bios password

[fenix]

I bought an older computer 6 months ago and the person is now out of state and I don't remember him giving me a password when I bought it, or I forgot where it was written down.

It's a dell optiplex PIII gx110.


Immediately on power on, I get a dos type screen asking
for a password, right after the dell logo. F2 to enter setup also goes to the same password, so I'm not sure of the boot sequence if there is a disk I can use to run a
program to find the password or get past it.

Is there any way to retreive this with freeware ?

Is there any way to retreive the pswd with a commercial
program ?

Can it be reset by taking the cmos battery out ?


I can possibly get the person's address if I go to his old complex office,
but this will probably take writing a letter and waiting for a reply so I hoping that there is a way to get past this password.

 

[fenix]

edit to above post: Windows 2K OS

 

[G0AOZ]

Usually taking out the CMOS battery or moving the CLR CMOS jumper (if your board his one), will bring the BIOS back to manufacturer's defaults, i.e. password option disabled.

Not aware of any software that will interrogate the BIOS for user passwords...

ROGER - G0AOZ.

 

[fenix]

took the battery out for about 1/2 hour, and it told me that there were 3 previous unsuccessful attmepts to login, asked again for pswd.

I'll leave it out all day, see if that might make a difference, and look for the jumper too.

thank you for joggin my old memory

 

[G0AOZ]

Probably the reason why it still didn't work after 1/2 hour, was that capacitors on the motherboard are working well and retaining their charge.

Look for a CLR CMOS jumper. If no joy, remove battery, make sure mains power is completely removed from the computer, then short together the battery holder terminals for several few seconds. That might do it...

ROGER - G0AOZ.

 

[fenix]

thanks for the additional info. Removed bat for 8 hours and it reset.