Help: Samsung secure erase for SSD MU-PS250R is required - [Magician hopeless; Samsung Support hopeless]]

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RUKI

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#191985 23-Feb-2016 11:22

Help needed:

Washing machine destroyed password the same day it was created not used and immediately forgotten for that brand new Portable SSD. :-( not a big drama it was a back up anyway.

So need to erase (factory reset) of that Samsung Portable SSD MU-PS250R (from AUS brand new)

Samsung latest Magician software from official site looks hopeless as "secure erase" menu is not accessible and Help files suggest USB bootable to be created from "secure erase" menu ;-( and the same help file refer to call Samsung to do factory reset.

Samsung Support on 0800726786 with the overseas located lady said they do not support SSD in New Zealand

Really??? No kidding??? 22 companies on the Pricespy.co.nz are selling that product in New Zealand. And no support?

Any Samsung reps here? Should I do a youtube video with me hammering / or going with the drill through that brand new SSD...?

Or there is a way in Auckland to factory reset /completely erase it in person without sending anywhere?

Dynamic

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#1497702 23-Feb-2016 11:29

Phone Samsung Australia and claim to be located in 'a small offshore island so i can't take it back to the store'? :)

“Don't believe anything you read on the net. Except this. Well, including this, I suppose.” Douglas Adams

dan

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#1497710 23-Feb-2016 11:37

if its anything like the samsung SATA SSDs using Samsung magician, you have to power cycle it during the secure wipe process. ie it will fail to wipe, power cycle drive while windows is running, then try again and it works.

Ive also used Parted Magic (bootable ISO) to secure wipe some Samsung SATA SSDs, works fine, and usually dont have to power cycle them either.

1101

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#1497744 23-Feb-2016 12:09

RUKI:

Really??? No kidding??? 22 companies on the Pricespy.co.nz are selling that product in New Zealand. And no support?

Could be parallel imports ?
or more likely a helpdesk that doesnt have that level of knowledge, not in their scripts :-)

But anyway, not sure what level that password is set at.
If its at the HD level, then forgotten password might not be removable at all, ever, as thats the point of low level passwords .

If the samsung software cant access it due to low level pass, it cant reset it ? Im assuming ....

PolicyGuy

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#1497829 23-Feb-2016 13:37

RUKI:

... Should I do a youtube video with me hammering / or going with the drill through that brand new SSD...?

Umm, if you want to actually destroy an SSD so that the data absolutely positively can't be recovered, then there are basically only two reliable techniques:

Chuck the whole thing into the furnace at the scrap metal man while the furnace is going, or
Prize all the flash memory chips off the board and smash them with a big hammer on an anvil / put them through a hammer mill, until no piece larger than 1mm x 1mm remains

No 'electronic erase' is completely reliable because the wear levelling magic that happens at the firmware level means you an never be 100% sure that all the data is actually Gone For Ever.

Note: This is unless you actually desperately need the data, in which case Murphy's and Sod's Laws will conspire to ensure that it will be completely unrecoverably gone the moment you understand how badly you need it. Sigh

Edit: formatting

xpd

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#1497831 23-Feb-2016 13:45

Seems Samsung dont market to NZ for SSD's but do in AU - saying this by looking at their websites, AU has a dedicated SSD section, whereas NZ has nothing for storage devices. Hence why the helpdesk were no use...

XPD / Gavin

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RUKI

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#1497893 23-Feb-2016 15:22

PolicyGuy:

Umm, if you want to actually destroy an SSD so that the data absolutely positively can't be recovered, then there are basically only two reliable techniques:

Not really helpful.

My question was NOT about data destruction, I am well aware of things and do not care about data in this case....

....but about the claim Samsung made about "secure erase" all data in attempt to return the device back to factory settings (no password) in that scenario when you forgot the password for that particular device. That is written in that device manual (you can read that pdf online) and Samsung software is mentioned which DOES NOT have that feature activated.

Folks, could be a business opportunity for you to sign contract with Samsung for doing factory resets...

HP

Shop now for HP laptops and other devices (affiliate link).

stevenz

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#1497971 23-Feb-2016 17:12

There's a Samsung office in Customhouse Quay, Wellington IIRC, I do know someone who had success dealing with them directly with regards to a phone issue, Probably an entirely different division but may be worth tracking them down and see if you can give them a call, at least you'd be talking to someone in the same country.

@KnightNZ