Bug in Toshiba Phoenix bios

Hi
I have a Toshiba satellite M105-S3084 which is 11 months old. On this
notebook I use a BIOS password which works fine for me even after
hibernation. Then suddenly, for no reason, the Toshiba notebook would
no longer accept my BIOS password as valid and refused to let me access
the notebook PC.

I called Toshiba support and because the computer still had 3 weeks
warranty on it, I was told to go to an authorized Toshiba repair shop to
have the password reset - which I did. BUT, the repairman (who told me
by cmos battery and everything else was OK) told me he had a service
bulletin that said there was a known bug (!!) that would abruptly
"regenerate the Bios password" and that there was no fix when that
happened except to reset the password by an authorized repair shop. The
resetting was free this time because I still had 3 weeks warranty on it
but that after the warranty expires it would cost me $50 to have it
reset.

This is ridiculous. Has anyone else heard of this. Does anyone know if
this bug is only if I use the "Toshiba Assist" utility to set the
password and could I avoid it if I set it through the BIOS setup on
booting? Can the "Toshiba Assist" utility be uninstalled since the bug
might be in it.

Are there BIOS password resetting utilities I could use to avoid having
to pay the next time this happens? Any suggestions?

Thanks.

Jeff

On Mon, 30 Jul 2007 16:14:50 -0400, "Jeff" <> wrote:

>Hi
>I have a Toshiba satellite M105-S3084 which is 11 months old. On this
>notebook I use a BIOS password which works fine for me even after
>hibernation. Then suddenly, for no reason, the Toshiba notebook would
>no longer accept my BIOS password as valid and refused to let me access
>the notebook PC.
>
>I called Toshiba support and because the computer still had 3 weeks
>warranty on it, I was told to go to an authorized Toshiba repair shop to
>have the password reset - which I did. BUT, the repairman (who told me
>by cmos battery and everything else was OK) told me he had a service
>bulletin that said there was a known bug (!!) that would abruptly
>"regenerate the Bios password" and that there was no fix when that
>happened except to reset the password by an authorized repair shop. The
>resetting was free this time because I still had 3 weeks warranty on it
>but that after the warranty expires it would cost me $50 to have it
>reset.
>
>This is ridiculous. Has anyone else heard of this. Does anyone know if
>this bug is only if I use the "Toshiba Assist" utility to set the
>password and could I avoid it if I set it through the BIOS setup on
>booting? Can the "Toshiba Assist" utility be uninstalled since the bug
>might be in it.
>
>Are there BIOS password resetting utilities I could use to avoid having
>to pay the next time this happens? Any suggestions?
>
>Thanks.
>
>Jeff
>
>
>


Since they all reset the same password in the same place, I can't
imagine any way to avoid it except don't set a password. Encrypt your
data and forget the password in the bios.

"Chris Hill" <> wrote in message
news...
> On Mon, 30 Jul 2007 16:14:50 -0400, "Jeff" <> wrote:
>
>>Hi
>>I have a Toshiba satellite M105-S3084 which is 11 months old. On this
>>notebook I use a BIOS password which works fine for me even after
>>hibernation. Then suddenly, for no reason, the Toshiba notebook would
>>no longer accept my BIOS password as valid and refused to let me
>>access
>>the notebook PC.
>>
>>I called Toshiba support and because the computer still had 3 weeks
>>warranty on it, I was told to go to an authorized Toshiba repair shop
>>to
>>have the password reset - which I did. BUT, the repairman (who told
>>me
>>by cmos battery and everything else was OK) told me he had a service
>>bulletin that said there was a known bug (!!) that would abruptly
>>"regenerate the Bios password" and that there was no fix when that
>>happened except to reset the password by an authorized repair shop.
>>The
>>resetting was free this time because I still had 3 weeks warranty on
>>it
>>but that after the warranty expires it would cost me $50 to have it
>>reset.
>>
>>This is ridiculous. Has anyone else heard of this. Does anyone know
>>if
>>this bug is only if I use the "Toshiba Assist" utility to set the
>>password and could I avoid it if I set it through the BIOS setup on
>>booting? Can the "Toshiba Assist" utility be uninstalled since the bug
>>might be in it.
>>
>>Are there BIOS password resetting utilities I could use to avoid
>>having
>>to pay the next time this happens? Any suggestions?
>>
>>Thanks.
>>
>>Jeff
>>
>>
>>
>
>
> Since they all reset the same password in the same place, I can't
> imagine any way to avoid it except don't set a password. Encrypt your
> data and forget the password in the bios.

I considered that, but this bug does not just change the BIOS password,
it actually abruptly creates one! That's what's scary.

I do have my sensitive data encrypted using TrueCrypt.

