Weird SSD Issue

[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...

[Topcat]

Re: Weird SSD Issue

^
Nah, its yours.....

[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.

[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.

[Topcat]

Re: Weird SSD Issue

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

[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*

[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!

[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

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...

[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.

[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....

[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

it was DBAN

[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

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....

[RJARRRPCGP]

Re: Weird SSD Issue

Can't... if you don't have the current password, you can't set the new password. If this isn't the case, please give me the command for such, as all the hdparm stuff I found required the existing password and running off a live arch stick I couldn't get anywhere.

Normally, that don't happen, unless someone powered down during an ATA secure erase.

And you can normally set any password, just not too long, I would try 12 characters. (normally without an existing password)

And if it shows "frozen", put the PC to sleep, with the desktop menu, then wake the PC back up.

[Sparkey55]

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?

I think HDAT2 or MHDD32 have options to unlock passwords and to reset the drives.

[ratdude747]

Re: Weird SSD Issue

This is a piece of cake under Linux. With ATA secure erase, you set the password, then let it complete.

Can't... if you don't have the current password, you can't set the new password. If this isn't the case, please give me the command for such, as all the hdparm stuff I found required the existing password and running off a live arch stick I couldn't get anywhere.

[RJARRRPCGP]

Re: Weird SSD Issue

This is a piece of cake under Linux. With ATA secure erase, you set the password, then let it complete.

[ratdude747]

Re: Weird SSD Issue

Well, it's not really a OCZ this drive, but a rebaged Toshiba drive.
So you might need to use Toshiba's tools for it (if such exists).

If not I've had success with Linux hdparm: https://ata.wiki.kernel.org/index.php/ATA_Secure_Erase
However please exhaust all other options before you try that.
For example the MS-DOS utility hdderase.exe is a "safer" tool...

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?