ATTN ThinkPad Users - Need Help ASAP

audiobliss

I just received my Lenovo ThinkPad T61 last night and started playing around on it. Bought it used, but in GREAT condition with two years of warranty remaining. I've never had a lot of serious security options available to me on a computer, so all the fancy Lenovo offerings were pretty neat. WERE pretty neat. Until, that is, I tried setting them up at 2 in the morning and then got up this morning to find out what kind of a mess I put myself in.

I must apologize up front as I don't know what all the Lenovo software is called and what a lot of the right terms are. But please bear with me here. The guy I bought it from has a deal with Lenovo and sells used ThinkPads, so he installed a fresh copy of XP Pro and Office 2003 and all the other goodies Lenovo puts on them from the factory. So when I would boot it up, there were a few pop-ups it wanted me to take care of.

One of those was asking me to set up a user account. So, ok, I did that, entered a password, registered my fingerprints (yes, all of them...why not?), and then it asked something about protecting other files and such on my computer but that it would only take affect after rebooting. So I said sure and hit next. Then it asked me for a BIOS Supervisor Password. What?! I have NO clue about that, so I said cancel and kept playing on my new laptop. All is good.

Then fast forward to this morning. I grab it and turn it on, and the Intel/ThinkPad screen comes up for a few seconds, but then I get this error message:

ERROR
0199: System Security - Security password retry count exceeded.

Press < F1> to Setup

When I press F1 to enter the setup, it asks for my fingerprint, I swipe it, it says it matches, and then the little icon of a laptop beside a huge padlock appears and it waits for a password. I'm assuming a BIOS Supervisor Password? If I just leave it blank and hit enter, I can see the BIOS and change a few things, but very few things. Then when I exit the BIOS, I'm left to go through the exact same loop all over again.

Now, I have tried a few passwords. There's only ONE password that I've put on the laptop, and it's letters and numbers. However, instead of just being numbers, I held down the shift key while entering those numbers so that they're they symbols above those numbers. Back to the little icon of the laptop and huge padlock. When I enter the letters of that password, no problem - little asterisks pop up indicating they've been registered. However, when I hold down the shift key and enter the numbers, nothing happens, as if it's not registering them. And if I enter the numbers without holding down the shift key, it doesn't work.

And, like I said, I don't even know if at that point it's asking for the password that I setup in Windows (though it wasn't an OS password...it was some variant of the Lenovo software) or not.


Does ANYone have ANY ideas about it? It would be GREAT appreciated, and I'd be VERY ecstatic if I could get my laptop back! I've heard that getting the restore discs from Lenovo and reformatting it will wipe out this problem and get it back to normal. However, I'd rather not have to do that if at all possible because 1) I want this computer working ASAP, not whenever the discs finally get here, and 2) the seller installed Office 2003 Pro INCLUDING OneNote, Visio, and FrontPage...I don't have those and would rather not lose them, particularly OneNote.

I would truly be eternally indebted to anyone who could help pull me out of this mess.

And, apparently, setting up a laptop with new/weird security features at 2 in the morning is NOT advisable. Though perhaps only if you're an idiot.

BaggedLancer

Sell it.

Sami

Can you ask the guy who sold it? It's either a BIOS password (which you should disable once you get the password from the guy) or hard drive protection (which you can get rid of by re-installing OS, which you said you'd rather not do). If it is BIOS re-installing OS won't help at all, you need to reset it.

Sami

http://softwareblogs.intel.com/2008/06/06/reset-lenovo-t61-manageability-settings-to-factory-defaults/

audiobliss

Thanks for the link, Sami. I just checked under CONFIG in the BIOS, and the INTEL AMT is already disabled. *scratches head*

mmadden28

Just a shot in the dark here as I've seen this as the cause of many passwrod entry failures: Ensure Num Lock or Caps lock are not on. And if not and it still fails, try with them on. Its possible they might have been on when you entered or set the password.

Numlock is typically only an issue when using the laptop keyboard, not so when using an external kb or on a laptop with a separate keypad.

I think it unlikely that any password set in Windows will affect the BIOS passwords.

audiobliss

mmadden28 wrote: »

Just a shot in the dark here as I've seen this as the cause of many passwrod entry failures: Ensure Num Lock or Caps lock are not on. And if not and it still fails, try with them on. Its possible they might have been on when you entered or set the password.

Numlock is typically only an issue when using the laptop keyboard, not so when using an external kb or on a laptop with a separate keypad.

I think it unlikely that any password set in Windows will affect the BIOS passwords.

Thanks for the tip, I appreciate it. I went back and tried it, but it doesn't work.

