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M400 doesn’t accept my built-in HDD password at boot

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First I assigned a 9 character long BIOS password via the Security Assist utility of my new Toshiba Portege M400 (M400-139) with Windows XP Tablet Edition. It asked me if I also want to use the same password “repeated” to cover the 22 or so (I don’t remember) characters long HDD password, and I said ok.

Then, I removed the BIOS password. But couldn’t remove the HDD password. Then I created another password which was 1 character long, and removed it, but the HDD password remained.

When I rebooted the system, it asked me the “Built-in HDD Password”. I tried entering both the 9 and 1 character long passwords but it says “Not certified”.

What should I do? Should I write tha password over and over again until it reaches 22 or so characters long? If it is the problem, then, how many characters long? I also think that the keyboard layout mapping may be a problem. I never changed the layout but maybe the factory default is different from the windows one. But I only used numbers and international standart letters.

I need immediate help. All my work is halted.

Topic

Clarifications

In reply to M400 doesn’t accept my built-in HDD password at boot

Clarifications

Did you try

In reply to M400 doesn’t accept my built-in HDD password at boot

contacting Toshiba support?

local support doesn’t seem to be competent

In reply to Did you try

Toshiba websites only allow me to contact specific local agencies and my local distributor doesn’t seem to know much.

You lost me when the BIOS password was ‘9’ chars long!

In reply to M400 doesn’t accept my built-in HDD password at boot

Whether you insert a password from the BIOS itself or by using some kind of Windows-driven eManager-type software – you CANNOT fit a quart into a pint pot!

BIOS / Boot passwords are always EIGHT characters long.

Out of curiosity, and because it ain’t giving away ANY secrets (AND because this password-generation exercise was done under 32-bit conditions):

Try entering your NINE character password with the FIRST character missing! So you start with the SECOND character out of nine!

It didn’t work…

In reply to You lost me when the BIOS password was ‘9’ chars long!

At first I thought that would be the answer…

I tried entering 8 characters beginning with the second one, then I tried using first 8 characters, then I tried completing them to 50 characters by writing them several times.

But… As I said, I used “Security Assist”, which is a Toshiba service program for Windows. And after I removed the first 9 character long password, I created a 1 character password and attempted to remove it. It only removed BIOS password, again.

Maybe it uses the password characters several times to match a specific number of characters; but it is not the maximum available space of 50; something less.

I also tried using caps on and off.

Oh, and I just tried entering the one character long password 8 times.

Nothing worked so far…

I’ve never known this input system to be successful…

In reply to It didn’t work…

I have experience of the difficulties these types of password input systems can cause.

It has ALWAYS resulted in a clean install.

What I would like to know is – when did it become socially unacceptable to just go into the old DOS-based BIOS and create your passwords from there?

just tried…

In reply to I’ve never known this input system to be successful…

I was just trying to find a way to create a backup password for the fingerprint security system, just in case the fingerprint scanner may become unusable. I saw that application and gave it a try. I never wanted to use any kind of BIOS or HDD password. After I tried, I saw that it was not the thing I was looking for, and tried to remove it immediately.

re: just tried….

In reply to just tried…

Did you try using the fingerprint scanner to get in instead of via the password? After all, you set up the password “just in case” the scanner went haywire. It should still have your fingerprint on file.

doesn’t work…

In reply to re: just tried….

Fingerprint only works for opening Windows. But now I can’t even get past the boot sequence.

If it was me….

In reply to doesn’t work…

I would be on the phone with Toshiba and stay there until the problem was resolved, even if you have to keep going up the chain of command until you reach someone who knows their “stuff”. Don’t settle for contact through their web site forcing you to contact your local resources.

Sounds like it could be an expensive exercise!!!

In reply to M400 doesn’t accept my built-in HDD password at boot

Do you have a backup of your data?

If yes, I’d use your restore disk, and see if that will solve your problems, hopefully it will reload all M/B drivers to default settings.

If not, do you have any data you cannot afford to loose?

If you do, I’d be onto Toshiba’s back, according to their web site Toshiba GmbH is responsible, if you are having trouble with them and you’re still covered or just out of warranty I’d be ringing your local consumer affairs!!!

