X22 Power On Password

[ds190]

I have an X22 that I use as a netbook for house guests or light business travel. I removed it’s dead CMOS battery, and when I put in a good replacement and attempted to boot, I get the power on password prompt. Also, even though it’s a tested good battery, I got 0271 check date/time and 0251 system CMOS checksum bad used default settings error messages.

I have never had any password (POP, HD, Supervisor, or Windows) ever on this laptop. I checked the Lenovo site, and followed their steps for removing the POP- removed the CMOS battery, the (bad) main battery, pressed the power button 10 times plus hold, plugged the AC back in, but continue to get the POP prompt.

It will not go to BIOS setup if I press F1, nor allow temporary boot device if I press F12. It recognizes the request, but continues to POP prompt. It has P3-733, 8 G HD, 390 MG RAM, running Win2000 Pro.

Any thing else I might try?

Thanks.

[rkawakami]

Welcome to thinkpads.com!

What you are experiencing is a BIOS (aka Supervisor) password. It was triggered when the CMOS battery went dead (or is removed from the system). The BIOS password could have been in the system for years. If you never attempted to access the BIOS, you would never know it was set. Forum rules dictate that public discussions of BIOS password is forbidden. The only recommendation that the site can provide is the same as what IBM originally said: replace the motherboard.

[ds190]

Thanks for your response, and I'm disappointed of course. The icon is clearly the POP symbol, and not the supervisor/BIOS symbol nor the HD symbol.

Over the past year or so, when I powered that X22 on, it went to BIOS setup, I entered the date & time, and it continued to boot and run. The CMOS battery has been dead for a while it seems, so why would it have not thrown the POP prompt then? I'm curious that it does not display the supervisor password symbol.

For the Supervisor password issue, there is a site that for $30 plus $25 shipping, they will identify the supervisor password and clear it. This laptop is not worth that to me sadly.

I also have the Ultrabay for it, with DVD-Rom and 3.5 floppy drives. I may have to post it in the for sale area, or fleabay:-(

[rkawakami]

Check your PM!

The POP and Supervisor password icons ARE the same for these older Thinkpads.

[ds190]

Thanks for that PM info. I saw your(?) thread for the hardware setup, soldering, and software needed to ID the BIOS password on a T series I think.

I'm going to think about reviving it or not. It's great to use on a crowded plane at night, with it's light weight, 12" screen, and LED keyboard light. All my data stays on a USB drive, so if someone steals it, no worries. But Win2000 and 390 RAM are not that helpful.

I'm attempting to replace the CCFL in my X40 which is usually the workhorse, so if I succeed, the X22 may end up recycled.