Clearing the Security Chip on an X31

[bobbarker]

Half the time my X31 boots (if you can call it that) it does 4 beeps and pauses which last I checked meant security chip woes.

I've followed the two sets of instructions here:
http://www.thinkwiki.org/wiki/Embedded_ ... _Subsystem
and a few variations thereof. Nothing seems to get the clear TPM chip option up on my X31. Any X31 owner know what combo would get me where I need to go?

[bobbarker]

Anyone?

[j-dawg]

I don't know if any of these will help you but I found them on http://repair4laptop.org/disassembly_ibm.html :
http://atrey.karlin.mff.cuni.cz/~pavel/thinkpad.html
http://marc.info/?l=full-disclosure&m=1 ... 830357&w=2
http://sodoityourself.com/hacking-ibm-t ... -password/
http://home.icequake.net/~nemesis/linux ... passwords/

You might also try one of those services on eBay that claims to be able to rid you of the password over the phone:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ThinkPad-BIOS-Passw ... .m14.l1318
From his feedback it seems like he's been successful at helping some people just over the phone. If not, you're out a dollar...no big deal.

Good luck. X31s are very cool machines.

[bobbarker]

Not exactly what I was looking for (no password set, just four beeps at boot), but one link did interest me. It mentions wiring up the I2C lines of the security chip and reading it. My guess is my chip is going dead.

Assuming I can read the contents of the chip does anyone thing I could reprogram another security chip with the flash image I get and use it? It's just some Atmel chip...which has loads of documentation.

Edit:
My guess is you'd have to clip (or short, depends on what it needs) the WP lead on the chip.

[BobA]

The 4 beep problem is not a password problem (and not the Amtel chip). It has to do with the embedded security chip problem - as you have already concluded. Here are two thoughts for you:

1: Make sure the security chip is seated properly. You'll need to take off the keyboard bezel/palmrest if you haven't already done that.

2: Sometimes, I've had motherboards that have the 4 beeps. Putting in different memory fixed that one time (the rest of the times that didn't). Reflowing the motherboard sometimes can fix the problem, but that can be as expensive as a new motherboard.

For a system that was working and then stopped working, it's a case of some of the soldering has gone bad and the motherboard needs to be reflowed or replaced - unless the chip was knocked loose (option 1 above).

Even if you can clear that Amtel chip, I think there's an underlying problem that you're facing with the motherboard. Whatever caused the problem in the first place is elsewhere - not on the Amtel chip.

Sincerely -- Bob