Sami

Which one of the passwords is it? Is it one of these?

http://www-307.ibm.com/pc/support/site.wss/document.do?sitestyle=lenovo&lndocid=MIGR-59377

audiobliss

Sami, you are amazing!!!!! That's a GREAT reference! The icon that pops up is definitely for the Power-on password. I remember when I setup my fingerprints in windows, it said that next time I rebooted I would have to swipe a fingerprint and enter my password...but which password was it referring to? Like I said, I've only entered one password, and since I held down the shift key for those numbers, it won't recognize that password before Windows starts (and I certainly can't get into Windows). I'm thinking that might actually be my problem, that I chose a password it can't recognize. Is that possible, that it wouldn't 'see' those symbols before Windows boots up?

bobman1235

Did you try entering the password using only the characters it recognizes?

Similarly, on a UNIX station I once accidentally set a password to something like "escape escape enter enter" or something ridiculous because I was trying to get out of the prompt. Maybe you inadvertently hit some keys when they asked for that password?

audiobliss

Ok, so from reading on that page, it doesn't sound like it would be too difficult to remove the power-on password:
If the Power-on password is forgotten and the Supervisor password is known, simply go into the ThinkPad BIOS setup utility and reset the Power-on password, otherwise try the following:

1. Turn off the computer.
2. Remove the battery pack.
3. Remove the backup battery.
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.
Note: Some ThinkPad systems have the ability to reset the Power-on passwords in
the ThinkPad BIOS setup utility if a Supervisor password has been set.

So, two thoughts at this point. Where is the backup battery and how do I remove it? I'm betting I can find that answer on Lenovo's website. Second, if this guy who originally set it up knows the Supervisor password (assuming it has one), then I could just use that to reset the power-on password. However, since the INTEL AMT is already disabled, that would mean it doesn't have a Supervisor password setup, right?

audiobliss

bobman1235 wrote: »

Did you try entering the password using only the characters it recognizes?

Similarly, on a UNIX station I once accidentally set a password to something like "escape escape enter enter" or something ridiculous because I was trying to get out of the prompt. Maybe you inadvertently hit some keys when they asked for that password?

Great thought, but I was in Windows when I was setting up the password, and it recognized everything just fine. I've used that exact thing as a password for Windows before, and it works fine in that environment.

I'm thinking maybe my Power-on password isn't related to the 'user account' password I set up with the symbols. I'm not sure yet, though.

mmadden28

Sometimes the BIOS passwords are limited to 8 characters or something like that. Perhaps you set yours longer and perhaps once your typing gets to the end its simply replacing the last character? I've seen it before-irks me when applications restrict you to short and insecure passwords.
Try just typing the first 8 characters of your pw. Or try the first 7 and then skip to the last character. Change that up if it lets you enter more (count the asterisks).

mmadden28

mmadden28 wrote: »

Just a shot in the dark here as I've seen this as the cause of many passwrod entry failures:

Dang nabbit-I corrected that spelling error in an edit-yet there it is still there
Well since I can't edit it, its spelled password.

audiobliss

mmadden28 wrote: »

Sometimes the BIOS passwords are limited to 8 characters or something like that. Perhaps you set yours longer and perhaps once your typing gets to the end its simply replacing the last character? I've seen it before-irks me when applications restrict you to short and insecure passwords.
Try just typing the first 8 characters of your pw. Or try the first 7 and then skip to the last character. Change that up if it lets you enter more (count the asterisks).

Another good idea, but it will actually let me enter as many characters as I want for that password.

I think I'm going to try removing the backup battery to reset the power-on password if there is one. At least then at that point I'll know I'm dealing with a Supervisor password if it's still asking for one.

audiobliss

Ok, so I removed the backup battery and let it run the POST, and then put it all back together. It's still asking for a password at the same point, but at least now I know what it's asking for. Before it could have either been the power-on password or the supervisor password. But since I just cleared (hopefully) the power-on password, it should be asking for the supervisor password now.

Just to figure out what it is or how to reset it, now...

billbillw

I bet this came from a corporate IT department and your seller has no clue what the bios supervisor password is (unless he works for the same company). My wife's work laptop has the same thing. It will let you do certain things in bios, but most of it is grayed out.

vlam

One last resort is to restore it to the factory setting. Can you get into the image restor by pressing F11 when you laptop boot? If the previous owner didn't delete the image from the partition drive, you should be able to restore it to factory settings.

mmadden28

vlam wrote: »

One last resort is to restore it to the factory setting. Can you get into the image restor by pressing F11 when you laptop boot? If the previous owner didn't delete the image from the partition drive, you should be able to restore it to factory settings.

That wouldn't touch the BIOS settings. That would only affect the OS on the hard drive.

billbillw

AB,
Check out this page:
http://www.tech-faq.com/reset-bios-password.shtml

Might help.

