Laptop's

[noresull]

Can anyone tell me how to get rid of a supervisor password on an IBM Think Pad 760ED?
And how to load windows into an empty HDD, with only being able to have one drive in it at a time?

If so let me know!

Thanks
John

[This message has been edited by noresull (edited 01-08-2000).]

[Nathan]

Are you referring to the password in CMOS or the operating system?

I take it this system has a CD-rom in it? Have you tried using a 98 boot disk?

Does it have a restore disk? Does it have OS2 on it now?

Sorry for all the questions. We need more info.

[noresull]

Yes the CMOS password! I have a CD-rom in it now, but also have a floppy disc drive. I just have DOS commands, I have a WIN 98 full systems disc, but WIN 98 doesn't support hot swapping of drives!

Let me know if you need anymore info.

[richamies]

Ahhhhhh....these old babies.....My personal fave http://www.sysopt.com/forum/smile.gif P133 2.1gb 16mb 12.1" XGA. there are 2 passwords on these. For the bios, lift the keyboard up(the 2 clips on the sides" and support it up in the air. Make sure the laptop doesnt topple back, as it will lose its balance doing this.

Remover the Floppy drive from the left hand side. If you look underneath the pcb, to the left of it will be a little jumper. This needs shorting out with a screwdriver. hold the screwdriver over the link, power up the machine from the battery and leave it on for 10 seconds. power down the machine, remove the screwdriver, replace floppy drive and power on. Hopefully this will cure it.
If the hard drive is passworded, I'm affraid you are out of luck as far as I know.

The ThinkPad will save the password into cylinder 0, and this cannot be modified. I have some contacts at IBM who have confirmed this, I have tried using everything I can think of in order to get rid of it - big magnets, FDUT(IBM's internal hard drive usility), Norton, even plugging it into a desktop and doing a low level format.
Lets just hope its in the bios http://www.sysopt.com/forum/smile.gif

[This message has been edited by richamies (edited 01-09-2000).]

[BBA]

Hope it's not the hard drive password...

The only way to fix that is replace the drive! No kidding. It is written to the track 0 of the disk and also coded to the eprom in the drive circuit, and both have to match!

IBM actually designed it for government usage and gave the high security feature a twist.

[richamies]

This link http://www.pc.ibm.com/qtechinfo/PFAN-3TJKLN.html?lang=en_US&page=brand&brand=IBM+ThinkPad%7CThinkPad+760ED%7C9546%7CX9A&family=IBM+ThinkPad%7CThinkPad+760ED&machineType=IBM+ThinkPa d%7CThinkPad+760ED%7C9546&model=IBM+ThinkPad%7CThinkPad+760ED%7C9546%7CX9A&doctype=Online+publications&subtype=All
will give you the Hardware Maintenance Manual IN Adobe Acrobat format for the thinkpad 365,560 and 760. The procedure is the same for all the model 760's, regardless of model designation. I'm sure your system board is part number 96G3507 or something like that, the other board used is 29H9199(I'm sure about that number!), if that helps at all.

Let us know how it goes http://www.sysopt.com/forum/smile.gif

[richamies]

High Security? IBM? You can just plug the drive straight into a desktop pc(with a connector convertor, obviously) and see the whole contents of the drive! On the 760 you can also plug it into the 2nd hard drive channel(a convertor for the floppy interface) and still get straight to it!!!
Sheeeeesh....

[noresull]

yes, the only time it asks for the password, is when I try to access easy set-up

John

[This message has been edited by noresull (edited 01-09-2000).]

[richamies]

Gimme a while here to think, if i tell you the wrong bit then you will kill the system board.... I will remember though. Might not tell you until tomorrow when I can double check it though http://www.sysopt.com/forum/wink.gif

[richamies]

OK before you even consider this please bear in mind I havent done this for a while. I am *NOT* taking responsibility if this screws up ok?

