Re-format C: on startup

Seth Brundle

Dell Latitude C600 laptop.
Bios admin password protected (unknown)
A, C, D boot sequence (cant change because of admin pwd)
Single floppy/CD port (1 at a time usage)
Current OS: Win2k Pro with login on to various (inaccessible) networked domains
When loading windows & press F8, DOS isn't an option

I want to re-install win2k. I assume I can format the C drive from a floppy command but how?
Using boot (floppy) disks is fine up until it asks for the CD but drive isnt in because the floppy is!
I would rather not open up the system either!
Is there some way I can run something like "FORMAT C: /FS:NTFS" from a floppy, format the drive, restart with the CD drive in and install win2k?
K.

Nukem

Ok my man i here your call.

Try this link here the lads over in the windows forum maybe better to answer the questions.

You cant restart in DOS from 2000 ya need a bootdisk. Try the link above think is bootdisk.com also there are things you can do to reset the bios(hence the password) might require inward fiddling
There are some ways of deleting the passwords ,cant remeber the extension but its through DOS that much i know.

With the DOS open you could just overwrite the org OS.Also if ya do get the password bk change that boot up Seq.Very dangerous having A: first;should always be last

Capt'n Midnight

DOS does not recognise NTFS.
DOS and win95 ver 1 does not recognise FAT bigger than 2GB
Microsoft have kept NTFS format as a trade secret.

Windows 2000 CD is bootable. - the serial number of the pre-installed OS is most likely on the bottom of the laptop - if a different OS like 98 or NT then you would need to purchase a license or acquire a transferrable one.

to NUKE an NTFS partition in DOS use FDISK - all data will be lost including drivers etc. only do as a last resort.

Dell may be able to tell you a reset for the password if you have original proof of purchase - or you could ask where you got it from to chase back.

You could simply install the new copy of 2k in a different folder so it won't inherit any of the current settings (or drivers) - open the cd in the other copy of windows

Seth Brundle

Cheers Nukem for the quick reply. Can't see anything on your link that answers my prob though.
From reading stuff on the net (many articles giving conflicting info!) apparently the BIOS settings for this model are stored within a chip and can't be reset fully without this admin pwd.
As I said, using 4 boot disks goes well up until it asks me for the windys CD which I can't put in as the floppy bay is there.

Seth Brundle

@ CM - I can't get it to boot from CD because the C: drive is read from first and therefore loads the current windys installation. I cannot however login to it! Hence my probelm. The laptop was bought by a friend as a company throwout and all data is of no use.
As I can't login & can't change BIOS boot sequence I figured I would re-format C: and then get it to boot from CD therefore installing win2k! However, how do I format C:?

Nukem

mmmmmmmmmmmm................
Can't remember now but if ya press is it F10/12 or one of them ya bring up the boot screen and it says boot with CD support

tribble

Look stop messing about...

either 1/ Reset the Cmos (bios) (google for instructions for doing this) and chose to boot off CD - Win 2K installation includes a partition manager (a basic one but it works).

2/ Get partition magic, or similar and wipe the MBR (master boot record) - you laptop will be forced to boot ff CD and you can the use the install CD to oot.

Saruman

The procedure to clear is not fun!!!!
http://qasimtoep.tripod.com/dell/dell6.html
Different laptop but the little chip is the same so it will work.

Try downloading a bios update, put on floppy and flash.. should overwrite and no more password!!!

Also get a boot disk with NTFSDOS & cdrom drivers so you can re-partition... format as fat32 or something... from a: type sys c: then your hard drive will be bootable. Then copy the floppy contents to hard drive (xcopy) to give it a basic verion of dos with cdrom drivers.

Boot off hard drive with cdrom and hey presto you have access to your windows cd to install.

Nukem

Saruman wrote:

The procedure to clear is not fun!!!!
http://qasimtoep.tripod.com/dell/dell6.html
Different laptop but the little chip is the same so it will work.

Oh!!!!!!!!
That looks like fun .....NOT........
Dead handy to know.How did you find that,Googled?

