Thinkpad fingerprint security
 

I recently bought a "new to me" Thinkpad T43 on Ebay. It's not arrived yet - I keep getting conflicting stories as to why not. I suspect the seller had activated the "fingerprint recognition" and doesn't know how to turn it off.

Sooner or later, he'll ship it, I'm sure. Then I wonder if I'll be trying to bypass his fingers.

Short of wiping the machine and reinstalling everything (which I assume will do the job), is there another way to knock out the fingerprint kit? If he set a master password, will that bypass and enable switching-off the fingerprint stuff (which I'd never use - my iPaq had it: it was a complete pain)?

Fingerprint recognition works in parallel with the normal password.
i.e. you can choose to unlock the laptop with either.

As an example I use the fingerprint method when working with my T series laptop keyboard itself, but the password method when working with a wireless keyboard such as at home because the fingerprint sensor is then shut away.

Having logged on with password it is easy to re-swipe a different (your) set of fingerprints.

Excellent - thanks! As I'd hoped, so nothing to worry about.

I just hope the seller has got round to taking it to the post office - when I chased he apologised for having forgotten to do so.