SSD "frozen" - BIOS security freeze locks SSD even after secure erase

praka123 · 2014-09-14 21:46:21

I have a Intel 330 180GB SSD brand new without any Data/OS(untouched). I have once secure erased after finding hpdparm -I /dev/sda shows it is in "frozen" state - that too new, partitioned SSD. after rebooting, again hdparm showing "frozen" state which I believe is BIOS locking down SSD(Security Freeze Lock). Intel DH67CL1 motherboard which has a "UEFI" mode(!).
So, kindly suggest if what I am planning(see below) is correct steps:
1. boot gparted, secure erase (again)

2. boot gparted from DVD drive with SSD drive sata power cable removed so as to prevent BIOS doing a Security Freeze Lock.

3. reconnect sata power cable for SSD and identify the device as first device(which probably, it will).

4. format with GPT partition table, create partitions with a space of 128MB(MSP) and where to create EFI partition and what format ? Does separate / , /home and /boot needed?

5. Install grub2 from gparted(which will contain latest grub2).

6. remove SSD sata power cable, boot Archlinux cd and after live media start booting connect and continue installation.

Is this the right way to do? Also, my Motherboard is weird considering it appears as "BIOS" while have a "UEFI" option!

Last edited by praka123 (2014-09-14 21:55:06)

graysky · 2014-09-14 21:48:53

My samsung does this bullshit. Solution is to suspend the machine then wake. I updated the wiki some time ago: https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/SS … not_frozen

praka123 · 2014-09-14 21:53:47

graysky wrote:

My samsung does this bullshit. Solution is to suspend the machine then wake. I updated the wiki some time ago: https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/SS … not_frozen

Please confirm whether the steps I listed is the proper way. in my case, Intel SSD is new without any Data/os/partition table. after secure erase successfully completed and on reboot, it again shows "frozen". my worry is, if after installation, if hdparm shows the drive as locked ("frozen"), is it normal or BIOS acting up?

Last edited by praka123 (2014-09-14 21:56:30)

graysky · 2014-09-14 22:04:43

...

https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/SS … not_frozen

praka123 · 2014-09-15 05:44:22

graysky wrote:

...
https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/SS … not_frozen

I have done secure erase once. it again got security freeze locked by BIOS/UEFI. if I somehow finish Linux installation, will I have to hotswap SSD each time before booting. that's my question.

praka123 · 2014-09-18 17:30:13

I think, my question is not clear. for clarification, I can explain as: Attaching a brand new SSD to my existing computer. consider there are no other hard drives but, this unpartitioned SSD only.
1. I set BIOS(Intel DH67CL1) in UEFI enabled mode and booted with gparted live cd.
2. This CD does not comes with suspend/hibernate support. so, it may mean, I've to download pm-utils from repo into live cd and try suspending? yes, I've tried that and kernel "khubd" thread is preventing suspend from happening.
So, what options exists to unfreeze and install Linux into the new SSD?
If I hotplug SSD into sata port after UEFI/BIOS loads, will that work? is hotplugging ok with SSD's?

praka123 · 2014-09-20 09:56:58

And I have got the answers from a nice gentleman here:
http://sstahlman.blogspot.in/2014/07/ha … 4382609372

"Frozen" but "not locked" means you can install/format the drive but encryption will not work. It is a problem with the sh1tty basic BIOS/UEFI provided by Intel. I don't know if We can modify signed BIOS to enable more functionalities since Intel doesn't care to update.

frostschutz · 2014-09-20 13:38:02

Are you referring to hdparm -I where it says Security: supported, not enabled, not locked, frozen?

Drives being in frozen state is normal. Prevents malware from locking a drive with unknown password and then asking for ransom...

If you want a password you should be able to set it in the BIOS. Setting it via hdparm may render your system unusable if the BIOS then asks for a password, but doesn't let you enter it the same way you specified it with hdparm.

Otherwise, if you can't hibernate/suspend, you could just hotplug it...

Last edited by frostschutz (2014-09-20 13:42:42)

graysky · 2014-09-20 14:01:57

frostschutz wrote:

Otherwise, if you can't hibernate/suspend, you could just hotplug it...

This is what I posted a week ago, twice. You can lead a horse to water...

praka123 · 2014-09-20 18:24:18

graysky wrote:

frostschutz wrote:
Otherwise, if you can't hibernate/suspend, you could just hotplug it...
This is what I posted a week ago, twice. You can lead a horse to water...

First thing I did before coming here to post was a secure erase of the new drive since search results all point towards this.(Pls refer first thread) yes, I removed sata power cables and re-inserted and ran hdparm to unfreeze it. but, this Intel DH67BL/CL has a BIOS which keeps freezing drive. There are no options to enable drive encryption with this drive, unless you can hack into it setting jumper into configuration mode(which is irrelevant here).
Here it is:

The BIOS prompt to set a hard drive password does not initially appear in 'normal' mode.
If you hook up a hard drive with a password set on it, the BIOS does not prompt for a password, and the prompt to set a hard drive password does not appear in the BIOS security tab.
To make things even more fun, the BIOS on this board sets SECURITY FREEZE LOCK and has no option to disable it, so just using mhdd/hdat2/victoria after boot every time isn't an option, nor is hacking out an .efi module.

from the below blog.
I was under the impression that, I need to unfreeze the drive so as to complete OS installation. Since, the reason is BIOS and Intel doesn't care about a fix to set options, I was confused. it was cleared on the last link only.

frostschutz wrote:

Are you referring to hdparm -I where it says Security: supported, not enabled, not locked, frozen?
Drives being in frozen state is normal. Prevents malware from locking a drive with unknown password and then asking for ransom...
If you want a password you should be able to set it in the BIOS. Setting it via hdparm may render your system unusable if the BIOS then asks for a password, but doesn't let you enter it the same way you specified it with hdparm.
Otherwise, if you can't hibernate/suspend, you could just hotplug it...

my motherboard BIOS does not support it. hence the link to Seth Stahlman's blog: http://sstahlman.blogspot.in/2014/07/ha … 30-on.html
wherever I asked most members concluded it is a query about how to secure erase or how to remove frozen state temparorily by hotplugging. until, I found out that the frozen state on my SSD drive is set by BIOS which is quiet basic in Intel DH67CL.

anyways, thanks for all the support.

Last edited by praka123 (2014-09-20 18:36:47)

Arch Linux

#1 2014-09-14 21:46:21

SSD "frozen" - BIOS security freeze locks SSD even after secure erase

#2 2014-09-14 21:48:53

Re: SSD "frozen" - BIOS security freeze locks SSD even after secure erase

#3 2014-09-14 21:53:47

Re: SSD "frozen" - BIOS security freeze locks SSD even after secure erase

#4 2014-09-14 22:04:43

Re: SSD "frozen" - BIOS security freeze locks SSD even after secure erase

#5 2014-09-15 05:44:22

Re: SSD "frozen" - BIOS security freeze locks SSD even after secure erase

#6 2014-09-18 17:30:13

Re: SSD "frozen" - BIOS security freeze locks SSD even after secure erase

#7 2014-09-20 09:56:58

Re: SSD "frozen" - BIOS security freeze locks SSD even after secure erase

#8 2014-09-20 13:38:02

Re: SSD "frozen" - BIOS security freeze locks SSD even after secure erase

#9 2014-09-20 14:01:57

Re: SSD "frozen" - BIOS security freeze locks SSD even after secure erase

#10 2014-09-20 18:24:18

Re: SSD "frozen" - BIOS security freeze locks SSD even after secure erase

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