HELP! need to change default password

[jennamalyk]

If possible coud some one please tell me if its possible to change the default password if you dont know the origanal. i bought a think pad from a pawnshop and there was a lock on it it wont even boot
if anyone has any idea of how i could fix this problem please help .what mean is I turn it on the frist page that pops up is the thinkpad logo then it goes to a black sreen with a lock and a little computer symble.theres room for seven numbers or letters.I don't know that password.This is not a stolen computer I have the reciept and can give u any number off of it.people are telling me to take the battery out well I'm not that good with computers.If I press and hold esc when I turn it on it goes to a screen that counts to a hundered and then goes automaticly to the lock and little computer symble screen.please help can't afford to take it in to a shop it is a 2000 please help

[rkawakami]

Welcome to thinkpads.com!

Unfortunately there is no "default" password in Thinkpads. You need to enter the correct password in order to remove it. I suppose that there's no chance of taking the system back to the pawnshop and getting your money back? If the laptop was advertised as being functional then you have a good argument for a refund. If, however, it was sold "as-is" then probably no hope of the store returning your money.

[tom lightbody]

> default password

if you have the "Power On Password" (POP) you are in luck--for as
IBM says, removal of all power sources for a while, causes the laptop
to forget the POP. Don't neglect the cmos 3v. backup battery, take that
out as well

[rkawakami]

Thanks Tom for pointing that out... I was assuming that jennamalyk is/was dealing with a Supervisor password (SVP).

@jennamalyk: Here's an explanation of Thinkpad passwords:

- Power-on (POP): requires entering the correct password each time the system is turned on. Most systems will display a lock symbol along with a "squarish" looking icon (which is supposed to resemble a computer monitor). This type of password is usually removed by taking out the main battery AND the backup battery. The procedure is published in the Hardware Maintenance Manual so that's okay to discuss here in public.

- Supervisor (SVP): aka, BIOS password. Requires a password whenever the system is told to access the BIOS (the laptop's brains as it were); this is usually done by pressing the F1 key during boot time. Most systems will display the same lock/monitor icon pair as seen with the Power-on password so it can be hard to tell the difference. Newer Thinkpads replace the square icon with an outline of a person. Here's the big gotcha: the procedure to remove the POP (removing the backup battery) will permanently enable the SVP prompt if it has been set. The reason why goes like this: removal of the backup battery will make the system forget it had a POP but it will also lose track of the time. During the next boot, the system will recognize that the time was lost and force the user into the BIOS to reset it. If there is an SVP enabled, this causes the system to prompt for the supervisor password. Removing all power does nothing to eliminate the supervisor password. IBM intentionally made it hard to remove because of security reasons. It's also why this forum has a rule about any conjecture / assistance in removing a SVP beyond the IBM-recommended procedure of replacing the motherboard. This password is also a "stealth" bomb. Because you only see the password prompt when you try to enter the BIOS, it could lay dormant for years. Never have the reason to look into the BIOS menu??? Then you won't know that a password is there. You may see people advertising that, "there's a BIOS password but it's blank. Just press the Enter key and you'll get the BIOS menu" (see this all of the time on eBay). Well, that's true to some extent. In those cases, the system has been set to allow only displaying the BIOS settings; you can't actually change anything. Whenever (not, "if") the backup battery finally dies - about 7 years average lifespan - or gets removed for a few seconds, then the next time that the system is turned on, the SVP will kick in and you'll have a "brick". That's a polite way of describing what the Thinkpad will become.

- Hard Drive (HDP): a password implemented whenever the system attempts to access the drive after it has been turned on. Along with the picture of the lock, this password prompt has a drum or cylinder icon with the number "1" next to it. If this one is set, the password prompt appears every time the system is turned on, much like the POP. However, the distinctive drum icon should make it clear which one it is. Again, due to security reasons there's no discussions allowed besides saying that you have to replace the hard drive.

The general recommendation here is that when you are confronted by an unknown SVP or HDP, then you should take the system back to the person who sold it to you and ask for your money back. We have no idea about the history of the system. It's quite possible that the system has been legally obtained from a defunct corporation where there's nobody around to know (or ask) what the password is. Or it could be from an estate sale. And yes, it might simply be a matter of somebody forgetting what they typed in a few years ago. It's also quite possible that the system is stolen and the forum does not wish to be put into the position of "aiding and abetting".

[jennamalyk]

it is not stolen can only afford old modles will give u any numder off it to prove it I'm just not very good with computers,the sreen that pops up it the one with the lock and little computer symble

Admin edit: Removed full quoting

[Harryc]

That 'sounds' like a power on password. Try what tom lightbody suggests.

