RIP T23, but...

[DeAnna]

I'm prepared to say that my sweet, trusty T23 has finally given up the ghost. I can't get past the IBM splash screen to get into bios, recovery, or even boot with a linux cd.

It is probably salvageable (I'll post the details later, in case any sleuths want to diagnose it), but since I have my barely-used T41P up and running fine, I'm not desperate to fix it.

But I am desperate to salvage some data I had on the hard drive.

I'm assuming the thing to do is just pull the hard drive and slave it to my t41 or tower, and that leads me here, with two questions about that:

1. I had it set to require a password on startup, but it's been so long, I don't remember whether it was a bios, hard drive, or whatever else, password. I just know that it was requested on boot-up; very simple, just a white lock symbol on a black screen.

My concern is whether the password setting might hinder my retrieval of the data once the hard drive is out of the machine.

2. With that in mind, what is y'all's opinions of the best/quickest/easiest method to grab the data? I assume an external enclosure, hooked either to my T41p (usb?), or a hard drive adapter I could put into my tower as a slave...

Any suggestions?

(My tower is running Ubuntu, and my T41p is xp2, in case that matters.)

[nikki605]

1. The white lock symbol at boot sounds like just a power on password. I have one set on my T21. If that's what it is, it will not be a problem for getting the data off the HDD. Now, if it is a lock symbol with a cylinder symbol beside it, then it is a HDD password and you are probably out of luck. Forum rules do not allow us to discuss cracking passwords.

2. If it were me, I would buy an external USB 2.0 enclosure and install the HDD in it. That way you can USB it to any PC and retrieve the data.

I actually did just that when I upgraded the HDD in my TP from a 60gig to an 80gig. I put the perfectly good 60gig in an external enclosure and I use it for various backups and to move large files to or from other PCs.

[rkawakami]

First, the white padlock symbol can mean several things: power-on password, hard drive password or BIOS password. It depends upon what is next to the padlock. If it's a small square-looking icon, then that's either the power-on password or the BIOS password. How can you tell? It would be quite evident if you are not attempting to access the BIOS and you get the password prompt, that you are dealing with the power-on password. If there's a cylindrical icon and the number "1" next to the padlock, then that's the hard drive password prompt. That prompt would also be present if all you were doing was to turn on the system.

nikki605 is correct to say that if you had set only a power-on password, then there should be no problem in accessing the hard drive from another system; via an Ultrabay HD adapter or USB enclosure. However, if you had set the hard drive password, then you might be better off trying to access the T23 disk drive from another Thinkpad. That's so the password could be entered.

As far as the symptoms of your T23 go, you can try a couple of things:

- remove the MiniPCI card from the system and see if that allows the system to boot
- slightly flex the front left corner of the system downward and power up, keeping constant pressure until the system clears the splash screen (or doesn't)
- repeat the power up attempt but this time flex the front left corner upwards

[DeAnna]

Thank you, Nikki, and I think you're right that it's just a power-on password.

What's interesting is that since the failure (it never crashed, it just wouldn't boot up again, after a power-failure we had in the house), it doesn't even ask for the password anymore. From researching the password question, I've seen sites about how to reset them, and what they're saying makes me wonder if maybe the whole problem is just that my cmos battery died. (The regular battery died long ago, but I never felt the need to replace it.)

I'll look into that, but meanwhile, I'm also thinking your advice about an external USB drive is also spot-on, so I'm off to shop for one.
Anyone have any favorites or brands to steer clear from?

(I'm going to cross my fingers that even if it were a hard drive password, I'll be able to access it, since I do know the pw...?)

[rkawakami]

CMOS battery dies = removal of power on password.

[DeAnna]

First, the white padlock symbol can mean several things: power-on password, hard drive password or BIOS password. It depends upon what is next to the padlock. If it's a small square-looking icon, then that's either the power-on password or the BIOS password. How can you tell? It would be quite evident if you are not attempting to access the BIOS and you get the password prompt, that you are dealing with the power-on password. If there's a cylindrical icon and the number "1" next to the padlock, then that's the hard drive password prompt. That prompt would also be present if all you were doing was to turn on the system.

nikki605 is correct to say that if you had set only a power-on password, then there should be no problem in accessing the hard drive from another system; via an Ultrabay HD adapter or USB enclosure. However, if you had set the hard drive password, then you might be better off trying to access the T23 disk drive from another Thinkpad. That's so the password could be entered.

As far as the symptoms of your T23 go, you can try a couple of things:

- remove the MiniPCI card from the system and see if that allows the system to boot
- slightly flex the front left corner of the system downward and power up, keeping constant pressure until the system clears the splash screen (or doesn't)
- repeat the power up attempt but this time flex the front left corner upwards

Thank you, rkawakami.
As for the bolded part, will it be enough to be attached to a thinkpad's usb port (in an external USB enclosure)?

Off to try your tricks on it now...

[rkawakami]

Not sure... I've never tried to attach a Thinkpad password-protected hard drive using a USB enclosure. However, it sounds like your original password protection was a simple power-on password. With the removal/replacement of the CMOS battery and the now-missing prompt for the password, that makes sense. In that case, if your hard drive doesn't have any password, you should be able to attach it to any computer (Thinkpad, or otherwise) without worrying about any password issues.

[DeAnna]

It does make sense, doesn't it?

Something else that suggests it is that the first sign of trouble was 2 weeks ago, when I tried to boot it after being gone for Easter, and my external LCD monitor wouldn't answer it anymore (it just kept flashing analog/digital and saying to check connections) but when I attached my old CRT monitor, it worked. Isn't there a power thing involved there too?

Actually, even the CRT monitor gave me the splash screen the first try, then I tried again, got the password request, and all worked fine. ...Until our electricity went out, and I had to boot it again.

Sounds like it has been on its last legs, doesn't it? I should have known. I did start backing up data to a usb drive, but didn't get everything I needed.

Would pulling the cmos battery from my t41p work in my t23 as a test?

[RealBlackStuff]

Those CMOS batteries between T2x, T3x, T4x and R5x are all the same. Some have a holder, some don't.

[DeAnna]

Those CMOS batteries between T2x, T3x, T4x and R5x are all the same. Some have a holder, some don't.

Thanks, Real. Great, then I'll test this one in there tomorrow. : )

(I'm assuming there are no hazards to be aware of in temporarily removing the good cmos battery from this perfectly-working t41... Once I put it back in here, will I be able to boot up as usual?)

[rkawakami]

Only problem would be if the T41 has a BIOS password and you don't know/forgot what the password is. If you are able to access the BIOS (press F1 upon power up) without any password prompt, then you're fine. All you will lose is the system time.

[DeAnna]

Only problem would be if the T41 has a BIOS password and you don't know/forgot what the password is. If you are able to access the BIOS (press F1 upon power up) without any password prompt, then you're fine. All you will lose is the system time.

Great. Thank you so much, Ray.

[DeAnna]

Just to update and thank everyone again, I finally got a new CMOS battery in my T23 an hour ago, and that was indeed all it needed. It's up and running good as new... well, without an LCD. The backlight went out long ago, but it works fine with an external monitor.

I'm beginning to think this sweet little machine is immortal!