HELP ME!!! T 30 --- Can't fix the power-on-password problem!

Message

Saskia · #1 Post by **Saskia** » Thu May 18, 2006 9:09 am

Hi!

I'm new here and I neeeeeeed your help! My display (T30 2366 86G) was broken and I bought a new lcd-cable and a friend replaced the old one. Unfortunately, this didn't help and the screen was still not working. But this isn't my main problem!!! My main problem is that now there's first a message about time/date errors and then a black screen and a lock symbol and I can enter a password. WHAT PASSWORD??? Am I not allowed to open the thinkpad??? I don't understand that!!! What password do I have to type in??? I never configured one in the BIOS or something...

PLEASE PLEASE help me!!!!

Well...I can not work with my thinkpad and of course I didn't save the data...! What should I do????????????

Anyone? HELP!!!

Hope you have an advice...

Bye...

Jeremy Tan · #2 Post by **Jeremy Tan** » Thu May 18, 2006 10:03 am

Saskia wrote: a black screen and a lock symbol and I can enter a password. WHAT PASSWORD??? Am I not allowed to open the thinkpad??? I don't understand that!!! What password do I have to type in??? I never configured one in the BIOS or something...

Greetings,

May i know is that TP a 2nd hand one or a new one? That black screen with a lock which needs a password is called the power on password. You can disable it when you see first switch on the TP and when you see the IBM logo, quickly press (I forget which button) and you will get to BIOS section. Disable the option called POWER ON password.

Jeremy (Wait for me to search for the button)

Jeremy Tan · #3 Post by **Jeremy Tan** » Thu May 18, 2006 10:17 am

Greetings,

When you see the IBM logo, faster press F1 and get into BIOS configuration.

Jeremy (^^Continued from the post above)

Saskia · #4 Post by **Saskia** » Thu May 18, 2006 10:28 am

hi..

thx, but are you sure? I heard the power-on password is something that occurs when I have put it to sleep....but I did not do that...

I can't try right now...because I'm at university and the TP is at home...

and...yes..it is 2nd hand...and therefore not the newest one!

okay...when I get back at home I check on that! But what if that does not work?? (Just to have plan b...)

Thx...saskia

Jeremy Tan · #5 Post by **Jeremy Tan** » Thu May 18, 2006 10:39 am

Greetings,

When you buy the notebook, did you do a test immediately? I am afraid that might be a stolen notebook. Where did you buy it from?
****************************************************

Unplug it, remove the battery and open it up. Find the CMOS battery
and remove it. Press the power button a few times, then leave it for
half an hour. Put everything back together and your power-on password
should be cleared.

Alternatively check on IBM's website for documentation on how to
remove a power-on password. Note that this is a security mechanism
designed to prevent people from getting data off of stolen laptops, so
sometimes it's a bit more complicated than the above. Also note that
taking apart a laptop is not a 5-minute project. Take rather careful
notice of where all the parts are.

As a side note here, if/when you do get the power-on password cleared,
I would HIGHLY recommend that you reformat the hard drive before doing
much of anything else. Whether you know it or not, there's a VERY
high probability that this laptop you purchased was stolen. If you
leave the original OS on it and connect up to the internet there may
be some sort of software installed on there which could start raising
some suspicions (ie software that automatically tries to connect to
the previous-owners corporate computer network).

Jeremy

Saskia · #6 Post by **Saskia** » Thu May 18, 2006 11:04 am

hey...
just spoke to IBM and they said it should be the Power-on-password...so you are right. I will try the F1-thing...but if it doesn't work IBM told me I should replace the backup battery which is not that expensive. But first I would do the stuff you told me...with the backup battery. Um...I suppose I unplug the power cable as well?? I'm sorry...I'm such a girl...

He said it should not be the BIOS-password...do you agree???

I don't know if this is a stolen TP...but I have it now for three years...so...! Um...!

