"Enter Built in HDD1 Password" NE way around this?

I got a Toshiba A205 S5871 laptop that I was planning to sell( was my wifes')
When I went to clean HD, I entered password and then up popped up this statement. "enter built in HDD1 password"

None of my wife's passwords worked and I cannot find a password that will open up this computer. It seems this is a password that Toshiba puts in HD and they cannot tell me anything but to ship it to them for a fee of course.

NE 1 here find a work around?

 

If you have the original OS disks you can re-install the OS and that will automatically format the HDD.

 

I have the original disk that came with laptop but I cannot get passed the "enter built in HDD1 password"

You are given 3 chances to enter password then it shuts down. Will not let me
re-enter all setup programs on disk.:cry

 

Hi,

You are trying to erase this HD and not recover data?

I did see this thread that seems to indicate there is a master password that will allow you to erase the HD. Unfortunately, it says it is giving the HEX translation of the master password so I don't know if that has to be translated to ASCII or not.

The relevant part is at the very end of the thread. (That site is sort of suspect as to the true value of it but in this case the answer might be worth reading.)

The HEX value of a possible master password is FFFEh

 

I did some reading up on this and it would seem that Toshiba are being sneaky by locking the HDD with a master password and if you need to get into it you have to send it back to Toshiba.
The obvious answer is to replace the HDD but that will obviously incur extra cost and would not make it feasible to sell the laptop on due to the extra cost.

We just need to hope that the answer sach2 gave will help.

 

This password, FFFEh no workie!:cry
NE 1 else got ideas?

 

**UPDATE***

I tried wife's password and it let me in!
Computer loaded up. I then tried to restart with Toshiba CD to re-install
software like it came from the factory but it would not work for me.

Instructions said to hold "C" until you see "Toshiba" screen, then release it.

Then nothing......just loaded up regularly to Vista Home.

NE ideas?

 

If you are booting from the CD it should not involve holding the C key. Holding that key probably has to do with invoking the recovery partition.

Will it not boot from the CD when you don't hold the C key? Try hitting F12 during the Toshiba screen and see if you can choose to boot from the CD from a one time boot menu.
(If F12 doesn't give you a boot menu read the Toshiba screen to see if tells you the proper key for the boot menu.)