How to clear Password

[gary_harrison]

Hi.
I need your help.
I have had a TOMTOM 520 since Christmas. I have not used it much recently.
My family and I are going on vacation this Friday to Spain. I got my TOMTOM out of the closet and connected to my laptop as I want to buy the Spain/Portugal maps before we go. However, it seems my wife set a password the last time she used it and although she is sure she used the same number as her credit card PIN number, the TOMTOM will not accept it. I dont' know whether this is because there is a problem with the TOMTOM device or my wife is mistaken. I have contacted TOMTOM and they have said that I should return it to them to have the password 'Reset'. Unfortunately, it is now Monday Night/Tuesday Morning and we Fly on Friday so I will not get it back in time.
I fully understand that forum members are protective about revealing a method of bypassing the password and rightly so. I do not know how I can prove to you that I am a genuine TOMTOM owner... I could send a picture of my boxed TOMTOM with all documentation and leads so you know it is not a 'smash and grab'. If you think I have stolen it and choose not to reply then I respect your decision with no hard feelings. If you believe I am a genuine TOMTOM owner who is only days away from picking up a hire car in a foreign country, I would greatly appreciate your help. You can email me any information that may help me and so not reveal any 'secrets' to a wider audience. Thanking you in advance, Gary

 

[GAW]

I doubt that anyone thinks you are trying to activate a stolen device. I am just not sure of the issue you are having.

I am guessing that you set up the password PIN under the "Set owner" menu. I have never done that, so I am not failure with the operation after you have done so. Are you not able to operate the device at all ?

If not, the problem is much worse. If you cannot, did you have a backup from before she set the password ? You could then possibly restore it. I also do not know what a "reset to default settings" in the menu would do (I would think the password would block that).

If you can operate the device, you still can download and install new maps, but if not, you may be out of luck. Unless ther is a limitation on the number of attemps you can make, I would also try variations of the PIN in case she accidentally got it wrong.

If you have any backup at all, there are a number of possible solutions - but would need to know more info on your situation.

 

[gary_harrison]

Hi GAW and thank you for your reply,

Yes the PIN was set using TOMTOM Home Set Owner menu. The TOMTOM powers up OK but then asks for the user password before allowing me to access any menus...

I did have a backup in TOMTOM Home which I restored. I don't know whether the backup was done before or after the password was set but the password is still there after the restore.

I can access the TOMTOM with TOMTOM Home and do updates, backups, etc but the my TOMTOM still asks for a password when I swith it on.

I read in a post somewhere that there is no limit to the amount of password atempts but their are thousand of combinations and although I have tried nearly 1000 passwords, but I will not get through them all before friday morning.

Thanks for your help anyway.
I think it is pretty amazing that not long after posting my message, I had two replies, one from a guy in California and one from a guy in a hut in New Zealand, Cool. (I am in Liverpool, England)

 

[Noob Wan Kenobi]

Even if you are telling the 100% truth, you will not find an actual answer to your question. In a thread titled "Serial number for stolen TomTom" I had given a reply on how a password could be recovered and the mods edited it out before I could. Eventually I removed any remaining hints on how to do it.

I completely understand why this is done because in that same thread someone had their TT stolen and you never know if Google could have led that thief to this board and helped the thief out.

https://www.tomtomforums.com/showpost.php?p=66237&postcount=19

I would like to help you, but I wouldn't want to break any rules or encourage others to do so.

 

[gary_harrison]

My Password Problem

Hi Noob Wan Kenobi,
Thank you for taking the time to respond to my post.
I completely understand that the mods would want to protect a way of bypassing the password and stop it becoming public knowledge. I would be pretty p*55ed if mine was stolen and the password was easy to defeat.

I was hoping that someone who knew if their was a way to delete or bypass the password would accept that I am a genuine TOMTOM owner and PM me with a possible solution.

A work colleague has offered to lend his TOMTOM One to me. Unfortunately, if I pay for and download the Spain/portugal map to his device, i will not be able to use the map with my TOMTOM when I have got mine sorted.

Thanks again, Gary

 

[KenG]

Gary,

The one confirmed way to fix the problem is to download Flasherase from Tomtom. Make sure you have a backup of your device with the maps and then run flasherase it will wipe the internal memory of you device. Then copy the backup back to the internal memory and the password should not be there.

file can be found here: http://www.tomtom.com/support/index.php?Language=8&query=flash+erase&FID=8623

Cheers

Ken

 

[GAW]

Gary,

The one confirmed way to fix the problem is to download Flasherase from Tomtom. Make sure you have a backup of your device with the maps and then run flasherase it will wipe the internal memory of you device. Then copy the backup back to the internal memory and the password should not be there.

file can be found here: http://www.tomtom.com/support/index.php?Language=8&query=flash+erase&FID=8623

Cheers

Ken

This link does not get you to it - gets you a tomtom message instead.

 

[dhn]

Gotta reset the country to Australia & NZ

 

[Pedro2NR]

try installing the new firmware, it may reset the whole settings.

 

[GAW]

I did that, and it now takes me to where I can download the TT clear flash tool, which I have downloaded and used before. I though the flasherase was different.

I had used it last as part of my trying to get VR from a 720 onto a 910, which I have not been able to do (although one poster has). If flasherase really wiped the unit, I was thinking of giving it another go.

 

[dhn]

I really think there is no 'flash erase' and that the OP meant 'Clear Flash'

 

[Noob Wan Kenobi]

Had my TomTom stolen recently and whoever stole it may find this thread to learn how to clear the password. Sure it's possible he/she used a different site to find out how to do it but we will never know.

On a side note, not sure if I should replace it with another 720 or a Nuvi 205W since they are around the same price now.

 

[dhn]

Running the Clear Flash tool does NOT remove a password.

 

[Noob Wan Kenobi]

Running the Clear Flash tool does NOT remove a password.

Thanks for clarifying that dhn, much appreciated.

 

[dhn]

No, thank you .........

I removed two posts that might indeed, circumvent the locking process. I missed them previously. And you are correct, the solution may be on the internet somewhere but it sure is inappropriate to show it here.