Thinkpad T20 Supervisor Password

I've recently had cause to take my laptop to bits, which included removing
the backup battery, and now on bootup it's saying "ERROR: 0271 - Check Date
and Time Settings", and then prompting for a password, which I have deduced
to be the supervisor password, as I've tried the methods as specified in the
Hardware Maintenance Manual for resetting/removing the Power-on and Hard
Disk passwords and they didn't work.

According to the manual the only solution for this is to replace the
motherboard, but that's £660 including VAT, and that's more than the whole
laptop's worth!

I've done quite a bit of searching, and apart from companies in America,
Pakistan and Japan that have cropped up on some message boards, along with a
few people that have developed a device that'll do the trick, all of which
seem quite hard to contact (plus I haven't a clue exactly where these people
are), the only real solution appears to be this one:

http://www.ja.axxs.net/unlock/

A bit of googling around reveals fairly good reports about this method, but
I've seen how close together the pins are on the EEPROM chip and I really
don't want to risk buggering my system up, so is there anyone out there
(preferably in South-East England, or within an hour or two's drive of East
Berkshire) who's successfully used this method before (and already has the
interface built and ready to go), and would fix my laptop for a reasonable
fee?

Or could someone recommend a reliable company or individual who could reset
my password using an equally valid, but maybe slightly different method?

Or does anyone produce some form of device that fits onto the EEPROM chip
(sort of piggy-backs on) that could then link up to another PC and obtain
the password?

Cheers,

Peter

AstraVanMan

"AstraVanMan" <****> wrote in
news:UAqXb.5540$:


> snipped <

====================
KILL COMOS!!!
http://www.utilitygeek.com/details.php?fileid=82

====================
Also thought you might need this...
ftp://ftp.pc.ibm.com/pub/pccbbs/mobiles_pdf/62p9631.pdf

Service Manual.

but to quote it.....

How to remove the power-on password
To remove a POP that you have forgotten, do the
following:
(A) If no SVP has been set:
1. Turn off the computer.
2. Remove the battery pack.
For how to remove the battery pack, see “1010 Battery
pack” on page 60.
3. Remove the backup battery.
For how to remove the backup battery, see “1020
Backup battery” on page 61.
4. Turn on the computer and wait until the POST ends.
After the POST ends, the password prompt does not
appear. The POP has been removed.
5. Reinstall the backup battery and the battery pack.

For other passwords i would read the manual.

--
Rowdy Yates
Things I learnt in the army:
-------------------------------
Rule #1 -
When they say, "We are going to ambush the enemy".
It really means, "We are heavily outnumbered and no one wants to help us."
-------------------------------
I am Against-TCPA
http://www.againsttcpa.com

It would be worth a call to IBM customer service even though the T20 is out
of warranty. A simple question like whether the motherboard, or as IBM says
system board, is bad might get answered. Perhaps it is a simple setting you
could make. IBM will answer question when you are out of warranty and that
is one of the reasons to buy more TPs. Cheers.


--
Jim Walker
Northern Va


"AstraVanMan" <****> wrote in message
news:UAqXb.5540$...
> I've recently had cause to take my laptop to bits, which included removing
> the backup battery, and now on bootup it's saying "ERROR: 0271 - Check
Date
> and Time Settings", and then prompting for a password, which I have
deduced
> to be the supervisor password, as I've tried the methods as specified in
the
> Hardware Maintenance Manual for resetting/removing the Power-on and Hard
> Disk passwords and they didn't work.
>
> According to the manual the only solution for this is to replace the
> motherboard, but that's £660 including VAT, and that's more than the whole
> laptop's worth!
>
> I've done quite a bit of searching, and apart from companies in America,
> Pakistan and Japan that have cropped up on some message boards, along with
a
> few people that have developed a device that'll do the trick, all of which
> seem quite hard to contact (plus I haven't a clue exactly where these
people
> are), the only real solution appears to be this one:
>
> http://www.ja.axxs.net/unlock/
>
> A bit of googling around reveals fairly good reports about this method,
but
> I've seen how close together the pins are on the EEPROM chip and I really
> don't want to risk buggering my system up, so is there anyone out there
> (preferably in South-East England, or within an hour or two's drive of
East
> Berkshire) who's successfully used this method before (and already has the
> interface built and ready to go), and would fix my laptop for a reasonable
> fee?
>
> Or could someone recommend a reliable company or individual who could
reset
> my password using an equally valid, but maybe slightly different method?
>
> Or does anyone produce some form of device that fits onto the EEPROM chip
> (sort of piggy-backs on) that could then link up to another PC and obtain
> the password?
>
> Cheers,
>
> Peter
>
>

> KILL COMOS!!!
> http://www.utilitygeek.com/details.php?fileid=82

That won't work as it needs to go on a boot disk from what I can father -
mine refuses to boot up full stop, hence the problem.

> Also thought you might need this...
> ftp://ftp.pc.ibm.com/pub/pccbbs/mobiles_pdf/62p9631.pdf

Is that the IBM Hardware Maintenance manual? Sounds like it, if the bit you
quoted was from the above ftp link.

<snip>

> For other passwords i would read the manual.

Which I did, and the only solution it gives is to replace the motherboard
(system board). The reason for my post was that I am aware of methods of
sorting my problem out, but would rather find someone vaguely near me who
has successfully done it before, rather than risk buggering up my laptop
doing it myself.

