[Solved] T42 BIOS locked

[ipso]

I just received a used (replacement) machine off eBay. I went to the Lenovo website to get BIOS & Chipset firmware updates, but was challenged for the administrative password. Tried: blank, “password”, “ThinkPad” and now I'm locked out. I unplugged cable & battery but I'm still locked out.

How to reset please....

Thank you!

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I found this - http://www.tech-faq.com/reset-ibm-think ... sword.html

But I have no idea what it's talking about. I get a message:

Code: Select all

ERROR
0199: System Security – IBM Security password retry count exceeded.

Press <F1> to Setup

After F1 a blank black screen with a little box & padlock by it top left.

[ipso]

Okay – found this - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yiY-EGe92io

POP – I can reset (but I suppose it's the SVP I'm after)
SVP – must “replace motherboard”.... (oh jeez)

I'm waiting for eBay guy to provide SVP – or – a fine piece of workaround from those here.

Thanks, and sorry for my lameness.

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Related - http://forum.thinkpads.com/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=102241

But he knew his passwords.

[Neil]

Forum rules don't allow for the discussion of cracking ThinkPad passwords (for good reason I might add), beyond what is posted on the Lenovo web site:

http://support.lenovo.com/en_US/detail. ... migr-59377

[ipso]

Sorry for the inappropriate request OP then.

However, the link you provide shows that it's a POP reset that I'm looking for. Sweat! (so it's not hacking SVP – it's resetting POP per Lenovo site instructions.)

But... I followed the instructions and I still get the locked icon. Perhaps I don't understand the instructions.

First – quickly – what is the thing being removed here at 4:53? - http://youtu.be/6U7UvvOprKA?t=3m53s

I believe this is the “backup battery” here at 5:03 - http://youtu.be/6U7UvvOprKA?t=5m03s

That's the yellow CMOS BIOS memory battery - right? - which I assume is the “backup battery” that the link mentions.

I don't want to take the first doohickey out and boot the machine and fry something. It doesn't look like a “backup battery”.

Unfortunately, when I turn on the machine (both batteries pulled out – but I have to have the thing plugged in for it to turn on at all...) and the “POST” ends (the IBM, Pentium M bootup screen – I presume), I still get the POP challenge lock icon.

So the page instructions don't work for me.....?

Me not so smart.

Any assistance is appreciated.


(Bats out – plugged in)
1.) Boot and just wait, or
2.) Boot and hit blue IBMAccess button, or
3.) Boot and hit F1 to access BIOS

All three end up with the *&^#@% POP lock icon (per the link)

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I doubt the eBay guy sent me a machine that even had a POP. The eBay image shows the machine booted up to BIOS. (No HD or power brick – I had those.)

I'm thinking my Lenovo site download of the BIOS upgrade somehow is out of sync and created, and/or fowled up my mojo. After all, this all happened because I was loading a BIOS “update utility” (non-diskette, for XP) from here. - http://support.lenovo.com/en_US/detail. ... MIGR-55386

Oh – and by the way – the reason I was doing the BIOS upgrade in the first place is because even after a clean Windows install, it did not recognize the NIC (no Network Adapters in the Devise Manager.) I was hoping beyond hope that updating all the drivers from the Lenovo site would magically make this bad NIC/motherboard fixed. (I don't suppose these 14” T42s have a history of bad NICs?)

I'm assuming about zero chance of that file being from a bad guy. (just downloaded the file [1ruj37us.exe] a second time and they have the same hash, so the file was not corrupted....)

[ajkula66]

Removing the CMOS battery activates the Supervisor password, if one has been set at any point in the game.

Your machine is now officially locked.

[ipso]

Locked. Officially. Yes. Soup sandwich. [I drop; without having to be told.]

I guess there are ways to approach the lost SVP problem, but that isn't appropriate discussion here, nor am I the man for the job.

Life is tough when you're a chump in the fast lane...

Thanks for everyone's help though (especially the PM.) I'll post again only if a miracle-solve happens – i.e. if the eBay guy comes through with an admin pass [yeah right] ..and the NIC miraculously starts to work after I've updated the BIOS/Chipset/drivers from MS OEM.

[systemBuilder]

I once ruined a motherboard trying to de-solder and replace a chip because surface mount soldering is so difficult to do successfully. So I do not recommend any types of repairs that involve replacing chips on any circuit boards, in general.

[ipso]

Thanks. The eBay guy wasn't able to provide the pass and had me return the machine for refund, so it's ..out of my hands.

Bummer. Because that was a $20 fix to my still dead T42.