Hey guys, long story short some guy stole my T60 laptop from my SUV, with the help of the cops we found the guy and I got my laptop back. However the laptop is locked to his fingerprint.

Does anyone know how I can recover my laptop? I dont have the recovery CD...but am I able to get into DOS, set it to boot from CD, and then use a burned copy of a recovery Cd off the net to get control of the laptop again?

Not sure how to do this....

Any help would be much appreciated.

 

What do you mean? Like windows is locked to it, or is there a place in the BIOS to check. If it's just windows, then format the sucker and you're done.

 

What do you want to accomplish? Data recovery?

Did you have a login pw setup? If yes, I am assuming this person already wiped the drive and re-installed.
You can try;
-Bypassing the fingerprint software and use CTRL+ALT+DEL to access your system.

If no pw;
-Linux has a boot disk that can modify the MS pw hash value and reset it for you. You can probably find it with a google search.

-Pull the HDD and insert into an external enclosure, extract your files.

-Call your vendor and have them ship you out another Recovery disk. Or as you said, find one off of the net.

Good luck..

Thieves ftL!

Edit:enclosure

 

The guy that stole the laptop somehow did not erase everything in order to get into it. Because he sent me a Cd with info off my laptop earlier on (I had him do this to see if I could get fingerprints off him to identify him the police).

So somehow he was able to gain access (bypass the fingerprint code) without reformatting.

I dont care about whats on the laptop...what I really want to do is just reformat and start fresh. But I need to bypass the fingerprint security.

 

When the laptop boots up it asks to scan the fingerprint to access windows. Not sure if this is IBM's equivalent of signing into windows like we do on a regular pc/laptop.

 

It's BIO metrics, there are utilities out there that can reset passwords, otherwise boot to safe mode and try the "administrator" password if you know it.

Worst case scenario, yes you can call IBM have them send you CD's, or download/burn them and recover the laptop.

 

the f8\safe mode more than likely will not work. what you can do is, get an xp\vista install cd and boot from it then go to repair mode. this is basically original dos just modified a little, commands are similar but different. good old dos. once you are in the command prompt, ex. C:\windows your are now ready to system restore. first step is go to your system volume information directory ex. c:\windows\system~1... now go to the directory called _restore or _resto~1.... now there will be a bunch of directories called rp# ex. rp1, rp2, rp3, rp4.... these are the restore points windows automatically makes at random times, more than likely you will have higher number depending on how long you have been running the system ex. rp50, rp51, rp52... now go to a directory that is somewhat older, one of the lowest numbers, lets rp2 do this by typing the command (cd rp2) then press enter.... you should now be in that directory... inside that directory there will be a directory call snapshot... go to that directory now (cd snapshot)... now that your in the rp# directory type the folowing commands... copy _registry_machine_system c:windows\system32\config\system.... then copy _registry_machine_software c:\windows\system32\config\software....

you have now restored to one of the earliest restore points of the os so should be long before he(criminal) changed any passwords or added bio metrics(finger print)...

this will only work if system restore is activated, which in 99% of cases is, unless the user deactived this option. It is always on unless otherwise. good luck, i have had to do this for many reasons but mainly for curupt file systems and boot errors (which this works for also for anyone who has these problems)... if you have any problems pm me.

 

oh sorry you will have to get a hold of an xp\vista cd, lots on the net, doent matter if they have a serial key or not as you will not be installing windows. just needed to boot.

 

Just format the drive and reinstall.. You will be fine.

 

I would just format it, in case i need to back up I would take the HDD out and put in on HDD enclosure and back up whatever is needed.

 

if you have any information you want to keep then obviously dont format, that method i gave you is actually extremely simple, just sounds complicated. If you dont have any info then yes format but it will take 5 mins with my method, formatting is such a lazy method. also depending you will have to install drivers updates software personal settings etc. formatting is for quiters. oh and putting your hardrive in another laptop is the stupidest thing ive ever heard, what is that going to do same problem but on different laptop and depending will not even have bio so will more than likely just crash or not boot at all. i have never seen a laptop with dual hdd capability or is extremely rare. but yes you can go out and buy a 2.5 enclosure connect usb to another computer and transfer files.

 

 

I meant to say external enclosure.. Laptop was on my brain..

 

wow, thanks for the info..I have a legit copy of Windows XP, so ill use that and try it out. Many thanks.



If that does not work, then ill reformat.

Good thing about not having to reformat is that I dont have to worry about all the drivers n crap like that.

 

Damn lol, left the laptop at my girlfriends...and shes still at work. Will have to try it out tomorrow. Ill let you know how it goes.

Crossing my fingers that it works.

 

ok guys im stuck at trying to get into the BIOS. Cant seem to get in...what key function is it? It seems anything i try dosent work.

 

ok i read online that to get into the BIos i need to press the blue thinkpad button that will take me to a setup to get into the BIOS.

Bu that button does not work...

 

i think i may need to call the cop tomorow and get his help. fukn sucks

 

F1/F2 should get you into the bios.
Are you unable to get it to boot to cd?

 

I cant get into the bios

No F keys or the think(blue)key gets me into the bios.

So without being able to get into the bios, i cant reboot from CD