IBM Thinkpad 600e can't get past password prompt...

? Only discovering and entering the master password will work. ? The unit will not boot to a floppy for a BIOS upgrade or to run a BIOS Password Crack program. It asks for the master password and refuses to go past that point. ? We didn't set the password, and presumably the original owner did and didn't tell us what it was. I tried contacting the seller, but the email address is no longer active. ? Replacing the security chip is more money and labor than the unit is worth. I can buy another unit for under $40 if I wanted to. ? I want to get to her HDD data, which she never backed up. Putting the HDD into a USB case results in a drive that is seen but won't mount on a PC, Mac or Linux Box. ? The drive is locked with an ATA command, and can only be unlocked by another ATA command supplying the password it was locked with. ? I can download a free utility to low level format the drive, but not unlock it. ? Paying $100 or more to have the data recovered is not in her budget, else she would have had the money to buy a new laptop rather than a bargain basement IBM Thinkpad. ? I've tried all sorts of supposed IBM Backdoor master passwords without success. I can't even find someone to tell me where the security chip is so I can use the circuit and software to read the password off the chip is. ? I really don't want to break the whole unit down if I don't have to. My eyes and hands aren't as steady as they used to be, and I'm not familiar with this unit as I am with Apple Powerbook G3 units. ? I've tried removing the battery for several days. Typing in every password I could think of. But, nothing works. ? I guess her data is gone, and my last backup of her data when I set the thing up for her is the best she is going to get. ? If anyone has any solutions, I'd be glad to hear them. ? Al Phila, PA