My IBM Thinkpad Error 161and 163
 

I was given an IBM Thinkpad Laptop with Windows 95 installed. It had a
Username and Password in its BIOS. I unpluged the battery lead, as we all
normaly do in Desktop to remove the password, after connecting it back,
Error 161 and 163 comes. I have to cancel it as it does not go further.
Can anyone help to solve the problem. M A Javed, London, United Kingdom

Re: My IBM Thinkpad Error 161and 163
 

"Aslam Javed" <aslam@blueyonder.co.uk> wrote in
news:ku6Pd.43860$68.4921@fe1.news.blueyonder.co.uk :

> I was given an IBM Thinkpad Laptop with Windows 95 installed. It had
> a Username and Password in its BIOS. I unpluged the battery lead, as
> we all normaly do in Desktop to remove the password, after connecting
> it back, Error 161 and 163 comes. I have to cancel it as it does not
> go further. Can anyone help to solve the problem. M A Javed, London,
> United Kingdom
>
>

People do not "normally" unplug the battery lead in Desktop to remove the
password.


--
It ain't much, if it ain't Dutch...

Re: My IBM Thinkpad Error 161and 163
 

Dear Aslam:

First order of business, if possible, is to get the username and the password from the person who gave you the computer. O.K...perhaps that you did already, and that has failed. Some ideas are as follows:

1.. Take the computer (or send it) to IBM; their website has some useful numbers to call for Customer Service direct in the UK. What I figure is, they'll want to replace the motherboard (for a price, of course). They then might ask for proof of purchase, to insure the computer isn't "hot" (stolen, that is.). I suspect that might be a little issue. I strongly recommend that above anything else that follows in this posting. If you're not looking to replace the motherboard, and the machine is out of warranty...
2.. In order to reset the password, you have to short out a set of jumper pins on the motherboard (that's the normal state of affairs for motherboards such as ASUS). I don't believe that removing the CMOS battery will do here, because that password has been burned right into the programming on the BIOS chip itself. The pins you have to short out vary according to the type of motherboard present. If this machine is under warranty, dismantling it will most surely void the warranty. If it isn't, find out the make of the motherboard, then using the Internet, get a schematic or some sort of documentation. It'll point out the correct jumpers to short out to reset the passwords on the motherboard. Before going to that extreme...
3.. See if your computer has the IBM Security Chip in it. That might be difficult, if you can't even bring up the BIOS program. Tinkering with the motherboard with that Security Chip in it might not be worth the trouble, and is out of my league to say anything about. It's just possible that the BIOS password, if the machine has the Security Chip in it, could cause the machine to become inoperable anyway, by destroying the password upon tampering with any part of the motherboard.
I suspect the best is to speak with IBM first about this...I wouldn't even try to disable it via shorting the jumper pins on the motherboard. Too risky.
Hope this helps.
Mark Murphy
Boston, Ma. U.S.A.


"Aslam Javed" <aslam@blueyonder.co.uk> wrote in message news:ku6Pd.43860$68.4921@fe1.news.blueyonder.co.uk ...
>I was given an IBM Thinkpad Laptop with Windows 95 installed. It had a
> Username and Password in its BIOS. I unpluged the battery lead, as we all
> normaly do in Desktop to remove the password, after connecting it back,
> Error 161 and 163 comes. I have to cancel it as it does not go further.
> Can anyone help to solve the problem. M A Javed, London, United Kingdom
>
>

I had that error 163 among others on a IBM thinkpad 760EL laptop machine
I had opened the machine and did a few things and got that error when I tried to boot up the machine again . So I figured since the bios test indicated a memory problem that I had disturbed the connection to the memory board .
so I shutdown the machine via the switch , disconected the power , opened up the laptop , removed the CD ROM drive so I could remove the main power battery , removed the battery , closed the machine , removed memory access panel , removed the board and reseated it carefully and then carefully re installed the memory access panel ( vital for retaining the memory board connection ) , opened up the laptop , installed the main power battery , installed the CD ROM drive , closed the machine , connected power and waited for the machine to boot up after sliding the power switch to whinedoze 98 without any error codes .