A31 BIOS Battery change cant log on

[charris]

Hi!
I'm new at this...never had to do anything to a computer except add or remove software...I just bought a used A31 Thinkpad from someone and couldn't log on so i removed the lith battery and still cant get on...it shows a lock icon with a floppy disk symbol...dont have any passwords....what can i do to get this fixed...thanks so much for any help.

cindy

[Neil]

Hi Cindy, welcome to the forum! Those passwords can be a real pain, and rightly so, because they are there to protect your data in the event your laptop is stolen. So they are difficult to remove by design. So, it's always best to get any passwords from the seller to confirm that you are not buying stolen goods. Although, there are legitimate sellers of laptops with passwords, they will always tell you a password is present, and if they don't know it, then if you are not equipped to change the password, you are better off not buying that laptop.

Take a look at the link below and tell us which password you have. Also instructions are on that page for removing/changing certain kinds of passwords.

http://www-307.ibm.com/pc/support/site. ... MIGR-59377

[charris]

I bought it from a dealer who buys all the hospitals old equipment and he is legit ... he had the passwords for the hospital software which I dont need...its the only software that comes up when u log in...however upon someones advice I unplugged the BIOS battery to cancel out the passwords...now I get a Lock Icon with a disk by it and have no password to get on...it has windows 2000 on it but cant even get into that...so I'm stuck any suggestions...

thanks
cindy

[ajkula66]

What you're looking at is known as Supervisor password. It has nothing to do with the operating system, and is stored in the hardware itself...

Forum rules prohibit any discussions on password cracking...

Your choices are:

a) Obtain the password from the seller

b) Return the machine.

c) Have the motherboard replaced.

Good luck.

[charris]

Thank you very much! You have been a great help. I was thinking the same thing about replacing the motherboard...is it worth it and where do I go to get one?

cindy

[Neil]

Is it worth it to replace the board? I don't think so. I have a couple of A31 machines, and while they are nice, they don't have much value today. Good motherboards are kinda hard to find, because a lot of these develop GPU problems after a while (both of mine are showing signs of this). That said, the thing to do is search ebay for boards to get an idea of the cost involved, and then decide for yourself if it's worth the time (a couple of hours work to swap) and cost.

This looks to be a good example with a warranty:
http://cgi.ebay.com/IBM-ThinkPad-A31-La ... 588df57f1c

[charris]

Thank you Neil and ajkula66. You both have been a great help and I appreciate it very much. I didnt give much for the computer and I may just use it to tinker with...I have never put in any hardware parts like this and I may just do it and put some computer games for the kids on...anyway thanks again for all your help!

cindy

[ajkula66]

You won't be able to put *anything* on it as long as the issue with the unknown Supervisor password is not resolved...

Good luck.

[Tomasas]

I have some ideas how to help you.
I restored my A23 that way.
try to PM me