Reset CMOS on old Gateway Solo?

[GTaudiophile]

I just opened up the laptop and disconnected the battery for like 60 seconds and I am STILL greeted with a BIOS password. WTF?

 

[T3C]

you took the cmos battery out for 60 sec and the bios password is still comming up????

-TechITguy

 

[GTaudiophile]

Originally posted by: TechITguy
you took the cmos battery out for 60 sec and the bios password is still comming up????

-TechITguy

Yep. Took out like 12 screws, separated the plastic of the laptop under the keyboard, disconnected the green battery connected to the mobo, waited 60 seconds, plugged it back in, put the laptop back together, put the main battery and cd-rom back in, turned it on, F2, BIOS password box.

 

[johnjkr1]

Dell's have the same problem. You can pull all the batteries you want, you can't get rid of the bios password. What you need is the master password. Dell has one, Gateway has one, and it's a much simpler solution.

 

[brendanspaar]

When I worked at a computer repair shop we would routinely get computers in to repair that had nice CMOS passwords on them. It got to the point that we would ask customers for such passwords before accepting the computer for repair. We kept a little black book of master passwords for various BIOS makers. Although I don't have access to that book any longer, I did find a VERY useful website for circumventing the BIOS password. Check it out:
http://labmice.techtarget.com/articles/BIOS_hack.htm

 

[GTaudiophile]

Originally posted by: brendanspaar
When I worked at a computer repair shop we would routinely get computers in to repair that had nice CMOS passwords on them. It got to the point that we would ask customers for such passwords before accepting the computer for repair. We kept a little black book of master passwords for various BIOS makers. Although I don't have access to that book any longer, I did find a VERY useful website for circumventing the BIOS password. Check it out:
http://labmice.techtarget.com/articles/BIOS_hack.htm[/q

Wow, thanks for joining to tell me that! A 10 for you. Now go have fun in OT

 

[redbeard1]

Fixed link

One of the things that the site mentioned was that some laptops will hold their settings for a long time. Some older Compaq's could take over a couple of days with the cmos battery, the main battery, and the AC power disconnected.

 

[GTaudiophile]

See, here's the problem. The daughter of one of my co-workers received an old Gateway Solo 5150 laptop for free from a neighbor. It seems to work for the most part, but the OS got screwed, so Windows no longer boots, and the removeable floppy drive is broken. I can't boot off of a floppy, I can't get into Windows, and until I can change the boot order in the BIOS, I can't boot off of a CD. I assume getting into the BIOS is the only way to change the boot order.

 

[MiniDoom]

I agree with redbeard1. Try leaving the battery out all night.

 

[johnjkr1]

You try calling gateway to get the master password?

 

[GTaudiophile]

Originally posted by: johnjkr1
You try calling gateway to get the master password?

Nope. The thing is so old I bet they'd make me pay $50 just for calling.

 

[redbeard1]

From the people I've talked with that used to repair laptop's, there is no "master password". Toshiba used to use a combination of three keys pressed on power up to reset lost bios passwords, but only their repair centers were supposed to know it. I used to know, but I didn't write it down, so it's lost. If you lose it on a Dell, they have you send it back in, after you prove you are who you say you are.

 

[johnjkr1]

I worked at Dell. We had a master password. Also, you never know if gateway would charge you unless you try.

 

[GTaudiophile]

Geez. Whatever happened to computer owners having control over what they purchased?

 

[johnjkr1]

HAHAHA, good point. But I'm pretty sure the purchaser DID have total control when they put that password on there.

 

[arsbanned]

Stick the whole unit in the freezer for 7 days 21 hours and 57 minutes. Then, do the hokey pokey around it 6.2 times. After that, say ABRA KADABRA and wave your magic wand frantically.
That should work.

 

[jasmineprincess]

my gateway solo wont me through i fogot all the passwords to get on :'(

 

[Bubbaleone]

Noob Necromancy at it's best! Lol!
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