What does "locking" a hard drive actually do?

[Suspend]

Hey, this may be a total noob question, but what does "locking" a hard drive actually do? From what I've read, you can still FTP files to a "locked" drive, so it doesn't seem to have anything to do with the file system being locked. Does it somehow "key" itself to the motherboard so you can't plug it into other computers?

I hunted through the FAQ but couldn't find any real info as to what actually happens when you lock a drive.

Thanks,
Suspend

 

[Floppy Mohawk]

It locks the hard drive to the motherboard.
It also allows access to the M$ dash.

 

[nartac]

the hd needs to be locked so that you can boot to MS dashboard with modchip off. This is important if you wish to get on Xbox Live. Unlike PC hd's, only a matching motherboard can utilize it. Don't know why MS wants it that way but that's how it is.