I have an ibm thinkpad A30 2652 it lock with a supervisor password. Everytime i boot it, it is asking to update time and then it goes to a lock position asking of a password. Do you have any solution for this on how to unlock this machine

Hi,

The IBM Thinkpad has a very strong security system.

If you are seeing a lock symbol when booting then somebody has set the supervisor password. If you can't remember it or guess it (try "password", "admin", "pass", etc) then you need to find the person that set the supervisor password.

Once the supervisor password is set the T41 is very well protected and it can't be reset by removing the laptop battery or CMOS battery.

There is a way to read the password from the protection chip but this is very complicated and requires taking the laptop apart and building your own chip reader.

The instructions for doing this are are:

http://sodoityourself.com/hacking-ibm-thinkpad-bios-password/

Hope this helps,

Chris

Hard Disk Password

The hard-disk password (HDP) protects the data on your removable hard disk drive from being accessed by unauthorized persons.
Supervisor Password

The supervisor password protects the system information in Easy-Setup from being changed by unauthorized persons.
How to Reset an IBM ThinkPad Power On Password using Software

If you can boot the IBM ThinkPad, KeyMaker will recover the BIOS password.
How to Reset an IBM ThinkPad Power On Password Using Hardware

If you cannot boot the ThinkPad, you will have to reset the IBM ThinkPad password via hardware.

If only the power-on password is set, do the following to remove the power-on password.

1. Power off the computer
2. Remove the DIMM cover on the bottom side of the computer.
3. Short-circuit the two password pads or put a jumper on the contacts to short the circuit.
4. Under the short-circuit condition, power on the computer and wait until the POST ends. After the POST ends, the password prompt does not appear. The power-on password is removed.
5. Reinstall the DIMM cover.

If both the power-on password and the supervisor password are set, do the following to remove the passwords:

1. Power on the computer by pressing and holding F1.
2. Enter the supervisor password. The Easy-Setup menu appears.
3. Click on the Password icon.
4. Click on the Power on icon.
5. Enter the supervisor password and press the Space bar.
6. Press Enter twice.
7. Click on Exit; then click on Restart.

How to Reset an IBM ThinkPad Power On Password Using Hardware
If you cannot boot the ThinkPad, you will have to reset the IBM ThinkPad password via hardware.
If only the power-on password is set, do the following to remove the power-on password.

1. Power off the computer
2. Remove the DIMM cover on the bottom side of the computer.
3. Short-circuit the two password pads or put a jumper on the contacts to short the circuit.
4. Under the short-circuit condition, power on the computer and wait until the POST ends. After the POST ends, the password prompt does not appear. The power-on password is removed.
5. Reinstall the DIMM cover.

If both the power-on password and the supervisor password are set, do the following to remove the passwords:

1. Power on the computer by pressing and holding F1.
2. Enter the supervisor password. The Easy-Setup menu appears.
3. Click on the Password icon.
4. Click on the Power on icon.
5. Enter the supervisor password and press the Space bar.
6. Press Enter twice.
7. Click on Exit; then click on Restart

Visit: http://www.ja.axxs.net/unlock/
If you cannot boot the ThinkPad, you will have to reset the IBM ThinkPad password via hardware.
If only the power-on password is set, do the following to remove the power-on password.

1. Power off the computer
2. Remove the DIMM cover on the bottom side of the computer.
3. Short-circuit the two password pads or put a jumper on the contacts to short the circuit.
4. Under the short-circuit condition, power on the computer and wait until the POST ends. After the POST ends, the password prompt does not appear. The power-on password is removed.
5. Reinstall the DIMM cover.

If both the power-on password and the supervisor password are set, do the following to remove the passwords:

1. Power on the computer by pressing and holding F1.
2. Enter the supervisor password. The Easy-Setup menu appears.
3. Click on the Password icon.
4. Click on the Power on icon.
5. Enter the supervisor password and press the Space bar.
6. Press Enter twice.
7. Click on Exit; then click on Restart.

