Service Forum

[LightenFX]

Can the basic procedure to unlock the thinkpads be used to unlock this particular Acer Laptop? If so, would I be required to unsolder the chip from the motherboard? Thanks.

[bob]

The procedure is the same. As a matter a fact, the password must be kept into an eeprom somewhere.
Take care, 93C46 are often used by the LAN controller.

[LightenFX]

Thanks Bob. You are right, it was actually used for a lan controller.... found out the long way though. Either way I to took off the motherboard and i searched and searched for another eeprom chip, but i did not find one. I didn't find anything interesting at first except a BIOS chip unlike others and and a chip labeled pc87392. That was really no help.

I finally remembered seeing a swithc labeled SW1 on the mobo and somewhere around there in little letters some instructions on what is was for. And to my suprise it included something for checking password. I shorted the appropriate pins and the BIOS did not check for password... and it let me in and change it.

I did not know it was this simple... or else i would have payed more attention to the switch...

[victor]

Interesting, could you please tell us what ACER model it is?

[LightenFX]

This was an ACER TravelMate 4402WLMi.