Must we trash an excellent laptop?

[Guest]

Archived from groups: comp.sys.laptops (More info?)

ANYONE, HELP!

A friend has a virtually new Toshiba Satellite (older model) Laptop, but a
BIOS password is set. Without knowing the password, it's as good as
trashed!

We removed the BIOS battery for a few days, but it didn't help.
Does anybody have any ideas?

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: comp.sys.laptops (More info?)

>ANYONE, HELP!
>
>A friend has a virtually new Toshiba Satellite (older model) Laptop, but a
>BIOS password is set. Without knowing the password, it's as good as
>trashed!
>
>We removed the BIOS battery for a few days, but it didn't help.
>Does anybody have any ideas?
>
You will have to steal one that's not password protected.

 

[Charlie]

Archived from groups: comp.sys.laptops (More info?)

On Fri, 30 Jul 2004 16:00:41 GMT, "AJS" <microdynetech@usa.net> wrote:

>ANYONE, HELP!
>
>A friend has a virtually new Toshiba Satellite (older model) Laptop, but a
>BIOS password is set. Without knowing the password, it's as good as
>trashed!
>
>We removed the BIOS battery for a few days, but it didn't help.
>Does anybody have any ideas?
>

I don't understand how your friend could set the password without
knowing it. Do you mean to say your friend has "someone else's" laptop
and so doesn't know what the password is? If he bought it from that
"someone else", have him either get the password or his money back.

Charlie Hoffpauir
http/freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~charlieh/

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: comp.sys.laptops (More info?)

On Fri, 30 Jul 2004 16:00:41 GMT, "AJS" <microdynetech@usa.net> wrote:

>ANYONE, HELP!
>
>A friend has a virtually new Toshiba Satellite (older model) Laptop, but a
>BIOS password is set. Without knowing the password, it's as good as
>trashed!
>
>We removed the BIOS battery for a few days, but it didn't help.
>Does anybody have any ideas?
>

Contact Toshiba Tech support. It doesn't take much to convince Tech
support that you're the legit owner, and they can give you a master
password to reset the BIOS to factory specs. Sorry, I don't know what
it is. There are also some BIOS reset utilities available that might
be able to do that too, but those seem a bit risky to me.
---------------------------------------------

MCheu

 

[BigJim]

Archived from groups: comp.sys.laptops (More info?)

that password is flashed into the bios chip

"AJS" <microdynetech@usa.net> wrote in message
news:JguOc.2470$Ix1.265@newssvr31.news.prodigy.com...
> ANYONE, HELP!
>
> A friend has a virtually new Toshiba Satellite (older model) Laptop, but a
> BIOS password is set. Without knowing the password, it's as good as
> trashed!
>
> We removed the BIOS battery for a few days, but it didn't help.
> Does anybody have any ideas?
>
>

 

[papa]

Archived from groups: comp.sys.laptops (More info?)

Can the BIOS chip be re-flashed? I know that most desktop computers have
reflashable BIOS chips. Visit the Toshiba website. There may be a reflash
utility that you can download.

"AJS" <microdynetech@usa.net> wrote in message
news:JguOc.2470$Ix1.265@newssvr31.news.prodigy.com...
> ANYONE, HELP!
>
> A friend has a virtually new Toshiba Satellite (older model) Laptop, but a
> BIOS password is set. Without knowing the password, it's as good as
> trashed!
>
> We removed the BIOS battery for a few days, but it didn't help.
> Does anybody have any ideas?
>
>

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: comp.sys.laptops (More info?)

It won't help. Reflashing the BIOS will not clear any power-up passwords.

Cosmin

Papa wrote:
> Can the BIOS chip be re-flashed? I know that most desktop computers have
> reflashable BIOS chips. Visit the Toshiba website. There may be a reflash
> utility that you can download.
>
> "AJS" <microdynetech@usa.net> wrote in message
> news:JguOc.2470$Ix1.265@newssvr31.news.prodigy.com...
>
>>ANYONE, HELP!
>>
>>A friend has a virtually new Toshiba Satellite (older model) Laptop, but a
>>BIOS password is set. Without knowing the password, it's as good as
>>trashed!
>>
>>We removed the BIOS battery for a few days, but it didn't help.
>>Does anybody have any ideas?
>>

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: comp.sys.laptops (More info?)

On Sat, 31 Jul 2004 13:41:21 GMT, "Papa" <bikingis@my.fun> wrote:

:>Can the BIOS chip be re-flashed? I know that most desktop computers have
:>reflashable BIOS chips. Visit the Toshiba website. There may be a reflash
:>utility that you can download.

