| Created date | Updated date | Affects version | Fix version |
|---|---|---|---|
|
| Drive Eraser - All versions | N/A |
Problem
With more recent desktop/laptop systems it has been found that the BIOS has been simplified by the manufacturer, in many instances removing commonly used BIOS settings.
There have been two types of simplification identified so far, the first being that the more "advanced" BIOS settings have been hidden and require a key combination to show these settings, for example some Acer systems require "Ctrl+S" when in the BIOS to show these "hidden" settings.
The second type has mainly been seen with HP based systems, the simplification of the BIOS is locked and you are unable to change a selection of settings including the drive configuration, usually this setting is named "SATA Operation Mode" or "SATA Controller". This allows the user to be able to change from the "RAID" mode to "AHCI" mode.
In this instance, systems will either have NVMe or eMMC drives that will be locked to a "RAID" mode configuration in most cases due to the simplified BIOS, due to this the software is unable to detect the drives as mentioned in Hard drive(s) not detected with Drive Eraser.
This issue has been identified at least for the following devices:
| System manufacturer | System model | Disk model(s) |
|---|---|---|
| HP | 14s-fq0510sa | N/A (eMMC) |
| HP | 14s-fq0508sa | N/A (eMMC) |
| HP | 14s-fq0020na | N/A (eMMC) |
| HP | 14s-fq0022na | N/A (eMMC) |
Cause
The cause has been due to manufacturer's simplifying newer versions of their BIOS, due to this the Blancco Drive Eraser software is unable in most instances to detect drives that are connected to a system in the RAID mode drive configuration, this is a driver related limitation which is currently being investigated.
Workaround
- If possible, downgrading the BIOS version of the system to an earlier version (if available) may allow for the BIOS settings to become available to be changed as needed.
- If possible, remove the drive and erase it in a system that allows for the BIOS to be changed to AHCI mode.
To help Blancco investigate this issue further collect an issue report once the system has been confirmed as being unable to be changed to AHCI mode and raise a ticket by contacting Blancco Technical Support.