Xps M1710

also have XPS M1710
all the manuals shows that M1700 has the security chip next to the RAM where can short it during the boot. but none knows where is the security chip in XPS M1710!!!!!

any idea and which pins applies here?

Thanks

this chip is below PCI slot of your laptop also below big black sticker paper... it have 8 pins on chip should be name like this mx15-g 25L8005m2C
....i'm also looking for information how to deal with this pins...If somebody knows please help us!
Thank you!

Thanks this is a great help i appreciate it. is this info for M1710 model or D620 as i have two??
now we need a help about how to deal with it.

the "shorting method" on serial flash chip is useless. don't waste your time, guys. the password is stored in the keyboard controller chip.

so

where is this chip? what's the name appear on it? how can we clear the password there?

specifically talking about 2 modles here: D620 and XPS M1710

let them hope!.........maybe after getting thier laptop damaged and wont even boot then they will understand you.

we not intend to get our laptops damaged here, but we looking for a solution benefit every one!!!!

i don't think you added any benefit in your reply!!!! do you think?

you free to share your knowledge and you get the thanks for it. this is what's all about. if i'm dum excuse me please but it's not shame to be a learner!!!

Thanks mate for your time.

walid, as i told, the password is stored in the keyboard controller chip. the chip has marking SMSC********(revision may differ). you can try to find the datasheet for this controller and build the programmator for this chip, but this is secret information, and i very doubt that you could do this. also, you can just replace the chip from the same laptop model.

I think I asked this a couple of times but I will do again...
can you provide us some more detailed information on this?
I am not a programmer but a good friend of mine always says " its all about 0 and 1" so everything is possible somehow.
if the kbc is a flash memory and you can read it would it be possible to (over)write it?
what do you mean with a suitable programmator? is it a device you attach to the laptop or a software? sorry for all the questions but I'd like to dig into it but donno how.

thanks for any info!
mscrx

let's start it

Thanks lamo for explaining even it still unclear or maybe it's clear now where is the password but our willing for the chellenge takes us to dig more and keep asking questions. saying it's not clear till we get a resolution then we would say it's clear.

as what mscrx said we would like to know how to read from that controller is it by a device could we make our self or some thing ells as you refered to it by saying datasheet and secret. all of these things and the whole procedure is worth to try and learn.

would be nice if we get you and any programmer to put a hand with us here and guide us thru it.

very important question here:

do you know any one managed to clear this password in that chip?

my believe is as long as you can learn then there is nothing impossible.

Thanks guys.

mscrx and walid, you're on the right way in digging the problem. it seems, that you can't make the programmer for this KBC controller. that's because, the datasheet is closed for downloading(there's programming timings in this datasheet which allow you to make the programmer). yes, i know that reflashing process goes via i2c bus, thus you can use something like modified PonyProg programmer. the SMSC roots are from intel (yes, intel bought this company not so long ago), so if you have guys from this company, i think they can help you with datasheets and manuals for this controller. the bios chip contains only small part of the password generation algorhythms. but! the bios update software contains the KBC flasher too, and there you can extract the binary KBC flash file for dissasembling. don't forget to disassembly the bios binary file, you can use the phoedeco.exe tool, sorry, i don't remember exactly which tool used for dell *.bin files(you can google the file, and this file contains all tools).
.... it's can be continued....

and again. as for me, digging into this problem will costs plenty of time. i recommend you to unlock this laptop and pay some money, instead reading tons of manuals and datasheets.

ok, I have a .rom and a .hdr file out of the d620_a08.exe.
how would I proceed? I can read some data in a hexviewer but I doubt thats where I can find out more.

mscrx, you need only the rom file. try to use the phoedeco.exe utils to unpack this rom file. after this step, i can't help you, sorry, 'cos i'm not a programmer/reverse engineer.

ok, thanks for your help so far!

edit:

Filelength : 100000 (1048576 bytes)
Filename : A08.rom
Searched through file. Not a PhoenixBIOS

is it because its a "Phoenix ROM BIOS PLUS"?

Back in the days of "basic" we used to do this ourselves.

when it's taken down to "machine" language, it's still all the same, computer technology hasn't really changed on that level since i was a child doing this.

as for building a programmer, there are plenty of components available everywhere to make this simpler than it was 20 years ago. The only real difference between now and then is that things have gotten smaller and faster... base language, still the same, things still work in hex and assembly and even still no machine can resist binary no matter what it is.. just reminding everyone of our roots

I realize this thread is most likely dead, i can't figure out which of the millions of places to post is the "correct" thread now, but it seems as though there is a slightly complex crypto algorithm perhaps based in hex or maybe not,

I will have to work backwards to break down from beginning to see if there is correlation.

I'll start with a huge number system that uses 36 digits per character (ie; 0-9 and a-z) then break it down to hex, or simply start with the info in raw form converted to hex and then try some backwards crypto formula solving to get where i need to go. Sure i could take out the chip, build a programming socket, reprogram it (using ancient languages mind you) and carefully put it back in, but, i KNOW there is a formula, i'm tired of people hassling others and paying incredible amounts of money for a knowledge which should always be free.

of course you all realize that none of this i will ever finish because even as a youth, i suffer from terrible attention disorders that won't allow me to finish one project at a time.

When i DO finish this, you will all be the second to know (when i find the correct/current thread to post on)

thanks for letting me vent, hopefully it was in the correct form and correct place

as for the other thing about bypassing security hardware/software, possession is still 9/10ths of the law even when it comes to repossesion of vehicles/computers/etc. there are some of us out here who somehow legitimately got swindled or challenged with no recourse but to find our own solution. I don't know how to be helpful to the solution w/out being an enabler



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