Merlin doesn't work here! IBM TP T43 Bios PW Lost

[dakotadan]

I have a Customer with a Think Pad T-43 with a forgotten Bios password. The hard drive is not locked. I cloned the HDD to another laptop for them to use. None of the typical back-door passwords I know won't work, even the mystical "merlin".

I have a couple of questions.

1. Will removing the BU battery for 24 hrs work on this particular model, experience has taught me that a lot of the IBM's won't work with this.

2. any known unlock software that really will work with this particular model?

3. I know of some of the Hardware methods, using 2 computers, etc. It's just my fire extinguisher needs to be recharged after the last attempt in trying a few of these methods on another laptop. The fire dept may not come back after I try it again.

I appreciate any help in this endeavor.

 

[snifferpro]

Not sure about think pads, but I bypassed the BIOS password on a Toughbook
buy building a special cable with a parrallel and PS2 cpnnector.

I plub inthe 2 connectors and I can bypass BIOS password.

This was a specific pinout that I got Toughbook service manuals.

Check the service manuals for the specifi model and see if there is
a shorting plug that will do it.

 

[XFalloutX]

I have had luck once or twice removing the battery and the CMOS battery and letting it sit for 24 hours.

I also belive once on a IBM I got ride of the BIOS password by removing the CMOS battery and bassically shorting the the two connections. Taking a screwdriver and touching both the bottom and sides together.

 

[ProTech Support]

As others have said, removing the CMOS battery is my normal procedure in this situation. Cannot recall a time this did not work.

Only issue is that I have not touched many IBM laptops, so I am not sure it would work here. Assuming it is like every other notebook, I do not see why not?

 

[iisjman07]

Can you boot from CD? When my laptop had a bios password (which I didn't set, suspicously) I booted up UBCD and used the tool '!BIOS' which revealed the password to me, and now it's unlocked. Also look for some jumpers, I know some older dells had jumpers that allowed resetting of the CMOS. Just to check, have you read this? http://www.technibble.com/how-to-bypass-or-remove-a-bios-password/

 

[Morrison5891]

I've had pretty good luck with: http://www.pccmos.com/

 

[ProTech Support]

I've had pretty good luck with: http://www.pccmos.com/

Good find, going to add that my arsenal.

Just a question of curiosity, does the CMOS trick not work with all laptops? I used to do it all the time, with newer and older computers, never had an issue.

 

[Morrison5891]

Good find, going to add that my arsenal.

Just a question of curiosity, does the CMOS trick not work with all laptops? I used to do it all the time, with newer and older computers, never had an issue.

I tried all the tricks in the book to reset a laptop bios password... nothing worked! The software was my only answer

 

[4ycr]

I used to work for a company the build DELL laptops and about 10 years ago they started to hold the BIOS password on an EPROM so others might have followed or DELL might have went backwards, as I have not had this problem since I stared and I left that company 9 years ago

 

[ProTech Support]

I used to work for a company the build DELL laptops and about 10 years ago they started to hold the BIOS password on an EPROM so others might have followed or DELL might have went backwards, as I have not had this problem since I stared and I left that company 9 years ago

I know they do this with "lo-jack" type of software now. That way if a computer is stolen, and wiped out - the security software is still up and running. Would make sense to do that with the BIOS as well, but of course make it a pain in the a** for us