unlock utility for linux

[Bill Davidsen]

Antonio Olivares wrote:
> Dear fellow Fedora users,
> 
> Does there exist a utility within linux, be it fedora or other that can unlock a locked hard drive.  A friend of mine gave me a disk and he told me that it was mine to keep, the problem was that the hard drive was locked and if I could unlock it I can keep it.  I tried the Gparted Live CD, Slax Live CD and the device exists, but it gives errors like 
> 
> /dev/sda input output error
> 
> or something like that.  I read something about dd doing powerful things like cleaning up disks or wiping them clean, how can one use a utility like that with a hard drive that was locked.  Someone locked it up and the warranty on the disk is gone, so I could get to keep the disk, but the catch is to reset it/unlock it.
> 
Unfortunately, "something like that" doesn't help, you will need to he exact 
message and we *might* be able to help. If you friend has a sense of humor then 
"locked" might mean "broken" and he's having you on a bit. Otherwise post the 
error message and that might tell us something as well. Please post the make and 
model, that may be relevant.

You might run these commands as well, if the new drive isn't hdb use the correct 
name, obviously. Run as root.
   fdisk -l /dev/hdb
   hdparm -N /dev/hdb

As noted, "locked" can mean many things, if it's hardware password protected you 
hope there's a jumper to erase it, but it could just be broken.

-- 
Bill Davidsen <davidsen at tmr.com>
   "We have more to fear from the bungling of the incompetent than from
the machinations of the wicked."  - from Slashdot