Computer Hope
Other => Other => Topic started by: shertech on April 03, 2007, 12:39:07 PM
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I have a IBM X 41 1867-j11 thinkpad and my wife some how locked it with a power on password and doesn't know the pasword. How can I unlock it with out bringing it to a tech?
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This doesn't always work but give this a try: Open up the laptop, and somewhere there should be a little, round silver disc which is the Cmos battery. Take that out for a couple of seconds then place it back in. If this doesn't work someone smarter then me will come along shortly.
Also, Welcome to ComputerHope.
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Unfortunately, it would be inadvisable for us to post on this forum tips on how to crack BIOS passwords. The information is however out there, if you look for it.
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if the information is out there I haven't found it yet...... Can someone point me in the right direction?
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Not I. There's a pretty big set of hints in my previous post though.
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Try the suggestions at:
http://www.computerhope.com/issues/ch000235.htm
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On a laptop these are not easily changed and frequently a trip to IBM or Lenovo land is required and it can be expensive. SOmetimes it requires a new motherboard. A laptop is meant to be more secure than a desktop. Sorry. ;)
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Continuing what GX1_Man said:
Some laptops come with a device called a security chip.
Painful as they are, they are very protective of your laptop.
Many of these chips can be removed or replaced, but is highly recommended that you get it done at a shop. You will need a replacement chip, as there is a good chance your computer wont start without it.
The chip is not a semiconductor requiring a battery like the CMOS, therefor, allowing it to keep data even when power is completely lost.
Identify if your laptop has this chip if none of the other advice works.
(You will need to consult your manual, or the computer manufacturer)
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I do want to know how this story turns out.
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Thanks people, the main reason I signed up here was to whine about Dell password protecting my bios. I was soooo happy with my first Dell, but after my experiences with my second one and my laptop I will never buy their products again
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On the other hand it is not Dell's fault that they want to make a laptop secure. The issue was that someone "somehow changed the power on password". The machine was only doing what it was designed to do. If you want to fault Dell, I guess you can, but don't forget IBM and all the others. What laptop would you get next that does not have this feature. ;)
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If it isn't the wife, it's the kids who somehow manage to change the password. Always someone else.
My neighbour over the street, a very nice guy as it happens, once said to me, "Hey, you know about computers. Do you want a little job?" He told me his kids ( They are about 5 and 8 ) had changed the password on his Sony Vaio. He said he would pay me to fix it for him. He figured I could find the solution on the Web. Well, I said "Hang on to it, I'll let you know in a day or two." I found out the easiest quickest way was to take it to a Sony dealer along with proof of purchase. The freezer won't do it. Removing the Cmos battery no good either. Secret backdoor passwords are an urban myth. I told him this, and he said "Thanks, man". An Ok guy. He did play his car stereo VERY LOUDLY when he came back late at night, but that's about all.
About 2 months later I saw his face staring out at me from the front page of our local newspaper. "Stolen Computers and Drugs Haul". Police had gone into his house and found an Aladdins cave of car stereos, laptops, DVD players, 4 flat screen TVs, 26 cell phones, over a pound of marijuana, amphetamine, illegal steroids, his sister was running a brothel in the house, his BMW had fake plates. He's doing 5 years in jail right now. I am SO glad I didn't help him!
I just trawled the web for stuff about BIOS passwords. My roomie, my sister, my kids, my cousin, my ex girlfriend, my son, my daughter, a guy I lent it to... It's quite hard to "accidentally" change it...
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IBM was the first to do it, then others followed suite. The power on password is not stored on the HD, nor in CMOS. It is stored in a seperate ROM chip. It is possible to bypass it, but if you don't know what you are doing, the laptop quickly becomes an expensive paper weight. The bypass operation is not for the faint of heart or those with shallow pockets.