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Windows 8.1 locked my SSD, need help.

RipVanFit
Level 7
Hello guys, short story long:

My ROG G750JS with Windows 8.1 64 got stuck for 5 or more minutes, ctrl+alt+del didn't work. I shut the laptop down using the button. When power up, the OS is stuck at loading system. I use the USB recovery stick made by myself using asus backtracker to recover the system. The tool loads but after some minutes fails to locate the recovery files (i don’t know why, the files are in the USB and i have two of the USB sticks from different brands and the output is the same, error finding the recovery files).

Anyway, i use another USB with windows 8.1 installation files. Load the repair tools, refresh didn’t work, restore either. Both keep telling me my SSD drive is locked. From the same tools i open the command windows and tried to fix the MBR using bootrec commands fixmbr, fixboot,rebuildbcd without luck. I use diskpart to erase all the partitions and install windows again over my SSD without luck again. Diskpart clean command refuses to erase the disk because is locked. Then i let the automatic windows repair tool fix the problem by itself, without luck again, everything fails.

I replaced the SSD with another hard drive with windows 8 installed and the SSD as a secondary drive, the computer works fine, both the hard drive and the SSD are recognized. I use the computer management tool to erase the partitions on the SSD and install windows back but it is impossible, i cannot delete or erase or format any of the partitions of the SSD, the options are greyed out. I suspect a physical problem on the SSD. I proceed to download a Sandisk Tool to check the SSD integrity. Run the test and everything is fine.

Then i use an ubuntu live USB to try to fix the locked SSD. Run Gparted, it recognized my drives and all the partitions but its unable to do any operations over the disk. Then i use ntfsfix command without luck. Not even trying to install ubuntu on the disk is possible, keeps telling me there is a windows MBR partition and cannot delete that.

All the things that i describe before was my attempt to fix the problem by myself. I spend three days researching over the internet and on forums. There is a lot of people complaining because of this, some of them have more luck than others. All of this problems are because windows 8.1 have the option to fastboot the computer but if something fails or the PC didn’t shut down properly the disk gets locked. This option should be off by default.

I really need help with this. What else should i do?

(BTW, i already send the same information to technical support, awaiting for an answer)
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8 REPLIES 8

installer
Level 8
You didn't set a hdd password did you?
G750JW-T4041H | i7-4700HQ | 1 x 1TB Crucial M550 SSD | 2 x Samsung 2TB HDD | 32GB Crucial Ram.

VHJC
Level 7
Try to low level format it.

RipVanFit
Level 7
Installer, i really don't know how to put a password to a hard drive, so i don't think that's the problem but thanks.

VHJC, i just download a tool from Sandisk, SSD Dashboard. It has a lot of tools to diagnose and give maintenance to your SSD. It has a tool to secure erase the SSD. I tried to ran the tool but says windows 8 didn't allow secure erase the disk. But it offers me the chance to do it by USB. So i let the tool prepare a USB stick, then reset the laptop, start from USB. Sandisk secure erase inside USB runs fine, detect my SSD drive, proceed to completely wipe the disk and... stops because the disk is locked by windows. The tool suggest me to unplug the power cable from the drive, wait for 10 seconds and then connect the power to the drive again (because the only way to unlock the SSD is simulating the computer hybernate or sleep).

I can't disconnect the SSD from the power because it's inside the laptop and there is no cable, is connected directly to the motherboard. I ran to Radio Shack to buy sata cable and sata power cable but they don't have the cables (data cable didn't have the compatible jack to fit inside the laptop connector, the same for the power cable). I really don't know if the cable or the connector/adaptor exist.

I guess if i found another tool over the internet to properly low level format my SSD, the output will be the same, the disk is locked by windows 8.

Any other suggestion?

RipVanFit wrote:
Installer, i really don't know how to put a password to a hard drive, so i don't think that's the problem but thanks.

VHJC, i just download a tool from Sandisk, SSD Dashboard. It has a lot of tools to diagnose and give maintenance to your SSD. It has a tool to secure erase the SSD. I tried to ran the tool but says windows 8 didn't allow secure erase the disk. But it offers me the chance to do it by USB. So i let the tool prepare a USB stick, then reset the laptop, start from USB. Sandisk secure erase inside USB runs fine, detect my SSD drive, proceed to completely wipe the disk and... stops because the disk is locked by windows. The tool suggest me to unplug the power cable from the drive, wait for 10 seconds and then connect the power to the drive again (because the only way to unlock the SSD is simulating the computer hybernate or sleep).

I can't disconnect the SSD from the power because it's inside the laptop and there is no cable, is connected directly to the motherboard. I ran to Radio Shack to buy sata cable and sata power cable but they don't have the cables (data cable didn't have the compatible jack to fit inside the laptop connector, the same for the power cable). I really don't know if the cable or the connector/adaptor exist.

I guess if i found another tool over the internet to properly low level format my SSD, the output will be the same, the disk is locked by windows 8.

Any other suggestion?


Try with Parted Magic Live USB, it won't ask you for unplug the SSD, it will sleep the laptop so the SSD will be unlocked when you resume your laptop.

TX2000, i have the administrative password set, but the user and HDD password are not active. Secure boot is disable also.

After six days trying to unlock my SSD, Parted Magic did the trick easily. I just have to pay $9.99 to download the ISO, copy that into a USB stick and then run the tools to bypass the lock state without cable disconnections. After the fix, i recover my system with the image made with Asus Backtracker.

I did notice that after the SSD disk wipe, pagefile.sys was still there, taking like 16gb of my SSD. I tried to delete the file without luck. I also ran the Sandisk tool to secure erase the SSD without luck, still read the drive as locked. This is weird. But anyway, i did recover my drive and windows gets installed without problems.

Just in case, i disable the fastboot option in the control panel and in the BIOS. I don't want more locked drives.

Thank you very much guys for your help (BTW, Asus Technical support never replied my case)

TX2000
Level 8
maybe you got a pass in the bios? try disabling secure boot in the bios

Wulff
Level 9
fora next time that disc or a bit older version is out there for free as well, they started asking money not that long ago and im pretty sure an odler version works just as well


this was the last version i was able to find: pmagic_2014_11_19.iso

RipVanFit
Level 7
Thanks, i already download an older version but the image was faulty from where i get it. Anyways, best $10 ever spend.