Clearing Bios Password on IBM T21

[TheCardMan]

How do you reset the Bios password on a IBM Thinkpad T21 if the user does not remember it?

[Rellik]

From the IBM Mobile SystemsThinkPad ComputerHardware Maintenance Manual

Passwords
As many as three passwords may be needed for any ThinkPad computer: the power-on password (POP), the hard-disk password (HDP), and the supervisor password (SVP).

If any of these passwords has been set, a prompt for it appears on the screen whenever the computer is turned on. The computer does not start until the password is entered.

Exception: If only an SVP is installed, the password prompt does not appear when the operating system is booted.

Power-on password:
A power-on password (POP) protects the system from being powered on by an unauthorized person. The password must be entered before an operating system can be booted.

Hard-disk password:
There are two hard-disk passwords (HDPs):

• User HDP—for the user
• Master HDP—for the system administrator, who can use it to get access to the hard disk even if the user has changed the user HDP

Note: There are two modes for the HDP: User only and Master + User. The Master + User mode requires two HDPs; the system administrator enters both in
the same operation. The system administrator then provides the user HDP to the system user.

Attention: If the user HDP has been forgotten, check whether a master HDP has been set. If it has, it can be used for access to the hard-disk drive. If no master HDP is available, IBM does not provide any services to reset either the user or the master HDP, or to recover data from the hard-disk drive. The hard-disk drive can be replaced for a scheduled fee.

Supervisor password:
A supervisor password (SVP) protects the system information stored in the IBM BIOS Setup Utility. The SVP must be entered in order to get access to the IBM BIOS Setup Utility and make changes to system configuration settings.
Attention: If the SVP has been forgotten and cannot be made available to the servicer, there is no service procedure to reset the password. The system board must be replaced for a scheduled fee.

How to remove the power-on password
To remove a POP that you have forgotten, do the following:
(A) If no SVP has been set:

1. Turn off the computer.
2. Remove the battery pack. For how to remove the battery pack, see “1010 Battery pack” on page 60.
3. Remove the backup battery. For how to remove the backup battery, see “1020
   Backup battery” on page 61.
4. Turn on the computer and wait until the POST ends. After the POST ends, the password prompt does not
   appear. The POP has been removed.
5. Reinstall the backup battery and the battery pack.

(B) If an SVP has been set and is known by the servicer:

1. Turn on the computer by pressing and holding F1.
2. Enter the SVP. The IBM BIOS Setup Utility menu appears.
3. Select Password, using the cursor keys to move down the menu.
4. Select Power-On Password.
5. At the Enter Current Password field, enter the SVP.
6. When the Enter New Password field opens, leave it blank and press Enter twice.
7. In the Changes have been saved window, press Enter.
8. Press F10; then, in the Setup confirmation window, select Yes .

How to remove the hard-disk password

Attention: If User only mode is selected and the user HDP has been forgotten and cannot be made available to the servicer, IBM does not provide any services to reset the user HDPs or to recover data from the hard-disk drive. The hard-disk drive can be replaced for a scheduled fee. To remove a user HDP that has been forgotten, when the SVP and the master HDP are known, do the following:

1. Power on the computer by pressing and holding F1.
2. Enter the SVP. The IBM BIOS Setup Utility menu appears.
3. Select Password, using the cursor keys to move down
   the menu.
4. Select Hard-disk x password, where x is the letter of the hard-disk drive. A pop-up window opens.
5. Select Master HDP.
6. Enter the master HDP; then leave the New Password field blank and press Enter twice.
7. Press F10.
8. Select Yes in the Setup Configuration window. Both user HDP and master HDP will have been
   removed.

Most likely it's a matter of removing the backup battery which is located under the main battery.

[TheCardMan]

Thanks I will try above proceedures.....