Thinkpads Forum

How do I tell which password is which. I can operate my x40 fine but if I try to access the hidden partition to do a clean install I am asked for a password which I do not recall setting. I can access the bios setup without needing a password and as far as I can tell no passwords are set in the bios settings? Is this the hd password or a supervisor password or what? Thanks for any help.

Welcome to our forums.
That is probably a HD password. If you don't have it, it is a very expensive problem to solve. There are companies out there who can do it for you.
Alternatively, it may be cheaper to copy all known/accessible data onto a new hard disk, and buy a set of Restore disks here on our Marketplace forum.

Perhaps this will help?

Rescue and Recovery User’s Guide wrote:If you want to protect the Rescue and Recovery workspace using your Windows logon password, mark the Use Windows password to gain access to the Rescue and Recovery workspace check box.

Is there a separate password that can be applied to the rescue and recover partition? separate from the hd, bios or supervisor passwords.

Yes, it is generally a separate password from your hardware passwords, although it is certainly possible to use the same password for everything (but not recommended).