Kind of hard to flash the bios if you have to type in the password (stored
in non-volatile ram) BEFORE you can access ANY hardware, including a floppy
drive.

That being said, if it's a Toshiba built model it will require a special
parallel port loopback device. Google might help on that. If it's a model
built by Compal for Toshiba somewhere in the memory compartment is a TINY
set of either copper or silver colored pads that need to be shorted to clear
the password. This should NOT be done with the computer turned on.

me/2

:>
:>"AJS" <microdynetech@usa.net> wrote in message
:>news:JguOc.2470$Ix1.265@newssvr31.news.prodigy.com...
:>> ANYONE, HELP!
:>>
:>> A friend has a virtually new Toshiba Satellite (older model) Laptop, but a
:>> BIOS password is set. Without knowing the password, it's as good as
:>> trashed!
:>>
:>> We removed the BIOS battery for a few days, but it didn't help.
:>> Does anybody have any ideas?
:>>
:>>
:>

 

[papa]

Archived from groups: comp.sys.laptops (More info?)

Are you saying than flashing your BIOS to a newer version will not clear the
password?

"Cosmin N." <no@email.com> wrote in message
news:%5SOc.263$ms31.176@news04.bloor.is.net.cable.rogers.com...
> It won't help. Reflashing the BIOS will not clear any power-up passwords.
>
> Cosmin
>
> Papa wrote:
> > Can the BIOS chip be re-flashed? I know that most desktop computers have
> > reflashable BIOS chips. Visit the Toshiba website. There may be a
reflash
> > utility that you can download.
> >
> > "AJS" <microdynetech@usa.net> wrote in message
> > news:JguOc.2470$Ix1.265@newssvr31.news.prodigy.com...
> >
> >>ANYONE, HELP!
> >>
> >>A friend has a virtually new Toshiba Satellite (older model) Laptop, but
a
> >>BIOS password is set. Without knowing the password, it's as good as
> >>trashed!
> >>
> >>We removed the BIOS battery for a few days, but it didn't help.
> >>Does anybody have any ideas?
> >>

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: comp.sys.laptops (More info?)

On Sun, 01 Aug 2004 00:37:32 GMT, "Papa" <bikingis@my.fun> wrote:

:>Are you saying than flashing your BIOS to a newer version will not clear the
:>password?

Since you have to type in the bios password BEFORE you can access ANY
hardware, including a floppy drive with a bios disk, you cannot flash the
bios without knowing the bios password. BTW, at least on Toshiba, flashing
the bios does NOT clear the password. It is stored in protected NVRAM. A
bios password would be useless if it could be cleared that easily.

me/2

:>
:>"Cosmin N." <no@email.com> wrote in message
:>news:%5SOc.263$ms31.176@news04.bloor.is.net.cable.rogers.com...
:>> It won't help. Reflashing the BIOS will not clear any power-up passwords.
:>>
:>> Cosmin
:>>
:>> Papa wrote:
:>> > Can the BIOS chip be re-flashed? I know that most desktop computers have
:>> > reflashable BIOS chips. Visit the Toshiba website. There may be a
:>reflash
:>> > utility that you can download.
:>> >
:>> > "AJS" <microdynetech@usa.net> wrote in message
:>> > news:JguOc.2470$Ix1.265@newssvr31.news.prodigy.com...
:>> >
:>> >>ANYONE, HELP!
:>> >>
:>> >>A friend has a virtually new Toshiba Satellite (older model) Laptop, but
:>a
:>> >>BIOS password is set. Without knowing the password, it's as good as
:>> >>trashed!
:>> >>
:>> >>We removed the BIOS battery for a few days, but it didn't help.
:>> >>Does anybody have any ideas?
:>> >>
:>

 

[Bob]

Archived from groups: comp.sys.laptops (More info?)

