Bypass IBM T30 password it is lock out

[SiRkNiGhT115]

Hello,
I just a brought a IBM T30 off the streets ! I am going to tell the
truths ! I am not going to make anything up! Well, when I boot up the
computer it is lock! It show a symbol of a computer and a lock. Is
there a way to go around this and bypass the password so I can login??
the Thinkpad looks very good so I am wondering if someone can help me
out?? Let me know !

 

[Tony Hill]

Hello,
I just a brought a IBM T30 off the streets !

LOL.. Yeah, I saw one of those too.. some guy selling it "almost-new"
out of the back of a van, great bargain too! :>

I am going to tell the
truths ! I am not going to make anything up! Well, when I boot up the
computer it is lock! It show a symbol of a computer and a lock. Is
there a way to go around this and bypass the password so I can login??
the Thinkpad looks very good so I am wondering if someone can help me
out?? Let me know !

Unplug it, remove the battery and open it up. Find the CMOS battery
and remove it. Press the power button a few times, then leave it for
half an hour. Put everything back together and your power-on password
should be cleared.

Alternatively check on IBM's website for documentation on how to
remove a power-on password. Note that this is a security mechanism
designed to prevent people from getting data off of stolen laptops, so
sometimes it's a bit more complicated than the above. Also note that
taking apart a laptop is not a 5-minute project. Take rather careful
notice of where all the parts are.

As a side note here, if/when you do get the power-on password cleared,
I would HIGHLY recommend that you reformat the hard drive before doing
much of anything else. Whether you know it or not, there's a VERY
high probability that this laptop you purchased was stolen. If you
leave the original OS on it and connect up to the internet there may
be some sort of software installed on there which could start raising
some suspicions (ie software that automatically tries to connect to
the previous-owners corporate computer network).

 

[daytripper]

LOL.. Yeah, I saw one of those too.. some guy selling it "almost-new"
out of the back of a van, great bargain too! :>


Unplug it, remove the battery and open it up. Find the CMOS battery
and remove it. Press the power button a few times, then leave it for
half an hour. Put everything back together and your power-on password
should be cleared.

[snipped]

Not likely. ThinkPads use an eeprom mounted on the motherboard; bios, hard
disk and/or supervisor passwords aren't going to go away, ever. And if you
think erasing the eeprom will help, you'll be the proud owner of a doorstop.

This guy can help for a quite reasonable fee, but requires one to be handy
with a soldering iron (or know someone who is) as you have to cobble together
a null modem rs232-to-I2C convertor tool (for lack of a better name) to be
able to dump the contents of the eeprom and interpret it correctly.

I was that someone for my sister after she recovered the ThinkPad that had
been stolen from her while she was in the hospital. The cops eventually caught
the bastid and recovered the TP, but he'd enabled passwords on everything.

So I built the convertor, ran this guy's application on my own laptop, dumped
the eeprom and sent the dump file to the guy, and he emailed me back the
passwords...

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

cheers

 

[Del Cecchi]

LOL.. Yeah, I saw one of those too.. some guy selling it "almost-new"
out of the back of a van, great bargain too! :>


Unplug it, remove the battery and open it up. Find the CMOS battery
and remove it. Press the power button a few times, then leave it for
half an hour. Put everything back together and your power-on password
should be cleared.

[snipped]

Not likely. ThinkPads use an eeprom mounted on the motherboard; bios,
hard
disk and/or supervisor passwords aren't going to go away, ever. And if
you
think erasing the eeprom will help, you'll be the proud owner of a
doorstop.

This guy can help for a quite reasonable fee, but requires one to be
handy
with a soldering iron (or know someone who is) as you have to cobble
together
a null modem rs232-to-I2C convertor tool (for lack of a better name) to
be
able to dump the contents of the eeprom and interpret it correctly.

I was that someone for my sister after she recovered the ThinkPad that
had
been stolen from her while she was in the hospital. The cops eventually
caught
the bastid and recovered the TP, but he'd enabled passwords on
everything.

So I built the convertor, ran this guy's application on my own laptop,
dumped
the eeprom and sent the dump file to the guy, and he emailed me back
the
passwords...

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

cheers

And the reason you are helping some jerk that admits to buying stolen
property is?

 

[daytripper]

On 6 Aug 2005 18:55:00 -0700, (e-mail address removed) wrote:

Hello,
I just a brought a IBM T30 off the streets !

LOL.. Yeah, I saw one of those too.. some guy selling it "almost-new"
out of the back of a van, great bargain too! :>

I am going to tell the
truths ! I am not going to make anything up! Well, when I boot up the
computer it is lock! It show a symbol of a computer and a lock. Is
there a way to go around this and bypass the password so I can login??
the Thinkpad looks very good so I am wondering if someone can help me
out?? Let me know !

Unplug it, remove the battery and open it up. Find the CMOS battery
and remove it. Press the power button a few times, then leave it for
half an hour. Put everything back together and your power-on password
should be cleared.

