Dell BIOS Password Help

[awalker]

I'm working on a Dell Inspiron 15 3521 laptop for a lady at work that has a BIOS password which she doesn't remember. It will not boot into BIOS or the Boot Menu without the password.

It says system disable with the code 74a7737b2e0eb9de and the service tag is fd1kdw1.

Thanks for any help you can provide.

 

[Virgorising]

http://www.go4expert.com/articles/basic-bios-password-crack-t114/

Removing/reseating the CMOS battery might work, but it does less with new computers which store the info in a different way than older ones. Forget it's way more trouble with a lappy than a desktop.

And, if you try too many backdoor PWS, you could get locked out totally. I would first download documentation and learn the identify of the bios. i.e., Phoenix, etc. to narrow things down.

 

[awalker]

http://www.go4expert.com/articles/basic-bios-password-crack-t114/

Removing/reseating the CMOS battery should work. I have no idea how much trouble that would be re this lappy.

I was hoping someone had the utility to tell me the backdoor password based on the code and service tag. I'd rather not open it up unless I absolutely have to.

 

[awalker]

The laptop is under warranty and I tried Dell's chat support, but the codes I was given did not work. They are going to have me ship it back to their repair depot. I'd still love to hear it if someone could provide a code in the meantime so I do not have to ship it back.

 

[Virgorising]

I was hoping someone had the utility to tell me the backdoor password based on the code and service tag. I'd rather not open it up unless I absolutely have to.

And....if you felt otherwise, you would be a kinda masochist! Plus, again, in newer machines it often does not work because of the way the data is stored in many now.

It sounds as if the lady is the original owner. Trust me, Dell Support is beyond believe excellent.

Go to their site and start a real time chat with one of their excellent tech people, they are all here in America.

You will given them the service tag data and go from there.

As long as the lady registered the system in her name, you will be fine.
Dell demands this for obvious reasons: so they know the system was not stolen.

 

[Harvey]

I was hoping someone had the utility to tell me the backdoor password based on the code and service tag. I'd rather not open it up unless I absolutely have to.

Removing the battery won't work. It wouldn't be much of password if it did. The password is stored in non-volitile RAM.

You probably need help from Dell or an authorized Dell service tech. They're primarily concerned with whether the machine has been reported as stolen so, if she registered the machine with them, or if she has the purchase receipt, it shouldn't be a problem. I don't know what they charge for the service.

 

[Virgorising]

The laptop is under warranty and I tried Dell's chat support, but the codes I was given did not work. They are going to have me ship it back to their repair depot. I'd still love to hear it if someone could provide a code in the meantime so I do not have to ship it back.

Wow. But you did the right thing by doing that. Know what? I would go back and ask for a Dell TS Supervisor. I mean it. Or politely ask if one could get back to you after seeing the file.

 

[Virgorising]

Removing the battery won't work. It wouldn't be much of password if it did. The password is stored in non-volitile RAM.

You probably need help from Dell or an authorized Dell service tech. They're primarily concerned with whether the machine has been reported as stolen so, if she registered the machine with them, or if she has the purchase receipt, it shouldn't be a problem. I don't know what they charge for the service.

Yes, as I posted. They charge nothing. And this lappy is still under warranty.
He just needs to hang in and do a new chat, I think. They don't have their top people onboard on weekends.

 

[awalker]

deleting

 

[Virgorising]

Please go back and try again re real time chat. If whoever you get this time does not supply the right code, ask politely if they could have a supervisor get back to you during the official work week. Bet anything, they will, and if you hang in, you will get the right code.

 

[Harvey]

Yes, as I posted. They charge nothing. And this lappy is still under warranty.
He just needs to hang in and do a new chat, I think. They don't have their top people onboard on weekends.

Yes, I noticed that you addressed the issues I raised while I was posting my reply.

I'd say your co-worker is stuck with the time lag it will take to ship it to Dell and get it back. If she needs any really critical files from the machine, you may be able to save them by removing the drive and connecting it as a slave to another machine before you ship it. Hard drives are intended to be easily replacible so removing it and replacing shouldn't be difficult.

 

[Virgorising]

Yes, I noticed that you addressed the issues I raised while I was posting my reply.

I'd say your co-worker is stuck with the time lag it will take to ship it to Dell and get it back. If she needs any really critical files from the machine, you may be able to save them by removing the drive and connecting it as a slave to another machine before you ship it. Hard drives are intended to be easily replacible so removing it and replacing shouldn't be difficult.

But there is no reason for him to do anything Draconian. I am positive, if he hangs in re Dell Support, does a new chat with another rep, if proper code is still not found, then, politely asks if a Supervisor might read the file and get back to him......it will work out.

Plus, not voiding the warranty is key. No need to remove the drive.

All Dell's TS humans now are fabulous, but I know form recent experience, there is a little difference between who is onboard during the work week vs on weekends.

 

[Harvey]

Plus, not voiding the warranty is key. No need to remove the drive.

You won't void the warranty by removing the drive and replacing it after retrieving any files. To be more explicit, hard drives are intended to be FIELD replaceable. If the user manual doesn't show you how to remove it and replace it, you can probably download the service manual from Dell's download page for the machine.

For example, in my own HP laptop, two captive phillips screws hold the cover, and a few more hold the drive in a removalble carrier tray with four more screws. Just take care not to lose any of the non-captive tiny screws used to hold the whole thing together.

I've cloned and migrated my machine to larger drives twice, and I've lost count of how many times I've rescued files from my friends' failing hard drives.

 

[Virgorising]

You won't void the warranty by removing the drive and replacing it after retrieving any files. To be more explicit, hard drives are intended to be FIELD replaceable. If the user manual doesn't show you how to remove it and replace it, you can probably download the service manual from Dell's download page for the machine.

For example, in my own HP laptop, two captive phillips screws hold the cover, and a few more hold the drive in a removalble carrier tray with four more screws. Just take care not to lose any of the non-captive tiny screws used to hold the whole thing together.

I've cloned and migrated my machine to larger drives twice, and I've lost count of how many times I've rescued files from my friends' failing hard drives.

Surely not a terrible idea, but I again submit it's not necessary. I always make organic journey and try the most obvious, simplest things first.

As the crow goes.

 

[John Connor]

This was an ongoing thread on resetting the BIOS password. http://forums.anandtech.com/showthread.php?t=2244031&highlight=password

 

[ch33zw1z]

BIOS passwords are not meant to be forgotten. Here's the support page:

http://www.dell.com/support/my-support/us/en/19/product-support/servicetag/FD1KDW1

If you need files off the hard drive, remove it and slave it in another PC or use a USB to SATA adapter to hook it up.

Removing the drive won't void warranty...HDD and RAM are the most common FRU's (Field Replaceable Units), usually pretty easy to replace.

Most of my experience with BIOS passwords are on Lenovo's/old IBM's, if you forget the password, sending it in to reset or replacing the motherboard are hte options...

 

[Savatar]

If the BIOS password was altered and the one they give you didn't work, there isn't anything like a 'master' BIOS password to backdoor the system, sorry (Even if there was, it would be wrong to give out that information).

You will have to send it back to Dell or remove the battery and short some jumpers yourself -- which would void the warranty and could cause damage. I would recommend sending it in for repair since it is under warranty.