"me/2" <null@127.0.0.1> wrote in message
news:jbepg017901p6vl0n3vb42361acpa63sdq@4ax.com...
> On Sun, 01 Aug 2004 00:37:32 GMT, "Papa" <bikingis@my.fun> wrote:
>
> :>Are you saying than flashing your BIOS to a newer version will not clear
the
> :>password?
>
> Since you have to type in the bios password BEFORE you can access ANY
> hardware, including a floppy drive with a bios disk, you cannot flash the
> bios without knowing the bios password. BTW, at least on Toshiba,
flashing
> the bios does NOT clear the password. It is stored in protected NVRAM. A
> bios password would be useless if it could be cleared that easily.
>
> me/2
>
> :>
> :>"Cosmin N." <no@email.com> wrote in message
> :>news:%5SOc.263$ms31.176@news04.bloor.is.net.cable.rogers.com...
> :>> It won't help. Reflashing the BIOS will not clear any power-up
passwords.
> :>>
> :>> Cosmin
> :>>
> :>> Papa wrote:
> :>> > Can the BIOS chip be re-flashed? I know that most desktop computers
have
> :>> > reflashable BIOS chips. Visit the Toshiba website. There may be a
> :>reflash
> :>> > utility that you can download.
> :>> >
> :>> > "AJS" <microdynetech@usa.net> wrote in message
> :>> > news:JguOc.2470$Ix1.265@newssvr31.news.prodigy.com...
> :>> >
> :>> >>ANYONE, HELP!
> :>> >>
> :>> >>A friend has a virtually new Toshiba Satellite (older model) Laptop,
but
> :>a
> :>> >>BIOS password is set. Without knowing the password, it's as good as
> :>> >>trashed!
> :>> >>
> :>> >>We removed the BIOS battery for a few days, but it didn't help.
> :>> >>Does anybody have any ideas?

A Google search of news groups turns up lots of possibilities..hardware
parallel port dongle and other stuff. It would seem that it depends on the
model number though...

Bob

 

[papa]

Archived from groups: comp.sys.laptops (More info?)

Well, judging from the comments in this thread, looks like setting up a BIOS
password is one of the worst ideas a user can come up with.

"Bob" <luna5nospam@earthlink.net> wrote in message
news:10gpt7gr502lk14@corp.supernews.com...
>
> "me/2" <null@127.0.0.1> wrote in message
> news:jbepg017901p6vl0n3vb42361acpa63sdq@4ax.com...
> > On Sun, 01 Aug 2004 00:37:32 GMT, "Papa" <bikingis@my.fun> wrote:
> >
> > :>Are you saying than flashing your BIOS to a newer version will not
clear
> the
> > :>password?
> >
> > Since you have to type in the bios password BEFORE you can access ANY
> > hardware, including a floppy drive with a bios disk, you cannot flash
the
> > bios without knowing the bios password. BTW, at least on Toshiba,
> flashing
> > the bios does NOT clear the password. It is stored in protected NVRAM.
A
> > bios password would be useless if it could be cleared that easily.
> >
> > me/2
> >
> > :>
> > :>"Cosmin N." <no@email.com> wrote in message
> > :>news:%5SOc.263$ms31.176@news04.bloor.is.net.cable.rogers.com...
> > :>> It won't help. Reflashing the BIOS will not clear any power-up
> passwords.
> > :>>
> > :>> Cosmin
> > :>>
> > :>> Papa wrote:
> > :>> > Can the BIOS chip be re-flashed? I know that most desktop
computers
> have
> > :>> > reflashable BIOS chips. Visit the Toshiba website. There may be a
> > :>reflash
> > :>> > utility that you can download.
> > :>> >
> > :>> > "AJS" <microdynetech@usa.net> wrote in message
> > :>> > news:JguOc.2470$Ix1.265@newssvr31.news.prodigy.com...
> > :>> >
> > :>> >>ANYONE, HELP!
> > :>> >>
> > :>> >>A friend has a virtually new Toshiba Satellite (older model)
Laptop,
> but
> > :>a
> > :>> >>BIOS password is set. Without knowing the password, it's as good
as
> > :>> >>trashed!
> > :>> >>
> > :>> >>We removed the BIOS battery for a few days, but it didn't help.
> > :>> >>Does anybody have any ideas?
>
> A Google search of news groups turns up lots of possibilities..hardware
> parallel port dongle and other stuff. It would seem that it depends on
the
> model number though...
>
> Bob
>
>

 

[Mike]

Archived from groups: comp.sys.laptops (More info?)

Papa wrote:
> Well, judging from the comments in this thread, looks like setting up a BIOS
> password is one of the worst ideas a user can come up with.
>
If you EVER leave it unattened, a password is a good idea.
I once took a computer to a swapmeet. Some "prankster" put a password
on it. If it had been a modern laptop, I'd have been screwed.
Put a password on it and write the password inside somewhere that
takes removing a screw to get at.
Won't help if someone steals it, but will stop the casual tinkerer
and help if you "forget".
mike


--
Return address is VALID.
Wanted, 12.1" LCD for Gateway Solo 5300. Samsung LT121SU-121
Bunch of stuff For Sale and Wanted at the link below.
Compaq Aero floppy,ram,battery.
FT-212RH 2-meter 45W transceiver. 2-meter linear
Toshiba & Compaq LiIon Batteries, Test Equipment
30pS pulser, Tektronix Concept Books, spot welding head...
http/www.geocities.com/SiliconValley/Monitor/4710/

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: comp.sys.laptops (More info?)