[snipped]

Not likely. ThinkPads use an eeprom mounted on the motherboard; bios,
hard
disk and/or supervisor passwords aren't going to go away, ever. And if
you
think erasing the eeprom will help, you'll be the proud owner of a
doorstop.

This guy can help for a quite reasonable fee, but requires one to be
handy
with a soldering iron (or know someone who is) as you have to cobble
together
a null modem rs232-to-I2C convertor tool (for lack of a better name) to
be
able to dump the contents of the eeprom and interpret it correctly.

I was that someone for my sister after she recovered the ThinkPad that
had
been stolen from her while she was in the hospital. The cops eventually
caught
the bastid and recovered the TP, but he'd enabled passwords on
everything.

So I built the convertor, ran this guy's application on my own laptop,
dumped
the eeprom and sent the dump file to the guy, and he emailed me back
the
passwords...

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

cheers

And the reason you are helping some jerk that admits to buying stolen
property is?

To illustrate just how screwed this guy is if he doesn't have the skill set to
perform an actual resurrection?

Otherwise, it only took a few minutes to Google up that site back when I
needed it....and the reality is nothing I said or didn't say would see that
laptop back to its rightful owner...the deed is long done...

 

[SiRkNiGhT115]

I just need some help !! I know that the TP might be stolen but I don't
have money to buy a laptop ! I am running a 333mhz computer right now
that I brought from a second hand store call "GoodWill" so if I have
some money I would have not brought this laptop ! but I wanted a new
computer so I have to do best with what I have ! Sorry for being a
scumbag ! but I just don't have money to buy a laptop !

 

[Rob Stow]

To illustrate just how screwed this guy is if he doesn't have the skill set to
perform an actual resurrection?

Otherwise, it only took a few minutes to Google up that site back when I
needed it....and the reality is nothing I said or didn't say would see that
laptop back to its rightful owner...the deed is long done...

So by that logic helping a concentration camp guard avoid capture
after WWII would be OK because "the deed is long done" ? After
all, nothing is going to bring back the dead.

Glad you don't live in my neighbourhood.

 

[Joe Pfeiffer]

Hello,
I just a brought a IBM T30 off the streets ! I am going to tell the
truths ! I am not going to make anything up! Well, when I boot up the
computer it is lock! It show a symbol of a computer and a lock. Is
there a way to go around this and bypass the password so I can login??
the Thinkpad looks very good so I am wondering if someone can help me
out?? Let me know !

See if you can find the owner to return it to them, and maybe they'll
give you a reward that'll make up for what you paid for it?

 

[Del Cecchi]

I just need some help !! I know that the TP might be stolen but I don't
have money to buy a laptop ! I am running a 333mhz computer right now
that I brought from a second hand store call "GoodWill" so if I have
some money I would have not brought this laptop ! but I wanted a new
computer so I have to do best with what I have ! Sorry for being a
scumbag ! but I just don't have money to buy a laptop !

Get a job. Even entry level jobs like macdonalds pay enough in a month
or so to buy a laptop. Or buy a legimate used laptop.

 

[daytripper]

So by that logic helping a concentration camp guard avoid capture
after WWII would be OK because "the deed is long done" ? After
all, nothing is going to bring back the dead.

Glad you don't live in my neighbourhood.

Sheesh, you nitwits will drive a thousand miles just to make a weak point?

Get over it...or don't....I couldn't care less...life goes on with or without
you....

 

[Tony Hill]

And the reason you are helping some jerk that admits to buying stolen
property is?

I doubt that the original poster actually *stole* the laptop, in fact
he said that he bought it from a second-hand computer shop and he's
probably telling the truth. There are LOTS of sketchy stores around
(even some that look legit) which will pay money for a stolen laptop
which they then resell to the an unsuspecting customer who just thinks
that they are getting a bargain. Buyer beware I suppose, but I doubt
that is much consolation to the original poster who got screwed over
with a laptop that is pretty much unusable.

 

[Robert Redelmeier]

I doubt that the original poster actually *stole* the laptop,
in fact he said that he bought it from a second-hand computer
shop and he's probably telling the truth. There are LOTS of
sketchy stores around (even some that look legit) which will
pay money for a stolen laptop which they then resell to the an
unsuspecting customer who just thinks that they are getting
a bargain. Buyer beware I suppose, but I doubt that is much
consolation to the original poster who got screwed over with
a laptop that is pretty much unusable.

Even beyond that, the laptop could be perfectly legal, unstolen.
Just bought at a surplus auction. Lots of corps dump old equipment,
and their surplus people often don't have the skillz to know that
passwords might be needed. Or the talent to fetch'em.

"Honi soit qui mal y pense" [Shame on those who think evil of it]

-- Robert

 

[Del Cecchi]

I doubt that the original poster actually *stole* the laptop,
in fact he said that he bought it from a second-hand computer
shop and he's probably telling the truth. There are LOTS of
sketchy stores around (even some that look legit) which will
pay money for a stolen laptop which they then resell to the an
unsuspecting customer who just thinks that they are getting
a bargain. Buyer beware I suppose, but I doubt that is much
consolation to the original poster who got screwed over with
a laptop that is pretty much unusable.