HDD’s unbootable without password recognition

In reply to Sounds like it could be an expensive exercise!!!

There’s no way of booting HDD with a recovery CD.

It is a new PC with no unique files on it. The only thing to lose is the HDD itself. Oh, and the time I spent configuring, updating, etc..

If you’d care to Peermail me, I’ve got a few hours to kill…

In reply to HDD’s unbootable without password recognition

Email the passwords, in the order you entered them, along with which password was for what.

I’ve got nothing better to do for the next few days until I finally get my sodding stitches out.

It might be a laugh (for me I mean)!

Get well soon!..

In reply to If you’d care to Peermail me, I’ve got a few hours to kill…

Thank you so much!.. And I hope you get well soon…

I’m writing a mail right now.

Toshiba Corp phone number

In reply to M400 doesn’t accept my built-in HDD password at boot

I had to contact them once and used the phone number that came with my laptop. It was in one of the few printed papers you still get when you buy a computer. They were very helpful and did not redirect me to my local repair shop. Also, have you tried contacting the store you bought it at? They may know the answer or be able to get it for you.

They don’t know…

In reply to Toshiba Corp phone number

Oh! Do you still have that number?

No one in this country -including the technicians in the Toshiba service headquarters- knows the answer. They don’t know how Security Assist handles and rearranges passwords.

Have you tried

In reply to They don’t know…

Doing a Google search for either a location in Turkey or a Customer Services line? I was able to find for the United States but I don’t know that will help you much.

Start with the Toshiba home page.

US technics may know better…

In reply to Have you tried

No one in Turkey knows anything about this.

I can call US tecnic for help. Or if there is a contact email addres for technics which someone may suggest, I’ll try that.

It appears

In reply to US technics may know better…

http://www.csd.toshiba.com/cgi-bin/tais/su/su_sc_modSel.jsp

That is the direct link to the Toshiba support center online. It appears that they have a chat capability so may be able to help you through that channel.

Good Luck!

There’s nothing there…

In reply to It appears

Thank you but I already tried that page. There’s nothing.

About the online chat channel, at first I also thought that it was an online chat service. But it’s just a name for a knowledge database, which contains nothing about such details.

Sorry

In reply to There’s nothing there…

I was trying. Perhaps Old Mycroft will find the correct answer.

Best of luck!

WTH?

In reply to M400 doesn’t accept my built-in HDD password at boot

You guys still helping this guy? I thought we don’t help people trying to get by BIOS passwords and the such.

He should call the American techs like someone suggested. Probably gotta send in the laptop and they’ll make sure it wasn’t reported stolen.

Oh well…

In reply to WTH?

I can give it’s serial number. I have the bill on my name and my driver’s licence which I can show. But if you didn’t notice; I’m not trying to find a bypass, as there is no such thing. I’m only trying to figure out the way Security Assist converted my BIOS password to something it can use for HDD password, like repeating it several times or making it all capitals and such.

Try this!

In reply to Oh well…

create a win98 boot cd, get a copy of Clearhdd.exe and add to the cd, boot from the cd an run clearhdd 0,this should bring the HDD bck to a raw drive.

Samsung used to supply the product about 7 years ago. Perhaps they have stopped doing so because of rebirthing of stolen computers!!

HDD boots first

In reply to Try this!

I’ll try this but the HDD boots first and when I try to boot from Toshiba Recovery CD -which is bootable-, nothing happens but the password screen comes again.

Can you access the bios

In reply to HDD boots first

Can you access the bios, if so you need to change the boot priority, some bios will suggest F12 e.g to change boot order.

You need to boot to an OS that the computer can run without loading to the HDD this is why I suggest a Win98 bootdisk, then you need to get a tool called clearhdd and run from that drive

Win 98 boot disk

In reply to Can you access the bios

Do you have a PC with a Floppy drive.

No access to BIOS

In reply to Win 98 boot disk

I couldn’t find a way to access BIOS screen. The password prompt comes right after Toshiba splash screen. In between, I tried many things like pressing esc, fs or fn combinations.

