ThinkPad T420s - Passwords

Note:Afterrestoringadrivetothefactorydefaultsettings,youmightneedtoreinstallsomedevicedrivers.
Passwords
AsmanyasthreepasswordsmaybeneededforanyThinkPadNotebook:thepower-onpassword,the
harddiskpassword,andthesupervisorpassword.
Ifanyofthesepasswordshasbeenset,apromptforitwillbedisplayedonthescreenwheneverthe
computeristurnedon.Thecomputerdoesnotstartuntilthepasswordisentered.
Note:Ifonlyasupervisorpasswordisset,thepasswordpromptwillnotbedisplayedwhentheoperating
systemisstarted.
Power-onpassword
Apower-onpasswordprotectsthesystemfrombeingpoweredonbyanunauthorizedperson.The
passwordmustbeturnedonbeforeanoperatingsystemcanbestarted.Forinstructionsonhowtoremove
thepower-onpassword,see“Howtoremovethepower-onpassword”onpage49
.
Harddiskpassword
Therearetwoharddiskpasswords:
•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”onpage50
.
Supervisorpassword
AsupervisorpasswordprotectsthesysteminformationstoredintheThinkPadSetup.Theusermustenter
thesupervisorpasswordinordertogetaccesstotheThinkPadSetupandchangethesystemconfiguration.
Attention:Ifthesupervisorpasswordhasbeenforgottenandcannotbemadeavailabletotheservice
technician,thereisnoserviceproceduretoresetthepassword.Thesystemboardmustbereplacedfor
ascheduledfee.
Howtoremovethepower-onpassword
Toremoveapower-onpasswordthatyouhaveforgotten,dothefollowing:
(A)Ifnosupervisorpasswordhasbeenset:
1.Turnoffthecomputeranddisconnecttheacpoweradapter.
2.Removethebatterypack.Forhowtoremovethebatterypack,see“1010Batterypack”onpage68.
Chapter4.Relatedserviceinformation49