T23 model 2648 clear cmos

[attilathehun]

Hi,
I need to know how to clear the cmos for this T23.
When it comes up, all I can see is a lock. It is not my thinkpad, just helping out somebudy. I would not have a problem with a PC and I also want to avoid takeing apart the whole thing just to short 2 pins.
Any hints? Thanks...

[attilathehun]

Ok, there was a 3V battery under the main battery. I disconnected the red wire to clear the CMOS and now it comes up of course with the "Check date and time setting" message but the it also goes back to the lock. So how could I get rid of this security thing?

[carbon_unit]

It sounds like there is a hard drive password or a supervisor password in it. If so, the only solution is to get the password.
IBM likes their security.

[AbsoluteRaleigh]

So how could I get rid of this security thing?

You can't.. There are two or three companies on the net that will though- and a seller on eBay..

[egibbs]

There was a guy on here a while back who had found something called killcmos.exe and despite the name he had the bad judgement to actually run it.

He was complaining because it had turrned his lappie into a brick - no CMOS, no boot, and no way to reflash it. I didn't understand why he was upset - it did exactly what it said it would do.

As far as your friend's laptop - he either has to send it in or learn to solder. Either way it's going to cost some money.

Maybe he should just bring it back where he got it.

Ed Gibbs

[attilathehun]

It sounds like there is a hard drive password or a supervisor password in it. If so, the only solution is to get the password.
IBM likes their security.

Do you think if I Low-level format the drive it would get rid of the little software requesting this password?
Thanks.

[attilathehun]

There was a guy on here a while back who had found something called killcmos.exe and despite the name he had the bad judgement to actually run it.

He was complaining because it had turrned his lappie into a brick - no CMOS, no boot, and no way to reflash it. I didn't understand why he was upset - it did exactly what it said it would do.

As far as your friend's laptop - he either has to send it in or learn to solder. Either way it's going to cost some money.

Maybe he should just bring it back where he got it.

Ed Gibbs

I will not try to "kill" the cmos.
I can not boot from CD so I can't load any password cracking software either. Thanks for your time.

[attilathehun]

OK, I just want to post what I found in the hardware maintenance manual what can be downloaded from here

http://www-307.ibm.com/pc/support/site. ... IGR-4UYM3F

Passwords
As many as three passwords may be needed for any
Think Pad computer: the power-on password (POP), the
hard-disk password (HDP), and the supervisor password
(SVP).
If any of these passwords has been set, a prompt for it
appears on the screen whenever the computer is turned
on. The computer does not start until the password is
entered.
Exception: If only an SVP is installed, the password
prompt does not appear when the operating
system is booted.
Power-on password:
A power-on password (POP) protects the system from
being powered on by an unauthorized person. The
password must be entered before an operating system can
be booted.
Hard-disk password:
There are two hard-disk passwords (HDPs):
v User HDP—for the user
v Master HDP—for the system administrator, who can use
it to get access to the hard disk even if the user has
changed the user HDP
Note: There are two modes for the HDP: User only and
Master + User. The Master + User mode requires
two HDPs; the system administrator enters both in
the same operation. The system administrator then
provides the user HDP to the system user.
Related service information
26 ThinkPad T20, T21, T22, T23 (MT 2647/2648)
Attention: If the user HDP has been forgotten, check
whether a master HDP has been set. If it has, it can be
used for access to the hard-disk drive. If no master HDP is
available, IBM does not provide any services to reset
either the user or the master HDP, or to recover data from
the hard-disk drive. The hard-disk drive can be replaced
for a scheduled fee.
Supervisor password:
A supervisor password (SVP) protects the system
information stored in the IBM BIOS Setup Utility. The SVP
must be entered in order to get access to the IBM BIOS
Setup Utility and make changes to system configuration
settings.
Attention: If the SVP has been forgotten and cannot be
made available to the servicer, there is no service
procedure to reset the password. The system board must
be replaced for a scheduled fee.
How to remove the power-on password
To remove a POP that you have forgotten, do the
following:
(A) If no SVP has been set:
1. Turn off the computer.
2. Remove the battery pack.
For how to remove the battery pack, see “1010 Battery
pack” on page 60.
3. Remove the backup battery.
For how to remove the backup battery, see “1020
Backup battery” on page 61.
4. Turn on the computer and wait until the POST ends.
After the POST ends, the password prompt does not
appear. The POP has been removed.
5. Reinstall the backup battery and the battery pack.
(B) If an SVP has been set and is known by the servicer:
1. Turn on the computer by pressing and holding F1.
2. Enter the SVP. The IBM BIOS Setup Utility menu
appears.
3. Select Password, using the cursor keys to move down
the menu.
4. Select Power-On Password.
5. At the Enter Current Password field, enter the SVP.
6. When the Enter New Password field opens, leave it
blank and press Enter twice.
7. In the Changes have been saved window, press Enter.
Related service information
General descriptions 27
8. Press F10; then, in the Setup confirmation window,
select Yes .
How to remove the hard-disk password
Attention: If User only mode is selected and the user
HDP has been forgotten and cannot be made available to
the servicer, IBM does not provide any services to reset
the user HDPs or to recover data from the hard-disk drive.
The hard-disk drive can be replaced for a scheduled fee.
To remove a user HDP that has been forgotten, when the
SVP and the master HDP are known, do the following:
1. Power on the computer by pressing and holding F1.
2. Enter the SVP. The IBM BIOS Setup Utility menu
appears.
3. Select Password, using the cursor keys to move down
the menu.
4. Select Hard-disk x password, where x is the letter of
the hard-disk drive. A pop-up window opens.
5. Select Master HDP.
6. Enter the master HDP; then leave the New Password
field blank and press Enter twice.
7. Press F10.
8. Select Yes in the Setup Configuration window.
Both user HDP and master HDP will have been
removed.

I hope this will help others in the future.
In my case, I also had the hard drive removed, booted without it, but the notebook kept asking for the password (probably the SVP).
This is a shame!

[AbsoluteRaleigh]

Do you think if I Low-level format the drive it would get rid of the little software requesting this password?
Thanks.

No. If you were able to recover the original password, it is likely going to be the same password on the hard drive.