Trying to activate self encrypting hard drive - No Option for drive encryption in HP Client Security

[IanMich · Accepted solution]

Here is my final chapter in trying to lock my self-encrypting drive (SED):

I have learned that HP Client Security is not supported on Windows 10 and will not lock my Samsung SED. HP technical support suggested I use Window's bitlocker to encrypt my drive. Bitlocker is a software based encryption service. I refuse to do this because of the performance degradation (the whole reason I bought a hardware based SED).

To set an authentication key and lock my drive I have been forced to purchased Winmagic's SecurDoc, which is the only non-enterprise software I could find that will lock my drive. It cost me over $100.

I am quite disappointed with HP for selling me a SED without the ability to lock it myself without additional software. I'll give them some credit that this was a custom set-up, and some blame should go to Microsoft for not allowing HP client security free reign.

More information I didn't find useful:

To lock a SED one needs to set an authentication key. I have read that many manufacturers will not enable this ability in the BIOS for fear that the customer will lock it and forget the password making the maching unless.

Another solution to my problem would be to obtain custom files to unlock this ability in the BIOS, this is beyond my ability.

I came across a few other solutions but they are beyond my ability as a computer user.

[Dennis_Handly]

> I am quite disappointed with HP for selling me a SED without the ability to lock it

Hmm.  It may be the cost difference between non-SED and SED is small.  Perhaps as little as $10 if the vendor already supplies them.  I.e. just different firmware.

[Willemm]

I believe Bitlocker supports hardware encryption (once certain parameters are met). If the system is configured correctly and encryption is enabled on the drive, Bitlocker will use hardware encryption to encrypt the drive.

It's easy to verify, as the encryption stage will take a matter of seconds once you enable Bitlocker (as Bitlocker doesn't actually have to do anything).

[MrPin]

I just purchased an HP computer with windows 10 installed and was offered an option to include an SED.  Did you have any luck using WinMagic to encrypt the drive correctly.  I am having a hard time understanding how HP can continue to offer a product that it has no intention of supporting.   At best this is customer unfriendly, at worst deceitful.

[IanMich]

Yes, WinMagic's Securedocs program works just fine. I had a little trouble setting it up but within a day I had it up and running.

[MrPin]

I am ytrying to install SecureDoc but from the instructions, it should recognize the SED during the install.  So far not happening.  Did you have to change any BIOS settings to get the softwareto recognize the SED

[IanMich]

I might have had to mess around a bit in the BIOS, I can't remember. But not so it will recongnize the SED. You can't really tell before you encrypt.

You'll know it found SED when the encryption takes five or ten seconds rather than the several minutes it would take for a software encryption to happen.

After you finish you can also see in the control panel, under Encryption Management it should list your drive and then:
"Encrypted: Yes (HWE)"  HWE = Hardware encryption

[IanMich]

I remember I was having trouble installing the SecureDocs pre-boot login. I contacted WinMagic Technical Support and gave me the advise below which solved the problem:

Thanks for contacting WinMagic Technical Support. In regards to the issue you are experiencing this normally happens because the SED's blockSID feature is enabled in the BIOS. To resolve the issue we need you to disable this feature in the BIOS and then try to install again. In the BIOS you should be able to locate this under the Hard Drive Utilities. Depending on the model device you will see Disable SID Management or Enable SID Management.

[td101]

hi, this one worked for me on a 840 G2 and Crucial SED:

https://helgeklein.com/blog/2015/01/how-to-enable-bitlocker-hardware-encryption-with-ssd/

essentially:

1. do this during windows setup:

Diskpart Clean

The disk needs to be in uninitialized state. Open an elevated command prompt and type (this deletes all data on your second hard disk!):

• diskpart
• list disk
• select disk 1
• clean

(open CMD-box with shift+F10 during windows setup)

right after you finished the windows setup (first logon to newly installed windows), activate bitlocker. it should use hardware encryption then.

good luck, Tino.

[SEDutil]

Instructions for setting up SEDutil to encrypt a WIndows 10 NVME boot drive are here:

https://sedutil.com

SEDutil works with Intel and AMD systems, even in setups where hardware Bitlocker is blocked due to BIOS limitations.