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I have a SATA hard disk which is firmware password locked.

QUESTION: Is there a software way to unlock a HDD, plugged on an USB enclosure, without losing its contents? (Windows or Linux)

This is the same problem as My HDD is NOT logically visible in enclosure (portable HDD setup), but IS hardware-visible, but I don't have access to a computer to stick the HDD inside.

Background information:

  • I know the HDD user and master passwords, but the Lenovo Ideapad it was inside is toast.
  • I don't have another computer available to put the HDD inside.
  • I do have an external case (USB), and access to computers where I can plug it.

The HDD password was set it the Lenovo BIOS. It is not software encrypted (Bitlocker, LUKS, etc).

Pluging the external case on Windows, it doesn't ask for the password, and instead wants to format the disk. The BIOS never asks for the password either.

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  • On Linux there's hdparm. Howver, sometimes those BIOS does quirky stuff when you set the ATA password through it. For example, it could pad what you entered with whitespace or ASCII NUL up to the maximum length the spec accepts, something like that.
    – Tom Yan
    Jan 3, 2022 at 2:13
  • As Tom mentions hdparm is probably the way superuser.com/a/1062348/19943
    – Mokubai ♦
    Jan 3, 2022 at 10:44

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