# Acer Hard Drive Security Lock, Need advice.



## Melvis (Jan 23, 2017)

Hey guys, I have a laptop here a Acer MS2394 and its done the old hard drive lock thing where it needs a password for it to continue. Now I have seen this many yrs ago and I had to short circuit the system or take out the battery of the laptop (I couldn't as it was soldered to the board) and this fixed the issue, and I did this as a last resort because finding a password for it became impossible and eating up way to much time.  

Anyway I thought I put this post up to see if anything has changed in resent yrs to get around this without pulling this thing apart.


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## R-T-B (Jan 23, 2017)

This is an ATA security lock.  You will actaully need the password or a new HDD, to my knowledge.


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## Caring1 (Jan 23, 2017)

Perhaps the resident Rep can help?
@https://www.techpowerup.com/forums/members/supersoph_wd.151876/


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## Melvis (Jan 23, 2017)

R-T-B said:


> This is an ATA security lock.  You will actaully need the password or a new HDD, to my knowledge.



 I hope not, Im pretty sure Ive had this issue in the past and resting the BIOS fixed the problem, but time will tell i guess.


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## eidairaman1 (Jan 23, 2017)

http://www.top-password.com/blog/how-to-reset-hdd-password-on-acer-laptop/
http://forum.hddguru.com/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=19569
https://community.acer.com/t5/Legac...ere-Windows-is-installed-is-locked/m-p/423739








http://isunshare.blogspot.com/2013/11/how-to-remove-hdd-password-on-acer-laptop.html


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## Athlonite (Jan 23, 2017)

Last time I saw this happen someone did it as a joke at a party and later couldn't remember the pword it cost them a new HDD because the pword is not stored in the BIOS it's stored on the HDD


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## Melvis (Jan 23, 2017)

Sadly none of those Videos helped me eidairaman1, but thanks anyway 

By the looks of things ill be doing this > 










Athlonite said:


> Last time I saw this happen someone did it as a joke at a party and later couldn't remember the pword it cost them a new HDD because the pword is not stored in the BIOS it's stored on the HDD



Well that would suck if that is true, I will have to reset the BIOS first and see what happens, if this doesnt work then yep HDD swap out time.


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## Athlonite (Jan 23, 2017)

This is why I hate working with laptops like that it takes pretty much an entire system breakdown just to get to the CMOS battery


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## Melvis (Jan 23, 2017)

Athlonite said:


> This is why I hate working with laptops like that it takes pretty much an entire system breakdown just to get to the CMOS battery



Exactly! I really hate laptops like this that have no removable back panels to get to things, cheap and nasty POS.


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## R-T-B (Jan 23, 2017)

If it is an ATA lock, the cmos battery would not help you anyways.  It's managed by the HDD and is might even be a sed drive (self encrypting drive).

2 types of people use seds:  people with something legal to hide, and people with something illegal to hide.  I know this because I'm a sed user (work related, I have to have one even at home for the job, so I'd fall into the former).  Depending on where this laptop came from, it may or may not be a blessing you can't boot into it.

You have a genuine pandoras box.  I do not advise attempting to pry it further open.


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## Black.Raven (Jan 23, 2017)

I have a hard drive with a password laying around somewhere. The thing is that it only works in the Acer laptop, and there is no way of getting the password off easily. Haven't come around a solution yet. Maybe the best solution is to get a new hard drive, as you are going to lose some hours finding a way around the password, if there is any. And as said before, the password is on the drive and not in your bios. Your bios only can configure a password.


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## Mussels (Jan 24, 2017)

I flashed a modded bios to my new acer laptop last night, that revealed the pre-existing password.

sadly it seems your model is write protected, and thus no mods are available :/


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## Melvis (Jan 24, 2017)

Well I guess either way Im going to have to pull this thing apart. If im lucky I might be able to convince her to sell it to me so I can repair it and sell it on. 

If I press the thing that comes up on screen three times it gives me this



But the code doesnt unlock the drive


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## Toothless (Jan 24, 2017)

Numbers to letters?


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## jboydgolfer (Jan 24, 2017)

I remember dealing with some kind of security lock on older Dell Latitude laptop's and jumping the EEPROM  chip was the only way to resolve short of getting the password for the lock removed


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## R-T-B (Jan 24, 2017)

How deep in is the HDD?  And do you have the old windows license and/or a sticker for the license or something?

I ask because, I have a bunch of old 2.5" HDDs around, and if what I suspect is right, replacing the HDD and reinstalling the OS would get it booting.  That is, if there is no data the customer wants.