Right. If you take off the metal shielding with all the writing on it(you need to remover the top plastic with the 5 screwcovers, and then the keyboard first) then you should have access to loads of boards. The bottom-most board you can see(the big one), has all the connections for the floppy drive, the battery, and the hdd on it. Look right next to the floppy connector, it is withing an inch of that on the right hand side. There are 2 little metal solder pads there, about 7-8mm apart. If you keep your screwdriver on those and power up, that shoud completely clear the bios.
Please note that this is not official IBM practise, not official practise where I used to work. The boards were effectively scrap when they were passworded, and it is something I figured out through mucking around with them. Hold the screwdriver on the pads with EVERYTHING ELSE disconnected(batt,hdd,fdd,cdrom, maybe even keyboard http://www.sysopt.com/forum/smile.gif). If I remember correctly it will spark, and I know that might be scary http://www.sysopt.com/forum/wink.gif but I know it works. I can't say for certain it will work 100% of the time, or if my attempts were flukes.
There is also a similar solder link over on the right hand side of the system board, not far from the PCMCIA slots. You might try that one, if this one doesnt work.
Before you start, on the right hand side of the floppy connector is an IBM part number, engraved on top of the system board in white writing. ENSURE(I'm pretty sure it isnt) THAT THIS DOES NOT READ 29H9199. If it does read 29H9199 then I really can't help you. The number you are looking for is something like 36H1507. Ignore the part numbers on the white labels as IBM use a different number for each board in a group of machine(eg760E,760EL,760ED,etc) but the boards themselves are the same.
Let me know what happens, I have my fingers crossed for you as I know those boards are hard to source in the UK http://www.sysopt.com/forum/smile.gif.

[This message has been edited by richamies (edited 01-09-2000).]

[noresull]

Rich,

Do I need to get rid of this password in order to just normally use the laptop? I won't have a problem, not being able to play with the Easy set-up, but I really need to get Windows in this. I'm not gonna buy a system board if that's the only way to fix this. I would much rather buy a new computer instead!

I also don't know if I feel comfortable Making Sparks on my system board!

Thanks for the advice
John

[richamies]

Does it go past the POST and attempt to boot from the hard drive/floppy drive, or does it ask you for a password?

[noresull]

I can get all the way to the c: prompt, and I can even start from a floppy disc. It only asks for a password when going into easy set-up, I can access easy set-up if I just press enter, but I can't access passwords or configure. Does this help?

John

[richamies]

Yes you can continue to use the machine as it is. I have seen this before, I just can't remember the symptoms/way to fix it. It's been about a year and a half since I worked on these in quantity. Once in Easy Setup, try clicking on config then Initialize, I'm not sure of Config is the right name but I think it was the top most left icon in Easy Setup. That might clear the prompt but I'm not sure.

[noresull]

I can't get into config, it's part of the password protection, but how would I go about loading windows, I can handle the password, I don't need to get into set-up, it's just the wife's, and after she's done with school, we'll update! But right now she's mad because she can't use it at all! I need to know how to load an operating system, that will support hot swapping of drives!

Thanks
John

[richamies]

Boot up off the floppy, format and make the hard drive bootable, copy the CD-ROM drivers accross, power down, swap fdd for cdrom, reboot and access the cdrom to setup windoze http://www.sysopt.com/forum/smile.gif

[noresull]

Rich, I did what you said with the jumper, and the machine is still asking for a password when I try to get into "easy set-up", I was also told by another source, they thought the only way to get rid of this password, was to by a new motherboard. All's I need to do, is load windows into so it can be used for school. If I get a "connector converter", will I be able to load windows into the drive, and in turn into the laptop?
Also, where do I get the converter?

John
P.S. If I have to buy a new HDD, I will, but I just want to know how to get windows on the machine.



[This message has been edited by noresull (edited 01-09-2000).]

[richamies]

If you power up with the hard drive unplugged, does it still ask you for a password?