My Toshiba laptop displays Password= prompt on startup

Is your Toshiba laptop asking for the BIOS password even though you didn’t set up the password? Most likely this is Toshiba’s fault.
Here’s very interesting information I found on Toshiba website. They posted this information in Support Bulletins.

The computer models listed above may display a “Password =” prompt when the computer is turned on, even though no power-on password has been set. If this happens, there is no password that will satisfy the password request. If the computer is turned off and back on again, it is very likely that the same password prompt will appear. The computer will be unusable until this problem is fixed.
If the problem has not happened yet, you can prevent it from happening in the future by upgrading the BIOS to the newest version.
The occurrence of this problem on any particular computer is unpredictable — it may never happen, but it could happen any time that the computer is turned on. If this problem does occur, it will be necessary to send the computer to a Toshiba Authorized Service Provider, who will fix the problem at no charge to you.

Did you see that? TOSHIBA WILL FIX THE PROBLEM AT NO CHARGE TO YOU.

Here’s a list of Toshiba laptops affected by this problem:

Satellite A100-SP471, A105-S4364Tecra A7-ST5112, A7-ST7711, A7-ST7712

Satellite A100-ST8211, A100-ST1042, A100-ST1041, A105-S4001, A105-S4002, A105-S4004, A105-S4011, A105-S4014, A105-S4022, A105-S4074, A105-S4104, A105-S4054, A105-S4102, A105-S4124, A105-S4114, A105-S4132, A105-S4134, A105-S4064, A105-S4024, A105-S4144, A105-S4342, A105-S4284, A105-S4274, A105-S4254, A105-S4244, A105-S4214, A105-S4204, A105-S4211, A105-S4201, A105-S45472, A105-S4547, A105-S4397, A105-S4374, A105-S4384, A105-S4334, A105-S4324, A105-S4304, A105-S4294, A105-S4344, A105-S4092, A105-S4084, A105-S4184, A105-S4194, A105-S4174, A105-S4164, A105-S4154, A105-S4034, A105-S4094, A105-S4051, A105-S4031, A105-S4021, A105-S4012Tecra

Satellite A130-ST1311, A130-ST1312, A130-ST1313, A135-S2246, A135-S2256, A135-S2266, A135-S2326, A135-S2336, A135-S2356, A135-S4637, A135-S2426, A135-S2396, A135-S2386, A135-S4527, A135-S2346, A135-S2376, A135-S2276, A135-S2286, A135-S2296, A135-S2306

Satellite A135-S4407, A135-S4417, A135-S4427, A135-S4437, A135-S4447, A135-S4457, A135-S4467, A135-S4477, A135-S4487, A135-S4507, A135-S4478, A135-S4488, A135-S4498, A135-S4499, A135-S4517, A135-S4656, A135-S4666, A135-S4677, A135-S4727

Satellite A200-ST2041, A200-ST2042, A205-S4537, A205-S4557, A205-S4567, A205-S4577, A205-S4578, A205-S4587, A205-S4597, A205-S4607, A205-S4617, A205-S4618, A205-S4629, A205-S4638, A205-S4639, A205-S4707, A205-S4787, A205-S4797

Satellite A200-ST2043, A205-S4777, A205-S7442, A205-S7443, A205-S7456, A205-S7458, A205-S7459, A205-S7464, A205-S7466, A205-S7468

Satellite L35-S1054, L35-S2151, L35-S2161, L35-S2171, L35-S2174, L35-S2194, L35-S2206, L35-S2316, L35-S2366

Satellite L35-SP1011

Satellite M200-ST2001, M200-ST2002, M205-S3207, M205-S3217

Satellite P100-ST7111, P100-ST7211, P100-ST9212, P100-ST9612, P100-ST9412, P100-ST1071, P100-ST9732, P100-ST1072, P100-ST9762, P100-ST9772, P100-ST9752, P100-ST9742, P100-ST9712, P100-ST9012, P105-S921, P105-S9312, P105-S6074, P105-S6034, P105-S6124, P105-S6114, P105-S6104, P105-S6102, P105-S9722, P105-S6062, P105-S6022, P105-S6084, P105-S6064, P105-S9339, P105-S9337, P105-S6227, P105-S6217, P105-S6158, P105-S6148, P105-S6207, P105-S6197, P105-S6187, P105-S6177, P105-S6167, P105-S6157, P105-S6147, P105-S6134, P105-S6024, P105-S6054, P105-S6014, P105-S6004, P105-S6012, P105-S6002, P105-S931

Satellite P200-ST2071, P205-S6297, P205-S6298, P205-S6237, P205-S6247, P205-S6267, P205-S6287, P205-S6257