If you have forgotten your password to the disk and want to wipe it clean, work around the protection by using your Windows registry. The Windows registry logs all of the protection on disks and can also turn them off for editing and formatting.
1). Restart your computer and hold down the "F8" key. This will take you into Windows "Advanced Boot Options." Use the arrow keys on your keyboard to navigate to the "Safe Mode" option and then press the "Enter" button.
2). Click the "Start" button and then click the "Search" bar on the menu. Type "regedit" into the "Search" box and press the "Enter" button.
3). Follow this path in the registry from the icons on the left side of the window that appears: "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\StorageDevicePolicies."
