Home› AMX User Forum› AMX Control Products

Protected Setup Problem

RonenRonen Posts: 55
in AMX Control Products
Hello all,
I have a problem with an MVP-7500. one of the programmers at my company has changed the protected setup password and he doesn't remember what the new password is... is there a way to reset the password/panel to its default other than removing the main battery and the backup battery?

Thanks

Comments

  • Thomas HayesThomas Hayes Posts: 1,164
    Try 1205, it was a master code.
  • Dries KaspersDries Kaspers Posts: 142
    Removing the batteries will not work since the password is stored on CF (i think)

    Also 1205 won't work either, this was a master code on the G3 panels, not modero panels

    I think your best bet would be to reload the firmware?
  • mediapilotincmediapilotinc Posts: 82
    Modero panels can contain multiple passwords (1 through 5) as well as a setup password (or is the setup password the same as password #5, if forgot). To get into the protected setup area the default code is 1999, and the 'backdoor' code of 1205 code has worked for me every time. Don't know why it has not worked for Dries.
    Once you are in the protected setup area, you should be able to change all the other passwords to ones you can remember.
    Agree with Dries that removing the batteries probably won't help you - uploading firmware probably won't help either unless you find a "destructive" version (version that erases the existing panel pages and forces you to re-upload them).
  • jeffacojeffaco Posts: 121
    If you had made a backup of the firmware image on the CF card (as I documented in another thread), that would definitely bring things back to normal ... (just a thought).
  • Marc ScheibeinMarc Scheibein Posts: 882
    It's a while ago that I found an undocumented way to change the Protected-setup password (because I was in the same situation :))....

    In the MVP manual there is a command to set the 4 passwords:

    "'^PWD-<password level>,<page flip password>'"
    Set page flip password. Password level is required and must be 1-4.

    So a
    SEND_COMMAND MVP,'^PWD-1,1234' <enter>
    will set the password 1 to '1234'

    This also workes with password 5 - the Protected-setup password... ;)
    SEND_COMMAND MVP,'^PWD-5,1988' <enter>
  • Dries KaspersDries Kaspers Posts: 142
    This; ofcourse only works when the panel is connected (and to change settings you need to enter..................... protected setup :D )
  • Marc ScheibeinMarc Scheibein Posts: 882
    Dries Kaspers wrote:
    This; ofcourse only works when the panel is connected (and to change settings you need to enter..................... protected setup :D )

    OK, this point goes to you :)

    The last idea I have is also based on a working connection, but it will work on USB, too.

    1) create a new file for your MVP
    2) open the panel system template
    3) copy the __protectedPassword page into your new panelfile
    4) download the file

    But- well -this again depends on a connect to the panel...

    No more ideas but only to change the CF...
  • Chip MoodyChip Moody Posts: 727
    Marc Scheibein wrote:
    SEND_COMMAND MVP,'^PWD-1,1234' <enter>
    will set the password 1 to '1234'

    This also workes with password 5 - the Protected-setup password... ;)


    Marc, THANK YOU.

    I have a client with a (fortunately) working system that someone changed this password on. I was dreading ever needing to go back to change something in the protected setup area, as T.S. told me I'd need to send the whole thing down to TX to fix it.


    - Chip
  • RonenRonen Posts: 55
    Mission accomplished...

    Marc,
    Thank you for the great idea! it worked great!
    i just did TELNET to the netlinx master and sent a 'send command' to the 5th password of the mvp and it reset to '1234'.

    Thank you all for the help
  • DHawthorneDHawthorne Posts: 4,584
    I was wondering about the ^PWD command. I have a mini-module installed at a client's so he could change his page flip passwords at will (he had a thermostat problem with people monkying with settings and running up his heating bill). I set it up so he could change all his panel passwords at once, and I stuck in a provision to change the master password as well (not really a problem to me, since with this code installed, I was saving the passwords to a persistent variable, and could always look them up or change them back myself in debug). He never used the master password change, and this discussion had me going back and looking at the ^PWD command again. I knew I had set it up so my client could change the master password, but the documentation does say it only worked for 1-4, so I just assumed my module was broken on that basis. Nice to know it's not :).
  • jbeamjbeam Posts: 14
    Recovering Protected Setup Password
    Dries Kaspers wrote: »
    This; ofcourse only works when the panel is connected (and to change settings you need to enter..................... protected setup :D )

    Here's what I did to recover the Protected Setup for an MVP-8400 I bought on eBay.

    1) Remove Compact Flash card from panel.
    2) Connect card to a PC using a CF card reader. (In my case a PCMCIA to CF adapter.)
    3) Boot from Knoppix Linux bootable CD (or alternately the DVD or USB drive version)
    4) View the largest of the four partitions on the CF with the file explorer. Note: Depending on the Knoppix version your using, you may need to figure out what drive the CF card is and "Mount" it. For me Knoppix mounted it automatically.
    5) Open the /Amx folder.
    6) Right Click on the file named: Local.xma and choose open in Editor.
    7) This file is an Xml file. The panel passwords are at the beginning in plain text. They are numbered 0 thru 4 (I think 4 is the Protected password) this seems to equate to panel passwords 1 thru 5.
    8) Copy down the passwords.
    9) Re-install Compact Flash card in panel.
    10) Enjoy access to your panel's Protected Setup area once again!

    I went one step further and changed the Protected password back to "1988" because I think in most instances it's ridicules to use anything else.

    Hope this helps someone get out of this predicament in the future.

    Jeff Beam
  • cmasoncmason Posts: 123
    jbeam wrote: »
    Recovering Protected Setup Password



    Here's what I did to recover the Protected Setup for an MVP-8400 I bought on eBay.

    1) Remove Compact Flash card from panel.
    2) Connect card to a PC using a CF card reader. (In my case a PCMCIA to CF adapter.)
    3) Boot from Knoppix Linux bootable CD (or alternately the DVD or USB drive version)
    4) View the largest of the four partitions on the CF with the file explorer. Note: Depending on the Knoppix version your using, you may need to figure out what drive the CF card is and "Mount" it. For me Knoppix mounted it automatically.
    5) Open the /Amx folder.
    6) Right Click on the file named: Local.xma and choose open in Editor.
    7) This file is an Xml file. The panel passwords are at the beginning in plain text. They are numbered 0 thru 4 (I think 4 is the Protected password) this seems to equate to panel passwords 1 thru 5.
    8) Copy down the passwords.
    9) Re-install Compact Flash card in panel.
    10) Enjoy access to your panel's Protected Setup area once again!

    I went one step further and changed the Protected password back to "1988" because I think in most instances it's ridicules to use anything else.

    Hope this helps someone get out of this predicament in the future.

    Jeff Beam

    Thank you soooo much for this!
  • Bruno ArosemenaBruno Arosemena Posts: 10
    I once opened the "__ProtectedPassword" Popup from diagnostics. and then simply changed the passwords.
  • John NagyJohn Nagy Posts: 1,742
    Bruno Arosemena wrote: »
    I once opened the "__ProtectedPassword" Popup from diagnostics. and then simply changed the passwords.

    That's good thinking!
Sign In or Register to comment.