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Re: Lost BIOS Setup Password

 
Andrew Lindsay
Advisor

Lost BIOS Setup Password

I have got an old Armada 7400 that's been passed around for years. There is a password on the F10 BIOS setup and no one has a clue what it might be.

Is there any way to clear the password?

Note: I have FDISK'ed the PC and it is blank. I do not need to be concerned about doing something that would risk data.

Thanks,
Andrew
16 REPLIES 16
Andrew Lindsay
Advisor

Re: Lost BIOS Setup Password

PS. I've read some google on the topic. I'm not going to go to the expense or trouble of an eprom programmer. I've tried taking off the bottom and removing both the small three cell battery pack as well as the small hearing aid batter cell. I left them disconnected for about 3 minutes and then put the bottom back on. When I booted and pressed F10, I still got the password prompt on the BIOS settings. (Aaaarrgghh!)

Did I perhaps not leave them disconnected long enough. Am I on the wrong track? Is there a jumper to move or different battery to pull?

Please advise. This is my last obstacle in getting this old laptop reconstructed.

Thanks in advance,
Andrew
Soujanya
Valued Contributor

Re: Lost BIOS Setup Password

Hello Andrew,

This weblink might help you.

http://www.dewassoc.com/support/bios/bios_password.htm

You can also try this.

http://www.uktsupport.co.uk/reference/biosp.htm

Good Luck !!
Andrew Lindsay
Advisor

Re: Lost BIOS Setup Password

Thanks. This told me to leave the battery out for 20 to 30 minutes, where as I only did it for 3 to 5.

I've done that and I believe it did set the password back to the defaults, because the screen flashed by the amount of RAM I have in the PC and not it's asset tag number like it used to. However, I believe I'm still going to have a lot of searching to do for the right default password.

Searching for the correct default password would be easier, if I knew what the BIOS manufacturer. Since all that goes on the screen during boot is "COMPAQ", I can't see the type of BIOS.

How can I tell which BIOS I have in the laptop?

Thanks again,
Andrew
Tom Leavitt
Honored Contributor

Re: Lost BIOS Setup Password

Andrew:
Does this help you? Appears there are 3 batteries to disconnect.

Clearing Passwords:
1. Turn off the computer.
2. Disconnect the AC Adapter.
3. Remove the battery pack.
4. Remove the keyboard/CPU cover assembly.
5. Disconnect and remove the auxiliary battery.
6. Disconnect and remove the Real Time Clock (RTC) battery.
7. Wait five minutes.
8. Reconnect the auxiliary battery.
9. Reconnect the RTC battery.
10. Install the keyboard/CPU cover assembly.
11. Reconnect the AC Adapter. Do not reinstall the battery pack yet.
12. Turn on the computer.
NOTE: Remember to set the date and time the next time the computer is turned on.
Tom

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rcote2
Respected Contributor

Re: Lost BIOS Setup Password

Andrew, have you looked at:

http://www.bioscentral.com/

There is BIOS password software/freeware out there that will "read" the password if you could get up and running.

Otherwise, the default password is often the company name of the BIOS maker - you could try "Award" or "AMI" , etc. (without the quotes)

Good luck! RAY
Andrew Lindsay
Advisor

Re: Lost BIOS Setup Password

I'm getting ready to try the disassembly, going for battery number 3.

But meanwhile, HOW CAN I TELL WHICH BIOS I HAVE IN THE LAPTOP? It doesn't appear during the boot process, because of the "Compaq" startup screen.
Tom Leavitt
Honored Contributor

Re: Lost BIOS Setup Password

Andrew:
Your Armada 7400 motherboard [204268-001] is MANUFACTURED by Compaq & I can't find out anything about the BIOS.
Let us know how my '3 battery' removal proposal went.
Tom
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Andrew Lindsay
Advisor

Re: Lost BIOS Setup Password

Hmmm. I'd removed three batteries before. I wasn't counting the big battery pack as a battery. I did remove it, along with the two under the keyboard (1 button battery and 1 3 cell shrinkwrapped pack). I just wasn't reading your notes correctly.

Anyway, no change. I still get prompted for a password.

I've tried four different crack tools. Some say there is a password and some don't find one. When one finds a password, I try it, but it isn't valid. I've also tried pretty much all the "default" (backdoor) passwords for all the different BIOS makers that I've found posted. None work.

I might try another crack or two, but I'm pretty much giving up. If I had walked around the neighbor hood and offered to mow yards for $20, I'm sure I would have made enough money to buy a better PC and spent less time over all. I should have quit long ago.

Thanks for the assistance,
Andrew
Tom Leavitt
Honored Contributor

Re: Lost BIOS Setup Password

Did you put in the password 'Compaq'?
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