Thinkpads Forum

I have a 390X (2626-FOU) that I bought used. I installed Puppy Linux on it just fine but didn't like the way it felt so I was going to change OS's. Now when I try to boot the machine it powers on to a password prompt before entering BIOS, like it has generated a SVP or something. I thought it could be the CMOS type error (this is where it gets really interesting). I pulled the CMOS batt. and installed it into a working 380ED, and it caused a 161/163 error in that machine (meaning that the battery is probably too low. Easy fix, right? WRONG. When I installed a new CMOS batt. into the 390X after waiting the specified 20 minutes, it boots right back to the password prompt. I have no idea what this PW is as it wasn't set when I bought the machine, and now I have an otherwise very useful brick of blackness. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

some thinkpads have a "hardware" password. if any hardware is changed, it will set the password. its for systim administraters
to prevent un-authorised tampering. if you change the hard drive,
or suffer a power failure (cmos battery dead) it can set off the password. i dont know if thier i any way to overcome this. you should read the service manual, it may have a way to re-set it.
if not, you would have to replace the main board.
good luck, adrian

Have you tried "blank" password. It sounds like the Supervisor Password or Hard Drive password has been set.

One way to check which one is to remove the hard drive. If you still have a password prompt it's the Supervisor Password.

You can try to flush the BIOS with a new one, either older or newer than your current.

You can try letting it sit for a longer period of time too, like 24 hours. Remove the laptop battery as well. A trick with some of the newer models is to press and hold the power button on for 10 seconds with no power at all. Try that with the CMOS and system battery removed. It's supposed to reset the system somehow.