Let's install Windows 11 on incompatible hardware

Hazel123 · Aug 21, 2025

I'm not even sure zeroing works with nvme drives.

Article about Lenovo drives and trying to erase them here

"There is an on-going issue with multiple Lenovo machines equipped with NVMe drives where the erasure fails due to failing firmware erasure commands. The root cause of this issue is a security feature enabled within Lenovo's firmware which prevents executing required erasure commands successfully."

How to achieve purge level erasure on Lenovo devices with NVMe drives

support.blancco.com

spapakons · Aug 21, 2025

Why bother erasing it? If you want to get rid of them, just physically destroy them. If you want to sell or donate the computer, replace with a cheap small capacity SSD and keep the original disk.

Hazel123 · Aug 21, 2025

Thanks. I just don't like the idea of a selling a laptop where the next owner can't securely erase the drive if they want to. I've read two different things about Lenovo drives now. One is that the drives come with the firmware built in. The other is that as soon as the drive is put in the machine, the encryption takes place via firmware. If it's the latter then any drive I put in it will have the same issue, if I don't have access to the Lenovo decryption thing in bios (because it isn't there).

Anyway I'm fed up with messing about with it so I'll just have to tell the next owner that the drive can't be securely erased. Which would probably put someone off buying it!

spapakons · Aug 21, 2025

Hazel123 said:
Thanks. I just don't like the idea of a selling a laptop where the next owner can't securely erase the drive if they want to. I've read two different things about Lenovo drives now. One is that the drives come with the firmware built in. The other is that as soon as the drive is put in the machine, the encryption takes place via firmware. If it's the latter then any drive I put in it will have the same issue, if I don't have access to the Lenovo decryption thing in bios (because it isn't there).

Anyway I'm fed up with messing about with it so I'll just have to tell the next owner that the drive can't be securely erased. Which would probably put someone off buying it!

That's why I told you to replace the original disk with a cheap SSD before selling. If the drive is automatically encrypted then it should be at the security settings in BIOS. Try disabling Secure Boot and/or TPM. Bypass compatibility check to install Windows 11 and then enable them again.

SIW2 · Aug 21, 2025

Hazel123 said:
Thanks. I just don't like the idea of a selling a laptop where the next owner can't securely erase the drive if they want to. I've read two different things about Lenovo drives now. One is that the drives come with the firmware built in. The other is that as soon as the drive is put in the machine, the encryption takes place via firmware. If it's the latter then any drive I put in it will have the same issue, if I don't have access to the Lenovo decryption thing in bios (because it isn't there).

Anyway I'm fed up with messing about with it so I'll just have to tell the next owner that the drive can't be securely erased. Which would probably put someone off buying it!

Probably can be done with parted magic

Hazel123 · Aug 21, 2025

Thanks. I'm not sure that would work - it needs the Lenovo decryption. Anyway - if it is a self-encrypting drive, maybe I don't need to worry. Maybe it'll encrypt anything else written to it!

Hazel123 · Aug 21, 2025

SIW2 said:
Probably can be done with parted magic

Nope - that's what I was trying to do in the first place

Seriously I hate Lenovo right now! I've been erasing drives with Parted Magic for 15 years but it doesn't work on these Lenovo drives. Secure erase NVME, secure erase generally - none of them work - they fail and leave all the data on the drive. Because Lenovo firmware and cryptographic something stops it working. What might work is entering the PSID code in Parted Magic, but these drives don't have a PSID.

So apparently the only way to erase them is use the Lenovo erase function - which is supposed to be in bios but isn't there on this laptop. And their secure erase program doesn't work because that's only for older laptops. There is no way of erasing the drive, other than to write zeros on it (which might partially work). No other erasing software will work on the drives in Lenovo laptops apparently.

Or I guess the drive could just be encrypted with bitlocker (it's Windows 10 Pro). Which might solve the issue.

Hazel123 · Aug 21, 2025

So I'm going to be selling it with a disclaimer. That secure erase doesn't work on this laptop and if a buyer ever sells it on, to use Windows clean drive option and encrypt the drive to secure their data. Because I don't like selling a laptop where someone's data can't be erased. And I'm only selling it because I can't send it back!

SIW2 · Aug 21, 2025

Can you erase it by plugging the nvme disk into a different machine ?

Hazel123 · Aug 21, 2025

SIW2 said:
Can you erase it by plugging the nvme disk into a different machine ?

I did wonder about that. I put it in an external hard drive enclosure and plugged it into another machine and ran parted magic live on that machine but it didn't seem to be recognised by parted magic. Didn't try for very long though. Drive just didn't show up. I wonder if I could erase it via Windows. I can't remember if I checked if Windows could see the drive, but parted magic couldn't.

The main issue is not for me to erase it now. I've already established it seems safe - any encrypted data doesn't seem to have malware as scanned the machine after installing on it. It's more the fact that any new buyer wouldn't be able to do it in future.

spapakons · Aug 22, 2025

I wouldn't care about future buyers. I would care about myself. If the drive can be used, there is no problem. Once I had a locked with unknown password Samsung SSD I couldn't erase and install Windows on. I filled an RMA form and returned directly to Samsung. They even covered the shipping costs to return it and replaced with a new sealed unit!

Hazel123 · Aug 22, 2025

I know I'm having a bit of a battle with myself there. I have never sold a laptop that someone couldn't securely erase if they wanted to so I guess it's just a thing I have and I have a reputation to keep up! Even though many people just sell them on and don't even bother deleting their data! But I don't like to think of someone's data being at risk because they can't secure erase. Partly it's a control thing as well ha ha! I want to be in control of being able to secure erase a drive and Lenovo is stopping me! Basically I know it's an issue for someone in future so I will just sell it with a disclaimer and explain the best way to secure their data if selling it on. ie encrypt the drive with bitlocker - because it's Windows 11 Pro, so they can - and use "clean" with a Windows reset.