[rkawakami]

Well, then please provide the seven character TYPE number from the bottom of the system. It will be on a thin, black and white bar code label and in the format of: XXXX-XXX. Don't need the S/N (XX-XXXXX). I have a feeling that we're not talking about a T400/T500 system and this thread may be moved into the appropriate forum.

[jennamalyk]

Well, then please provide the seven character TYPE number from the bottom of the system. It will be on a thin, black and white bar code label and in the format of: XXXX-XXX. Don't need the S/N (XX-XXXXX). I have a feeling that we're not talking about a T400/T500 system and this thread may be moved into the appropriate forum.

802.3 MAC Addr:00 03 47 B6 8D 45 hope this is the number u need if not let me know please and thank you for ur helpor2628-PTU

[jennamalyk]

Well, then please provide the seven character TYPE number from the bottom of the system. It will be on a thin, black and white bar code label and in the format of: XXXX-XXX. Don't need the S/N (XX-XXXXX). I have a feeling that we're not talking about a T400/T500 system and this thread may be moved into the appropriate forum.

802.3 MAC Addr:00 03 47 B6 8D 45 hope this is the number u need if not let me know please and thank you for ur help

or is it 2628-PTU please help any way u can thank you

[Harryc]

Product: ThinkPad A22m 2628-PTU [change]
Operating system: All [change]

Original description: PIII 800MHz (256KB), 64MB RAM, 10.0GB HDD, 15.0 XGA(1024x768) TFT LCD, 24x-10x CD-ROM, Intel Combo, Li-Ion battery, Win2000

Edit: Moving to R A G Z Forum

[rkawakami]

That's the one (2628-PTU). The Hardware Maintenance Manual (HMM) for the A22m is here:

http://www-307.ibm.com/pc/support/site. ... IGR-4PER6S

There's also some videos available for viewing which shows how to do some basic things to the laptop:

http://www-307.ibm.com/pc/support/site. ... MIGR-46015

You will need Adobe Acrobat Reader to view the HMM (it's free from adobe.com). The batteries are pretty easy to get to. The main battery is located on the bottom of the system near the front edge of the laptop. It is removed by sliding a latch towards the symbol of an open padlock. Lift up the battery. The backup battery is located behind the square panel next to the left of the TYPE barcode. Tucked away almost beneath the area where that barcode is, will be a (usually) yellow-encased coin-type battery. It's connected to the system board with a small white connector. That's the backup battery. Removal of that battery will clear the POP. However, to get to it, you will also need to remove the small board which is attached to the system with a wide grey cable. That's the modem/ethernet card. There's a procedure listed in the HMM and at the page contained the videos I've provided above.

I should note and say that you don't have to physically remove the battery from the system; just unplug that small white connector for a few seconds and then plug it back in. In order to do so, you may have to remove the modem/ethernet card to give you some room to work with.

If your system only has the POP, then removing these batteries will clear it. If, however, you are encountering a supervisor (BIOS) password, then that's a whole 'nother issue.

[jennamalyk]

Product: ThinkPad A22m 2628-PTU [change]
Operating system: All [change]

Original description: PIII 800MHz (256KB), 64MB RAM, 10.0GB HDD, 15.0 XGA(1024x768) TFT LCD, 24x-10x CD-ROM, Intel Combo, Li-Ion battery, Win2000

Edit: Moving to R A G Z Forum

I'm not too sure what this really says,but the numbers like A22m is on the inside.

[rkawakami]

Don't worry too much about it. All it says is that you have an A22m laptop and it has certain features/options. Some of those things may not be true at the present time (the configuration is when the system left the factory). Somebody could have put more memory in, changed the disk drive, etc. However, most likely you still only have an 800Mhz processor and a 15" screen.

edit: Broken down, here's the explanation of the description:

PIII 800MHz (256KB) = Pentium III processor running at 800Mhz and 256KB of cache memory; 800Mhz is slow in today's market but fine for web surfing and simple Word or Excel document creation
64MB RAM = Amount of main memory that was in the system; the A22m has two memory sockets. Your system could have more than 64MB now.
10.0GB HDD = The size of the hard drive; again, if somebody upgraded the disk drive, this might not be true anymore
15.0 XGA(1024x768) TFT LCD = The diagnonal measurement (15") and resolution of the display
24x-10x CD-ROM = System was initially delivered with a CDROM (not a DVD drive). It's also possible that this has been changed since the optical drive can be removed and replace quite easily
Intel Combo = That's the small card next to the backup battery. It contains the modem and ethernet interface
Li-Ion battery = The type of main battery
Win2000 = The Windows Certificate for the operating system; the laptop is legally licensed to only run Windows 2000

