[jamesvon]

Hiya fellas... my mom (working as cook in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia) parceled me a toshiba satellite 2545cds laptop... but upon turning on the laptop, it prompts for a password that I know not how to bypass (my mom doesn't know either or from where she got it)... can anyone help me please...

... I plan to use it for work and for writing a book that I'm hoping to publish...

Thanks.

[ScottGem]

I have a problem with this. I am concerned about your saying that your mom doesn't know where she got it. Sounds to me like this laptop was stolen (not saying your mom stole it, but her reluctance to say where she got it means she may know it was stolen).

Therefore, I'm reluctant to tell you how you might go about getting past the security setup for the laptop. My suggestion is to try to return the laptop to the rightful owner, maybe you'll get a reward that you can use to purchase a legal PC.

[Fr_Chuck]

I will agree with Scott, if you take it to an authorised dealer who can check the serial number for ownership , once this is verified, I am sure the dealer will be glad to help you.

[jamesvon]

Hey... I think it's not stolen or something... she said it was given to her by one of the family member she's serving at Jeddah... and I can't return it back... im here in manila, she's there in Jeddah... a technician here offered me about $49 (Php to $ conversion) to bypass the system... but for me it's too expensive... so I'm trying another options or maybe find another technician at a much cheaper rate...

... some of my techie friends here advice me to take out the internal battery for a time then turn on the laptop, then after to return back the battery again to reset the system... but I'm afraid I might damage the laptop by doing it by myself... im not an expert in hardware...

... I tried pressing all the "Fs" and the shift buttons... no response...

... but I succeeded in taking off the hard drive... when I turn the laptop on, it still prompts for a password...

Anyway thanks for all your concern guys...

Maybe I'll just have to start saving up for that $49...

(I subscribe here because of this laptop thing... and hoping that by browsing some of the topics here, I can learn a whole lot more about computers)

:)

[ScottGem]

Ok, so why doesn't she just go to that family member and ask what the password is? If that person gave her the laptop, then they should be very willing to give her the password.

I'm convinced, now, that you have a poweron password, which is the most secure type. But I'm still not convinced that this is on the up and up. I can't see why the family member can't be asked for the password.

[phamslanding]

Well, I think you better format it and install a fresh windows XP or smth :)

[jamesvon]

Ok, so why doesn't she just go to that family member and ask what the password is? If that person gave her the laptop, then they should be very willing to give her the password.

I'm convinced, now, that you have a poweron password, which is the most secure type. But I'm still not convinced that this is on the up and up. I can't see why the family member can't be asked for the password.

I just don't know why they can't give the password scott... maybe they don't have one in the beginning. And maybe the kid (by the way I look into the laptop's personalize design, I can tell it's previous owner is a kid) messed up some security settings with his/her laptop that activates the system's password. And when he/she can't use it anymore, just gave it to my mom instead of junking it away. I can tell that they would rather buy new one for the kid than have it repair. My mom is serving with some pretty well people there. Well of course my mom knows I want a computer so she sent me the laptop...

... there goes the story of the "my first nonworking laptop"... ha ha ha (lol)...

... :D... pretty amusing isn't it...

... maybe my first book would be about "cross border laptop....hard to reach...!!"... lol:rolleyes:

... oh men... and I still can't use it right now...

... I'll post here the moment I have it working...

well, I think you better format it and install a fresh windows XP or smth :)

Yup... im thinking about reformatting it... but first I have to make it work so I that I can reformat it...

[ScottGem]

i just don't know why they can't give the password scott...

I believe I've answered that. Yes its possible That this lappy belonged to a child in the family who put in a poweron password, forgot it and couldn't figure out how to reset it. So the family bought him a new one and let him hand me down the old.

However, there a few possibilie ways to reset the password, none of which are difficult or expensive.

But the bottom line here is that a poweron password is placed on machine generally to protect it from prying eyes. I have nothing but your statement about how you obtained the laptop. With laptop thefts all too common, it would be unethical of me (or anyone), to tell you have to get around the security placed on the machine.

You've given some good suggestions about how to get the password reset. My suggestions are to get it from the original owner, or to contact Toshiba, explain the cirumstances and let them tell you how to reset.

Oh, Yes, as I pointed you can't reformat and reinstall until you get past the poweron password.

[jamesvon]

Your first suggestion is not applicable, nobody knows the password (even the owner)...

... the second suggestion is more likely the best solution... problem is it was purchased in Jeddah and I'm kind of hesitant to bother mom there nor her bosses... and even if I somehow contacted a local toshiba customer support (if there is) here in manila, I'm afraid they might not entertain me because I'm not the original owner and I don't have the proper official documentations for the laptop...

(... im ruling out the possibility of it being stolen... I feel like Jeddah is very strict in laws even against petty crimes... )

... and I don't blame you or anyone... because you're right... all you have is my story... it's okay with me...

... but I'm going to give it a try... my goal now is to find out if there is a local toshiba customer support here and ask if they could lend me a hand...

... allright..! Now I'm heading to something... :)

(and I'm still on the lookout for that technician who can bypass it at a less expensive rate)

[ScottGem]

You don't need local Toshiba support. Just log onto Toshiba's website and look for information or a Customer Service link.

[jamesvon]

Backdoor bios passwords doesn't work too...

[jamesvon]

I finally have it working... a technician offered $39 (Php to $ conversion) to reset the system...

... I found the specs for the laptop at the toshiba site...

... case solved... :)

I appreciate all your inputs guys... thanks especially to scott... for advising me to log on to toshiba site...

[ScottGem]

I'm glad you got it working. I also appreciate your understanding that we had some ethical issues to deal with.

[jamesvon]

I'm glad you got it working. I also appreciate your understanding that we had some ethical issues to deal with.

Yup I do understand you scott no problem...

... and to update this blog, I just want to tell that I gave that laptop away to a friend who needs it for her school studies... her school fees were sponsored by my other friends... well she comes from a poor family and her mom also died at the time she's about to go to tertiary schooling... as her good friends, we decided to encourage her to go to school by helping/sponsoring her with it... that she may become the breadwinner of her younger siblings...

Anyway I got a decent job now and was able to saved up for a new netbook... a suzuki netbook... driving the technology...

Good day techies... ;)