Can I boot a SSD-from-another-computer, where that SSD has a password?

Framework Laptop 13 Linux
1

Hello all

I am planning the admittedly somewhat risky procedure of inserting into my new Framework 13 AMD (when it arrives) [EDIT: the laptop will be a 7040 Series 13" one, from the batch that is about to start shipping] a SSD that is from an existing laptop. That existing laptop was a ThinkPad X1CG6 (running Linux Mint 22; and that laptop will not boot, because of - what is definitely - a motherboard problem).

Now - making the procedure riskier still, and it is this about which I wish to ask here - that SSD has a password. That password was set by the UEFI BIOS of the ThinkPad, but I believe that it resides within the SSD itself. My question is: will the Framework laptop be able to prompt me for the password?

2

You won’t do any harm if you try.

Also, it sounds like you set a BIOS password on your Thinkpad, so the SSD shouldn’t be encrypted and therefore should work in a different laptop. Good luck!

3

Thanks. However:

  1. I think that the password is specifically a disc password;

  2. it will do harm if it will not work, because I have no means of formatting the disk, and thus will have to order, and await, a new one (and, of course, reinstall the OS).

4

I think that the password is specifically a disc password

Hopefully you are presented with a password screen. If not, you might find some useful related info in this thread.

I have no means of formatting the disk

If you can’t work out how to unlock the drive and if you have another computer, raspberry pi, etc, you could flash an external thumb drive with the installer for your OS of choice. Then, you boot to that thumb drive on the new framework. The installer will let you format/wipe the hard drive in question.

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5

Thanks.

Framework support have assured me today by email that the Framework laptop will prompt for the password and accept the correct password. Hooray!

I’m surprised by the idea that I could format the drive if I cannot unlock it. For, one would think that the locking would prevent any changes to the drive, rather than just prevent booting from it. Perhaps I misconceive the nature of the lock.

Thanks for the link, though I find the linked page confusing. (The link does show, though, (1) a Framework laptop prompting for what seems to be the type of password in question, (2) a really very nice and usable looking BIOS interface.)

6

If it’s opal there is a special code to wipe the drive printed on the label, generally this kind of security feature is a lot more concerned with nobody getting access to the data without the key than protecting it from destruction.

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7

‘Opal’? I.e. made by this organisation? The drive is the one than came with my ThinkPad.

I’ll look at the drive’s label - which is set to be very small - when I remove it to put it into the Framework laptop.

8

Opal is not a brand, rather it’s a standard that some drives use

9

No this one

That may be a problem, thinkpads do use opal but at least on the x260 it also did something to the password that made unlocking not work on other devices, wiping was fine though.

It’s called PSID and is pretty long, you should find it on the label, usually close to the serial number.

1 Like
10

Right. Thanks. I find that the drive in question is described thus in some specifications that I found: ‘512GB Solid State Drive PCIe OPAL2.0 M.2 2280’. So that’s good news - it means I should be able to wipe the drive if need be.