Toshiba Satellite A215-S7444 BIOS Password FUBAR

[BC_Programmer]

Fact of the matter is exactly what i stated...the only way to get it re-set...NO matter why it happened is a Factory Authorised Toshiba center...

The BIOS password of laptops is the same as on desktops, and is stored in CMOS RAM. In this case, (and, arguably, this is speculation), the BIOS bug probably manifests itself in writing data to the area of CMOS RAM that is used for password data. When the system boots up next it will find that garbage data set as a "password" and display a prompt; but, of course, since no password was entered (and since it was garbage data) there is no way to know what that data is. The "Toshiba Authorized dealer" in this case would perform a CMOS reset and update the BIOS.

BTW you stated you are retired IT spec...if you are you would know that removing the CMOS battery will not do squat when it comes to a BIOS password re-set...

BIOS passwords are stored in CMOS RAM. Removing the Battery and allowing the Volatile data to be lost will reset the password on a laptop just as well as it does on a desktop, with the exception of HDD passwords (and perhaps certain laptops that might use Flash storage, though those are usually far more recent systems).

[patio]

http://www.laptoptips.ca/security/bios-password/

[Geek-9pm]

The OP has reported that his computer does not behave that way.  Toshiba admists the BIOS had to be updated to fix the problem. There is no point in going further with this thread with spacious speculation about how all computers must behave the same way.

The BIOS password of laptops is the same as on desktops, and is stored in CMOS RAM. In this case, (and, arguably, this is speculation), the BIOS bug probably manifests itself in writing data to the area of CMOS RAM that is used for password data. When the system boots up next it will find that garbage data set as a "password" and display a prompt; but, of course, since no password was entered (and since it was garbage data) there is no way to know what that data is. The "Toshiba Authorized dealer" in this case would perform a CMOS reset and update the BIOS.

When you remove power from a C MOS memory, it does not automatically reset to zero. It  becomes garbage, random data.  The bios should catch this using a check sum test. If the check sum fails, the password request should be skipped. Apparently somebody who worked over the Toshiba custom BIOS did a bad job of programming. Yes, this is speculation, but consistent what the reveal in the product bulletin mentioned.
Perhaps somebody who works with Toshiba we tell use the 'secret' method used to torrent this. My speculation is they flash the BIOS and fix the bug.
I see no point in talking down to the OP.  He did nothing wrong, except believe that Toshiba would make good on their mistake.
For general reference:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9UgLL3EHVzU
It is a simple You Tube presentation about how to reset the BIOS password. Notice his method is not what one would expect.

[boweasel]

Not the 1st time you have attacked me...you been doin it for years...

So it's my old friend, patio.  Your 'you been doin it for years' made me check my CH history, and I see that we did have one conversation a few years ago.  It lasted for exactly 2 days (hardly 'years' - you getting a little paranoid in your dotage?).  I'm surprised you remembered me, because I'd totally forgotten you. At that time I'd had a problem extracting compressed files in the zip, z01, z02, etc. format, and an internet search brought up a similar question posed in Computer Hope
http://www.computerhope.com/forum/index.php/topic,134392.0.html
I'd been trying to use 7-zip without success, but you told the OP to use that exact tool.  I jumped in on the discussion, informing you and the OP that without any specific instructions on how to use 7-zip for those types of files, your answer was unhelpful.  You then started attacking me, claiming I was illegally downloading movies, and ending with the same silly sarcastic closing you use to this day - 'Best of Luck with (whatever)'.  It's time to get some new material old buddy. 

Of course, much further along in the above link one of the people who'd steadfastly defended you finally got around to admitting that 7-zip would not work on those multipart zipped files.   And it goes without saying that there was no 'mea culpa' from you.  I'm guessing there never is.  You were wrong about the zip files then, and you were wrong about the Toshiba 'dreaming up a password' now.

you are a bitter person when the replies do not suit you...

One writes into a forum such as this to get helpful replies to solve critical computer issues.  The people who write in do so with an expectation of receiving competent help.  And you get your panties in a bunch when someone tells you that your replies are un-helpful, or just flat-out wrong.  It's not that your responses don't suit me - any reasonable response in the ballpark is welcome when looking for answers - just don't expect us to roll over and thank you when you're incorrect.

Fact of the matter is exactly what i stated...the only way to get it re-set...NO matter why it happened is a Factory Authorised Toshiba center...

