Computer locked on startup - BIOS code

fliston12

Hi all

Help desperately needed, my daughter (who is only barely alive after I have got my hands on her!) has downloaded some sort of password onto my 4 month old DELL C521. Now when I start it, it is shows the blue dell logo, then goes blank (does not go as far as windows logon) and now says "Phoenix - Award WorkstationBios v6.00PG , copyright 1984 - 2003, Phoenix Technologies Ltd, Enter Password: " .

I dont have a password ! and she cant remember what she put it.

How can I get around it and get my computer back please .........

Cheers
Frank

Endurance Man

Hmm, try tapping the F8 key a few seconds after the pc has started, little menu will come up and see if you can boot into safe mode (one of the options).

kleefarr

Here you go.... C521 bios reset

Ruu_Old

She must have set one up in the BIOS menu somehow. It can be reset by removing the CMOS battery. Turn off your machine, plug it out and open the case. Locate the battery, see picture and there is some sort of a release mechanism, remove it for at least 10 minutes. Place it back in, start the machine and then enter the BIOS setup program (DEL, F2 or some other key when the computer starts). Reload the settings to the default and you should be okay.
Make sure you touch the case or something metal before going for the battery.

Endurance Man

Or those, lol.

fliston12

Thank you for all the assistance - I am nearly there!

So far I have taken out the battery and left it out for around 12 minutes, put it back in and started the pc - getting now as far as the windows login screen where I am being asked for a password ... haven't a clue what this should be.. any ideas please... can I get around this password ..........

Thanks for all the help so far.

frank

_CreeD_

Usually blank if you didn't set it yourself. You can get bootable password reset disks if you have no luck, just do a google.

And when you do get back in lock it down yourself.

rogue-entity

To reset the windows password, without any discs, take advantage of the fact that the administrator password is blank by default, and the account is not accessable normally from the welcome screen unless you are in safe mode.

To get to safe mode do the following (never found any other way to work for me). Start the computer, and at that black screen with the windows logo, but before the blue screen comes up, unplug the computer. Then plug it in again and start 'er up. You should get a message telling you that windows didnt start properly, with a list of options. Select Safe Mode and press enter.

When the system starts up, click Administrator, and it will login. From here you can go to the control panel and reset your password. Then just reboot as normal and you can then login as normal.

Boot discs, like Peter Nordahl's NT Registry Editor dont work reliably on XP, I think you need to disable SysKey first to get it to work, not sure as its been a while since I have had to use something like this.

_CreeD_

Press F8 after POST/Pre XP Loading screen, yanking the cable is a bit harsh on the system
Never had a problem with the reset disk.

snappieT

rogue-entity wrote:

To reset the windows password, without any discs, take advantage of the fact that the administrator password is blank by default, and the account is not accessable normally from the welcome screen unless you are in safe mode.

Not true. From the welcome screen, press Ctrl-Alt-Del twice, it'll bring up a standard login screen into which you can type the username "Administrator", leave password blank, get in and reset standard user password.

fliston12

Hi all

Trying the double alt/ctrl/del and getting the Administrator login screen but when i put in "Administrator" and a blank password, it comes back with " Cannot log you on due to account restrictions" - do I have to go the disk route or any other ideas ?

Regards
Frank

kleefarr

Again..

This is what Dell say..

C521 bios reset

Shouldn't be too difficult.

aidan_walsh

kleefarr wrote:

Again..

This is what Dell say..

C521 bios reset

Shouldn't be too difficult.

Done that and the BIOS password is gone, this is at the Windows login now