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Bios password

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6 replies

by home.office

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I have an IBM thinkPad T30, and I can't remember the bios password, now IBM dealer here tels me I have to buy a new motherboard for my labtop, because there is no way to reset this password. Can you help me on how to reset this bios pasword?

6 replies

by oz_media

You have quite the dilemma!

Thinkpad BIOS can be reset (in some machines) by removing the battery and shorting the two pins to the left of the battery pins. It worked on my R30 but not my R31.

Another site dedicated to BIOS flashing is:
http://www.elfqrin.com/docs/biospw.html
They provide some backdoor service passwords but mainly bypasses for towers not notebooks, you may ba able to get one of the defaults to work but its a long shot.

IBM also uses the BIOS password "merlin" no quotes for some laptops.

Other than that, keep searching. You can also send IBM your proof of purchase and they will call you with reset instrucs.
.

by oz_media

I just tested the merlin password on my Thinkpad that is a year old. No problem!
Worth a shot.

by kimsi84

Sorry to tell you the bad news, but I think the dealer is right.

I have worked on other thinkpads (t21, t22, t23...etc), and to clear the bios, you have unhook the cmos battery, which can be tricky if you are not comfortable unscrewing laptops. Please not that this is to clear the BIOS , and may not reset the password. But even if you were to clear the bios, I think IBM actually "burns" the password on to the motherboard. I do recall one time a user having forgotten their password (poweron password), and the only solution was to replace the system board. I know thats its a hassle, but I think that IBM does it with security of the user's data as the main reason. If people were to simply reset the bios, then the laptop wouldn't be too secure...

by kimsi84

One thing I forgot, I would deal with IBM directly have it sent in for service instead of having to buy a system board. T30 is relatively new, and should still be in warranty.

by timwalsh

This is straight from the IBM Thinkpad T30 Series Service and Troubleshooting Guide, dated 27 Aug, 2002, page 16:

"If you forgot your power-on password, you must take your computer to an IBM reseller or marketing representative to have the password
canceled.

If you forgot your hard disk password, IBM will not reset your password or recover data from the hard disk. You must take your computer to an IBM
reseller or an IBM marketing representative to have the hard disk drive replaced. Proof of purchase is required, and a fee will be charged for parts and service.

If you forgot your supervisor password, IBM will not reset your password. You must take your computer to an IBM reseller or IBM marketing
representative to have the system board replaced. Proof of purchase is required, and a fee will be charged for parts and service."

Unless you are feeling VERY confident with a soldering iron, and know EXACTLY which chip is holding your password, you are out-of-luck.

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