take it to a data recovery place, ask for a free estimate.
be prepared to pay $1200 or more.
as for the CMOS, you can still wipe it.
remove the HDD, then boot either floppy or CD that would bypass that password,
would also confirm exactly how it is locked.
you can still try to contact IBM for recovery (for a large fee I suspect)
otherwise you're SOL
Dan.
Date: Thu, 18 Jun 2009 14:46:12 -0700
From: alhartman at
yahoo.com
Subject: Re: IBM Thinkpad 600e can't get past password prompt...
To: cctalk at
classiccmp.org
From what I understand, the drive is locked by the
system using the master supervisor password. Replacing the logic board (or the system unit
as a whole) doesn't unlock the HDD.
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 I tried contacting the seller, but the email address is no longer active.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
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