Password was lost/forgotten
Data is already saved/recovered - that’s not the issue.
Can’t seem to reset/format/erase the drive to allow it to be re-used. Every time I format the drive as soon as I plug it back in it tells me it’s still locked. What am I missing? Is a specific software that needs to be used to erase this drive?
If I remember correctly, if you input an incorrect password a few times (5 comes to mind, but don’t take that as gospel) it should offer you the option to reset (wiping everything in the process).
That reset will remove the password, along with everything on the drive itself.
Edited to add - found the link below which may be useful. It confirms the 5x count before the erase option appears.
I have attempted to put in what I thought the password was a couple dozen times. Additionally, I have intentionally entered multiple random entries in an attempt to get it to offer the option to reset. All to no avail.
I think the problem I’m running into is that the drive is currently unlocked. meaning I can access everything on it, and have the options available to remove or change the password. The problem is, I can do neither without knowing the password. So the drive is essentially stuck in this limbo. where it’s not really locked… but there is an unknown password hovering. So if the drive is ever inadvertently locked or auto locks, everything on it would be lost.
Meanwhile, it’s not presenting an option to erase the drive.
Formatting it does not seem to remove the password.
rsteele, I have the same problem. I think it’s because my drive it auto-unlocked. So I still have access to all the data on this PC. I have options to remove the password or turn off auto-unlock, but it needs a password to do wither of those things. It lets me try an infinite number of incorrect passswords without any option to wipe the drive.
How did you sort out the problem? I email WD support but they just suggested i enter the passwrod incorrectly 5 times which you and I have both found doesn’t work.
Ignore this post, I found a way. For future users having the problem instead of the standard WD advice to enter the wrong password 5 time and be prompted to erase the drive (which did not happen for me), I downloaded WD Drive Utilities which has an erase option. At first it told me the drive was busy and wouldn’t let me. I rebooted the PC and again it still said that the drive was busy. Then I shut down all non-essentials programs and tired to erase again and it worked. I don’t understand it, but at least I have my drive back.