T42 wants a windows password

[burns334]

Folks, I bought this machine awhile ago from someone on Craigs list. I got a fan error a few months ago and finally took it apart and cleaned the fan. I re installed the battery and rebooted and then it took a bunch of windows updates all good. I turned in on this am and it wants a windows password for the woman I bought it from, where the heck did that come from? I know I have to redo the drive but what happened?

burns

[Saucey]

Did it shutdown completely? I know sometimes when machines go into hibernation they'll ask for passwords even if there isn't one needed from booting the machine from a normal shutdown.

You might need to ask for her password... I am unsure if there are ways with a Linux live CD to find where it is stored.

[dr_st]

Just in case, did you try simply pressing Enter (blank password) when prompted for a password?

[Brad]

There are some linux based programs that you can boot from to help with this issue.

Google is your friend.

Brad

[burns334]

I wasn't able to get around the password request so I decided to rebuild the drive. I have 8 ibm disks to reinstall the operating system. The disks are labeled 1 of 1 bootable and I have 7 others numbered 1 thru 7. I tried building the drive like in this thread, http://forum.thinkpads.com/viewtopic.php?t=52133 but have a problem. Only disk 1 is bootable and it goes to rescue and recovery console and seems to get thru that fine. I get thru step 5 in referenced post but if I click accept it goes thru everything again, if I insert the 1st of the 7 disks before clicking accept it never asks for disk 1. I tried it in every way I could think of but no luck. System will not boot from the 1 of 7 set, I'm sure I've used these before but did not have this problem. Any help would be appreciated. PS system is Xp

TIA
burns

[ajkula66]

Have you wiped the drive prior to attempting the install from recovery disks?

[burns334]

AKJ, no did not wipe the drive, is that necessary?

burns

[ajkula66]

That's the way I've always done it. YMMV.

Download DBAN, burn a CD in an ISO (bootable) format and wipe the drive.

Then proceed with the install from the recovery set and let us know how it went.

Good luck.

[burns334]

AKJ and others, not any difference, first I tried pc doctor and then dban to wipe disk, I still just get stuck in a loop. The R&R console comes up, I click on continue, then restore factory contents, ok to continue, NO I don't want to transfer files, I accept the T&C's, click OK. Now it copies files to D\I386 and D\Preboot, it takes about 5 mins, and then reboots into R&R console again. I tried inserting disk 1 before reboot and it can't find the preboot utilities

burns

[ajkula66]

Your R&R disk might be corrupted.

I haven't done a XP install on T42 in ages, but remember the machine asking for disk 1 after R&R was done with.

Do you have another R&R boot disk to try?

[burns334]

AKJ, I have an R&R for T60 and T43 and will give them a try. Well the interface is a little different but basically the same. I don't get stuck in a loop but I never got far. After I accepted it started to crank away but before asking for disk 1 it bombed, with the following message, "an internal error has occured and caused the process to fail. I got the same message for the T60 and T43 R&R disks, what next?

burns

[ajkula66]

I'd try the T43 one and keep my fingers crossed.

Good luck.

[burns334]

AKJ, see post above, no luck. internal error caused process to fail. I even went and tried another drive, no difference, I am stumped, ideas needed. thanks

burns

Here is something I found in the "Lenovo Community", I will give this a try later in the week

On some of these machines a restore was a two-step process. The first install puts the R&R software and an install image on the drive (in Z?). When you reboot to R&R is there a "restore to factory" option available there? If so that should finish the install from Z to C. Maybe. I hope...

Thanks for the suggestion...actually the "2 step part" was the answer as opposed to the z drive. I had to click the "Recover original files" a 2nd time, which at first appeared like it was going to take me through the whole process again. Instead it is loading my software.

The thought of a two step process got me thinking a bit and I solved this problem. I am going to start a new thread just to let users know how to do this as it does not appear to be in the forums. See Building hard drive using Rescue and Recovery tips