I recently got a laptop from a rent to own store and had it for a couple months. I shut it down the other day and now there is a power-on password... not a cmos password... any way to reset it? Toshiba as a password does not work because as I stated it is a power-on password not a bios password. Any help? Thanks. Toshiba laptop satellite model L305D-S5943

Can you give a bit more information? Did you install any programs that had power-on passwords as a feature. Is there anything identifiable that would tell you the program being used to protect or such. Is it a simple DOS password prompt or graphical. Has anyone else had access?

Are you positive it's not a BIOS Boot password? They aren't always the manufactures name, they can be anything. What leads you to think it's not?

Can you give a bit more information? Did you install any programs that had power-on passwords as a feature. Is there anything identifiable that would tell you the program being used to protect or such. Is it a simple DOS password prompt or graphical. Has anyone else had access?

Are you positive it's not a BIOS Boot password? They arn't always the manufactures name, they can be anything. What leads you to think it's not?


No we didn't install any programs that had power on pass's as a function. It is not a dos pass word prompt it is graphical right after the post tests it pops up a blue box and asks you to enter it. I cannot enter bios, choose to boot from a disk, or go any further until I enter that password. I have done computer repair for many years and know it is a power on password.

It's either a BIOS password or a Windows logon password or some additional software installed by the rent-to-own place. Best course is to go back to the place you bought it.

It's either a BIOS password or a Windows logon password or some additional software installed by the rent-to-own place. Best course is to go back to the place you bought it.

Not bios password... nothing installed by them I redid everything when I got it

Well if you haven't installed anything else then the only other option is a bios password. I've seen many bios's (pheonix being one) that use a blue box as the password boot control. Failing that it might be a virus (but I doubt it) in which case I recommend a linux live cd to do a scan, or any live virus scan cd (knoppix is one of the best in my opinion)

well if you haven't installed anything else then the only other option is a bios password. i've seen many bios's (pheonix being one) that use a blue box as the password boot control. failing that it might be a virus (but i doubt it) in which case i recommend a linux live cd to do a scan, or any live virus scan cd (knoppix is one of the best in my opinion)

I would but I can't get it to go past that screen I can't get it to load a cd... already tried system restore cd, and other cd's that are bootable but nothing it will not go past that screen

Then it is definitely a bios password as when loading livecd the hard-drive isn't touched so any software/virus won't get loaded. However the bios is loaded first no matter what you are doing so when passworded on boot it will lock whether its livecd or hard-drive or anything else. You could try resetting the cmos then taking the bios battery out. This should techincally reset the password but be careful you will need to reconfig the bios to anything you setup when finished as it will default back to factory setting, including system time & date

then it is definetly a bios password as when loading livecd the hard-drive isn't touched so any software/virus won't get loaded. however the bios is loaded first no matter what you are doing so when passworded on boot it will lock whether its livecd or hard-drive or anything else. you could try resetting the cmos then taking the bios battery out. this should techincally reset the password but be careful you will need to reconfig the bios to anything you setup when finished as it will default back to factory setting, including system time & date

Yeah already reset it, it is a power on pass talked to toshiba about it. But its stored in eprom so only a full mb reset can remove it that they are willing to tell me about

yeah already reset it, it is a power on pass talked to toshiba about it. but its stored in eprom so only a full mb reset can remove it that they are willing to tell me about

Thought as much. Unless you know your why around a system well I would take this to a computer specialist and you could end up doing serious damage.