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I have got a Toshiba Satellite M300 PSMS4L-03FOOC laptop which I have been using fine. Suddenly today a black screen appears, asking for a password, which has stopped me from using the computer at all. I Googled search for answers to my problem which I wondered how to apply suggestions!

I turned off the computer, turned it over and removed battery and put back in. I opened the computer but it didn't work. After more consideration I repeated this step and next removed the small frame next to the earphone plugin socket (and USB sockets). I pulled it out and put back in. Next I turned on the computer. Amazingly it opened up the normal screen but to the time 6 years ago - probably when the previous owner started using the computer. I next reset to the current time. I am glad that I can now use the computer again!

During the next time, I opened the computer again the password requirement came up again and I had to repeat the second process – removed battery + small black frame. It might work or not work again!

Robotnik
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Connie
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1 Answers1

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Next I turned on the computer. Amazingly it opened up the normal screen but to the time 6 years ago - probably when the previous owner started using the computer. I next reset to the current time. I am glad that I can now use the computer again!

This all sounds to me like a CMOS battery issue or a BIOS password issue. How it appeared? Unclear. But I am pretty sure this is the case since you mention the system date going back to 6 years ago which is 2008 (2014 - 6 = 2008) and checking online review they seem to start to mention the Toshiba Satellite M300 starting in 2008. Toshiba has a support site which lists different ways of initially setting the BIOS password, but doesn’t clearly state how to reset a BIOS password. But this site explains in detail how to do it by removing the CMOS battery:

The simplest way to remove a BIOS password is to simply remove the CMOS battery. A computer will remember its settings and keep the time even when it is turned off and unplugged because these parts are powered by small battery inside the computer called a CMOS battery. If we pull out this battery, the computer will forget alot of its hardware settings, including its BIOS password. This should not be performed on Laptops if you are not experienced working with laptop hardware.

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Anyway, open up the computer case using a screw driver and locate the flat, circular and metallic CMOS battery. It should look something like the picture to the right (NOTE: the picture is above in this answer) . Some computers have this part standing upright. Once you have located it, observe how the latches are holding it. There are many different ways to remove a CMOS battery but the most common way on newer computers can be seen in the picture below.

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Removing the CMOS Battery

Make sure to power down the computer, unplug the power cables and unplug any USB devices if they are powered. The computer must not be able to get power from anywhere for this to work. Take out the CMOS battery and wait 10 – 25 minutes before putting it back in. The reason for this wait is because the computer can still store power in its capacitors even though everything is unplugged. The waiting period allows enough time for them to discharge.

Plug everything back in, power up the computer and enter the BIOS again. If everything went well there should be no more password. In some cases, if you get weird error messages during bootup now, you will need to goto “Load BIOS Defaults” in BIOS and save the changes to fix them.

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Giacomo1968
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