Erasing hard drive with hdd password

haymeadowfield · September 30th, 2009, 09:15 PM

My brother took in a Gateway laptop at the pawn shop he runs. It has a hdd password (not bios or supervisor) on it. The person who brought it in gave him a password but he didn't check it out right away. The password does not work and he has not been able to contact the person. I would like to erase the drive and reinstall the software so he can sell it. I tried the free version of Killdisk but it doesn't work. I can get it to come up but when I go to run it, it does not do anything. Is there anything I can do to get it to work? Or is there another program I could use? Thanks.

HDDsolution · October 2nd, 2009, 09:09 PM

hi,
which brand of your hard drive? it hard to do if you don't have any tool. i can handle it but you had to send it to me. do you think it worth?

haymeadowfield · October 3rd, 2009, 10:50 AM

It is a Hitachi.

HDDsolution · October 3rd, 2009, 10:52 AM

hi,
yeah. i have unlock it.

haymeadowfield · October 3rd, 2009, 05:00 PM

Thanks for the offer. At this time, I'm not interested in sending it out. If I can't get it erased, I plan to get a new drive on Ebay and reinstalling the software. I'm trying to keep the costs down as much as I can.

HDDsolution · October 3rd, 2009, 06:50 PM

hi,
yeah. i think you order new one as well if don't have any data in it.

haymeadowfield · October 4th, 2009, 09:38 PM

1

**RicheemxX** · October 4th, 2009, 09:59 PM

If its an actual hdd password or hdd lock then no trying to install an OS of any kind isn't going to work. Replacing the drive is about the only way you can go.

HDD passwords are meant to keep people out in the event someone stole the laptop. They prevent you from formatting or installing software even if the drive is removed and slaved in another machine.

If you have the registered owners info you might check with Gateway support for a master reset code but I doubt they have one.

haymeadowfield · October 5th, 2009, 11:03 AM

Thanks for the info. That is what I suspected. We contacted Gateway and they said we could send it in and they can fix it for $99.00. And of course we have the expense of sending it in. They didn't say what they would do. Looks like the best bet will be to just get a different drive.

HDDsolution · October 5th, 2009, 11:10 AM

hi,
i can do it with $60.