Saskia

Jeremy Tan · #7 Post by **Jeremy Tan** » Thu May 18, 2006 11:09 am

Greetings,

Pressing F1 won't damage your thinkpad. After you switch on the TP, once you see the IBM logo, faster press F1. When you are inside the BIOS page, BE CAREFUL NOW!!! Look for power on Password. Disable it. And exit the BIOS page. Restart and see what happens. Don't do any other thing other than disabling the power on password. Read this: http://www.michaelstevenstech.com/lenovaBIOS.html

Jeremy

Saskia · #8 Post by **Saskia** » Thu May 18, 2006 11:20 am

thank you very much....I can't wait to come home and try this!!!

well...either way I will let you know what happened okay???

thank you again!

bye...saskia

Jeremy Tan · #9 Post by **Jeremy Tan** » Thu May 18, 2006 11:33 am

Saskia wrote:thank you very much....I can't wait to come home and try this!!!

well...either way I will let you know what happened okay???

thank you again!

bye...saskia

Greetings,

Faster try it out and tell me the results. I am more anxious than you.

Jeremy

Saskia · #10 Post by **Saskia** » Fri May 19, 2006 5:59 am

hey there...

well...F1 didn t work at all...same problem occurs: first IBM logo, then Error 0271 (i hope i remembered that right) "check date and time" and then black screen and then two beeps and then actually two symbols: I think it looks like a computer or maybe monitor very pictogrammic and right next to it the lock symbol and you can enter a password...with 6 or 7 letters/numbers (??)

I also did the thing with the cmos battery...but that did not change anything either... PLEASE...anybody help me!!!!!!!

I m dying over here...need that thinkpad for my studies!!!!!!! I am so so so so sad at the moment...

please....

Jeremy Tan · #11 Post by **Jeremy Tan** » Fri May 19, 2006 10:03 am

Greetings,

That black screen with the lock is called the POWER ON password, lah...

You tried every method and never work? *Scratch head*

I will help you to look for help... Wait for me...

Jeremy

Website · #12 Post by **tfflivemb2** » Fri May 19, 2006 10:09 am

To remove the Power-On Password, if that is what it is, see page 30 of the Hardware Maintenance Manual.

This process should work, assuming that there isn't a Supervisor Password that has been set.

Jeremy Tan · #13 Post by **Jeremy Tan** » Fri May 19, 2006 10:12 am

tfflivemb2 wrote:To remove the Power-On Password, if that is what it is, see page 30 of the Hardware Maintenance Manual.

This process should work, assuming that there isn't a Supervisor Password that has been set.

Greetings,

tfflivemb2, your URL got some problem. When i click that link, it goes to Page cannot be displayed.

Jeremy

Website · #14 Post by **tfflivemb2** » Fri May 19, 2006 10:24 am

You might have a security setting on your system. I just double checked the link. It works.

It downloads the PDF file directly from IBM/Lenovo.

If it helps, here is the path:
ftp://ftp.software.ibm.com/pc/pccbbs/mo ... 2p1840.pdf

Jeremy Tan · #15 Post by **Jeremy Tan** » Fri May 19, 2006 10:29 am

Greetings,

How to remove the power-on password. To remove a POP that you have forgotten, do the following:
(A) If no SVP has been set:
1. Turn off the computer.
2. Remove the battery pack. Remove the backup battery. Turn on the computer and wait until the POST ends. After the POST ends, the password prompt does not appear. The POP has been removed.
5. Reinstall the backup battery and the battery pack.

(B) If an SVP has been set and is known by the servicer:
1. Turn on the computer; then, while the “To interruptnormal startup, press the blue Access IBM button”
message is displayed at the lower-left of the screen,
press the Access IBM button.
2. Enter the SVP. Select Start setup utility.
3. Select Security, using the cursor keys to move downthe menu.
4. Select Password.
5. Select Power-On Password.6. At the Enter Current Password field, enter the SVP.Related service information30ThinkPad T30 (MT 2366, 2367)
7. When the Enter New Password field opens, leave itblank and press Enter twice.8. In the Changes have been saved window, press Enter.9. Press F10; then, in the Setup confirmation window,select Yes .

Jeremy

JHEM · #16 Post by **JHEM** » Fri May 19, 2006 10:36 am

Saskia wrote:I m dying over here...need that thinkpad for my studies!!!!!!! I am so so so so sad at the moment...

