Toshiba Satellite Laptop BIOS Password Unknown

br4 · 25 Nov 2017

I'm trying to help a friend who has a Toshiba Satellite A215 laptop and every time it's started it requires a BIOS password, which he doesn't know. And there seems to be no way around this!

He took out the CMOS battery, as recommended on another site, but that didn't work (we left it out for over an hour).

I called Toshiba and they wouldn't offer any support because the laptop is so old, even though he also has a new Toshiba satellite. The rep told me they don't have a backdoor BIOS password (which I find hard to believe).

I thought flashing the BIOS might work, but the laptop has a Phoenix Technologies BIOS and Toshiba's web site shows ACPI BIOS for this model. I put the files on a USB stick, but that didn't register anything on the laptop; possibly because its not Phoenix Tech, or maybe it doesn't have the USB ports in the opening order. I couldn't find a link for the Phoenix Tech BIOS that should be appropriate.

I've seen suggestions on jumping a couple pins on the motherboard, but am hoping my friend won't have to do this.

Anyone have any suggestions how to get the laptop to work?

ICIT2LOL · 25 Nov 2017

Hello br4 mate just what is that Toshiba's model number and on the bottom the should be a sticker with PART NO: one of my old Toshies stats PSA #######alpha ## on it can you please quote that too because it is relevant to where the machine was made and where it was made for. For example probably made in Chins or Taiwan etc but it also tells you what region you should eb getting drivers for it again for an example.

Retrieving that pw is going th be really difficult and taking the battery out should by rigths reset the BIOS to the basic defauklt settings - are you getting no readout at all.

To be brutally honest is the machine worth the grief?? as it does sound like it is past it's useful life.

One thing did your friend put the pw on the BIOS?? - because it is something I never do because of this sort of situation it is something that one might do in a company type environment.

If you are just trying to retrieve data then there is couple of simpler solutions to that see this sorry about the loud font but I am posting from my Linux machine and the doc article is from one I did in Windows

p { margin-bottom: 0.25cm; direction: ltr; color: rgb(0, 0, 10); line-height: 120%; text-align: left; }p.western { font-family: "Calibri", serif; font-size: 11pt; }p.cjk { font-family: "Calibri"; font-size: 11pt; }p.ctl { font-size: 11pt; }a:link { color: rgb(0, 0, 255); } BOOTABLE UBUNTU
Make a bootable Ubuntu disk https://www.ubuntu.com/download/desktop
Set the BIOS to boot from the optical when the machine boots it will show you a screen with TRY or INSTALL > select TRY not INSTALL
When it is finished - it takes very little time you will get a screen like in the pic .
Open the drive you want > User and dig down until you get to the data / settings you may be able to copy / paste the material you want to an external source or other installed drive doing this.
I am not sure if it will but I have recovered tons of data etc using this method both on "dead" or just plain drives that you cannot get data from using Windows.

Or there is this Emergency Kit - save your files from a dead OS I prefer Ubuntu a tad easier to set up but this does the same thing

Edit: sorry but I don't have the screen shot with me but it is self explanatory.

br4 · 26 Nov 2017

Thank you for your quick reply.

The model number is PSAFGU-02E002.

You asked about readout. I could get the BIOS information by pressing the F12 key (I think), and other than doing this, no matter what is attached (flash drive, W7 disc), it comes up with the password entry screen. The password screen allows three tries then shuts the laptop off.

You're right, this laptop is quite old, but my friend only uses it for web browsing, so there is no data to be retrieved.

He says he put the password on the BIOS and had written it down on a piece of paper, which he subsequently threw away. I think he thought he had to enter the initial password, at the prompt, though I believe users can just press ENTER to not enter one.

In any event, for what he uses the laptop for, it would work fine, if he could get past the password issue.

Would having the BIOS upgrade on a disc be read, and run, before the firmware password request would happen? As I mentioned, the BIOS on Toshiba's site doesn't match what the laptop shows. Are ACPI and Phoenix compatible? We're in the US.

Thanks again for your comments.

Mellon Head · 26 Nov 2017

br4 said:

As I mentioned, the BIOS on Toshiba's site doesn't match what the laptop shows. Are ACPI and Phoenix compatible? We're in the US.

Phoenix is a brand name. ACPI is an acronym for Advanced Configuration and Power Interface, which is a BIOS feature, not a model of BIOS.

If you are downloading the BIOS from the Toshiba website here:

Satellite A215-S7422 Support | Toshiba

You can be assured that it will be the right version for your laptop, and it WILL be Phoenix BIOS.

As for getting the BIOS flash to load before the password is required, that's another matter...

TechnoMage2016 · 26 Nov 2017

br4,
Welcome from another Floridian.

I know you said that the CMOS Battery was disconnected for an hour, to try to reset the BIOS password, but..... Was the main battery and external charger also removed for that hour? Every form of Power must be removed for that reset to work.

Just a small detail.... during that battery disconnect process, the voltage on the battery should be checked with a reliable Digital voltmeter. If it were anything under 3.0 vdc, then the battery should be changed.

Being a PC service tech, I've had to reset many BIOS passwords and change many Laptop batteries, so the whole process is very familiar to me.

The Toshiba Satellite was/is a very substantial little computer, and just because it's OLD doesn't make it un-usable. I'm on one right now, that was given to me, because the original owner thought it was DEAD.

It did have a bad HD, which I replaced with a 120GB SSD, and I did have to replace the CMOS battery and the Main Battery. But it was well worth the expense to have such a nice little PC.
This lappy came out with Vista on it, but is right now running Win-7 Ultimate/32 just fine.

Good luck on getting rid of that Bios password.
Happy Holidays!
TechnoMage

br4 · 27 Nov 2017

TechnoMage2016,

Thanks for your note.

We did not remove the main battery. I didn't see any reference to that in my searches nor did I see the main battery when my friend was doing the work on this.

Since he only uses it for web browsing, it is fine for his needs.

We'll give the two battery removal a go and see what happens.

ICIT2LOL · 27 Nov 2017

Hmm I suggested taking the battery out before and maybe it might just default the BIOS though I wouldn't hold you hopes too high. It's a shame he cannot remember that PW and to be frank it is something that really only needs setting if the machine is a company or gov departmental one unless of course you have a burning desire to set a BIOS PW.

br4 · 29 Nov 2017

My friend says that when he removed the CMOS battery he did not see another battery on the motherboard. I was there at the time and don't recall seeing another battery either. Is the main battery you referenced on the board, or just connected to it? In either case, could you tell us where it is?

I agree with your BIOS password comment.

Thanks very much.

mrjimphelps · 29 Nov 2017

br4 said:

My friend says that when he removed the CMOS battery he did not see another battery on the motherboard. I was there at the time and don't recall seeing another battery either. Is the main battery you referenced on the board, or just connected to it? In either case, could you tell us where it is?

I agree with your BIOS password comment.

Thanks very much.

There is only one battery on the motherboard -- the CMOS battery.

There are two other sources of power -- the main battery and the A/C adapter. Make sure both of them are removed from the computer.

And just on the off-chance that there is power coming in via a USB line, unplug any USB cable that is connected to a powered device, such as a printer, or an external hard drive or USB hub which has its own power supply.

ICIT2LOL · 29 Nov 2017

Yep mate follow what Jim has advised but I know from acquiring old school machines a few years ago that most governmental and large companies do password the BIOS for obvious reasons and personally I think it is an extremely risky thing to do because if it were the login password then you can always retrieve data quite easily and then reinstall the system.

But passwording the BIOS and lose it then you are unless I guess you have some pretty sophisticated equipment is just about impossible to change.