Help - Forgotten Client Security Password on T43

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jdemsar · #1 Post by **jdemsar** » Mon Mar 06, 2006 1:54 am

I have forgotten my password for the IBM Client Security Software on my T43 (266875U), therefore I cannot update the CSS software. Is there any way to erase the information stored on the security chip or reset the password? I have contacted IBM via web and also local IBM service, but thus far got no solution from them.
Local IBM guys do not know how to deal with it, so even if I cannot reset the password myself it would help a lot if someone can provide an aswer I can forward to the local IBM.
Since security chip is not part of the OS I presume that reinstalling the system using Recovery would not do the job.

I have the newest BIOS and other updates but CSS v. 5.43.173.0 which I cannot update due to the above reason.

Thank you in advance for all the help!

DJ

nauht · #2 Post by **nauht** » Mon Mar 06, 2006 9:26 pm

If your T43 has bios 1.24, for some reason they no longer have the option to reset the security chip. I also forgot my paraphrase as well so what I had to do was downgrade the bios down to 1.08 where that option exists, reset, then upgrade back to 1.24. I don't know why Lenovo/IBM got rid of the option to reset the security chip.

Uncletoad · #3 Post by **Uncletoad** » Mon Mar 06, 2006 10:59 pm

nauht wrote: so what I had to do was downgrade the bios down to 1.08 where that option exists, reset, then upgrade back to 1.24.

How does one do that?

nauht · #4 Post by **nauht** » Mon Mar 06, 2006 11:05 pm

Go to Lenovo's site and download a previous BIOS and flash it. It'll downgrade. Then get the latest one to upgrade.

jdemsar · #5 Post by **jdemsar** » Tue Mar 07, 2006 2:27 am

hi nauht,

I followed your advice (thanks!), but unfortunately it does not work. Even when I downgrade BIOS to 1.02 (I first tried with 1.08 ) there is no option to clear IBM security chip (initial release of BIOS is not available on IBM/Lenovo web page). Perhaps I should downgrade also some other ThinkVantage component, but unfortunately I do not know which. Any other thoughts?

Cheers,

DJ

nauht · #6 Post by **nauht** » Wed Mar 08, 2006 1:04 am

That's strange. I'm not sure why it doesn't show up on yours even if you're using 1.08. On mines it said something with "reset". What options does yours say?

jdemsar · #7 Post by **jdemsar** » Wed Mar 08, 2006 1:37 am

Hi,

at the IBM predesktop area I go to Access BIOS (BIOS downgraded to v.1.08 or even 1.02). Then go to Security and click IBM Security Chip. There is NO option like Clear IBM Security Chip (the option I read about in the ThinkVantage Brochure). In fact, I can only enable or disable the chip but that is it.
It could be that my T43 hardware configuration is different. What is your model number - mine is 2668-75U. Perhaps I should also change some other settings like enable/disable chip, passwords etc..

yossarian · #8 Post by **yossarian** » Wed Mar 08, 2006 3:11 am

If you're wanting to reset the admin password, there's an easy way to do it. This was mentioned in another forum thread. It goes a little something like this:

Shut down the machine. Hold down the Fn key and press the power button to boot it. Keep Fn held down until you're stuck. It won't proceed very far because it waits for you to release that key. Release Fn. Now enter the bios using the key you press to get into bios.

Under security, there will now be an option to reset some passwords.

This is another reason why people should have start up passwords, bios supervisor passwords set to prevent the security chip admin password being reset so easily.

jdemsar · #9 Post by **jdemsar** » Wed Mar 08, 2006 3:23 am

Thanks a bunch, I'll give it a try.

By the way, should this work with any BIOS version, or should I downgrade BIOS to 1.08 or lower? Any idea of which forum thread this was discussed in?

Thanks again!

jdemsar · #10 Post by **jdemsar** » Wed Mar 08, 2006 4:22 am

Hi yossarian,

didn't work. Pressing and holding Fn key has no effect on booting the machine..

yossarian · #11 Post by **yossarian** » Thu Mar 09, 2006 3:50 am

Well I don't know if it works on the newer bios. I had to use it a few months ago on whatever the latest bios was at the time for my T43, cause I had done the unusual thing of going from CSS 6.0 to CSS 5.4, and then trying to go back to CSS 6.0 again.

I can't remember what bios revision I was using at the time unfortunately.

But it's possible IBM/Lenovo have removed that feature in subsequent revisions.

Try doing it again except when the "Press Access IBM for blah blah" thing comes up, release Fn and press F2 to get into the bios. or whatever you press for bios and see if the bios has any extra options in the security chip part.

jdemsar · #12 Post by **jdemsar** » Thu Mar 09, 2006 6:38 am

Hi yossarian,

thanks a bunch. It worked and I was able to regain full access over my T43. In fact what I did was to press and hold F2 first (and not Fn) and then by pressing F1 I entered BIOS where the option to Clear the Security Chip was there. Details..
Anyway, it worked. Thanks a bunch.

Cheers,

DJ

nauht · #13 Post by **nauht** » Thu Mar 09, 2006 7:16 pm

jdemsar, that works for me too! No more downgrading to the BIOS to clear the security chip now

I think this deserves to be documented or something since I'm sure a lot of people would have the same problem.

Uncletoad · #14 Post by **Uncletoad** » Fri Mar 10, 2006 12:05 am

Yea that works great. I managed to clear my chip, disable it, remove the embedded software and client security solutions, then reinstall CSS configured how I prefered it.

Nice.

yossarian · #15 Post by **yossarian** » Fri Mar 10, 2006 4:32 am

That's awesome

Just make sure you're the only one who can do that on your machine now by setting other security passwords heh(if not already done so).

#16 Post by **GomJabbar** » Fri Mar 10, 2006 5:10 am

yossarian wrote:Just make sure you're the only one who can do that on your machine now by setting other security passwords heh(if not already done so).

And if he forgets those.......................

nauht · #17 Post by **nauht** » Fri Mar 10, 2006 8:37 am

I did some more playing around - it looks like you don't need to hold down F2 - just press F1 and F2 at the same time to go into the BIOS and it'll show up.

yossarian · #18 Post by **yossarian** » Fri Mar 10, 2006 9:30 pm

GomJabbar wrote:
yossarian wrote:Just make sure you're the only one who can do that on your machine now by setting other security passwords heh(if not already done so).
And if he forgets those.......................

Hehe, best not to forget those. I have fingerprints registered too on my machine just in case I forget the password(which I recall regularly so as to minimise chance of forgetting).

mav · #19 Post by **mav** » Mon Mar 13, 2006 2:09 pm

Hi will this work for a T42 2373-8zu model, I upgraded some thinkvantage software and when I went back to log in the CSS refused to recognize my passphrase, nor would it respond to the back up questions? Thanks for any help

nauht · #20 Post by **nauht** » Mon Mar 13, 2006 7:07 pm

Try the F1 + F2 bios thing and see if it works on your machine.

Help - Forgotten Client Security Password on T43

Help - Forgotten Client Security Password on T43

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