There are two sections (that come to mind) when a password is requested in starting a computer. BIOS or Windows Passwords.
WINDOWS PASSWORD This will be after the windows logo as come up. Depending on which version of windows you have, you will need to find a windows password reset tool. 
A lot of these will require you to boot from a CD that you have created from an ISO image. If this is is confusing, head into a computer shop and ask them to do it.  Alternatively, reformatting the machine by reinstalling windows over the top should eliminate the problem (and all of the data that is still on the machine.)
BIOS PASSWORD This will usually be during the 'black screen' phase of booting.
An IBM ThinkPad laptop can have three BIOS hardware passwords set

• Power-On Password
  
• Hard Disk Password
  
• Supervisor Password
  

Power-On Password
RT/CMOS RAM has 8 bytes reserved for the power-on password and the check character. The 8 bytes are initialized to hex 00. The microprocessor can access these bytes only during POST. After POST is completed, if a power-on password is installed, the password bytes are locked and cannot be accessed by any program. During power-on password installation, the password (1 to 7 characters) is stored in the security space. Installing the password is a function of the built-in system program Easy-Setup. The power-on password does not appear on the screen when it is installed, changed, or removed. After the power-on password has been installed, it can be changed or removed only during POST.
Hard Disk Password
The hard-disk password (HDP) protects the data on your removable hard disk drive from being accessed by unauthorized persons.
Supervisor Password
The supervisor password protects the system information in Easy-Setup from being changed by unauthorized persons.
How to Reset an IBM ThinkPad Power On Password using Software If you can boot the IBM ThinkPad, KeyMaker will recover the BIOS password.
How to Reset an IBM ThinkPad Power On Password Using Hardware If you cannot boot the ThinkPad, you will have to reset the IBM ThinkPad password via hardware. If only the power-on password is set, do the following to remove the power-on password. Power off the computer Remove the DIMM (Memory) cover on the bottom side of the computer. Short-circuit the two password pads or put a jumper on the contacts to short the circuit. Under the short-circuit condition, power on the computer and wait until the POST ends. After the POST ends, the password prompt does not appear. The power-on password is removed. Reinstall the DIMM cover.
If both the power-on password and the supervisor password are set, do the following to remove the passwords: Power on the computer by pressing and holding F1. Enter the supervisor password. The Easy-Setup menu appears. Click on the Password icon. Click on the Power on icon. Enter the supervisor password and press the Space bar. Press Enter twice. Click on Exit; then click on Restart.

Both errors are related to the backup battery which is located under the main battery. It is probably dead. You can get one on eBay for $3.29 w/free shipping or pay a shop $20 to put one in. If you do it yourself be very gentle plugging it into the tricky little slot - it is possible to break the connector loose from the motherboard but it is an easy repair if you have patience and dexterity. As for the password, try just hitting enter. It is the supervisor password to change the BIOS settings and was probably never set.
Hope this helps.
Jon

What is the default password for my R51 Thinkpad by IBM Model # 2888?

Oops, straight from the manual for your laptop...

Problem: I forgot my password.
Solution: If you forgot your power-on password, you must take your computer to an IBM reseller or marketing representative to have the password canceled. If you forgot your hard disk password, IBM will not reset your password or recover data from the hard disk. You must take your computer to an IBM reseller or an IBM marketing representative to have the hard disk drive
replaced. Proof of purchase is required, and a fee will be charged for parts and service. If you forgot your supervisor password, IBM will not reset your password. You must take your computer to an IBM reseller or IBM marketing representative to have the system board replaced. Proof of purchase is required, and a fee will be charged for parts and service.

Sorry to see that... Good luck.

Some of the older thinkpad had a program you from the OS or a boot floppy to had to run to get change the bios settings. But the BIOS key on most is F1. So if you press that key as soon as you turn the machine on and anything appears on the screen, and once you've provided the password you can then change the password to blank within the bios.

If you don't know the password at all, there may still be a way to reset it, but it may require a call to IBM/Lenov, or some other tedious process.

How to Reset an IBM ThinkPad Power On Password Using Hardware If you cannot boot the ThinkPad, you will have to reset the IBM ThinkPad password via hardware. If only the power-on password is set, do the following to remove the power-on password. Power off the computer Remove the DIMM cover on the bottom side of the computer. Short-circuit the two password pads or put a jumper on the contacts to short the circuit. Under the short-circuit condition, power on the computer and wait until the POST ends. After the POST ends, the password prompt does not appear. The power-on password is removed. Reinstall the DIMM cover. If both the power-on password and the supervisor password are set, do the following to remove the passwords: Power on the computer by pressing and holding F1. Enter the supervisor password. The Easy-Setup menu appears. Click on the Password icon. Click on the Power on icon. Enter the supervisor password and press the Space bar. Press Enter twice. Click on Exit; then click on Restart.