Which has got me thinking. What does "clean" actually do with an nvme drive? Does it just write 0's? Or just format it? I thought "clean all" was writing zeros. And what is the point of writing 0s to an NVME when some bits would be skipped over.

Hazel123 · Aug 22, 2025

Anyway, I've called Lenovo support. I didn't think they would help as it's out of warranty but a case has been opened. They wanted my name, address, phone number and email address ........... scary

Why isn't thinkshield in bios and what's the solution. Response was - that's weird - it's being passed on to someone.

Apologies - I maybe should have started a new thread on this topic.

It makes sense really. A previous education or enterprise company has their data encrypted on the self-encrypting drive and the last thing they want is a new user unencrypting it, so they use firmware to remove the thinkshield option from bios so no one can get at their data (even if it's just to erase the drive). The problem is it basically limits the use of the computer for future use and it should be sold with that declared.

Hazel123 · Aug 23, 2025

Pretty much established that the self encryption is in the hard drives themselves and only really Lenovo use those M2 2242 B+M slot ones. I'm having one more go. Found another drive on ebay that has a psid number on the label. None of the others do! Some have a kind of bar code next to the word psid but I don't want to trust that. It's a Liteon drive - never heard of it but it's the right type for the laptop and it has a psid number. Without the Lenovo thinkshield, the psid number is the only other option (if it works). I fully expect this drive to be the same (ie cryptographically locked and unable to secure erase it).

Still getting confused with B and M slots. Current drive has both. AI says it needs both - but have seen posts elsewhere online where people with this model of laptop have used a replacement drive with just a b slot (5 pins - the m slot has 6 pins apparently). If that's the case there are quite a few new ones available on amazon - but none seem to have psid numbers!

So I've stuck with a used one with both B+M slots and a psid number written on the front.

XxXxX · Aug 23, 2025

Hazel123 said:
Pretty much established that the self encryption is in the hard drives themselves and only really Lenovo use those M2 2242 B+M slot ones. I'm having one more go. Found another drive on ebay that has a psid number on the label. None of the others do! Some have a kind of bar code next to the word psid but I don't want to trust that. It's a Liteon drive - never heard of it but it's the right type for the laptop and it has a psid number. Without the Lenovo thinkshield, the psid number is the only other option (if it works). I fully expect this drive to be the same (ie cryptographically locked and unable to secure erase it).

Still getting confused with B and M slots. Current drive has both. AI says it needs both - but have seen posts elsewhere online where people with this model of laptop have used a replacement drive with just a b slot (5 pins - the m slot has 6 pins apparently). If that's the case there are quite a few new ones available on amazon - but none seem to have psid numbers!

So I've stuck with a used one with both B+M slots and a psid number written on the front.

have you considered using a live Linux USB to try and clear the drive.

best of luck, Steve ..

Hazel123 · Aug 23, 2025

XxXxX said:
have you considered using a live Linux USB to try and clear the drive.

best of luck, Steve ..

Thanks. I haven't actually tried that but I did try parted magic.

spapakons · Aug 24, 2025

Liteon had produced some CD-RW and DVD-RW drives. Cheap alternative to more well known brands. Assuming you manage to erase the locked disk using the PSID, then what? I still don't see why this is so important for you. Zero fill, if applicable, should do the same albeit wear the drive a little.

Hazel123 · Aug 24, 2025

spapakons said:
Liteon had produced some CD-RW and DVD-RW drives. Cheap alternative to more well known brands. Assuming you manage to erase the locked disk using the PSID, then what? I still don't see why this is so important for you. Zero fill, if applicable, should do the same albeit wear the drive a little.

I know

I guess I just have a bee in my bonnet as I would rather sell it with an eraseable drive and not have to put a disclaimer. But yes, a future buyer could just write 0's or use windows clean at reset. I know I was not happy buying a laptop with a drive that couldn't be securely erased, so I wouldn't want to sell it like that either.

But if this drive doesn't work, I will sell it as it is, with a disclaimer/note that the drive doesn't accept nvme secure erase commands so overwriting in future would be needed. But that then opens a can of worms as to - well why not erase it with Lenovo Thinkshield? Because it's not in the bios. Effectively if I am being open then it reduces the value and saleability of the laptop.

On the other hand I've had plenty of laptops with old drives that couldn't be securely erased as not smart drives and just used to write zeros (or if it was my own, replace the drive before selling).

I returned the first replacement drive for a refund. This second one only cost £12. If it works it means I can do a straight selling of a laptop and it will have a bigger drive as well.

siliconbeaver · Aug 24, 2025

I was using and have disposed many Lenovo computers (laptop, desktop). from Windows 7 to 10/11.

Lenovo has a standard procedure to do this. How to erase secured lenovo ssd 11.60.3

Erase secure-enabled drive | System Manager 11.60.3 | Lenovo Docs

You can erase a secure-enabled drive so it can be reused in another volume group, pool, SSD cache, or in another storage array. This procedure resets the drive's security attributes and ensures that the data cannot be read again.

pubs.lenovo.com

Either you didn't do it right or got the easy thing too complex. I didn't run into the problem.

spapakons · Aug 24, 2025

Just curious. You said the relevant tool is missing from the BIOS. You can only delete the drive using this utility? Isn't there a Lenovo Windows utility to do the same from Windows? In that case all you need is Windows live USB such as Sergei Strelec WinPE. Create a bootable USB from the Strelec ISO using Rufus and copy the Lenovo utility in as well. Boot from that, select Windows 11 or 10 and wait to load. Open File Explorer, access the utility and erase the disk.

Let's install Windows 11 on incompatible hardware

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