• We’re currently investigating an issue related to the forum theme and styling that is impacting page layout and visual formatting. The problem has been identified, and we are actively working on a resolution. There is no impact to user data or functionality, this is strictly a front-end display issue. We’ll post an update once the fix has been deployed. Thanks for your patience while we get this sorted.

lost power during a secure erase

W

work1212

Junior Member
I was given a notebook because the HDD crashed. I replaced the HDD with a SSD (Corsair 240GB) that I had.

I planned on using parted magic to secure erase the msata card that was in the notebook (30GB) and the SSD.

During the secure erase of the msata card, I lost power at the house and the battery was not in the notbook because it was a dead battery and I was waiting for the new one to arrive in the mail. After power was back on I tried to boot notebook up and i get "Enter HDD2/SSD Password" which is the msata card.

Any ideas on what I could do to fix it.
 
Rerun the secure erase using the same program. It will use the same password. The password is usually blank. Next time, ONLY secure erase if you plan on selling the SSD.
 
Sorry, long day at work.

I do not know a whole lot about computers so please be patient with me, learning on my own. I thought if one wanted to reinstall a fresh copy of windows on a HDD you repartition then format and a SSD you Secure Erase.

I can not rerun the Secure Erase program because when I turn the notebook on it prompts with "Enter HDD2/SSD2 Password" and I can not access the bios or do boot from anything unless I take the msata card out.

The secure erase program I got from corsair website called parted magic. it uses the word NULL

http://www.corsair.com/applicationnote/secure-erase
 
Last edited:
You don't need to secure erase to just reinstall windows. It just burns a bunch of write cycles on the SSD. You would also partition and format after a secure erase also otherwise you delete the partition table and formatting.
 
No worries. Just ignore or no longer pay attention to the site or person that told you to secure erase an SSD for the sole purpose of reinstalling windows. Like what imagoon mentioned, clearing the partition table and MBR are far MORE important.

The password is usually blank, so when it asks just press enter. Sometimes it can also be 'null'. If nither work remove the msata SSD and boot so that you can run the same secure erase program.

The following will scary but rest assured, that especially with laptops, that hot swapping SATA drives is ok. In fact, Intel even states in the Toolbox instructions that if an SSD is frozen/locked that users should disconnect and reconnect SATA drives when trying to secure erase them.


So just before you run the same secure erase program, carefully reconnect the msata drive and try to rerun. Obviously that secure erase program knows what password it used and it should use the same one. Best of luck.
 
The main purpose of doing a secure erase is two fold, one is it wipes all data on the SSD, and the other is, it optimizes the drive back to levels of performance of a 'new' SSD.

If your OS does not support trim, and the SSD's garbage collection isn't that robust, then this is the time you should secure erase it, or, as was pointed out, if you are going to sell it.
Always do a quick format on a SSD, not a full format as well.

Good luck with the hot swap!
 
That a secure erase operation not complete is a bad thing to happen with ssd , same thing happend to me some years ago and the ssd is returned to dealer for a new one .
With secure erase a new encrytped key is made for replacing the old one , before it where replaced the operions stopped . So it means it is a ssd with no encryption key and i think is bricked.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

TRENDING THREADS

Back
Top