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March 1st, 2010, 10:10 PM
#1
Don't forget Thinkpad supervisor pass
If you get a Lenovo Thinkpad make sure that you store the supervisor password in a safe place.
Users of Lenovo ThinkPad laptops may be in for a nasty surprise if they forget their main (supervisor) hard drive password.
The Chinese hardware manufacturer refuses to reset hard drive (BIOS) security passwords for laptops even if they are covered by warranty. Lenovo, which bought IBM's ThinkPad laptop business in 2005, cites security concerns for this established but little-publicised policy.
You will need a new MoBo
Article is here:
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2010/03...set_hard_luck/
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March 1st, 2010, 11:50 PM
#2
Having worked for IBM/Lenovo in the past, I can verify this. Some of the angriest customers you will ever talk to...
\"Those of us that had been up all night were in no mood for coffee and donuts, we wanted strong drink.\"
-HST
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March 2nd, 2010, 12:57 PM
#3
Junior Member
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March 2nd, 2010, 03:36 PM
#4
I never knew mine in the first place.
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March 2nd, 2010, 08:29 PM
#5
It is something that you or your company would have to turn on/set. It is essentially a BIOS password, that prevents any changes to the system settings -- if I remember correctly.
\"Those of us that had been up all night were in no mood for coffee and donuts, we wanted strong drink.\"
-HST
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March 3rd, 2010, 09:11 AM
#6
Yes, the supervisor password is to protect system settings. It is stored on a (EEprom?) chip on the motherboard.
In the old days you could circumvent this by shorting out some of the pins on the eeprom chip and clearing the password.
That won't work now, as you would also wipe data essential to booting the machine. Hence the requirement to replace the MoBo.
AFAIK, the HDD actually has two passwords: the master and user. If you lose both of those you need a new HDD or pay to have it reset.
I suppose that if you were a skilled electronics engineer with the right equipment you could get round it, but it would probably take some time, which is all security buys you in the end.
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March 3rd, 2010, 05:05 PM
#7
Originally Posted by nihil
AFAIK, the HDD actually has two passwords: the master and user. If you lose both of those you need a new HDD or pay to have it reset.
Always two, there are. A master, and a user.
\"Those of us that had been up all night were in no mood for coffee and donuts, we wanted strong drink.\"
-HST
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