I have been given a 250GB drive (Passport) that is password protected so I cannot get into it to delete what is on it and use it for my data. The passwords that the previous owner have given me do not work. Any way to get past this?
If it’s password protected with Smartware, then if you enter the wrong password 5 times it should give you the option to format the drive and start from scratch.
When I reach the limit on passwords, it tells me to unplug and plug the drive back in to try again. Does not tell me anything about formating.
ATA passwords are easy to defeat, but the SmartWare password is a LOT more sophisticated and can’t be cracked, or at least nobody is letting on.
See this thread:
http://forum.hddguru.com/unlock-book-essential-t19408-20.html
If you would like to use the drive, but without its SmartWare features, then you could remove it from its enclosure and then gain direct SATA access by hacking the PCB.