Sounds like it's a Supervisor Password.

Kindly update your profile with your LOCATION so we can better help you.

James

Jeremy Tan · #17 Post by **Jeremy Tan** » Fri May 19, 2006 11:01 am

Greetings,
I am sorry for posting the wrong link. It should be this one. Scroll all the way down and get the error code 0271. http://www.bios-passwort.de/ibm_lenovo_ ... swort.html

Jeremy

Website · #18 Post by **tfflivemb2** » Fri May 19, 2006 11:15 am

Jeremy Tan wrote:Greetings,

I got it. Check this for your error message: http://www-306.ibm.com/pc/support/site. ... orSymptoms

Jeremy

That link is for a NetVista (PC), not a Thinkpad (laptop). Furthermore, it has nothing to do with Passwords.

Saskia · #19 Post by **Saskia** » Sat May 20, 2006 2:49 am

hey there again...

well...it's still not workin....but I did not do that much yetserday...! Um...before I do the steps discribed above...would you kindly tell me what POST is?? And...what do you mean? Removing the battery pack AND the backup battery and THEN??? Power cable??? Remove also??? I'm so sorry...but I don't really understand what post means!

"Wait until the POST ends..." Dunno what you all are talking about...so sorry....

Please...I'm a girl...!

I will now check the other sites, since I did not have that much time (and possibilities) to try anything yesterday... But before I continue with the steps discribed above...please tell me in a normal language what I REALLY have to do... thank you...

Later...

christopher_wolf · #20 Post by **christopher_wolf** » Sat May 20, 2006 3:35 am

Saskia wrote:hey there again...

well...it's still not workin....but I did not do that much yetserday...! Um...before I do the steps discribed above...would you kindly tell me what POST is?? And...what do you mean? Removing the battery pack AND the backup battery and THEN??? Power cable??? Remove also??? I'm so sorry...but I don't really understand what post means! "Wait until the POST ends..." Dunno what you all are talking about...so sorry....

Please...I'm a girl...!

I will now check the other sites, since I did not have that much time (and possibilities) to try anything yesterday... But before I continue with the steps discribed above...please tell me in a normal language what I REALLY have to do... thank you...

Later...

Oooh, now that changes it entirely; why didn't you tell m...us sooner?

By backup battery, I believe the poster was refering to the CMOS battery. In the aforementioned order;
1.) Laptop battery removal
2.) CMOS removal
3.) Turn system on (At this point, the POP should have been cleared; indicated by lack of the prompt)
4.) Turn system off, replace CMOS battery and the laptop battery. 5.) Boot the system as you would normally.

That should eliminate the problem if indeed it is a Power-on Password (POP).

Still, that should have gotten rid of a POP if one was set as per the HMM instructions.

I would have to say that this sounds to me like a supervisor password.

Saskia · #21 Post by **Saskia** » Sat May 20, 2006 3:42 am

thanks...but still...do I have to unplug the power cable as well??? if so....the tp won't turn on will it?????? (don't understand that)

what I did yesterday is, I removed the battery and the cmos and the power cable...and then pressed the power button several times...but this did not help either...

as far as I can compare the symbols on the ibm page it really is the power-on password... the others looks different...

so..please...power cable unplugged or not????

I'm so sorry...

Saskia

Saskia · #22 Post by **Saskia** » Sat May 20, 2006 5:44 am

hey everybody...

I dunno what to do...this is really bothering me now...I did the thing described...but still: first IBM logo, then error 0271 check date and time settings and then the prompt for the power-on password...

I unplugged the tp...I removed the batteries and then replugged the tp and turned it on...same problem...

WHO THINKS I SHOULD REPLACE THE OLD CMOS BATTERY WITH A NEW ONE???

IBM told me that...but I don't see the point...won't I still be asked to type in the POP???

Am really really desperate here...!!!

Please....help me...!

I hope I'm not getting on people's nerves...but that's why I'm here actually...to solve this f***ing problem...!

Please...