Papa wrote:
>
> Well, judging from the comments in this thread, looks like setting up a BIOS
> password is one of the worst ideas a user can come up with.

If you own your laptop, using a BIOS password presents no problems.

If you sell your laptop, and clear the BIOS password, using a BIOS
password presents no problems.

It really pretty simple.

Notan

 

[papa]

Archived from groups: comp.sys.laptops (More info?)

Could be. But the simplicity of the clearing procedure has certainly not
been addressed in this thread, nor has anyone posting to this thread
answered the OPs question.

So the question remains. How does one clear an existing BIOS password if
he/she forgets what it is?

"Notan" <notan@ddress.com> wrote in message
news:410D1B01.F8EEA80@ddress.com...
> Papa wrote:
> >
> > Well, judging from the comments in this thread, looks like setting up a
BIOS
> > password is one of the worst ideas a user can come up with.
>
> If you own your laptop, using a BIOS password presents no problems.
>
> If you sell your laptop, and clear the BIOS password, using a BIOS
> password presents no problems.
>
> It really pretty simple.
>
> Notan

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: comp.sys.laptops (More info?)

Papa wrote:
>
> Could be. But the simplicity of the clearing procedure has certainly not
> been addressed in this thread, nor has anyone posting to this thread
> answered the OPs question.
>
> So the question remains. How does one clear an existing BIOS password if
> he/she forgets what it is?

It may require proving proof of ownership, then sending it back to
the manufacturer for clearing.

The whole idea behind BIOS/Harddrive/Whatever passwords is to make
it extremely difficult, if not impossible, for someone other than
the owner to gain access.

Sounds like it's working, as planned.

Notan

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: comp.sys.laptops (More info?)

>Papa wrote:
>>
>> Could be. But the simplicity of the clearing procedure has certainly not
>> been addressed in this thread, nor has anyone posting to this thread
>> answered the OPs question.
>>
>> So the question remains. How does one clear an existing BIOS password if
>> he/she forgets what it is?
>
>It may require proving proof of ownership, then sending it back to
>the manufacturer for clearing.
>
>The whole idea behind BIOS/Harddrive/Whatever passwords is to make
>it extremely difficult, if not impossible, for someone other than
>the owner to gain access.
>
>Sounds like it's working, as planned.
>
>Notan

Sure, and with one in four new notebooks getting stolen, there's no
doubt in my mind that this one is also. To all the creeps helping
these thieves in this thread, I hope their next notebook gets stolen.

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: comp.sys.laptops (More info?)

"Papa" <bikingis@my.fun> wrote:
> Well, judging from the comments in this thread, looks like setting
> up a BIOS password is one of the worst ideas a user can come up with.

I lean towards Papa's view here. I'm no expert in this area, but I
suspect thieves don't check whether they can get into the BIOS setup
before stealing your laptop. And I haven't heard of any thief who has
returned a laptop after finding out it was password-protected.

It's a nice idea, but the wrong problem. BIOS passwords should not be
about theft prevention, but about making it a little harder for the
average klutz to mess up his own computer. Thus, there should be a
semi-easy method of recovery, such as the battery-removal or
reset-jumper techniques used on desktops. Eliminating these options
in the name of "security" is the wrong solution to the wrong problem.
BIOS passwords do not keep your laptop from being stolen.

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: comp.sys.laptops (More info?)

Andrew J,

Watch what you assume! The laptop is a corporate one and an unknown
employee set the password, maybe even for spite! It is definitely NOT
stolen. Neither me or my friend is a creep or would ever steal anything!

"AndrewJ" <andrewj@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:8gcqg0lhtij1qierj0rkeejmnf6lbll5di@4ax.com...
>Sure, and with one in four new notebooks getting stolen, there's no
>doubt in my mind that this one is also. To all the creeps helping
>these thieves in this thread, I hope their next notebook gets stolen.

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: comp.sys.laptops (More info?)

>Andrew J,
>
>Watch what you assume! The laptop is a corporate one and an unknown
>employee set the password, maybe even for spite! It is definitely NOT
>stolen. Neither me or my friend is a creep or would ever steal anything!
>
Yeah well the helpful info will be here for thieves to google for
eternity.