[jennamalyk]

Don't worry too much about it. All it says is that you have an A22m laptop and it has certain features/options. Some of those things may not be true at the present time (the configuration is when the system left the factory). Somebody could have put more memory in, changed the disk drive, etc. However, most likely you still only have an 800Mhz processor and a 15" screen.

so I took out the little yellow battery it had a white clip on it,with one red ond one black wire attached turned after taking the batter yellow thing out for thirdy seconds and putting it back in. Ibm thinkpad comes up and in the bottom corner says F1 for bios setup.If I don't press F1 a black screen with a ovel battery and a lock symble what do I do?Or If I do press F1 it goes time and date erre then goes back to the lock and computer symble. Please help what do I do

[rkawakami]

As we have said before, about the only thing you can do is return the system or try removing the batteries and see if that eliminates the password prompt. If you are not comfortable with trying to remove the batteries, then find a (trusted) friend who has some computer knowledge, show him/her this thread and let them try it. The other option is to find a local computer shop in your area but that might cost you some money.

[jennamalyk]

As we have said before, about the only thing you can do is return the system or try removing the batteries and see if that eliminates the password prompt. If you are not comfortable with trying to remove the batteries, then find a (trusted) friend who has some computer knowledge, show him/her this thread and let them try it. The other option is to find a local computer shop in your area but that might cost you some money.

did battery thing and now get the ovel battery and lock symble please and thank you for ur help any thing else I can do read above for details on what I did and the out come .thanks please help

[rkawakami]

Does it look like the icon in the hard drive password section of this page?

http://www-307.ibm.com/pc/support/site. ... MIGR-59377
http://www-307.ibm.com/pc/support/site. ... asswrd.gif (the HD password icon)

If so, your system has a password on the hard drive and about the only thing you can do is replace the drive.

[jennamalyk]

Does it look like the icon in the hard drive password section of this page?

http://www-307.ibm.com/pc/support/site. ... MIGR-59377
http://www-307.ibm.com/pc/support/site. ... asswrd.gif (the HD password icon)

If so, your system has a password on the hard drive and about the only thing you can do is replace the drive.

not like i can but .what do u think that will cost . thanks or please tell me theres another way when I turn it on and press f1 that is the symble that comes and page comes up but if I press F1 but if I don't the power on password symble on the page.before i did the battery thing the power password symble was the only one that came up even when I pressed f1 please anything els I can do thanks

[jennamalyk]

Does it look like the icon in the hard drive password section of this page?

http://www-307.ibm.com/pc/support/site. ... MIGR-59377
http://www-307.ibm.com/pc/support/site. ... asswrd.gif (the HD password icon)

If so, your system has a password on the hard drive and about the only thing you can do is replace the drive.

not like i can but .what do u think that will cost . thanks or please tell me theres another way when I turn it on and press f1 that is the symble that comes and page comes up but if I don't the power on password symble page comes up.before i did the battery thing the power password symble was the only one that came up even when I pressed f1 please anything els I can do thanks

[rkawakami]

Typical price for a hard drive that goes into an A22m runs anywhere from US$30 (used, small capacity about 40GB) over US$100 (new, largest drive possible). Plus you will have to install a new operating system. That can run anywhere from $0 (if you already have the disks) to about US$50 for a set of IBM factory restore disks.

It's hard to understand what you are typing, but if you are still getting this type of symbol (icon) on the screen when you turn the system on:



AND you have removed the backup battery for a few seconds, then you are looking at a supervisor password. There's not much help that we can provide in this case. If all you see this:



even if you press the F1 key or not, then the only password in the system is for the hard drive. The power-on password would have been removed when you disconnected the backup battery and there was no supervisor password set.

All things considered, I'd seriously think about taking that system back to the pawnshop and telling them that they sold you a non-working system if they said that there was nothing wrong with it.

[jennamalyk]

when I turn it on. and don't press F1 the power on password symble comes up. When I do press F1 the hard drive password comes up.But before I did the battery thing that hard drive password symble never came up even when I pressed F1.

[jennamalyk]

what I'm saying is if I press F1 I get the harddrive password symble but before i did the battery thing this symble never ever came up

[rkawakami]

Just checked my A22p, which should be similar to your A22m in operation of passwords.

Never seeing the hard drive password up until the time you removed the power-on password is normal. Please double-check the following:

- power up the system and DO NOT press the F1 key. Do you see the hard drive password prompt?
- turn the system off and then back on again and this time press the F1 key. Do you see the "Entering IBM BIOS Setup Utility" message and then get the hard drive password prompt?

