Intel 320 SSD: How to set the AT HD Password encryption correctly.

[idata]

I have recently bought the 80GB 320 and I am still trying to get a simple answer to the FDE AT HD password question and think it would be very helpful if the answer were included in the HD manual and the FAQ.

If, as is the case, my pc has a bios and an HD password option and I set both of these when installing the SSD, have I in fact set up the bespoke password FDE, or do I need to, as the pdf intel guidance suggests, use the toolbox to then do a new secure erase on the same HD. It's just that the tablet PC in question only has one sata connection meaning that any secure erase would have to happen on a desktop PC with no HD password option enabled in the bios.

Basically a simple step by step answer to how to set it up would be appreciated.

I have assumed up until now that by setting an HD password in the Bios on first using the drive that the FDE is encrypted with reference to the HD password that was set but am increasing believing it isn't. I am therefore of the thinking that in order for the HD password to be relevant to the encryption of the drive a password has to be in place prior to then doing the secure erase and see no easy way to accomplish this.

Noone seems to have a simple answer to how to do this

TIA

G

[idata]

According to http://communities.intel.com/message/120689# 120689 http://communities.intel.com/message/120689# 120689, the ATA password IS used to encrypt the encryption keys.

[idata]

After a little bit of nosing around I have, I think, managed to answer some of my own queries.

I enabled Bios and ATA passwords in one system and installed OS. I then tried moving the drive to anther tablet PC (same model) and booted it up. It asked form the ATA password even though it's Bios hadn't had one set on it and it also booted fine after password was entered. This confirms if the PC dies the DATA and drive with the ATA password set can still be accessed via a similar PC that has the same Bios.

I also managed, within the Intel FAQ to confirm that the ATA password can be removed and replaced or changed as required without affecting the drives operation. This I tested and it worked ok.

Therefore I can only assume that the drive data is not encrypted with reference to the ATA password, I appreciate that this point is still not clear from Intel guidance and other peoples comments. Surely if it was relevant then the drive woudl not be readable if the ATA password was changed as the data would be only readable with the encryption password used.

Hope this is of help to someone but still leaves the whole password encyption debate open and ultimately unanswered by Intel as far as I can make out and really warrants a comprehensive but simple answer by way of an explanation.

G