hdparm question in Ubuntu LiveCD

[GoStumpy]

Trying the 'hdparm' in a Ubuntu liveCD, and I am getting close but it's not working!

Error I get:

Issuing SECURITY_UNLOCK command, password="ruccio", user=master
SECURITY_UNLOCK: Input/output error

Thats it....

I'm confused!

Internet has told me something about the password has to be in ASCII 32 bytes or something? That confused me as well..

Password is given as an ASCII string and is padded with NULs to reach 32 bytes

How do I do that? What does that even mean?

HELP!

Thanks!

 

[Zorander]

I assume you're trying to perform a secure-erase? I have used this guide before with good success. On a glance, it seems that your drive is in a Frozen state and you have not yet issued a (temporary) password for it.

p.s. IME some motherboard BIOS will not let you 'un-Freeze' the drive no matter what, and it's best to do this with a different motherboard that will. I wasted hours trying to un-Freeze a drive on my main computer and shockingly my HTPC mobo performed the secure erase on the first try, in just a few seconds.

 

[GoStumpy]

The drive is not frozen, but it is locked. I am trying to unlock it, with the password...

 

[jae]

Make sure you admin privileges? Make sure partition isn't mounted?

Sent from my PC36100 using Tapatalk

 

[GoStumpy]

Spent too much time on this 'free' drive, so it is now at the recycling depot

Definitely not worth the hassle!