Tecra Laptops

[#1]

Hi to all!

I bought this notebook used, and I read, for example here

http://203.56.127.51/topic/pdf/DOWNLOADS/BROCHURES/TecraS1-141103-TJ7792_TecraS12.pdf

(under "Security")

that this notebook has the hard disk password features, that is, when you set the password, it is asked to access the hard disk when booting the computer

I'll be dumb, but I can't find this option among the BIOS options!

The only password that can be set is the boot password, that is the password asked when the computer boots

[#2]

It isn't set in the bios.  See page 179 of the User's Guide for instructions on how to set the HDD Password.  If you can't find the User's Guide on your hard drive in Adobe Acrobat Format you can download it from the Support Site.

1. Click on the Product Support Link at the top of this page
2. Click on the BLUE TEXT LINK that states Show All Models
3. Enter in your model information
4. Click on the User's Guide Tab.
5. Save or Print the User's Guide.

[#3]

Thanks! You know, I have the Italian user's guide, and this procedure is not mentioned!

And then... I don't have installed HDDPW utility!!! I only have SVPWUTIL

Can you tell me what utility should I download?

[#4]

When I looked at the User's Guide from the website it mentioned that not all of the hard drives supported that option.  I've never worked with one of them so I can only tell you what the manual says. 

[#5]

Well, I couldn't find the hddpw utility anywhere, so... I more or less succesfully set the hdd password using a program called atapwd; more or less, because if I set a "real" password (that is alphanumerical, for example cazzo80), it's not accepted when booting the notebook! It always says "wrong password"! I tried on two computers of mine, I can't understand why!

So, the only "password" set with atapwd that worked... is a blank password! That is, you just press enter!

However, I need the hdd password only to protect the hard disk in the case it's connected to another computer for example through an USB box

In fact, of course I have also set the boot password

[#6]

I don't know a lot about the hdd password functionality.  I don't use them personally.  Maybe one of the other members will chime in on this. 

[#7]

I believe the only way to accomplish what you wish is to encrypt the drive.  There are a number of ways to do that, the easiest is the use Bitlocker if you have the Enterprise or Ulitmate versions of Vista or Windows 7.  Lacking that, you can get something like DriveCrypt.  These use very secure encryption algorhithms and should be proof against anything short of an expert with a Cray.

[#8]

Thanks for the suggestion!

Actually, usually I use TrueCrypt, which is the best solution to protect hard disks

However, in this case I can't use it, because I need to make periodically a full backup of the hard disk and, if it's encrypted, it's a problem, and it needs to be decrypted before making the backup