Especially this: http://www.tech-faq.com/ibm-thinkpad-bios-password.shtml

ben62670

You will probably have to send it in. The bios password is programmed into the bios now. Clearing the CMOS will not clear the password. Have you tried to contact the manufacture, or the guy you bought it from. Also when you get in you might want to disable keeping all the files protected. This encrypts them, and if you need to do a data recovery you can't get access to those files.

audiobliss

Thanks for all the replies, folks. I appreciate it!

billbillw wrote: »

I bet this came from a corporate IT department and your seller has no clue what the bios supervisor password is (unless he works for the same company). My wife's work laptop has the same thing. It will let you do certain things in bios, but most of it is grayed out.

You're probably right about that. The confusion here with me is that it's not just limiting my powers in the BIOS, but also preventing me from accessing the OS. And per Lenovo's website, the supervisor password has nothing to do with accessing the OS.

vlam wrote: »

One last resort is to restore it to the factory setting. Can you get into the image restor by pressing F11 when you laptop boot? If the previous owner didn't delete the image from the partition drive, you should be able to restore it to factory settings.

No, F11 will not do it. NOTHING I have tried will get me around having to scan a finger and then enter a password.

mmadden28 wrote: »

That wouldn't touch the BIOS settings. That would only affect the OS on the hard drive.

ben62670 wrote: »

You will probably have to send it in. The bios password is programmed into the bios now. Clearing the CMOS will not clear the password. Have you tried to contact the manufacture, or the guy you bought it from. Also when you get in you might want to disable keeping all the files protected. This encrypts them, and if you need to do a data recovery you can't get access to those files.

I certainly hope I don't have to send it in! I called Lenovo support, and the guy there said he couldn't help me with password problems. The only thing he could do is let me send it in and have it reset, and that would cost $750!!! :eek: He told me I should try to find a cheaper local solution...I think I agree!

And good point; I'll disable the data encryption...if I ever get in. *bangs head into wall*

bobman1235

There's no way that the password was set up prior to you getting it, or you wouldn't have been able to get into Windows in the first place. You said when you first got it you booted this thing up all the way into Windows. Everything that has happened since then has to be a result of something YOU did. Therefore you should, through trial and error, be able to figure out what exactly you typed or set up for this password.

Fireman32

Mike that padlock is for the hard disk password. If you can get into BIOS then you can disable it. We put them on all the laptops in my company for extra security. PM me a number I can call you at and I will walk you through the process.

audiobliss

billbillw wrote: »

AB,
Check out this page:
http://www.tech-faq.com/reset-bios-password.shtml

Might help.

Especially this: http://www.tech-faq.com/ibm-thinkpad-bios-password.shtml

Thank you so much for those links! I'm reading through the second one now!

audiobliss

bobman1235 wrote: »

There's no way that the password was set up prior to you getting it, or you wouldn't have been able to get into Windows in the first place. You said when you first got it you booted this thing up all the way into Windows. Everything that has happened since then has to be a result of something YOU did. Therefore you should, through trial and error, be able to figure out what exactly you typed or set up for this password.

Very true. It worked just fine when I got it. However, I would think there still could have been a password in there before that I wouldn't know about. Here's my line of thinking...if there was already a supervisor password in there, it wasn't asking for that because the security was off. However, when I set up a user password in windows, registered my fingerprints, and turned on the security, it then could have put that old password into place. Definitely might not be a correct theory, I certainly don't know. It's just what has been running through my mind.

Fireman32 wrote: »

Mike that padlock is for the hard disk password. If you can get into BIOS then you can disable it. We put them on all the laptops in my company for extra security. PM me a number I can call you at and I will walk you through the process.

Wow, I really appreciate that offer. I'm not sure it's the HD password, though. On THIS page, it lists the icons and the passwords. The icon I'm getting is the last one, the power-on password. I wouldn't want to waste your time on the phone if we're not even talking about the same password.

Fireman32

no worries the offer is still there. I work all day on these laptops so I know them inside out.

vlam

So it's asking for the "master" password? It sounds like you are able to get in with the "user" password. Just a shot in the dark, did you try "admin" for the password?

MKZ

Make sure it is not a stolen laptop. IBM,Fujitsu,etc prevent this by adding chip on board. Call them to find out.

audiobliss

vlam wrote: »

So it's asking for the "master" password? It sounds like you are able to get in with the "user" password. Just a shot in the dark, did you try "admin" for the password?

Yes, I did. adm, admin, lenovo, thinkpad, the previous owner's name, all also with varying combinations of capitals. :-\

Fireman32

the way we do it at my company is we set a user and master password. We let the user create a password and we have the master password for us for when we have to work on it. Every master is different and we use a website that generates a password based on the S/N of the laptop so we can look it up.

Mike when you are at the lock hit the F1 key and a little person icon will show up next to the lock. if it does then it is the hd lock.