Wrong again.  But who's keeping score?  I've already reset the BIOS by jamming a flathead screwdriver into 2 solder points labeled B500 under the memory.  Boots perfectly.

BTW you stated you are retired IT spec...if you are you would know that removing the CMOS battery will not do squat when it comes to a BIOS password re-set...

The CMOS battery stores the current date, time, boot order, and any other changes one has made to the BIOS, including user passwords.  Removing that battery in a desktop and leaving it out for at least an hour will reset those BIOS settings back to their default.  That functionality exists in most laptops and almost all running Vista.

Again...Best of Luck to you.

Uh huh....

[BC_Programmer]

The CMOS battery stores the current date, time, boot order, and any other changes one has made to the BIOS, including user passwords.  Removing that battery in a desktop and leaving it out for at least an hour will reset those BIOS settings back to their default.  That functionality exists in most laptops and almost all running Vista.

That's what I posted previously, however looking further into it I'm no longer certain of this, given the link Patio posted and some research on my part as well. My understanding was that the only "permanent" type of password requiring manufacturer intervention was an HDD password, and that Supervisor and User passwords were stored in CMOS RAM, as with desktops.

I'm still thinking the change to more secure/protected implementations that cannot be easily removed, if it has indeed occurred, is far more recent, but I'm unable to find anything definitive on when that "switchover" might have been made. (And since my own laptop (2008 Satellite L300) is working I'd rather not gut it for such an experiment!). It's made even more blurry because looking further into it it seems that the use of CMOS RAM has started to fall by the wayside itself in favour of Flash EEPROM's- I think that is fairly recent but, again, I cannot find any definitive timeline.

[patio]

It was initiated to discourage laptop theft by many major manufacturers...if memory serves me correctly it was early to mid 70's...

[BC_Programmer]

It was initiated to discourage laptop theft by many major manufacturers...if memory serves me correctly it was early to mid 70's...

I'm thinking it more recent. (Certainly not 70s, since we didn't get laptops until post 1980. I don't think EEPROM was really viable economically in PCs until at least the late 80's). I know my 440CDX appears to store the password with battery-backed memory, and my L300, looking into it, can be reset using the same technique described for the OP's system. (shorting a jumper under the RAM).

I found this interesting reference, which seems to go back to around 1995. However it doesn't appear to be a given for all laptops. Thinkpads appear to all have it going back practically to the first one, likely because they cost upwards of 8K and were designed for important suit-folk, but Acers and Toshiba's only use EEPROM's sporadically.

[boweasel]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9UgLL3EHVzU
It is a simple You Tube presentation about how to reset the BIOS password. Notice his method is not what one would expect.

Thanks for the response and the link, but the guy who created the video has a computer whose password problem is not as severe as mine.   On his laptop he was required to enter the BIOS password only when he attempted to access the BIOS.  As such, he simply booted normally, downloaded the tool, etc, etc.  On this Toshiba the 'Enter password' displayed all the time - I hit the power button and up pops the password screen, so I have no method of getting into the system to run a program.

I had to yank out the memory, HDD and battery, look in the RAM bay for three Xs, then look to the right of that for 2 lumps of solder labeled B500.  I then reinstalled one stick of RAM, plugged in the laptop, jammed a flat head screwdriver into that area so that both the left and right sides of the screwdriver were touching those bits of solder, pressed as hard as I could with my right hand while reaching around with my left and powering on the Toshiba.  I held that for about 40 seconds, unplugged the power cord, reinstalled the other memory stick, reinstalled the HDD, popped the battery back in, replugged the power cord and turned it on.  Other than a reset of the date and time it booted normally.

[Geek-9pm]

During some research, this topic was covered on other forums for either this specific model or other Toshiba laptops.

http://forums.toshiba.com/t5/Drivers-and-Utilities/How-to-reset-BIOS-using-CMOS-battery-for-A215-S7444-or-User/td-p/43842

The link above claims the Toshiba BIOS can be reset with a jumper. Yet other references seem to contradict that.  One might think  Toshiba made a design change. But it t is not made clear. Does a CMOS clear reset also the BIOS password? Maybe it only resets the defaults and does not clear the password

The link below is also from Toshiba ans says you can not clear the BIOS password.
http://support.toshiba.com/support/viewContentDetail?contentId=108503

Please disregard my speculation about how the password got trashed. Toshiba never explained the cause of the problem.

[patio]

Sorry BC...i meant mid to late 90's...not 70's.