2.5 inch hybrid hdd toshiba mq04abf100 Master Password

[atharv074]

Hi, I owned a HP laptop 15' bought in lockdown. I5 10Gen G. I had taken out its HDD from Toshiba and kept it in my closet for a long time, and a few weeks ago I tried to plug it into my pc to get back the data, then it consistently said try password...and I don't have any idea how it got a password that I don't even know? Is it a master password thing or something else?

[Max3Aj]

@atharv074, Welcome to HP Support Community. 

Thank you for posting your query, I will be glad to help you. 
I understand how frustrating it can be to encounter a password prompt on a hard drive you haven’t used in a while especially when you're trying to recover important data.
 

The Toshiba MQ04ABF100 HDD is likely protected by a BIOS-level ATA password (also known as a HDD password). This can be set by the system BIOS for security purposes. If the drive was previously used in your HP laptop, it’s possible that the password was set automatically by the BIOS or during a Windows BitLocker setup.

Unfortunately, once an ATA password is set, the drive becomes locked and cannot be accessed without the correct password. There is no universal "master password" for Toshiba or HP drives that can bypass this security.
 

Here are a few steps you can take:

Try Reconnecting to the Original Laptop

• If you still have access to the original HP laptop where the drive was used:
  • Reinstall the HDD into that laptop.
  • Boot into BIOS (usually by pressing Esc, F10, or F2 during startup).
  • Check if the BIOS shows a HDD password option and allows you to unlock it.

Check for BitLocker Encryption

• If BitLocker was enabled on the drive:
  • You’ll need the BitLocker recovery key to unlock it.
  • Visit Microsoft’s BitLocker Recovery Key portal if you were signed into a Microsoft account on that laptop.

Use HP BIOS Tools (if applicable)

• Some HP business laptops allow password management via BIOS tools.
• You can refer to HP’s support article: HP Business Notebook PCs - Managing BIOS Passwords

Professional Data Recovery

• If none of the above work, and the data is critical, consider contacting a local professional data recovery service. They may be able to bypass the lock using specialized tools, though success is not guaranteed.

Important Notes

• HP does not store or manage HDD passwords once set.
• Resetting the password or formatting the drive will erase all data.
• There is no software provided by HP or Toshiba to bypass ATA passwords. 

I hope this helps. 

Take care and have a good day. 

Please click “Accepted Solution” if you feel my post solved your issue, it will help others find the solution. Select "Yes" on the bottom left to say “Thanks” for helping! 

Max3Aj

HP Support