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SSD Bios password

  • 02-08-2016 9:07pm
    #1
    Solomon Melodic Telecommunications
    Posts: 0 ✭ Solomon Melodic Telecommunications


    I sold a Samsung Evo 840 on adverts about nine months ago. Whilst selling something else recently I met the buyer again. He said he could never get the SSD to work. I couldn't understand exactly but he said there was some sort of BIOS password on the drive which stopped him from installing a OS.

    Very bizarre since I was using it happily before selling it. Surely any sort of password would be from the buyer's computer rather than the drive?

    I definitely didn't do anything other to the drive than using it in my laptop. Prior to the sale I quick formatted it to FAT32.

    Would be grateful for some info here as I feel a little slimy having sold someone something that doesn't work.


Comments

  • #2
    ED E
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 36,170 ✭✭✭✭ED E


    Sidenote: Quickformat wouldn't overwrite your data just FYI, if theres anything personal on it you should secure erase with Magician.


    On Asus boards(and maybe others using AMI BIOS) you can set a per drive password, its possible his board had something like that configured. That or the TPM module/Secure boot asking for a board admin password are the only things I can think of.

    Simple test would be to drop it in a USB caddy and see if its readable.


  • #3
    Solomon Melodic Telecommunications
    Posts: 0 ✭ Solomon Melodic Telecommunications


    ED E wrote: »
    Sidenote: Quickformat wouldn't overwrite your data just FYI, if theres anything personal on it you should secure erase with Magician.

    Yup I just didn't want to put the drive through an intensive erase and shorten its longevity.
    On Asus boards(and maybe others using AMI BIOS) you can set a per drive password, its possible his board had something like that configured. That or the TPM module/Secure boot asking for a board admin password are the only things I can think of.

    Simple test would be to drop it in a USB caddy and see if its readable.

    Not quite sure if I understand all that but I think you've just verified my idea that the password could only be on his computer rather than the drive. I think he means to contact me tomorrow to give me the drive and let me have a go at it so can't do anything till then.


  • #4
    Fysh
    Moderators, Arts Moderators, Regional Abroad Moderators Posts: 11,107 Mod ✭✭✭✭Fysh


    It's possible to set a password on a drive, separately to the method used when you encrypt them - see here for an explanation of how this works. From your description of the symptoms this is to my mind the most likely explanation.


  • #5
    Solomon Melodic Telecommunications
    Posts: 0 ✭ Solomon Melodic Telecommunications


    Thanks for that. If I'm right then to set a HDD password I would have had to gone into the BIOS and specifically set it myself. Definitely did not do that. Never have in my lifetime!!!

    Dare I ask is there a way to remove such passwords?


  • #6
    Fysh
    Moderators, Arts Moderators, Regional Abroad Moderators Posts: 11,107 Mod ✭✭✭✭Fysh


    Deleted User wrote: »
    Thanks for that. If I'm right then to set a HDD password I would have had to gone into the BIOS and specifically set it myself. Definitely did not do that. Never have in my lifetime!!!

    Dare I ask is there a way to remove such passwords?

    Yes, but the manner in which you do so varies between manufacturers. From reading around it seems you'll probably need to do a PSID reset if an ATA password has been set and you/the buyer don't know what it is. Have a look at this thread and this thread, they both describe a tool for forcing a PSID reset (assuming you are willing to trust an application shared via Dropbox for this!). In your boots, I'd try contacting Samsung (as the original buyer) and see if they'll provide you with a verifiable copy of the tool. Failing that, it depends on whether you trust the Dropbox version or not...


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