I'd be glad to send you one for like, 5 bucks.  I think I have a 320GB one.


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## Melvis (Jan 24, 2017)

Toothless said:


> Numbers to letters?



I didnt think of that, doh! and ive already pulled it apart now.



R-T-B said:


> How deep in is the HDD?  And do you have the old windows license and/or a sticker for the license or something?
> 
> I ask because, I have a bunch of old 2.5" HDDs around, and if what I suspect is right, replacing the HDD and reinstalling the OS would get it booting.  That is, if there is no data the customer wants.
> 
> I'd be glad to send you one for like, 5 bucks.  I think I have a 320GB one.



It wasnt to bad to pull apart to be honest, so removing the Hard drive etc was pretty easy. 

This computer has no stickers on it what so ever, nothing, so Im guessing its a W10 machine?

I havent been told if there is any Data they want on it but plugging it in to my docking station does nothing. It wont let me into it.

Are you located in Australia? lol


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## R-T-B (Jan 24, 2017)

Melvis said:


> Are you located in Australia? lol



Doh!  No, I am not.  I've checked shipping before there too, it's like $35 for an envelope... lol. 

Sorry.


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## Melvis (Jan 24, 2017)

R-T-B said:


> Doh!  No, I am not.  I've checked shipping before there too, it's like $35 for an envelope... lol.
> 
> Sorry.



All good  I have a few spare drives here anyway and just testing a 1TB Seagate in the laptop, ill install 10 on it now and see how it runs and find out system specs etc and see if I can buy it off her and resell it.


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## Melvis (Jan 24, 2017)

Removing the battery wasnt able to reset the BIOS argh! I forgot to mention but yes the BIOS is also password protected, and now for some reason (not that I knew before hand) the touch pad doesnt work.... starting to become a real nightmare this laptop.

I wonder if I updated the BIOS would this clear the current password? so I can get into the BIOS?


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## Black.Raven (Jan 24, 2017)

a flashing process resets the bios normally, yes


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## Melvis (Jan 24, 2017)

Wow, even updating the BIOS to the latest version still didnt reset the BIOS password....what a joke.


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## Caring1 (Jan 24, 2017)

Melvis said:


> Well I guess either way Im going to have to pull this thing apart. If im lucky I might be able to convince her to sell it to me so I can repair it and sell it on.
> 
> If I press the thing that comes up on screen three times it gives me thisView attachment 83371
> 
> But the code doesnt unlock the drive


Worth a try.
try the password three times, and a dialog box should pop up with a code as above. Punch in the code to unlock the bios here...

http://bios-pw.org/
I haven't used this site, only found it online, use at own risk. I have no idea if they charge or if it is free.


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## R-T-B (Jan 24, 2017)

Try 78699584


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## Jetster (Jan 24, 2017)

Take the HD and toss it in the trash.


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## Papahyooie (Jan 24, 2017)

Back in the day, the modders of the original xbox did some work with grabbing the unlock key using a linux tool. The original xbox used (what I assume is, if I remember correctly) the same on-disk locking technique. Surely someone has done the same for a "normal" computer.


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## Melvis (Jan 25, 2017)

Caring1 said:


> Worth a try.
> try the password three times, and a dialog box should pop up with a code as above. Punch in the code to unlock the bios here...
> 
> http://bios-pw.org/
> I haven't used this site, only found it online, use at own risk. I have no idea if they charge or if it is free.



Yeah I tried that and it still wont except the code it gives me.



R-T-B said:


> Try 78699584



I shall give it ago now see what happens.



Jetster said:


> Take the HD and toss it in the trash.



I think this is whats going to happen, im just about had enough of playing with this thing


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## Melvis (Jan 25, 2017)

Caring1 said:


> Worth a try.
> try the password three times, and a dialog box should pop up with a code as above. Punch in the code to unlock the bios here...
> 
> http://bios-pw.org/
> I haven't used this site, only found it online, use at own risk. I have no idea if they charge or if it is free.



Correction! That site actually worked! I was able to get into the BIOS, the password they gave me let me in  Now ive cleared the passwords from the BIOS and also was able to turn the touch pad back on! so THANK YOU very much for that, still cant get the HDD unlocked but meh no biggy now really


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## francus_caetus (Jul 8, 2021)

Hello, I know it ha


Caring1 said:


> Worth a try.
> try the password three times, and a dialog box should pop up with a code as above. Punch in the code to unlock the bios here...
> 
> http://bios-pw.org/
> I haven't used this site, only found it online, use at own risk. I have no idea if they charge or if it is free.



Helo, I know it has been sometime... But this site totally works. thanks


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