Yes I have a PC with a floppy drive, but the boot order of M400 is HDD first.

re: no access to BIOS

In reply to Win 98 boot disk

To get into BIOS, you press a key WHILE the spash screen is being displayed. The key you press may be the F1 key, the F2 key, the DEL key, maybe even the F10 key. But you have to press it quickly while the splash screen is being displayed, before the PW prompt.

Ok

In reply to WTH?

You got one heck of an odd problem. I have one solution: pull the HD out, no boot device, maybe you can get into the BIOS.

You might want to read these

In reply to M400 doesn’t accept my built-in HDD password at boot

http://support.toshiba-tro.de/kb0/TSB6B01MC000CR01.htm
http://support.toshiba-tro.de/kb0/TSB6301F90006R01.htm

It seems you can remove BIOS passwords but not HDD passwords. This apparently can be changed but not without knowing the old password.

I don’t know if you said this already, but if the password is only 8 characters and you entered 9 (?) most likely the last character wasn’t input. The first 8 being enough to set the password. “Repeated” would then indicate you use the original 8 not 9 keystrokes over until you run out of characters. 24 characters would seem to make better sense then 22.

Otherwise, it looks like you need a new hdd.

Here’s what I did & my new puzzle…

In reply to M400 doesn’t accept my built-in HDD password at boot

Thanks for all your help. Here’s what I did:

I went to Toshiba service.
They tookout the HDD, reset the BIOS (it was unreachable because of HDD boot priority), installed a new HDD (which I fully paid), gave the old HDD to me.

I guess I know more now.

First of all, HDD password was the one I entered. 9 characters long, or the second one; 1 character long. But they didn’t work, because the system hibernated after I set the password; not rebooted. That’s why the password didn’t work. In a manuel, I saw that if the system goes hibernation after setting a password, then the password won’t be set properly.

Now I have a working system without a BIOS or HDD problem.

But… What about my old HDD? I know the password, but it’s not properly set because of hibernaton. How can I save the HDD?

re: new/same puzzle

In reply to Here’s what I did & my new puzzle…

This isn’t a new puzzle. It’s the same one. You set a HDD password on that drive and now it’s unreachable in it’s current state. Like they told you, password wasn’t set properly on the HDD. So, any of the data on that HDD is now lost.

You might be able to stick the drive in as a slave/secondary drive then allow Windows to format it (wipe it) so you can use as extra storage. And, I’m not even sure Windows would be able to do it. You might need a 3rd party utility like the HDD manufacturer’s boot disk to delete all partitions and then something like Kill Disk to zero out the drive. Once zero’d, the manufacturer’s boot disk can create new partitions. After that, Windows should be able to format it for use.

Sounds like a bit of a paperweight

In reply to Here’s what I did & my new puzzle…

According to Toshiba, you can not, and they will not, defeat the HDD password. What puzzles me, is that if the password did not set properly due to the hibernation issue, there should be no password set at all. Have you tried this without entering any pw? Just hit enter if it asks for one?

My only other suggestions are (and forgive me if I propose something you have tried already) are:
Enter just the 8 or 9 characters without repeating.

Contact Toshiba in Germany and tell them why the pw is fouled up — due to the hibernate issue. Maybe they will trade a new drive for yours as you are not trying to “steal data”.

During downtime, try the brute force method of entering all possible repeats for you possible passwords (although I believe you said that the 9 character pw was definitely the one).

See if you can format the drive in an older machine as a slave drive. Even if you can’t format it correctly, you can re-format in your new machine as long as you can access it. You are not supposed to be able to swap these drives into another machine after setting the pw, but in a machine with an old BIOS, maybe running Linux or Minix or some other OS, it might just work.

Wait until a forensic hardware tool is available, or find an expert who can remove the pw. The password is stored in a subfolder of the Windows directory, so you just need the drive electronics or BIOS to not look for it.

If, at some point, you are willing to risk it all (as in, you are just going to throw it away anyway), try degaussing it very, very briefly. If you’re really lucky, you might wipe enough data without destroying the drive. This is highly unlikely.

Best of luck to you sir.
As for me, I’ve probably gone waaay over the edge here.

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