I recently bought a thinkpad T470 for a good deal, and it turns out that it was a good deal because the BIOS is locked with an admin password so I can’t install an OS, or change any BIOS settings.
I also recently came across a paper that describes a “security flaw” in most thinkpads where you can bypass, then reset the admin password by shorting the SDA and SCL pins on the BIOS chip.
Does anyone know where this chip is located on the MOBO? I would be hugely appreciative if you would be so kind as to point me in the right direction. Thanks in advance!
Remove the CMOS battery, the password should reset, then you can get in the BIOS.
No, this doesn’t work for ThinkPads. The password persists even without power.
I was able to find a video on YouTube for my model and it looks like there are some for yours as well where someone demonstrates the steps.
IFixIt have a guide for removing the CMOS battery if that helps at all.
