth considering?

i have a dell computer with a pentivm 4 processor it runs on windows xp. earlier i was watching disneys Brave from letmewatchthis.com about half way through it froze and gave me a message that the fbi had blocked it for unauthorized viewing. and that i have 72 hours to pay 400 dollars or criminal charges will be filed. i believe its a scam and the only contact info on the page is an email thats invalid. so how do i unblock my computer? any suggestions?

That rout does not work and is very impractical. Cost and Time vs. Replacing the hard drive is like this,

Crack password (Expense) > Replacing Hard drive (Expense)

Unless the person trying this is a hard core with hours to waste trying this approach the reality here is without the password the hard Drive is a paperweight.

Look up "Unlocking the Seagate Momnentus Hard drive," and you will see a lot of experts who all say the exact same thing and failure in the attempt to unlock on of these drives ends in Miserable Failure!

Then there is this...



Well more like this,