Thinkpads Forum

I think I'll start a new topic here with respect to my day-old X61 from the Outlet.

I'm trying to get the fingerprint reader working - I assume that's the little rectangle adjacent to the right mouse button. There's no indication of it in Device Manager, and the software update never added any software. In CSS, the Fingerprint item is greyed out.

I downloaded and installed the software manually, rebooted, and on the login screen was an icon "Please connect your fingerprint reader".

We are totally baffled now. I think the unit was advertised as having a fingerprint reader, although I can't prove it. When I went to print the specs upon placing the order, the web page was gone. Could I have the fingerprint palmrest without having a fingerprint reader???

I went to look at my warranty status, and it claims I'm out of warranty as of 3/20. I just got it yesterday! So I'm not sure if anyone at Lenovo will talk to me.

I really hate sounding like some naive, confused newbie. Can anyone pound some sense into a naive, confused newbie???

Art, more befuddled than usual

I ordered a refurbished X61T advertised with 1 year depot warranty. It also displayed as "out-of-warranty" in the Lenovo warranty system when it first shipped to me. I had to contact Lenovo, ultimately reaching someone in the entitlement department before getting my advertised warranty.

Make sure you have your proof of purchase, along with proof that the system was supposed to ship with warranty coverage, when you contact Lenovo. First you need to resolve your warranty issue, which may take up to 2-3 weeks, then you can solve your fingerprint issue, if you don't find a solution here first.

Also you can check here for dealing with discrepancies with outlet advertised vs. shipped items.

As a side note, if yours happened to be a refurbished system that shipped with no warranty coverage, then there really seems to be a problem with outlet refurbished sales and warranties. The person I first spoke to stated that refurbished items don't have warranties, until I sent him my proof of advertised warranty. I wish there was someone who could address this here... perhaps Mark@Lenovo?

ArtShapiro wrote:I think I'll start a new topic here with respect to my day-old X61 from the Outlet.<<snip snip>>

Art, more befuddled than usual

Gee..sounds like you're stuck in a sort of "Lenovo twilight zone". My sympathies! If there is a fingerprint reader on the machine, then you ought to have the software to run it. Perhaps, the reader got disconnected during shipping? You could remove the palm rest and check.

I'm amazed at your warranty date expiration. This is seriously wrong, and Lenovo ought to fix this mistake post haste.

If this is a brand new machine perhaps you could get a replacement. I might have been broken in manufacturing or shipping.

ArtShapiro wrote:snip.....I downloaded and installed the software manually, rebooted, and on the login screen was an icon "Please connect your fingerprint reader".....snip

Have you actually opened up the system to make sure whether the fingerprint reader cable ZIF connector is connected to the system board? :

PCI Express Mini Card removal movie - ThinkPad X60/s, X61/s.

Refurbished units come with warranty for the time of period stated on the website, just keep the invoice handy and in case inquired by IBM EasyServ then provide a proof to them.

I’ve seen this issue a while ago on this forum reported by an individual on X61 tablet, the user had to send the machine to EasyServ and after getting the system back the member reported that IBM replaced the fingerprint sensor chip that solved the problem for good.

Thanks for the input, folks. I don't seem to have an invoice amidst all the stuff that came in the box, and never got the emailed acknowledgment. I'll call Lenovo tomorrow and hope for the best.

The model # (7675-CTR) doesn't show in the Tabook. The specific serial number tabulates a lot of hardware but not a fingerprint reader. Should it?

I'll open 'er up tomorrow and look for the cable in question. Hypothetically (I hope) if the unit really isn't supposed to have the fingerprint reader, but has the correct palmrest, is there a FRU I could purchase and install, or are we talking about a different system board?

After one day living with Vista Home Basic, I'm quite unhappy with it. But we'll take this one step at a time.

Art

remove the keyboard and the top cover you will probably find the fingerprint reader is not plugged in. I got my x61 back from depot with the same message, opened it plugged in the cable and worked fine. try that first

rbr115 wrote:remove the keyboard and the top cover you will probably find the fingerprint reader is not plugged in. I got my x61 back from depot with the same message, opened it plugged in the cable and worked fine. try that first

Thanks - I've just walked back from the printer with a copy of the HMM. I always like having it in hard-copy whenever I dig into a TP.

I called Lenovo earlier this morning, reaching a very nice gentleman who assured me I had a one year warranty, said that sometimes there's a delay in entering the data (thus explaining the 3/20 expiration), and promising to confirm that with the warranty folks. He also agreed that if the reader is in the palm rest, I most certainly should have the hardware installed. So I think this situation will work itself out, hopefully from a loose cable but at worst a back-to-Lenovo fix.

<babble>
BTW, this god-awful Vista Home Basic wouldn't even let me connect to my work domain. Happily I could go the other direction. I feared this would be the one "downer" in an otherwise well-equipped X61, and it is proving to be so. I'm not sure whether to grin and bear it, as the machine is really for my non-power-user wife, put on XP Pro, or shell out for some higher flavor of Vista.
</babble>

Art

As hoped for, the connector of the fingerprint reader wasn't attached. The drivers magically installed upon reboot, and then System Update replaced 'em with newer drivers.

After about five minutes of trying the practice tutorial, I got the hang of it and have just successfully logged onto the machine with a finger.

Now to figure out how to use this facility for all the other sites (like this one!) for which one logs on. Any quick advice out there?

Thanks for the assistance, everyone.

Art

ArtShapiro wrote:As hoped for, the connector of the fingerprint reader wasn't attached. The drivers magically installed upon reboot, and then System Update replaced 'em with newer drivers.

After about five minutes of trying the practice tutorial, I got the hang of it and have just successfully logged onto the machine with a finger.

Now to figure out how to use this facility for all the other sites (like this one!) for which one logs on. Any quick advice out there?

Thanks for the assistance, everyone.

Art

I really enjoy hearing success stories like this! Nice work!

As for using fingerpring reader for web sites, I believe that is rather limited with the Lenovo setup, at least I have had no success with the idea and quickly gave up. I believe Client Security Solutions is involved in that process, but I do not mess with that part of fingerprint security....I just use it for hard drive passwords out of BIOS.

Yeah. you need to use lenovo's bloatware (and that specific one really, really is).

I wish stuff like truecrypt could use it too