Solve : decrypt / unencrypt a HDD???

1.	Solve : decrypt / unencrypt a HDD???
Answer» Hi everyone, I am trying to unencrypt a laptop hdd on a functioning XP device. I have been told that booting to DOS then performing fdisk /mbr would work, but when I try booting up from a floppy, I can't get to c:> Any suggestions? :-?How are you "booting to DOS"? If XP is using the NTFS file system a Win98 boot DISK cannpt comprehend this. Since XP does not run on top of DOS, your options are limited.I am using an XP boot floppy... I was also given a Disk Manager floppy, but I have never used DM before and I don't want to use something I am not too familiar with.DOS can't read NTFS - Partitions. You need a programm called NTFS - Dos. Start it after booting your pc with a DOS - bootdisk (M$ - Dos 6.0 or higher, Caldera, Free or whatever Dos) and you can read, with the commercial version write, your hd. hope this helps uliQuote DOS can't read NTFS - Partitions. You need a programm called NTFS - Dos. Start it after booting your pc with a DOS - bootdisk (M$ - Dos 6.0 or higher, Caldera, Free or whatever Dos) and you can read, with the commercial version write, your hd. hope this helps uli I do need to write to the MBR to write 0's so that it will undo the encryption, do you KNOW where I can find a program like the ONES you mentioned?Long way: Boot from the XP CD or the 6 disk set of floppies to a recovery console. Log on to the Windows installation, run fixmbr and reboot. Short way: Use one of the many "Bart" type Linux based CDs that abound. Are you sure that you need to mess with the mbr? You mentioned "unencrypt".Thanks - I will give these suggestions a try tonight.....waiting for disaster....... LOL... why would you think it's a disaster waiting to happen? It's basically bypassing the encryption to clean the hdd and get a new valid OS on there. By the way - I got it working. A friend was able to find the restore CD for this type of laptop. It bypassed everything and I was able to get it working fairly QUICKLY.

Answer»

Hi everyone, I am trying to unencrypt a laptop hdd on a functioning XP device. I have been told that booting to DOS then performing fdisk /mbr would work, but when I try booting up from a floppy, I can't get to c:>

Any suggestions? :-?How are you "booting to DOS"? If XP is using the NTFS file system a Win98 boot DISK cannpt comprehend this. Since XP does not run on top of DOS, your options are limited.I am using an XP boot floppy... I was also given a Disk Manager floppy, but I have never used DM before and I don't want to use something I am not too familiar with.DOS can't read NTFS - Partitions.
You need a programm called NTFS - Dos. Start it after booting your pc with a DOS - bootdisk (M$ - Dos 6.0 or higher, Caldera, Free or whatever Dos) and you can read, with the commercial version write, your hd.

hope this helps
uliQuote

DOS can't read NTFS - Partitions.
You need a programm called NTFS - Dos. Start it after booting your pc with a DOS - bootdisk (M$ - Dos 6.0 or higher, Caldera, Free or whatever Dos) and you can read, with the commercial version write, your hd.

hope this helps
uli

I do need to write to the MBR to write 0's so that it will undo the encryption, do you KNOW where I can find a program like the ONES you mentioned?Long way:
Boot from the XP CD or the 6 disk set of floppies to a recovery console.
Log on to the Windows installation, run fixmbr and reboot.

Short way:
Use one of the many "Bart" type Linux based CDs that abound.

Are you sure that you need to mess with the mbr? You mentioned "unencrypt".Thanks - I will give these suggestions a try tonight.....waiting for disaster....... LOL... why would you think it's a disaster waiting to happen? It's basically bypassing the encryption to clean the hdd and get a new valid OS on there.

By the way - I got it working. A friend was able to find the restore CD for this type of laptop. It bypassed everything and I was able to get it working fairly QUICKLY.

Solve : decrypt / unencrypt a HDD???

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