PSID revert: unlock a self-encrypting drive (SED/OPAL)
A locked self-encrypting drive can look like a brick — until you flip it over and read the PSID printed on the label.
Self-encrypting drives (SEDs) encrypt everything on the fly with a key the drive itself holds. That's great for security — and a problem when you inherit a drive and nobody knows the password. PSID revert is the escape hatch.
What is a SED / OPAL drive?
SEDs implement the TCG OPAL standard, storing data encrypted with an internal key. Unlocking normally requires the drive's password. If that password is lost — or the drive came from a decommissioned machine with OPAL enabled — the drive is locked and unusable through normal means.
What PSID revert does
The Physical Security ID (PSID) is a code printed on the drive's label. Supplying it to the drive triggers a PSID revert: the drive cryptographically erases its encryption key and returns to factory-fresh state.
Two things to understand:
- It destroys all data. A PSID revert is itself a cryptographic erase — the data is gone, which is usually exactly what you want for a drive you're about to wipe anyway.
- The PSID is on the physical label, not stored anywhere the operating system can read. If the label is gone, so is the option.
When you need PSID revert
- The drive is locked and the password is unknown.
- OPAL encryption was enabled and you can't unlock it.
- You're decommissioning drives and want a guaranteed clean start before reuse or resale.
How tScrub handles it
tScrub uses sedutil-cli to detect locked SEDs and perform the PSID revert, after which the drive is unencrypted and ready for its normal erase. The revert itself counts as a cryptographic purge, and tScrub records the method in the report.
FAQ
Is PSID revert the same as Secure Erase?
Not quite — it's specific to self-encrypting drives and works by destroying the encryption key, which also makes the stored data unrecoverable. For a locked SED it's often the only way in.
What if the label is unreadable?
Without the PSID there's no software path to unlock a properly locked SED. At that point the drive typically has to be physically destroyed.