Thinkpad power-on password

thewolfe · Post by **thewolfe** » Wed Dec 12, 2007 1:27 pm

I have a IBM ThinkPad T20 that has a Power-on password set. Is there a way disable/remove it?

MD-2389 · Post by **MD-2389** » Wed Dec 12, 2007 1:41 pm

The only way to remove a bios password is to clear the bios....assuming that you don't have access to the person that set it in the first place.

thewolfe · Post by **thewolfe** » Wed Dec 12, 2007 2:06 pm

Would I do that by taking out the cmos battery?

TechPro · Post by **TechPro** » Wed Dec 12, 2007 2:17 pm

Google is your friend...

thewolfe · Post by **thewolfe** » Wed Dec 12, 2007 2:38 pm

Short circuiting the password pads is out of my league, I think.

thewolfe · Post by **thewolfe** » Wed Dec 12, 2007 5:18 pm

I just found out I'm getting the symbol for \"Hard drive password\". Can I exchange hd's and eliminate the problem?

If a new hd would solve that problem could there still be a bios password set or would that appear first?

thewolfe · Post by **thewolfe** » Wed Dec 12, 2007 5:21 pm

Also at the bottom it say \"Entering Setup\".

AceCombat · Post by **AceCombat** » Wed Dec 12, 2007 6:25 pm

you would need to contact IBM for the answer to the HDD Password, that may be stored in BIOS aswell

Wishmaster · Post by **Wishmaster** » Wed Dec 12, 2007 10:52 pm

Have you looked at CmosPwd?

TechPro · Post by **TechPro** » Thu Dec 13, 2007 12:52 am

You did look at the links in that Google search I linked for you?

No? Oh, well. Can't help them. Good luck.

thewolfe · Post by **thewolfe** » Thu Dec 13, 2007 10:37 am

Wishmaster, it looks like you have to be able to install CmosPwd to use it unless I missed something and I can't get into anything.

AceCombat, yes I did and that's why I made the \"short circuiting\" comment.

Does anyone know if the harddrive lock would be bypassed by putting in a new hd or is it part of the bios?

MD-2389 · Post by **MD-2389** » Thu Dec 13, 2007 12:09 pm

AceCombat wrote:you would need to contact IBM for the answer to the HDD Password, that may be stored in BIOS aswell

Or read the manual.

thewolfe wrote:Short circuiting the password pads is out of my league, I think.

....can you use a screwdriver? Its really that simple. Hell, did you even bother to click on TechPro's link? The first result shows clear, dead simple, instructions on what to do. My eight year old nephew could follow those instructions w/o any problem. Quit being such a baby and dig right in! Its the only way you're going to learn how to do this. Its not going to jump up and bite you now is it? (Its not that I'm trying to be an ass with you, my mother was the same way. The only way to get her over her fear of electronics was to actually MAKE her do something as simple as this.)

thewolfe · Post by **thewolfe** » Thu Dec 13, 2007 6:17 pm

O.K. I got the go-ahead from the owner so I'll be diving in soon.

If it was mine I would have gone for it but not with a friends w/o an ok.

thewolfe · Post by **thewolfe** » Thu Dec 13, 2007 9:39 pm

OK, here we go. I'm going to need a little/lot of guidance. I have a screwdriver.

1. Power off the computer
Remove the DIMM cover on the bottom side of the computer.

DONE
----------------------------------------
2. Short-circuit the two password pads or put a jumper on the contacts to short the circuit.

WHAT DO THE PASSWORD PADS LOOK LIKE AND WHAT CAN I USE TO SHORT THEM?
---------------------------------------------------
Under the short-circuit condition, power on the computer and wait until the POST ends. After the POST ends, the password prompt does not appear. The power-on password is removed.
Reinstall the DIMM cover.

WHILE SHORTING THE PADS, DO I LET THE MACHINE BOOT ALL THE WAY INTO WINDOWS?
-------------------------------------------------

thewolfe · Post by **thewolfe** » Thu Dec 13, 2007 10:22 pm

Now I'm not \"seeing\" the hd lock symbol.

When I first turn on the computer I can see faintly \"IBM ThinkPad\" and then the screen is basically dark.

I've tried to use the keypad to brighten it but no help.

Any ideas on that one.

thewolfe · Post by **thewolfe** » Thu Dec 13, 2007 10:26 pm

Now I'm getting a message that says \"Entering BIOS Setup utility\". Then that goes off and the screen is dark.

thewolfe · Post by **thewolfe** » Fri Dec 14, 2007 8:21 am

I hooked it up to my KVM switch and the lock symbol is there clear as a bell but it's just barley visable on the laptop screen.

JMEaT · Post by **JMEaT** » Fri Dec 14, 2007 8:43 am

I'm guessing from the comments you've made, that the hard drive does not have data on it you care about.