Saruman

yes google... i added some more info too

Capt'n Midnight

kbannon wrote:

@ CM - I can't get it to boot from CD because the C: drive is read from first and therefore loads the current windys installation. I cannot however login to it! Hence my probelm. The laptop was bought by a friend as a company throwout and all data is of no use.
As I can't login & can't change BIOS boot sequence I figured I would re-format C: and then get it to boot from CD therefore installing win2k! However, how do I format C:?

When you said inaccessible domains I thought you could get in but were presented with persistant connections.

One of the domains will be the Local PC and one will be the network. try guessing passwords for the local PC it's easier.

What you are looking for is a boot floppy with a menu to boot from CD ...
I'd like to know about it too.

Options:
Windows98 boot disk - kill "non-dos" partition and make a new one, format /S so it's bootable, - copy the i386 folder from the floppy to the HDD - best to make a floppy with smartdrv & xcopy on it to speed up the copying. While the 98 boot disk can read files on the 2K one I prefer to install from the HDD since it don't askfor it again later on. Also issue the LOCK command or setup will get up set. (sysing the drive so it boots up in dos means you can recover if this happens again - leave C: as ~4GB FAT32 and make a separat partiotion for everything else)

Knoppix bootable CD. It has ntfsresize on it so you could shrink the partition and create a fat32 one, then copy the i386 folder to it and reboot to dos boot disk to run setup from the i386 folder.

there is a boot disk out there that resets the local admin password in NT.
In theory it should also be possible to use captive ntfs tools to copy cmd.exe to the default screen saver - if there is one.

partition magic will convert ntfs to fat32 but I've had it die horribly in the past and it's not free unless you have an old cover disk.

riam

I was searching on google, not sure if this app will help or not:


http://www.winternals.com/index.asp

---

ERD Commander
My all-time favourite password utility is ERD Commander from Winternals Software. The idea behind ERD Commander is that you can boot the machine using a set of floppy disks or a CD. Rather than booting to Windows, you're booting to the ERD Commander's own operating system. By doing so, you have access to the system's partitions, but Window's security is not in effect. This gives you the freedom to do what needs to be done without any restrictions. ERD Commander allows you to reset the Administrator or any other password without logging on to the system. All you need is physical access to the machine.

---

or this:

boot from a floppy (linux) to reset password:

http://www.zdnet.com.au/insight/talkback.htm?PROCESS=show&ID=20105085&AT=20279406-39023731t-10000100c

or

http://home.eunet.no/~pnordahl/ntpasswd/bootdisk.html

unkel

@CM - you not well today?

@K - here's the way if you don't want to open the notebook to clear CMOS. You need to flash the BIOS:

1. Download this file

2. Doubleclick the downloaded file. This will prompt you to insert a formatted floppy in the floppy drive. It will create a bootable floppy with your BIOS flash

3. Reboot the laptop with the floppy inserted. Flash your BIOS from the floppy by running the exe file from the a: prompt

Et voila

chickalacka

if no admin password was set to begin with u will still be asked to log in. just leave the fields blank and hit enter. boot from a ME or 98se startup disk they can recognise ntfc partitions.

RicardoSmith

How come you don't have the bios password. Can you find the person who set it and ask them for it?

Seth Brundle

Cheers folks - will try it again tomorrow.
@ RicardoSmith - it isn't my laptop. It was bought by a friend from his company before it went belly up (ex-stock). No way of getting passwords off the old admin guy now apparently!

RicardoSmith

kbannon wrote:

Cheers folks - will try it again tomorrow.
@ RicardoSmith - it isn't my laptop. It was bought by a friend from his company before it went belly up (ex-stock). No way of getting passwords off the old admin guy now apparently!

Thats a pity because thats the easiest way, and often all it takes is a few phone calls. I'd much prefer to do that than pull a laptop apart. So I guess you'll have to clear the CMOS.

Seth Brundle

Thanks a million folks - typing this from the laptop!
in the end i created a win98 boot disk, ran FDisk & then Formatted C:
I then copied all files from A: to C:.
Shutdown, replaced A: drive with CD drive & restarted.
On the dos prompt I ran R:\i386\winnt.exe (for some reason it referred to my cd as R:!!!) and bingo!