Saskia

Jeremy Tan · #23 Post by **Jeremy Tan** » Sat May 20, 2006 10:49 am

Saskia wrote:hey there...it's still not working...and I'm getting crazy over here...

can you tell me what this means:

RT/CMOS RAM has 8 bytes reserved for the power-on password and the check character. The 8 bytes are initialized to hex 00. The microprocessor can access these bytes only during POST. After POST is completed, if a power-on password is installed, the password bytes are locked and cannot be accessed by any program.

During power-on password installation, the password (1 to 7 characters) is stored in the security space.

Installing the password is a function of the built-in system program Easy-Setup. The power-on password does not appear on the screen when it is installed, changed, or removed. After the power-on password has been installed, it can be changed or removed only during POST.

huh??? I did already the battery removing and then turn it on and wait for the POST to end...ut still th prompt appears...

am so so so sad....

saskia

Greetings,

I am not mad at you. I enjoyed your presence in the forum. Did you try the default mode by typing the password 0000? I am not sure this will work.

Jeremy

MimoG3 · #24 Post by **MimoG3** » Sun May 21, 2006 9:26 am

i had the same problem with my thinkpad t20 when i took out my cmos battery and reset everything, it wanted me to put a password, so i freaked out, but all i did was hit the enter key , with no password and it worked, so try entering a blank password and see if that works.

Saskia · #25 Post by **Saskia** » Sun May 21, 2006 11:19 am

hey there...

still me. nope...neither 0000 nor enter is working... I really lose my mind over here. The only thing I will do is replace the CMOS battery with a new one. IBM told me that should work...but I tried sooooooooo many things now that I don't believe that will work.

I'm really [censored] off that my "baby" is not working and that I'm (or anybody else) is not able to fix it!!!

So...keep me posted if you have another plan.

Thanks....Saskia

MimoG3 · #26 Post by **MimoG3** » Sun May 21, 2006 11:24 am

i dont think changing the battery is going to work either, because i think in the thinkpads they use a chip that flashes the password in it, so that mean you have to change the whole board if thats the case. I think your friend maybe set a password accidentaly , because you said the screen wasnt working, maybe he got in to the bios and accidentaly put a password in it. good luck tho.

Saskia · #27 Post by **Saskia** » Sun May 21, 2006 3:57 pm

sorry...but no..he didn't change anything in the BIOS...I really think everybody's getting out of answers (guesses) here... [censored] it... you know...it's just so sad, because I had a broken screen and wanted to fix it...and now I have a NON-FUNCTIONAL Thinkpad...

bad bad bad thing...

well...I will try the CMOS thing and then I might send it in...

last option...and rather expensive as well...!

So...if anybody still has some other ideas...I'm more than willing to try them out...

Good Nite ... goin to bed...

Saskia

Saskia · #28 Post by **Saskia** » Mon May 22, 2006 4:44 am

well...thanx...I have no idea if this will work...since I can t read it at all..

so...yes please translate that...try to figure out if the site says anything that I haven t tried yet...okay??

let me know...thx

by the way...right now is someone looking at it...and he s saving my files... since I m really not thinking that someone can solve this prblem my dad even started looking for a new thinkpad t30... but I don t think that s necessary...since the TP is actually working (except the screen) and I just need to overcome that f___ing POP!!!

allright...will check on you again...

later...Saskia

JHEM · #29 Post by **JHEM** » Mon May 22, 2006 8:57 am

It's NOT a POP!

It's a Supervisor Password.

See item no. 12 in the FAQ!

James

danage · #30 Post by **danage** » Mon May 22, 2006 9:18 am

well then: lock the thread and remove the link!

@saskia: du hast wahrscheinlich ein geklautes thinkpad! gib es zurück, das paßwort kannst du nicht entfernen!
(it's likely you have a stolen thinkpad. return it, you cannot remove the password)

HELP ME!!! T 30 --- Can't fix the power-on-password problem!

HELP ME!!! T 30 --- Can't fix the power-on-password problem!

Re: Password???

sure?

well well well...

well well well

Re: well well well

nope nope nope

Re: nope nope nope

still not working

Re: still not working

--

problem not solved...

nope

---

///

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