How to get 2nd hard disk with HDD password to plug and play?

[FragrantHead]

This is perhaps not a T-series only question, but hey my laptop is a T30, so maybe it is. I have the Ultrabay hard disk cradle, in which I have a password-protected hard disk that I use for backups. Problem is, well not so much a problem, but a nuisance, the hard disk is only recognised when the machine boots. The BIOS prompts for the hard disk password (which I would like to keep in place). If, on the other hand, I insert the disk into the Ultabay when the laptop is already running - Windows 2000, by the way - the hard disk is not recognised. In that case Windows 2000 only recognises hard disks that don't have a password. How can I get Windows 2000 to prompt for the hard disk password and get my second disk to be truly plug and play, e.g. be recognised without having to reboot the machine?

[dsvochak]

I believe the answer to your question is "you can't". While it may be a nuisance, the HD password is operating as designed by IBM.

[FragrantHead]

As designed by IBM? Surely not. IBM (Hitachi) drives support it. Seagate drives support it (I'm using one). I'm quite sure other notebook vendors support this feature as well. Ergo it must be a fairly open standard. Now, I appreciate what you're saying, that there still might be technical reasons why it's only ever implemented at the BIOS level. I can't think what those reasons might be though. Anyone else here know any more about this?