a.draper wrote:
> Notan wrote:
>
>> "a.draper" wrote:
>>
>>> a.draper wrote:
>>>
>>>>> <snip>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> If the HD password has been set you will have to get a new
>>>>> HD.
>>>>>
>>>>> Try clearing the password with the drive removed. Its generally
>>>>> easy to get out with IBM thinkpads. New drives are cheap enough and
>>>>> removing a disk password is theoretically possible
>>>>> but I haven't managed it yet.
>>>>>
>>>>> There are data recoveery companies with a solution but the cost
>>>>> is a lot more than a new drive.
>>>>> --
>>>>> Jim Watt http://www.gibnet.com
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> Thanks for the suggestion, I'll give it a try. As I stated, I'm not
>>>> interested in the data,I just hated the idea of throwing away a
>>>> perfectly good 30g HD. I was concerned if I bought a new HD
>>>> something in
>>>> the BIOS might render it unusable. I'm not very technical, but working
>>>> on something that is basically usable is very liberating.If I do get a
>>>> new HD should it be the identical model as the old one?
>>>
>>>
>>> You were certainly right about how easy is was to remove the HD- one
>>> screw. I popped it out and tried booting without HD, but still get black
>>> screen password logon. Does that mean I might as well junk the whole
>>> thing? C'est la Vie.
>>
>>
>>
>> The hard drive password is "attached" to the hard drive, itself.
>>
>> A new drive should get you up and running.
>>
>> Good Luck!
>>
>> Notan
>
> Ok, now I'm really revealing my ignorance, but if it boots to the black
> password screen without any hard drive at all, won't it do so with a new
> one as well? Thanks to every one who replied. Didn't mean to be a PITA.

That sounds like good trouble-stooting. Seems like to me the password
on the bios has not been cleared yet. Have you considered taking it to
a certified repair center to have the password cleared? That would be
cheating, but it is probably not a lot more than a new hard-drive that
might not work. I have never heard of a hard-drive-attached rom
passwording feature. This is very interesting.

Wolf