Service Forum

[urgan]

Hi Victor & mods,
I've read many of the posts in this forum in search for an answer to my Thinkpad problem, but I'm still not sure what to do.
Bought a Thinkpad (sold as blocked with password), and it booted and asked for a hdd password. Removed the hdd, and got both the 187 and the 192 error. So I know there's a problem with the eprom, it obviously doesn't read it (serial number/uiid are blank in bios, so is the mac address and it doesn't save any of the bios settings).
Without the disk I get no password prompt, but the computer is unusable anyway. It will only boot from a usb floppy with the special ibm signature.
My question is, can it be "reflashed" with your writer software ? I ask this because the ibm disk to set the serial number and uuid fails too.
Should I replace the chip (does it locks himself?) or is it the connection to the board faulty ? What happens exactly if one swaps the eprom with a blank one or one from a similiar model (with valid info).
The Thinkpad is a T41 btw. Please help, I love Thinkpads and this one is driving me insane

[victor]

Hi,

Take look and give me the errors once again.
_________________
Victor Voinea
ALLservice HQ, Romania.

[urgan]

Hi Victor,

Do you mean what error messages I get ?

ERROR 0187: EAIA data access error.
ERROR 0191: System Security - Invalid remote change requested

I think the seller messed with the chip attempting to bypass security and burned something on the board.

[victor]

Ok, it is 0191, not 0192. That is a big difference, trust me.

Well, the seller messed up with the eeprom. EAIA error means that BIOS can't access it anymore, due to the following possible causes:

1. eeprom has bad contact to the motherboard or has damaged pins.
2. eeprom has been removed from the board.

Step one: - remove the keyboard, palm rest and WIFI card (if in place) and check the 8 pin ATMEL 24RF08 eeprom under WIFI. It's easy to take it apart, look at the screws label, those with keyb and pad sign.

Try to redo the solderings with a fine tipped iron. When is getting solved, you should have no 0187 error no more. After that, if SVP prompt shows up, then you have to follow the tutorial to unlock it.

Good luck!
_________________
Victor Voinea
ALLservice HQ, Romania.

[urgan]

Thanks Victor, and sorry for the mistake with the error code.

The chip is still there, and seems to have continuity to the board when using a multimeter, I'll try to reheat the connections if you're saying that the chip it's probably OK.

I also have a blank chip the seller sent with the pc and a non working T40 board without password. I believe it's bad to swap chips, but how bad is it ?
Can the IBM service disk (can't remember the exact name) be used to set the serial and generate the uuid or there are other complications ?

[victor]

Swapping chips wont work. Must be the original one and make sure its a 24RF08 not surrogates
_________________
Victor Voinea
ALLservice HQ, Romania.

[urgan]

I see, I needed to be sure.
Mine it's not 24RF08, it's a p24S08 (philips clone ?).
Maybe the seller or previous owner attempted a swap on it's own ?
The board has some residues of tape in that area.

But thanks for you time Victor, I needed the direct answers instead of grabbing bits of info here and there. Have a great summer

[victor]

Seems like that guy bought the eeprom from some hotshots who sell "unlocked chip", the usual scam.

Ok, we can prepare a dump for it based on serial number and machine type from the label. You'll need the eeprom writer license tough.
But first off, try to get it functional and solve the 0187 issue.
Look at the chip's position, it could be upside down too
_________________
Victor Voinea
ALLservice HQ, Romania.

[urgan]

That's what I thought because the t40 has a atmel.
I'll try to fix the chip connections when I get back from vacation.
Once the 187 is gone, the chip will be readable and will either be svp locked (hdd was locked), blank, or it will show the wrong serial/model, but either way it can be fixed with writer+dump or even just the reader if it's not tcpa'd?