Patent ID: 8199917

Claim:
A system for unlocking a storage device that has become locked or cannot be unlocked comprising: a key manager for securely storing a key having an original number of bits; an adapter for removing bits from the key; a removed bit manager for securely storing a position of the removed bits and the number of the removed bits (N); the adapter for adding bits to the key, in response to removing bits from the key, to generate a hint, a number of the added bits being less than the original number of bits in the key, a value of the added bits being different from a value of the removed bits corresponding to the added bits; an added bit manager for securely storing a position of the added bits and the number of the added bits; the adapter for removing the added bits from the hint at the position of the added bits, if the key in the key manager is lost or cannot unlock the storage device; the adapter for placing each possible N bits in the hint at the position of the removed bits to generate 2 N possible keys; and the adapter for applying each of the 2 N possible keys until the storage device is unlocked.