IBM THINKPAD L460 - Passwords; Power-On Password; Hard Disk Password; Supervisor Password

Passwords
AsmanyasthreepasswordsmaybeneededforanyThinkPadnotebookcomputer:thepower-onpassword,
theharddiskpassword,andthesupervisorpassword.
Ifanyofthesepasswordshasbeenset,apromptforitwillbedisplayedonthescreenwheneverthe
computeristurnedon.Thecomputerdoesnotstartuntilthepasswordisentered.
Note:Ifonlyasupervisorpasswordisset,thepasswordpromptwillnotbedisplayedwhentheoperating
systemisstarted.
Power-onpassword
Apower-onpasswordprotectsthesystemfrombeingpoweredonbyanunauthorizedperson.The
passwordmustbeenteredbeforeanoperatingsystemcanbestarted.Forinstructionsonhowtoremove
thepower-onpassword,see“Howtoremovethepower-onpassword”onpage32
.
Harddiskpassword
Therearetwokindsofharddiskpasswords:
•Userharddiskpassword-fortheuser
•Masterharddiskpassword-forthesystemadministrator,whocanuseittogetaccesstotheharddisk
eveniftheuserhaschangedtheuserharddiskpassword
Note:Therearetwomodesfortheharddiskpassword:UseronlyandMaster+User.TheMaster+User
moderequirestwoharddiskpasswords;thesystemadministratorentersbothinthesameoperation.The
systemadministratorthenprovidestheuserharddiskpasswordtothesystemuser.
Attention:Iftheuserharddiskpasswordhasbeenforgotten,checkwhetheramasterharddiskpassword
hasbeenset.Ifithas,itcanbeusedforaccesstotheharddiskdrive.Ifnomasterharddiskpasswordis
available,neitherLenovonorLenovoauthorizedservicetechniciansprovideanyservicestoreseteither
theuserorthemasterharddiskpassword,ortorecoverdatafromtheharddiskdrive.Theharddiskdrive
canbereplacedforascheduledfee.
Forhowtoremovetheharddiskpassword,see“Howtoremovetheharddiskpassword”onpage33
.
Supervisorpassword
AsupervisorpasswordprotectsthesysteminformationstoredintheThinkPadSetup.Theusermustenter
thesupervisorpasswordinordertogetaccesstotheThinkPadSetupandchangethesystemconfiguration.
Attention:Ifthesupervisorpasswordhasbeenforgottenandcannotbemadeavailabletotheservice
technician,thereisnoserviceproceduretoresetthepassword.Thesystemboardmustbereplacedfor
ascheduledfee.
Howtoremovethepower-onpassword
Toremoveapower-onpassword,dothefollowing:
Ifnosupervisorpasswordhasbeenset,dothefollowingtoremovethepower-onpassword:
1.Turnoffthecomputer.
2.Removetheexternalbatterypack.Forinstructionsonhowtoremovetheexternalbatterypack,see
“1020Externalbatterypack”onpage62.
3.Removethecoin-cellbattery.Forinstructionsonhowtoremovethecoin-cellbattery,see“1130
Coin-cellbattery”onpage84
.Waitforafewseconds.
32ThinkPadL460HardwareMaintenanceManual