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I have been attempting to wipe and reinstall Mint Linux on a Dell XPS-13 ultrabook laptop. I like to completely obliterate data on the drive between installations, for security, and to start from scratch. Unfortunately I have gone and gotten my mSATA drive (a Crucial M500 480GB) into a pickle.

I used these instructions to add a password to the drive, which is a precondition for using a disk erase command. So, I did exactly this:

sudo hdparm --user-master u --security-set-pass foobar /dev/sda

I was about to issue the --security-erase-enhanced command, and then I realised I was in an OS that relied on this drive (including swap space), so I decided to reboot to a copy of Linux Mint on a USB stick. Unfortunately, not continuing with the erase at this point was a mistake.

I now:

  • am asked for an HDD password when I boot the computer, at the Dell/BIOS level
  • have found the password set above, "foobar", does not work
  • cannot use F2, F12 or escape to get to the BIOS before the HDD password is requested
  • cannot boot from a USB stick

However, I have been able to physically remove the the mSATA drive, and then boot from a USB stick. So the computer works fine, it's just the drive that is failing.

I have read these posts:

These, and posts like them, indicate that one should try this or that command, but that is not possible for me - the ultrabook co-operates with the disk password lock so that I am locked out of the whole computer while the mSATA is in place. I cannot boot from another device.

I am certain I am getting the password correct, and it is not accepted. If I try three times it locks the computer up until it is rebooted. I do not believe that I can boot from USB and then insert the mSATA drive - it is not designed to be hot-plug like a USB drive, and I suspect that action would fry something.

There is some chatter around the web about finding master passwords for the drive (by brand and/or model) but I can't find anything for Crucial. It is not clear whether the BIOS is asking for a master or a user password.

I think the computer is fine, and I could just buy a new SSD drive. However, I suspect the existing one is fine, and I just need to know how to reset it. I don't want to keep the data on the drive, and indeed I want to do a complete reset.

What can I try next? I am willing to buy a USB mSATA caddy, but I have seen warnings around the web that hdparm commands can't be used over USB.

halfer
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1 Answers1

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An mSATA USB 3.0 caddy was the answer here. I booted from a live Mint USB stick, and then plugged in the mSATA device once the computer had settled down.

I ran this information command to confirm the drive was locked:

hdparm -I /dev/sdX

I then confirmed that I could remove the user-level password, and then ran the information command again to confirm:

hdparm --user-master u --security-disable foobar /dev/sdX
hdparm -I /dev/sdX

Finally I followed these instructions to reset the drive:

hdparm --user-master u --security-set-pass foobar /dev/sdX
hdparm --user-master u --security-erase-enhanced foobar /dev/sdX

(If you are copying these commands, swap /dev/sdX for your real drive, and please do triple-check using your Disks utility that you are using the right drive reference - this set of commands is completely irreversible).

It looks like my Dell laptop scanned all drives for "locked" status, and demanded a password even if there was a valid boot drive in the sequence before the locked drive. I suppose ultimately this is an anti-theft measure, intended to make it harder to sell a stolen laptop in a pawn shop. I am in two minds about this - it defeats thieves who have a casual understanding of technology, but it was hardly difficult to get around it.

Unfortunately, the password it required was not the one I set - I set the "user" password, but I guess it wanted the "master" password, which I do not have. Perhaps if I had spent more time searching, I would have found the default master password for Crucial drives of this type.

halfer
  • 137