If "yes" to both questions, then all you (now) have is the hard drive password. The power on password comes up first when it is enabled. That means if it has been set, you would never see the hard drive password prompt unless you have provided the POP. Because you have removed the POP and you do not see the POP prompt anymore, that also means that there is/was no SVP. Removal of the POP has now enabled the system to get past that point and stop at the hard drive password.

If this is the case, then the same thing I said earlier about replacing the hard drive applies. As far as I know, there's no easy or cheap way to enable use of a password-locked hard drive. It's much simpler to replace it. If that is not possible for you, then again, take the system back to where you bought it and see if they will refund you. If they can't/won't do that, then it seems like you are stuck with a laptop that needs another hard drive (and operating system).

edit: Sorry, but I just went back up earlier in the thread and read something that you must have edited so I didn't see it until now.

so I took out the little yellow battery it had a white clip on it,with one red ond one black wire attached turned after taking the batter yellow thing out for thirdy seconds and putting it back in. Ibm thinkpad comes up and in the bottom corner says F1 for bios setup.If I don't press F1 a black screen with a ovel battery and a lock symble what do I do?Or If I do press F1 it goes time and date erre then goes back to the lock and computer symble. Please help what do I do

That sounds like your system has a supervisor password. I'm going to set my A22p up with all three passwords and then pull out the backup battery...

[jennamalyk]

Just checked my A22p, which should be similar to your A22m in operation of passwords.

Never seeing the hard drive password up until the time you removed the power-on password is normal. Please double-check the following:

- power up the system and DO NOT press the F1 key. Do you see the hard drive password prompt?
- turn the system off and then back on again and this time press the F1 key. Do you see the "Entering IBM BIOS Setup Utility" message and then get the hard drive password prompt? yes to the frist one and no to the second now if I press F1 the power on password symble with lock and computer comes up

If "yes" to both questions, then all you (now) have is the hard drive password. The power on password comes up first when it is enabled. That means if it has been set, you would never see the hard drive password prompt unless you have provided the POP. Because you have removed the POP and you do not see the POP prompt anymore, that also means that there is/was no SVP. Removal of the POP has now enabled the system to get past that point and stop at the hard drive password.

If this is the case, then the same thing I said earlier about replacing the hard drive applies. As far as I know, there's no easy or cheap way to enable use of a password-locked hard drive. It's much simpler to replace it. If that is not possible for you, then again, take the system back to where you bought it and see if they will refund you. If they can't/won't do that, then it seems like you are stuck with a laptop that needs another hard drive (and operating system).

yes to the first, No to the second if I press F1 lock and monitor symble comes up

[rkawakami]

Yeah, that's what I was afraid of. Just enabled all three passwords on my A22p. Pulling out the backup battery caused the POP to disappear as normal. If I did NOT attempt to access the BIOS with the F1 key, then all I got was the hard drive password prompt. If I DID access the BIOS, then the 271 "check date and time settings" error was displayed for a few seconds, followed by the supervisor password prompt. That one looks exactly like the power-on prompt so it is difficult to tell which is which without knowing the exact steps being taken to power up the system AND what was done to the batteries beforehand.

So it appears that you have a system which the previous owner used all three passwords to secure. The pawnshop should have been aware of this when the it was left with them. Previous advice still applies - take it back. Due to the forum rules about defeating security systems, that's about all of the advice that I can provide.

[jennamalyk]

Yeah, that's what I was afraid of. Just enabled all three passwords on my A22p. Pulling out the backup battery caused the POP to disappear as normal. If I did NOT attempt to access the BIOS with the F1 key, then all I got was the hard drive password prompt. If I DID access the BIOS, then the 271 "check date and time settings" error was displayed for a few seconds, followed by the supervisor password prompt. That one looks exactly like the power-on prompt so it is difficult to tell which is which without knowing the exact steps being taken to power up the system AND what was done to the batteries beforehand.

So it appears that you have a system which the previous owner used all three passwords to secure. The pawnshop should have been aware of this when the it was left with them. Previous advice still applies - take it back. Due to the forum rules about defeating security systems, that's about all of the advice that I can provide.

so there is no back door, or a way of completly wiping it because i don't care what the other person had on it I thought I was moving up in the world,when i got it. I'll pull the side panle thing that looks like the hard drive out and give u any number off of it.
please help

[ajkula66]

Try to return it to the pawn shop. Otherwise, it can only be used for parts, and that won't get you very far financially, since it's an old machine.

Good luck.