Rescue & Recovery Password Problem

[Marc_G]

Hi folks-

Me again. Lots of posts today.

Where is the Rescue & Recovery password kept?

When I reboot, I frequently get asked fot change the R&R password. I have set it to be the same as the windows password, but it keeps coming up.

Next, I tried moving the IBM Service partition over to a new drive to do a factory install. This worked, to a point, but the R&R console keeps asking me for the password, which I enter, but it tells me the password is incorrect. The hint is the hint I put in, so I don't understand why it isn't accepting the password I put in, which is my windows logon password and is non-ambiguous.

None of the threads my search produced had a solution; I'm hoping someone can help me!

Sincerely,

Marc

[Marc_G]

Here's a followup question:

When the R&R password setting utility updates the R&R password, if you choose to set it to be the same as the windows logon, WHICH windows logon does it use? The current user? Administrator?

And, where is the password stored? In the BIOS or in the R&R partition? The reason I ask this is because I've burned the recovery partition to a DVD; so if the password is changed, the update would only be effective if the password is stored in BIOS.

As it happens, the computer came to me from my IT group with a password (unknown to me) set for the Administrator account. I have since reset it to something I know, but not knowing the original password at the time I burned the R&R DVD, it's a bit of a mystery to me.


Oh well, at least my real drive and account are in good shape; this playing with R&R is just for fun.

Marc

[Marc_G]

As a test I did another image of the service partition, after supposedly resetting the password to blank. So, if the R&R password is stored in the service partition, it would be in the new image.

Restored the image to the new HD, booted to R&R, but it STILL asks me for the password and doesn't accept the blank one I made for the Administrator account, or my regular windows logon.

I think I'll call IBM and see if they'll send me the recovery disks.

Marc

[s0larian]

From the IBM Web Site:

Try the following actions:
Ensure the caps lock and num lock are disabled
Try entering the password with the Onscreen Keyboard
If the password is lost or forgotten IBM cannot reset your password, therefore you will need to uninstall and reinstall the IBM Rescue and Recovery with Rapid Restore software.

[Marc_G]

Thanks s0larian-

Tried 'em all except the uninstall / re-install thing.

The problem with doing that is that what I'm trying to accomplish is essentially a factory install on a new disk. There's no functioning Windows on the unit I'm trying to get to use the IBM_Service Partition on...

The computer never let me make the recovery CDs... would churn for a while then tell me there was an internal error. I'll call IBM and post the result.

Marc

[Marc_G]

For those following this thread, I just got off the phone with IBM-Atlanta. I described my problem to "Dennis" and initially got the "we charge for the CDs" line. I reiterated that I wasn't able to burn my own CDs, and that the R&R utility was acting wonky. After putting me on hold for a minute or two, he came back on and cheerfully verified the shipping address for the CD set.

Yea!

Marc

PS: It still burns me a bit that I couldn't get the password thing to work.