W541 - How easy ..

[OneByteCPU]

.. is it to unlock the BIOS on one of these?

[RealBlackStuff]

You get an SPI programmer and a SOIC clip, read out the BIOS, send that file to someone who removes the lock.
When you get it back, you write it back into the BIOS.
Easy peasy.

[OneByteCPU]

So, not an easy thing like on the X201 or X131e? The X131e was child's play (short a couple of pins during BIOS load), the X201 required re-programming the chip, but I found a utility to do it on-line.

If one got back the 'corrected' file and did a comparison with the 'locked' file, one would know what to do. Or one could share the 'corrected' file. Maybe?

[RealBlackStuff]

Ever since the xx40, BIOS 'locking' has changed.
It is now per machine, not per model, so you can't use an 'unlocked' file in any other laptop.
FYI: the T440p/T540p/W540/W541 have 2 BIOS chips, so it's a bit more convoluted there.
Check your PM.

[OneByteCPU]

Thanks! .. and understood.