HELP ATA password protected HD question

[dan1024]

Hi I'm trying to get data off a ATA password protected hard drive, the laptop that the HD came from is a IBM T60 with a dead motherboard. I have the password for the HD and I am wondering if installing it into another machine and then entering the password would be possible I may be able to get another T60. Also is there any software that can access the HD if I supply the password. Sending the HD to a data recovery center is not an option I need to have it done by tuesday.

 

[dan1024]

just relized I posted this in the wrong section I appoligize.

 

[corkyg]

Memeory/Storage seems appropriate. The ATA lock is not easy, and what few softwares I know of charge for it based on the drive capacity. Check here under PURCHASE.

http://www.hddunlock.com/

If someone knows of a freebie, then go for it.

 

[dan1024]

Thanks for your help sadly the HD im trying to unlock is a Hitachi one of the only manifactures that isnt supported. Do you know if the HD will work in another identical laptop if I enter in the password or is the drive somehow linked to the motherboard of the laptop it came from.

 

[mrblotto]

If you know the HDD password (which you say you do), you should be able to put it in another T60 (or T60p/T61/T61P)and get access to the data (may have to switch the HD from 'AHCI' to 'compatibility' mode in the BIOS, and then boot into safe mode too. While you're in the BIOS, you may want to consider removing the HD pwd at this time, if you wont have access to another laptop in the near future.

Put drive into 'loaner' laptop
Mash F1 button a bunch of times on BIOS screen to get to BIOS options
-Enter HD pwd at the little cylinder looking HD pwd prompt thingee
go to <Security - Password - Hard Disk Password> using the arrow keys/<enter> key
enter the HD password, hit <enter>, then on the next 2 lines just hit <enter> to blank out/erase the HD pwd.
See the 'changes have been saved' and mash ok
Mash F10 to save and exit

Now if the password turns out to be a Supervisor pwd......replace the mobo. If it's merely a Power On Password (POP), remove the keyboard/palmrest and unplug the CMOS battery for a minute.

Good luck! For some strange reason, sometimes you'll be unable to reset/erase a HD password on a 'temp/loaner' laptop. Instead, the Hard Disk Password option will be 'greyed out', leaving you unable to change/erase it. I'm not quite sure what it is, but I've had it happen a couple times where I've taken a drive from a T60/p/T61/p/T400/T410, and tried to remove the HD password because the mobo had died. I cant remember exactly what model laptop HD I was putting into which different model laptop shell 'cause it happens so rarely. Hopefully yours will work out ok.

Sorry for the rambling...lol. I'm doing this from memory so steps may be a bit off

 

[dan1024]

Thanks alot for your help now I just need to borrow another laptop from a coworker.

 

[corkyg]

If any of your T60s have an Ultrabay HDD adapter, you can put it in as a 2nd HDD on any of them.