Bios password locked: flash and cmos clear no go

[Ionizer86]

Ok, so I'm working on a Dell Inspirion 8100 laptop:
P3 1.0GHz,
Geforce2 Go
256 ram
Hitachi 20GB drive, etc

The bios is password locked, and the user forgot the password.
We've tried clearing the cmos by pulling out the battery for 5 minutes, and we've tried pulling the main battery along with the cmos CR-2032 batt too.

The bios does clear (ie everything clears, and the time resets to 12:00).

We've tried flashing the bios (formerly A15, newest bios, reflashed with A15, still newest bios), but to no effect, ie the password stays.

Anyone have any way to solve the problem (other than hashing it?) No settings can be changed until the password lock is gone.

 

[Ionizer86]

The user also says he's never set a password, but the bios took an admin password from windows or something....odd....he's tried the passwords he thinks could unlock the bios, but to no avail.

 

[Sideswipe001]

I think that you said that you had, but did you tell the BIOS to reset to defaults after the flash? Most flashers have an option that lets you reload the BIOS defaults after a flash.

 

[Ionizer86]

Odd as it is, here's how the bios flash works:
After downloading the bios, floppy version from Dell and making a boot disk, when I boot with it, it'll go from post screen to "bios is flashed" in no time...I wonder if it has truly flashed or not because it takes like no time at all.

When I boot with a DOS boot disk, then put in the disk with the dell bios and run the executable, the flash takes like no time at all as well. There's no option for restore system defaults etc in the bios or at time of flash...eww

I'm wondering if it has really flashed or not...maybe I'll have to try with a different (ie older A14) bios.

 

[Ionizer86]

Allright, so we got the A14 (older bios) froml Dell's site, and when we booted the floppy it made, it "flashed" the bios very quickly and without warning again...I checked the bios: A15 (ie no flash was done).

Tried flashing again by using separate boot disk then running executable on this disk.

After flash, I went back into bios, and it was A14, but after looking around, we still could'nt change any configuration stuff at all, and it was still password locked....:disgust:

 

[egale]

Some bios's have an option to allow bios flash or not. If that is the case, there has to be some other mechanism to free that. My guess there is another jumper somewhere. Have you tried contacting Dell?

 

[bacillus]

no point messing!
if the owner has the original invoice, contact dell with the invoice as proof of ownership & they'll give you a master password.

 

[kursplat]

the bios has a setting to guard against flashing. so you need to get to the bios , un-set that flash protection, then it will let you. talk about your catch-22....

bacillus i think has your answer
good luck

 

[MichaelD]

Originally posted by: bacillus
no point messing!
if the owner has the original invoice, contact dell with the invoice as proof of ownership & they'll give you a master password.

I didn't know such a thing existed! Laptops only, I assume? Exclusive to Dell? Inquiring minds want to know!

 

[Budman]

I have a few dos programs that you can try Ionizer86,those will wipe the bios clean.

I am emailing them to you.


I got WipeCMOS from here.

And Cmos password recovery tools 4.3 from here.

Those 2 should work.

 

[bacillus]

Originally posted by: MichaelD

Originally posted by: bacillus
no point messing!
if the owner has the original invoice, contact dell with the invoice as proof of ownership & they'll give you a master password.

I didn't know such a thing existed! Laptops only, I assume? Exclusive to Dell? Inquiring minds want to know!

dell definitely has this feature incoporated into their laptops.
not sure of any other manufacturer.
flashing the bios won't clear the password!

 

[Ionizer86]

Bacillius, thanks for the heads up. We tried the password grabber, but it says it needs additional eeprom hardware, and the cmos clearer didn't help much.

I guess we'll call dell then report back

Thx guys, AT rocks! PS, yes, it's a lappy.

 

[Gunbuster]

try the flash with /jabil

 

[Ionizer86]

Thank you everyone, we ended up having to call a Dell tech guy (in India). After a lota random bs and stuff, they were willing to get us the master password that bacillius mentioned

 

[imported_Phil]

Word to the wise about all this- I've had to do this at work too with a Toshiba (I think) laptop. We had to get the owner to call Tosh, and press a certain key combo when the system booted, which gave a long string of numbers. Reading those over the phone to Tosh generates the master password for that machine only, mind; it then (finally) booted.

Laptop passwords are a PITA

Dopefiend

 

[corkyg]

This is no mystery - laptop BIOS passwords are part of a real anti-theft program, and normally they must be reset by the maker. Yes - laptop passwords are a PITA - that's why I never use them. But, I am at risk from theft - but being aware of that, I am always alert at airports, etc. The new security procedures minimize that risk. Since most laptops are usually "personal," (one user) there is no real reason to set a BIOS password.