Jeff

Previously Jeff <> wrote:
> "Chris Hill" <> wrote in message
> news...
>> On Mon, 30 Jul 2007 16:14:50 -0400, "Jeff" <> wrote:
>>
>>>Hi
>>>I have a Toshiba satellite M105-S3084 which is 11 months old. On this
>>>notebook I use a BIOS password which works fine for me even after
>>>hibernation. Then suddenly, for no reason, the Toshiba notebook would
>>>no longer accept my BIOS password as valid and refused to let me
>>>access
>>>the notebook PC.
>>>
>>>I called Toshiba support and because the computer still had 3 weeks
>>>warranty on it, I was told to go to an authorized Toshiba repair shop
>>>to
>>>have the password reset - which I did. BUT, the repairman (who told
>>>me
>>>by cmos battery and everything else was OK) told me he had a service
>>>bulletin that said there was a known bug (!!) that would abruptly
>>>"regenerate the Bios password" and that there was no fix when that
>>>happened except to reset the password by an authorized repair shop.
>>>The
>>>resetting was free this time because I still had 3 weeks warranty on
>>>it
>>>but that after the warranty expires it would cost me $50 to have it
>>>reset.
>>>
>>>This is ridiculous. Has anyone else heard of this. Does anyone know
>>>if
>>>this bug is only if I use the "Toshiba Assist" utility to set the
>>>password and could I avoid it if I set it through the BIOS setup on
>>>booting? Can the "Toshiba Assist" utility be uninstalled since the bug
>>>might be in it.
>>>
>>>Are there BIOS password resetting utilities I could use to avoid
>>>having
>>>to pay the next time this happens? Any suggestions?
>>>
>>>Thanks.
>>>
>>>Jeff
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>
>>
>> Since they all reset the same password in the same place, I can't
>> imagine any way to avoid it except don't set a password. Encrypt your
>> data and forget the password in the bios.

> I considered that, but this bug does not just change the BIOS password,
> it actually abruptly creates one! That's what's scary.

> I do have my sensitive data encrypted using TrueCrypt.

Seriously, I would try to get rid of this thing. Maybe threaten legal
action, since they did not fix the problem under warranty. They just
cured the symptoms.

Arno

"Arno Wagner" <> wrote in message
news:...
> Previously Jeff <> wrote:
>> "Chris Hill" <> wrote in message
>> news...
>>> On Mon, 30 Jul 2007 16:14:50 -0400, "Jeff" <>
>>> wrote:
>>>
>>>>Hi
>>>>I have a Toshiba satellite M105-S3084 which is 11 months old. On
>>>>this
>>>>notebook I use a BIOS password which works fine for me even after
>>>>hibernation. Then suddenly, for no reason, the Toshiba notebook
>>>>would
>>>>no longer accept my BIOS password as valid and refused to let me
>>>>access
>>>>the notebook PC.
>>>>
>>>>I called Toshiba support and because the computer still had 3 weeks
>>>>warranty on it, I was told to go to an authorized Toshiba repair
>>>>shop
>>>>to
>>>>have the password reset - which I did. BUT, the repairman (who told
>>>>me
>>>>by cmos battery and everything else was OK) told me he had a service
>>>>bulletin that said there was a known bug (!!) that would abruptly
>>>>"regenerate the Bios password" and that there was no fix when that
>>>>happened except to reset the password by an authorized repair shop.
>>>>The
>>>>resetting was free this time because I still had 3 weeks warranty on
>>>>it
>>>>but that after the warranty expires it would cost me $50 to have it
>>>>reset.
>>>>
>>>>This is ridiculous. Has anyone else heard of this. Does anyone
>>>>know
>>>>if
>>>>this bug is only if I use the "Toshiba Assist" utility to set the
>>>>password and could I avoid it if I set it through the BIOS setup on
>>>>booting? Can the "Toshiba Assist" utility be uninstalled since the
>>>>bug
>>>>might be in it.
>>>>
>>>>Are there BIOS password resetting utilities I could use to avoid
>>>>having
>>>>to pay the next time this happens? Any suggestions?
>>>>
>>>>Thanks.
>>>>
>>>>Jeff
>>>>
>>> Since they all reset the same password in the same place, I can't
>>> imagine any way to avoid it except don't set a password. Encrypt
>>> your
>>> data and forget the password in the bios.
>
>> I considered that, but this bug does not just change the BIOS
>> password,
>> it actually abruptly creates one! That's what's scary.
>
>> I do have my sensitive data encrypted using TrueCrypt.
>
> Seriously, I would try to get rid of this thing. Maybe threaten legal
> action, since they did not fix the problem under warranty. They just
> cured the symptoms.
>
> Arno

I feel the same way, but it is such a pain to move to a new PC and get
everything setup the way you want it that I decided the lesser evil for
now is to keep good backups. After all, it would only cost $50 (plus the
aggravation) to reset the password should it happen again. But it does
make me keep an eye out for a new laptop and consider sooner
replacement - which will probably have its own unknown bugs. It took 11
months for this one to show itself..... That's the world we live in
today.

I wish I could find some kind of utility to remove the BIOS password
like the service person did, without having to open it up to get to the
cmos battery. Anyone know a way to do that?

Jeff

Previously Jeff <> wrote:
> "Arno Wagner" <> wrote in message
> news:...
[...]
> I feel the same way, but it is such a pain to move to a new PC and get
> everything setup the way you want it that I decided the lesser evil for
> now is to keep good backups. After all, it would only cost $50 (plus the
> aggravation) to reset the password should it happen again. But it does
> make me keep an eye out for a new laptop and consider sooner
> replacement - which will probably have its own unknown bugs. It took 11
> months for this one to show itself..... That's the world we live in
> today.

Unfortunateky yes. The basic problem is that consumers accept this.
And in a laptop you are screwed. No possibility to swap out just
one component.

> I wish I could find some kind of utility to remove the BIOS password
> like the service person did, without having to open it up to get to the
> cmos battery. Anyone know a way to do that?

The problem is that most software will not run at this early stage.
Try to get a copy from the service person, would be my advice.

Arno