Forgot External Hard Drive Password

[Choy188]

Hey people of the IoT,

I forgot the password on my external hard drive but I desperately need the data inside of it. Any ideas on how to unlock it or copy the data out of it? Its a WD mypassport 1TB

[Himommies]

6 minutes ago, Choy188 said:

Hey people of the IoT,

I forgot the password on my external hard drive but I desperately need the data inside of it. Any ideas on how to unlock it or copy the data out of it? Its a WD mypassport 1TB

What do you mean password?Like are the files encrypted or is a physicla lock

[Choy188]

12 hours ago, Himommies said:

What do you mean password?Like are the files encrypted or is a physicla lock

Encrypted

[Himommies]

5 hours ago, Choy188 said:

Encrypted

Your best chance is to brute force it

[AshleyAshes]

I find it funny how threads like this keep happening.

 

Step 1) Use encryption to protect your data from unauthorized access.

Step 2) Lose encryption keys or password.

Step 3) Hope that that there must be 'one neat trick' to entirely bypass that protection, leaving you to wonder why they had any faith in the protection to begin with.

Step 4) Accept the grim reality that their data protection is successfully protecting the data... Even from themselves.

[vanished]

9 hours ago, Choy188 said:

Encrypted

Yeah, your only option is to brute force it.  If you picked a good method that was worth using to begin with, be ready to wait a few septillion years.

[TAHIRMIA]

If your password was secure af then you dont have a chance even if you brute force. it would take a long time.

[AshleyAshes]

I wonder how many people on this forum, end users that is, have lost data to their own encryption and protection schemes vs how many have actually successfully defended against an outside threat from gaining access to their data.

[Choy188]

Oh well... at least I have an idea of what the password is