Weird SSD Issue

[Topcat]

Re: Weird SSD Issue

If interrupting a secure erase causes passwords, it's on me. After dban fought with it for 10 hours and said there was still 8 days to go, I just shut it off....

[ratdude747]

Re: Weird SSD Issue

If interrupting a secure erase causes passwords, it's on me. After dban fought with it for 10 hours and said there was still 8 days to go, I just shut it off....

That explains a lot...

From what I'm reading the utility that was used set a temporary password which was never cleared.

Topcat, what utility did you use to issue the secure write instruction? Once I know that I might be able to go somewhere. In the mean time, I'll try some more common "defaults" and see if I can crack it.

[Topcat]

Re: Weird SSD Issue

it was DBAN

[ratdude747]

Re: Weird SSD Issue

it was DBAN

From what I'm reading DBAN doesn't "secure erase" using the ATA instruction... and also the methods it does use aren't recommended for SSDs (due to the way SSD's work compared to a rotating HDD- the methods will kill the wear leveling lifespan among other issues). For SSDs I'm reading the best option is the boot utility made by the SSD OEM (in this case, the OCZ utility listed for this model), which will "secure erase" the drive using the built-in "secure erase" function as per the ATA standard. The setting of a temporary password is part of the standard which is to protect against half-erased drives being read after a malicious party kills power during the erase.

Did the drive work at all before you tried to DBAN it? Or was the DBAN an attempt to fix it (which probably froze due to being locked out)? Or did they add an SSD-rated "secure erase" function to DBAN that my research isn't showing? OCZ drives locking themselves like this isn't unheard of but the usual fix of secure erasing from the OCZ utility didn't work for me.

[Topcat]

Re: Weird SSD Issue

No, it was not working right when I zapped it with dban. I pulled it out of a system, cloned it with 'clonezilla'. Plugged the new larger target drive into the PC, it booted right up. I put this drive into a laptop I was going to use it in.....BIOS saw it, but windows installer was unable to access it. Couldn't format it, add/remove partitions, etc.....downward spiral since. I even put it back in the system it came from, no bueno....

[junktv]

Re: Weird SSD Issue

Not sure if relevant but just had a standard drive that wouldn't show on 7 pro. A WD mypassport 1tb for mac. Using linux mint 13 maya xfce 4 it seen it and could format it every which way. Windows wouldn't see it until I installed the WD utility and formatted it with it.

[ratdude747]

Re: Weird SSD Issue

No, it was not working right when I zapped it with dban. I pulled it out of a system, cloned it with 'clonezilla'. Plugged the new larger target drive into the PC, it booted right up. I put this drive into a laptop I was going to use it in.....BIOS saw it, but windows installer was unable to access it. Couldn't format it, add/remove partitions, etc.....downward spiral since. I even put it back in the system it came from, no bueno....

May be a toasted controller then... IDK. Will try a few other things. Seems like OCZ (at least of that era) is unreliable junk...

[Topcat]

Re: Weird SSD Issue

May be a toasted controller then... IDK. Will try a few other things. Seems like OCZ (at least of that era) is unreliable junk...

The first I've heard of that....I used dozens of them in the last 10 years, this one was the first casualty....and it was fine until removed. No idea what went wrong. Whatever happened to it, I probably did it... COntroller is fine, it was just an ICH9 onboard a RoG Maximus Formula....the system is hunky dory with the new one that was cloned off this dead one, and there were no issues prior, just upgraded to a larger one. FWIW, it has ran 24/7/365 for 3~4 years....

[ratdude747]

Re: Weird SSD Issue

The first I've heard of that....I used dozens of them in the last 10 years, this one was the first casualty....and it was fine until removed. No idea what went wrong. Whatever happened to it, I probably did it... COntroller is fine, it was just an ICH9 onboard a RoG Maximus Formula....the system is hunky dory with the new one that was cloned off this dead one, and there were no issues prior, just upgraded to a larger one. FWIW, it has ran 24/7/365 for 3~4 years....

I meant the controller on the SSD itself, not you mobo!

[ratdude747]

Re: Weird SSD Issue

She's bricked... hdparm keeps kicking back "sg_io bad/missing sense data" errors whenever I try to do anything. Tried on several systems to no avail. From what I read this indicates a failed SSD controller... *trashcan*

[Topcat]

Re: Weird SSD Issue

Ohh well....was worth a shot. I wonder what caused it...

[brethin]

Re: Weird SSD Issue

She's bricked... hdparm keeps kicking back "sg_io bad/missing sense data" errors whenever I try to do anything. Tried on several systems to no avail. From what I read this indicates a failed SSD controller... *trashcan*

Ratdudde drop it in a envelope and send it to me,. If I get it working I'll send it back to you for free. I have a few tools for OCZ I can't share because they are tied to a certain machine but may be able to help you out.

[ratdude747]

Re: Weird SSD Issue

Ratdudde drop it in a envelope and send it to me,. If I get it working I'll send it back to you for free. I have a few tools for OCZ I can't share because they are tied to a certain machine but may be able to help you out.

PM sent... but if anything send it back to topcat if you get it to work since it was his to start.

[Topcat]

Re: Weird SSD Issue

^
Nah, its yours.....

[Per Hansson]

Re: Weird SSD Issue

One issue... I don't have either the user or the master password! Both methods seem to require one to know the password already... which I don't since it wasn't set by a conscious person.

Topcat didn't set it... it set itself due to a glitch of some sort?

Bricked?

If the drive is in "frozen" state (ATA command) and sleeping the drive does not unset it then you can try pulling power to the drive for a second or two, that should clear it
(Frozen status is enabled by the PC BIOS during POST).

However if the drive is encrypted then you first need to clear the encryption key, this is done using a PSID revert, tools for this should exist if the drive supports it.
And the password to do so should be printed on the drive itself.
However a quick Google seems to indicate that this SSD does not support encryption, in that case the issue can not be with the encryption key being set...