Peter

> It would be worth a call to IBM customer service even though the T20 is
out
> of warranty. A simple question like whether the motherboard, or as IBM
says
> system board, is bad might get answered. Perhaps it is a simple setting
you
> could make. IBM will answer question when you are out of warranty and
that
> is one of the reasons to buy more TPs. Cheers.

Thanks for your reply, but it looks like the only reply I'll get from IBM is
"replace the motherboard" - at least that's what it says in the hardware
maintenance manual, and I'm pretty sure I've read somwhere during my
googling that someone got the same response from IBM when they phoned them
up (or emailed them).

Peter

Killcmos wont do it as the system password doesnt let the lappy boot to
floppy.I have built the reader and used it successfully but am in
Yorkshire.If you want to post it to me let me know.
Mick

"AstraVanMan" <****> wrote in message
news:UAqXb.5540$...
> I've recently had cause to take my laptop to bits, which included removing
> the backup battery, and now on bootup it's saying "ERROR: 0271 - Check
Date
> and Time Settings", and then prompting for a password, which I have
deduced
> to be the supervisor password, as I've tried the methods as specified in
the
> Hardware Maintenance Manual for resetting/removing the Power-on and Hard
> Disk passwords and they didn't work.
>
> According to the manual the only solution for this is to replace the
> motherboard, but that's £660 including VAT, and that's more than the whole
> laptop's worth!
>
> I've done quite a bit of searching, and apart from companies in America,
> Pakistan and Japan that have cropped up on some message boards, along with
a
> few people that have developed a device that'll do the trick, all of which
> seem quite hard to contact (plus I haven't a clue exactly where these
people
> are), the only real solution appears to be this one:
>
> http://www.ja.axxs.net/unlock/
>
> A bit of googling around reveals fairly good reports about this method,
but
> I've seen how close together the pins are on the EEPROM chip and I really
> don't want to risk buggering my system up, so is there anyone out there
> (preferably in South-East England, or within an hour or two's drive of
East
> Berkshire) who's successfully used this method before (and already has the
> interface built and ready to go), and would fix my laptop for a reasonable
> fee?
>
> Or could someone recommend a reliable company or individual who could
reset
> my password using an equally valid, but maybe slightly different method?
>
> Or does anyone produce some form of device that fits onto the EEPROM chip
> (sort of piggy-backs on) that could then link up to another PC and obtain
> the password?
>
> Cheers,
>
> Peter
>
>

On Sat, 14 Feb 2004 14:49:40 -0000, "AstraVanMan"
<****> wrote:

<snip>

>prompting for a password, which I have deduced
>to be the supervisor password, as I've tried the methods as specified in the
>Hardware Maintenance Manual for resetting/removing the Power-on and Hard
>Disk passwords and they didn't work.

There are no methods in the book for removing the hard disk password
+if+ you have set one,

If you have set a supervisor password, enter it and you can access
the machine.

>I've done quite a bit of searching, and apart from companies in America,
>Pakistan and Japan

How about contacting http://www.ibm.com/uk

They repair laptops, unless of course its nicked in which case
your email address is appropriate.
--
Jim Watt http://www.gibnet.com

> Killcmos wont do it as the system password doesnt let the lappy boot to
> floppy.I have built the reader and used it successfully but am in
> Yorkshire.If you want to post it to me let me know.

Mick, drop me a line on Peter at ....swerveweb..... ...dot,,, ....com......

Cheers,

Peter

> There are no methods in the book for removing the hard disk password
> +if+ you have set one,

I'd have to read it again, but I'm pretty sure that's what it said - maybe
it just bypasses it temporarily.

> If you have set a supervisor password, enter it and you can access
> the machine.

That's just the problem - I haven't set a supervisor password. I've entered
the BIOS setup before, but since I took it apart to replace a few damaged
bits (due to my own carelessness) and put it all back together (all with
brand new screws and exactly as per the manual) it boots up with the error
code relating to the date and time and then, I'm guessing, tries to go to
the BIOS setup so the date and time settings can be set, but requests the
password, which I do not know.

> >I've done quite a bit of searching, and apart from companies in America,
> >Pakistan and Japan
>
> How about contacting http://www.ibm.com/uk

Well the only advice they would offer would be to replace the whole
motherboard (£660 incl. VAT at their prices) - this is unless their advice
would conflict with what is written in the hardware maintenance manual that
I downloaded a few weeks ago from their website. Hence why I haven't
bothered contacting them.

> They repair laptops, unless of course its nicked in which case
> your email address is appropriate.

See above, and no it's not nicked, I bought it from a trader on ebay, who is
now saying that all his laptops leave his posession with the passwords
cleared (how this can be the case for the supervisor password I do not know
as there appears to be no recognised method, apart from the "Joe in
Australia" one, of clearing that password).

It appears to be a common problem amongst the T-series Thinkpads, and it
looks like even though the password wasn't ever requested before on entry to
the BIOS setup, it seems to automatically request it after the backup
battery has been removed - not just in mine but many others it would seem.

And as for my email address, it's what's known as an anti-spam address. You
have chosen to stick "no way" in your address to avoid getting spam - I have
chosen to use the address I use. If someone wants to know my email address
they can ask - works fine for me.

Peter

> Clones UK in portsmouth told me last time I was visiting that they can
> do it for a reasonable fee, mentioned 25quid or something similar.
> Give them a call ,Its either Andy or Danny you need to speak to..

That's who the guy who sold me the laptop recommended - I phoned them
earlier on today but I'm guessing they only operate Monday-Friday. So far
this looks like it's the nearest one to me.

Peter