Thinkpads Forum

Hi,

What exactly means "hard disk password" on T60's BIOS settings ?

I just noticed, I can access to my harddisk files when I have booted Knoppix (Linux) from CD. Now I have disabled CD and USB -booting, but how can I protect my harddisk ??

The password is stored in the controller electronics on the drive, and the electronics need to see it before they will allow the drive to be read. It is independent of the OS. It does not encrypt the contents of the drive. It can be bypassed but doing so requires equipment beyond the reach of most common thieves.

Once the machine is booted and the drive unlocked it remains unlocked until you shut it down or hibernate it.

The BIOS asks for the HDD password at boot time right after it asks for the Power On Password (if they are the same it will only ask once).

Ed Gibbs

I took interest in this, and have attempted to bypass, for my own learning experience.
I will say that for the common person, even some with advanced ability and equipment...
The drive must be dis-assembled to access the chip that stores the password, and I have yet to read the chip let alone re-assemble the drive and have it work.
Not worth the effort I'm afraid, considering the availability of drives these days.
If you password the HDD, better have the PWD written down somewhere NOT with the laptop just in case...

Joe

Unless you are somewhere where security is a HUGE problem, passwording the hard drive or boot up is more of a problem than a feature. If at any time you forget the password, the laptop is basically worthless if you try to sell it unless you replace the motherboard/ hard drive.

My harddisk and power-on passwords was same. Now harddisk password is diffirent and I have tested it.

But very funny.... It ask harddisk password just once time. Even I totally shotdown Windows and turn off power, never ask it anymore. What is this ???

If you can power off and back on and it doesn't ask for the HDD password, it is not set. Go back into BIOS and try it again.

Just be sure you know what you set it to, and that you never forget it. Write it down and keep it somewhere safe.

As far as whether or not it is worth it to set the HDD and Supervisor passwords, well I like to know that if someone goes to all the trouble to swipe my TP, they will get a brick for their trouble.

But the #1, best reason to set them is so other people CAN'T. Every so often some poor loser comes posting that they left their machine on their desk while they went somewhere, and came back to find it had mysteriously acquired a password. Very funny practical joke, especially if the joker sets it to a long random string that they immediately forget. Ha ha ha. They are SO screwed at that point.

If you set them first, the jokers in the office or dorm can't change them.

Ed Gibbs

That's a VERY GOOD point.

egibbs wrote:If you can power off and back on and it doesn't ask for the HDD password, it is not set. Go back into BIOS and try it again.

It is set. I have checked it several times. This is funny....

Can anybody help ?

I just re-read your post carefully...

I think you are saying that your Power On and HDD passwords are the same, and it only asks for the POP - is that what is happening?

If so, then that is correct. It first asks for the POP to unlock the machine. Once it is unlocked then the system goes out and tries to access the drive. The drive responds with a password request, and the system will try the POP first. If the drive accepts the POP you proceed to load Windows. If the drive rejects the POP then the system asks you for the HDD password.

If something else is happening, like it's not asking for either a POP or HDD password, then I am stumped.

Ed Gibbs

egibbs wrote:I just re-read your post carefully...

I think you are saying that your Power On and HDD passwords are the same, and it only asks for the POP - is that what is happening?
Gibbs

First my POP and HDD PW was same. Later I changed HDD PW, so I can test it. It ask HDD PW, but just once time after I have set it. Never later if I turn off/on power.... funny...

I have no clue.

Try changing your POP and see if it starts asking for the HDD password - maybe somehow they got resynched to be the same?

Very strange.

Ed Gibbs

Ed, I found problem !!

If the Supervisor password and Power-On password are same, it ask harddisk password just once.

Uuuhh... where we can find fully technical spesifications for these passwords... Not from Lenovo manual.

Anyway.... thanks Ed for Your help.

It's actually part of the ATA specification - the spec that covers how drive interface with computers. It's called the Security Feature Set. The ATA Spec itself is a rather expensive document to buy but you can see how Hitachi and IBM implemented it in one series of drives here starting on page 86.

Ed Gibbs