Press the blue Access IBM button and use Rescue and Recovery to re-image the machine. (You can also press F11)

If that fails, just boot to a windows CD and wipe/reinstall OS.

thewolfe · Post by **thewolfe** » Fri Dec 14, 2007 2:34 pm

I didn't have it plugged into the A/C last night and when I turned it on this morning and the screen is fine as wine. What's up with the screen going dark.

I assume JMEaT that Rescue and Recovery or booting from CD will bypass the hd lock.

thewolfe · Post by **thewolfe** » Fri Dec 14, 2007 3:06 pm

Can't boot from CD.

Back to shorting. \"What do the pasword pads look like?\"

AceCombat · Post by **AceCombat** » Fri Dec 14, 2007 7:50 pm

thewolfe wrote:I didn't have it plugged into the A/C last night and when I turned it on this morning and the screen is fine as wine. What's up with the screen going dark.

it does this to extend the batterly life, those cathode tubes that are the backlights on the screen can suck up a battery in no time at all, so the system automatically darkens the screen to keep them from drawing the full amount of power they require.

JMEaT · Post by **JMEaT** » Fri Dec 14, 2007 9:46 pm

IBMs have a setting in BIOS that, in some cases, overrides the OS control over the LCD brightness when switching from AC/Battery.

Could that be the case?

thewolfe · Post by **thewolfe** » Sat Dec 15, 2007 9:28 am

JMEaT, not sure I understand. Is there any control I have over the sLCD brightness while the lock is on.

Also I never heard from anyone to tell me what the \"password pads look like.

thewolfe · Post by **thewolfe** » Sun Dec 16, 2007 9:06 am

MD-2389, I've taken up your chalange but no one can tell me what the \"passwrd tabs\" look like.

TechPro · Post by **TechPro** » Sun Dec 16, 2007 10:51 am

\"password pads\" can easiy look different from one computer model/brand to another. It would be easier for us to tell you what is the \"password pads\" if you could post a picture (a clearly as you can) of the area where the \"password pads\" should be at. Then we could point out to you what the \"password pads\" are.

Since it seems that you may not be able to do that... I did some googling (using the same search parameters I posted earlier) ... and found this pic (so sorry, I couldn't get a picture of yours and since I don't have a T20 around for photo shoots, this has to do ...

Inside the memory cover of a ThinkPad T20 (with memory modules removed).

Is this what it looks like inside the memory cover of the T20 you're working with?

Can you get us a clearer/sharper image by taking a picture of the T20 in question? Do that and we may be able to help more.

From what I can see... the \"password pads\" may be here:

MD-2389 · Post by **MD-2389** » Mon Dec 17, 2007 12:30 pm

thewolfe wrote:MD-2389, I've taken up your chalange but no one can tell me what the "passwrd tabs" look like.

Maybe you should also take up the challenge to actually look it up on google or another search engine.

While I don't mind helping out, I'm not going to be your crutch everytime you get a customer. If you're going to be in this industry, get off your ass and look it up yourself. (And no, looking for five seconds on google doesn't count.)

AceCombat · Post by **AceCombat** » Mon Dec 17, 2007 2:38 pm

hey Tech, i think your right, look at the description right next to that area you circled, it says \"BIT X\"

TechPro · Post by **TechPro** » Mon Dec 17, 2007 4:33 pm

AceCombat wrote:hey Tech, i think your right, look at the description right next to that area you circled, it says "BIT X"

Thanks

Looks like the most likely spot to me.

AceCombat · Post by **AceCombat** » Mon Dec 17, 2007 4:39 pm

now we just gotta storm IBM and figure out what BIT X stands for

but thats definitely a jumper point, its the right amount of space for a set of jumper pins.

thewolfe · Post by **thewolfe** » Mon Dec 17, 2007 6:16 pm

Under ThinkPad 560X

http://www.pcdoc.bz/service/free-info/thinkpad.htm

thewolfe · Post by **thewolfe** » Sat Dec 22, 2007 3:12 pm

Tried the short out password pads today three or four times with no luck.

Thanks for the posts.

uk_dan2k · Post by **uk_dan2k** » Wed Sep 09, 2009 1:43 pm

it says short the two jumper pads so i solder a wire to each pad but each time i boot up it shows the thinkpad logo with f1 for bios and f12 for bootup selection.

then comes up a cmos error and the lock icon then comes up again and im back at square one.

what am i doing wrong?

AlphaDoG · Post by **AlphaDoG** » Wed Sep 09, 2009 3:26 pm

You should only short across the pads for one boot, after that remove the short and reboot.

AceCombat · Post by **AceCombat** » Thu Sep 10, 2009 2:14 pm

yeah just do it once then take the wire off and boot normally.

JMEaT · Post by **JMEaT** » Fri Sep 11, 2009 10:34 pm

Holy thread resurrection Batman!

Thinkpad power-on password

Thinkpad power-on password

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not sure if its shorting or not