I'm trying to get into the bios but the bios is password protected(somthing is) so I can't get into the bios without a password!it boots reads a: drive,gives errors 173 and 8611 then it goes to a password prompt with a lock and cylinder icon. and after three attempts to crack the code it locks the machine with a hand with a slash through it. yes I have diconnected the cmos batteries, and I have tried a dos boot disk it won't read it, so this pasword is either a bios password or a "power up password", I've checke IBMS site, it says to press and hold f1 when you turn the machine on, I do and the same thing happens, I don't think the hard drive is password protected(but who knows) I've took the hard drive out and the password prompt dosn't show, the machine just beeps and nothing happens, I'm wondering is there anything I misssed on IBMS site that can help me(ie. setup disk bios disk) also can I flash the BIOS and get rid of the password screen? specs. IBM notebook thinkpad 355Ce 2meg memory(Aprox.) 225 mb hard dirve,

Can you boot from a floppy when the hard drive is removed. If you can the password software must be on the hard drive. You may have to low level format or get another hard drive if it is.

I'm no expert on these, but try pulling the hd out and see if that "clears" the problem--does it then boot to a floppy? That will tell you if it's a hd password. IBM seems to be kinda unhelpful about this unless you can prove you are the "owner" If it does turn out to be a hd problem, just throw away the hd and get another one, maybe on ebay Ya might try looking for "cmos kill" or something similar. Holding F1 while powering up will normally get you into setup.

It is a hd password but how do I get into the bios i've downloaded a setup program from Ibm and the disk dosn't respond but I have a ps2 model 30 disk and it works(until it locks the machine because it is the wrong version) so what all needs to be on a setup disk or a boot disk because the ibm will read the boot disk but thats it it won't execute, and the bood disk is ok, so do I need somthing like ibm.com or ibm.autoexec ?

I think maybe we're confusing ourselves. You should be able to get into the "bios setup" with no disc. Hold down "F1" while powering it up. Whatever IBM calls their diagnostic or setup discs are mostly for desktops--some of the older models had no bios access without these setup discs If this REALLY IS a hd password, I believe you are going to have to get a different hd. I don't believe ibm will help you unless you can prove you are the original owner. I've read several places on the internet that these are about uncrackable. That is why I suggest removing the hd and booting to a "plain ol" bootable disc--it can be one of several versions of dos, or maybe even W9x. You probably dont want the ibm "setup" disc to do this. All I'm trying to get you to see, is whether it can be made to boot "normally" to the A: drive, with no errors and no passwords, from a bootable floppy. This will tell you if the hd has a problem--or a password. Other than the hd password problem, all the drivers you need for the modem, video, audio, etc, should be right there at ibm. I've bought a couple of good used drives on ebay for my thinkpads--and my newer 380xd (Pentium 233) will accept the same hd as my old 360xx's by changing the caddy.

thanks name...... it is a problem not a password, the hard drive is password protected as stated. the problem is I can't get into the bios, my bios configuration data has been reset according to the error code 8611 when I insert a boot disk it boots up checks memory gives error codes then clears screen, reads the floppy drive, then a little cursor blinks at the top left of the screen, and a lo-tone beeep is issued it reads the floppy drive, a bootable floppy will, you know click click"starting ms-dos" kind of stuff, well it only does this to the IBM UTILITY disk, so my thinking is that the bios is set to boot from c: only( this is all going on with hard drive removed)one big problem I can't get into my bios nothing on my keyboard will get me into it. so I figured if there was a disk that I can get into the bios, all is good! the only "correct disk" it will read is the bios flash upgrade disk, guess what I can't use it because it requires my advanced power management to be on, and that requires a charged battery and a AC power cord, guess what I have no power cord, I've been doing all my test with a 12 volt car charger, got to be careful the battery is 9v, but all is good on the laptop it tells me which one is + and - and it says 20 volts so I need to build a makeshift 20v power supply, THEN I can flash the bios, and THEN hope f1 works,you think I'm hoping too much Name? I don't see any other way maybe the bios got damaged from sitting unpowered for a long time..don't know, I don't think my keyboard is sticking. Hey name If you want go to IBM and download the setup disk for my model(355) and see if it runs on your machines(it should say Incorrect system cannot proceed, reboot)if it does then I know it is my machine and not their disk, its a two disk set, second disk seems to work better than the first disk.

Well, you have quickly run me out of things that I know. I do (somewhere) have a generic setup program that I found on the internet, I'll try and find it. Yeah, I might try the ibm prog, see if it works. What is the name of the file? I wouldn't think the 355 series is much different than the others, it's strange that it will boot (sorta) with the diagnostics disc but not a regualar bootable disc. ANY chance the bootable disc is corrupt? Ya might just try making a different one. SOMEWHERE there is a list of those error codes, that can help you troubleshoot things, too. Another thing just occurred to me. I'm not familiar with the 355, but on my 360xx series there are THREE internal batteries--the big, main batt, a smaller 3 cell, and a small 1 cell unit. You might try removing the two smallest, let it set a while, and see if it will "reset" things. On my 360 series, they are under the floppy drive, on two small plug and cables. What gets me, is you are saying it tries to boot to the utility disc? the flash disc? I agree, this is weird Allright, one more time. WHAT exactly are you calling the "355 setup discs?" What are the name of the files you downloaded, and what exactly does it say they are for? Or maybe post the URL? I"m getting bleeeeeeeeeeeeeeeryy