Even beyond that, the laptop could be perfectly legal, unstolen.
Just bought at a surplus auction. Lots of corps dump old equipment,
and their surplus people often don't have the skillz to know that
passwords might be needed. Or the talent to fetch'em.

"Honi soit qui mal y pense" [Shame on those who think evil of it]

-- Robert

The following quotes might allay your concerns "I just a brought a IBM
T30 off the streets" and "I know that the TP might be stolen" both from
the original poster

 

[Rob Stow]

I doubt that the original poster actually *stole* the laptop, in fact
he said that he bought it from a second-hand computer shop and he's
probably telling the truth.

He did *not* say that. He said "I just a brought a IBM T30 off
the streets ! "

More importantly, "Daytripper" conceded the point that the laptop
was stolen when he answered the question above with
"...the reality is nothing I said or didn't say
would see that laptop back to its rightful
owner...the deed is long done..."

It is quite clear that he thinks it is OK to help someone who
buys stolen property. Don't know about down south, but in Canada
aiding a felon is in itself a felony.

 

[George Macdonald]

He did *not* say that. He said "I just a brought a IBM T30 off
the streets ! "

In his 2nd post, said he brought[sic] it from a second hand store called
Goodwill. Is that any different from say E-Bay?

More importantly, "Daytripper" conceded the point that the laptop
was stolen when he answered the question above with
"...the reality is nothing I said or didn't say
would see that laptop back to its rightful
owner...the deed is long done..."

Oh come on - I didn't read that as conceding any more than the
*possibility* it was stolen

It is quite clear that he thinks it is OK to help someone who
buys stolen property. Don't know about down south, but in Canada
aiding a felon is in itself a felony.

Lots of us may have bought stolen property without knowing for sure. I'm
not sure of the law but I tend to think a decision is going to depend on
"knowledge", prior or after the fact... or collaboration.

 

[Del Cecchi]

He did *not* say that. He said "I just a brought a IBM T30 off
the streets ! "

In his 2nd post, said he brought[sic] it from a second hand store called
Goodwill. Is that any different from say E-Bay?

I guess you missed something. He said that he wanted this thinkpad
because his current computer was a piece of crap from goodwill.

But he is just a killfiled troll to me now.... The whole thing was a
fabrication.

Oh come on - I didn't read that as conceding any more than the
*possibility* it was stolen




Lots of us may have bought stolen property without knowing for sure. I'm
not sure of the law but I tend to think a decision is going to depend on
"knowledge", prior or after the fact... or collaboration.

Around here "possession of stolen property" is a crime. It doesn't say
you had to know with certainty it was stolen. Have you no ethics?

"buy this thinkpad... It fell off a truck"

 

[nobody]

He did *not* say that. He said "I just a brought a IBM T30 off
the streets ! "

In his 2nd post, said he brought[sic] it from a second hand store called
Goodwill. Is that any different from say E-Bay?

More importantly, "Daytripper" conceded the point that the laptop
was stolen when he answered the question above with
"...the reality is nothing I said or didn't say
would see that laptop back to its rightful
owner...the deed is long done..."

Oh come on - I didn't read that as conceding any more than the
*possibility* it was stolen

It is quite clear that he thinks it is OK to help someone who
buys stolen property. Don't know about down south, but in Canada
aiding a felon is in itself a felony.

Lots of us may have bought stolen property without knowing for sure. I'm
not sure of the law but I tend to think a decision is going to depend on
"knowledge", prior or after the fact... or collaboration.

THOU SHALT NOT STEAL
IMHO, this includes, but is not limited to, aiding and abetting the
thieves by means of buying stolen property from them.

 

[Trent]

So by that logic helping a concentration camp guard avoid capture
after WWII would be OK because "the deed is long done" ? After
all, nothing is going to bring back the dead.

Glad you don't live in my neighbourhood.

<rolls eyes>

Sheesh. Didn't take long for *that* Godwin, did it?

 

[chrisv]

I just need some help !! I know that the TP might be stolen but I don't
have money to buy a laptop ! I am running a 333mhz computer right now
that I brought from a second hand store call "GoodWill" so if I have
some money I would have not brought this laptop ! but I wanted a new
computer so I have to do best with what I have ! Sorry for being a
scumbag ! but I just don't have money to buy a laptop !

Oh, well that changes everything. Sheesh.

 

[George Macdonald]

Around here "possession of stolen property" is a crime. It doesn't say
you had to know with certainty it was stolen. Have you no ethics?

No ethics? That's a bit strong. What is it you're upset about: the
potential of theft or the method for cracking an IBM Tninkpad password?
I'm more pissed because IBM has been hiding this relatively simple password
reset and according to their docs does not use it themsleves, preferring to
put a perfectly good system board in the garbage.

As for *my* ethics they're a bloody sight higher than the guys who make up
the rules.

"buy this thinkpad... It fell off a truck"

Can you say with absolute certainty that you have no such thing among your
possessions? Stuff re-enters the retail chain all the time - the police
are utterly useless here. Even when they know who stole your things, they
won't lift a hand.