Abstract: A hard drive which prevents data access operations on the hard drive upon power up until the user enters a password. When the computer system is powered up, the hard drive spins up and is tested, responding only to a limited set of commands that do not permit data storage or retrieval operations. The password is located on the hard disk itself to prevent bypassing the hard drive's security using a new computer environment. When the user enters the correct password, the hard drive unlocks and operates as a conventional hard drive. If the user chooses, the hard drive may be unlocked by either of two passwords, one defined by the user and the other by the manufacturer. To obtain access to data areas during a locked state, a wipe data command is provided which overwrites all user data on the drive and unlocks the drive.