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Author Topic: Secure Erase - BIOS Freeze Lock  (Read 6266 times)

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NiGhtMarEs0nWax

    Topic Starter


    Greenhorn

    Secure Erase - BIOS Freeze Lock
    « on: July 08, 2009, 02:58:55 PM »
    Hi, i was hoping to make use of secure erase feature built into ATA drives but freeze lock is being enforced by my BIOS. is there any way round it?


    BIOS: AMIBios Rev. 0404
    Mobo: A8R MVP-32 Deluxe. http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/ASUS/A8R32-MVP

    Thanks :)

    NiGhtMarEs0nWax

      Topic Starter


      Greenhorn

      Re: Secure Erase - BIOS Freeze Lock
      « Reply #1 on: July 08, 2009, 06:56:18 PM »
      **FIXED

      Here is the solution in case it helps anyone else.

      Source: http://cmrr.ucsd.edu/people/Hughes/HDDEraseReadMe.txt

      Q:  How can I bypass security freeze lock?

      A:  Three different ways can bypass a BIOS security freeze lock:
      1.  Most preferred method:  If another computer is available, boot the drive
      from another computer.  Since the freeze lock is entirely BIOS dependent, another
      computer's BIOS may not freeze lock the drive.

      2.  Second method:  Switch the drive to another drive channel or another position
      on the channel, e.g. Switch drive from secondary master S0 to secondary slave S1
      or vice versa.  Some BIOSs do not send the Freeze Lock command to all channel
      master/slave positions.

      3.  Least preferred method:  **There exists some danger to your drive in using
      this method, use at your own risk**  Shut down the computer system.  Unplug the
      four-wire power cable of the hard drive while leaving the signal cable plugged in. 
      To eliminate the danger of ESD, always ground yourself when removing the power
      cord.  Power on the system and boot into DOS with a DOS boot disk.  Once DOS has
      booted up and you are at a command line interface plug the power cord of the hard
      drive back in.  Run HDDerase.exe.  The logic in this method is to prevent the
      drives detection in BIOS, which is when the freeze lock command is issued.


      Thanks :)