bypassing BIOS and HDD passwords and

furoner · Apr 5, 2012

I have been given for personal use a laptop from work which was used by a previous employee.
The Windows Vista Business passwords have been lost.
Both the BIOS and the HDD passwords have been set and are known. My intention is to remove Vista and install a brand new and legally bought W XP SP3 but I need to get into the bios bit to set the machine to boot off of a cd. The Function F2 and F12 keys don't work (tapping rapidly while Windows loads) as the machine simply asks for the bios and HDD passwords every time. I enter these correctly and am presented with the screen with the users' icons and subsequent request for user passwords.
The machine is a quite expensive Satellite Pro and it's a pity to dump it so any help will be seriously appreciated.

Lottiemansion · Apr 5, 2012

Hi,

If the Bios password is known, remove it when you are in there & you can set the boot device at the same time!

What prevents you from doing that?

NoelDP · Apr 5, 2012

Most machines have a boot option to set the boot device on a one-time basis (often F12) - this avoids having to mess around in the BIOS.
Check the manuak, or download the manual from teh manufacturer's website.

furoner · Apr 5, 2012

When I start the machine the first screen I get is 'enter password' which I do; the second screen says 'enter HDD password' which I do. Windows then thinks for a while and opens in the time honoured way witht he icons of the users. There is no opportunity to enter into the bios bit to make any changes

I set these two passwords as a previous laptop was stolen and it wasn't password protected, so when I was given this one I did the F2 procedure at start up and set them. It appears this now stops tapping F2 at start up from entering the bios. why?

furoner · Apr 5, 2012

Pressing the Fn key and each Function button along the top row makes no difference; I have tried each one in turn at start up.

NoelDP · Apr 5, 2012

Try tapping the DEL key as soon as you switch on

furoner · Apr 5, 2012

NoelDP said:
Try tapping the DEL key as soon as you switch on

For an instant there is text white on black, then the password request comes up. It's over too quickly to read.

furoner · Apr 5, 2012

Ah! I've now a screen that says 'WINDOWS FAILED TO START etc...etc.. insert the installation disk, choose language, click Repair your computer"......

the problem is we don't have a Vista installation disc. This rather sounds as though it's a stolen laptop but it isn't, honest !

Lottiemansion · Apr 5, 2012

OK,

As you say it genuine, please provide the Make, model & service tag for the laptop. this will help us correctly identify what proceedure you need to follow. OK?

NoelDP · Apr 5, 2012

(It's a long time since I had to deal with this....)
You say you have both the BIOS access and HD access passwords enabled?
If I remember right, if you use the F2 (or Del) key immediately after the BIOS access password, it should (maybe after another passwrod request) allow access to the BIOS

furoner · Apr 5, 2012

Lottiemansion said:
OK,

As you say it genuine, please provide the Make, model & service tag for the laptop. this will help us correctly identify what proceedure you need to follow. OK?

Thank you.

Toshiba Satellite Pro U300 Model Nmbr. PSU31E-OOV013EN
Serial Nmbr. X7031305W

I can tell you the Vista Product Key and there's a blue and white label with Chinese (?) lettering and a long alpha numeric of about 30 characters. Do you want these? Am not sure what is a 'Service Tag' .

Lottiemansion · Apr 5, 2012

Hi,

This is an extract from the manual for the laptop: -

Power On Password

Two levels of password security, supervisor and user, are available to prevent unauthorized access to your computer.

To register a supervisor password, double click the TOSHIBA Assist on your desktop select the SECURE tab and start the Supervisor password utility.

To set a user password, select the SECURE tab on TOSHIBA Assist, then start the User password utility. On the Password tab you can register a user password.

Therefore you need access to a user account to access the configuration software!

So, open a user account & your in. OK

furoner · Apr 5, 2012

Lottiemansion said:
Hi,

This is an extract from the manual for the laptop: -

Power On Password

Two levels of password security, supervisor and user, are available to prevent unauthorized access to your computer.

To register a supervisor password, double click the TOSHIBA Assist on your desktop select the SECURE tab and start the Supervisor password utility.

To set a user password, select the SECURE tab on TOSHIBA Assist, then start the User password utility. On the Password tab you can register a user password.

Click to expand...

Therefore you need access to a user account to access the configuration software!

So, open a user account & your in. OK

But I cannot get to the Desktop where the Toshiba Assist icon is located and I cannot go through 'start-all programs....' All I have is a pretty coloured blue screen with three icons. Two are individual people and the third is 'Laptop User'. I can restart or close down the machine, I can adjust 'Ease of Use' via another icon BUT I cannot get any further.

Lottiemansion · Apr 5, 2012

OK,

In that case, I recommend you return the laptop to work, ask them to re-image the drive & give you a working system.

It should be no problem for them & only take a couple of hours or so.

wither 3 · Apr 5, 2012

Correct me if I'm wrong, but doesn't removing and then reinstalling the CMOS battery remove passwords?

NoelDP · Apr 6, 2012

Have you ever tried removing the CMOS battery from a laptop? - it can take hours, and require completely dismantling the thing!

wither 3 · Apr 6, 2012

No, I've never tried it and can image it would be difficult. I'm ashamed I didn't even look to see if we're talking about desktops or laptops. I was hoping that someone would confirm or deny what I said. I just seem to remember reading what I said. Might have been in this forum.

NoelDP · Apr 6, 2012

Not to worry

It's easy on some makes, and nigh on impossible on others. In a desktop, it'd be the first thing I'd suggest, but without an acre of worktp space, and the proper workshop manual for a latop, it can be very hazardous to the machine's health, and possibly brick it completely.

I had to try and repair the mess a 'friend' had made of a client's machine a few weeks back - they'd obviously ripped the back cover off the netbook by main force, and broken all the retaining studs bar one, and probably cracked the motherboard in the proccess. In the end I told the client it'd be cheaper to replace the machine than to try and repair it. Unfortunately, they'd already bought a new screen for it (the old one was cracked, and was the reason for the 'friend's' meddling), so unless they manage to sell it on eBay or somewhere, it had already cost them £80 only to end up with a doorstop.
I hate working on laptop hardware unless it's a simple replacement job - and refer people back to the manufacturer, rather than anywhere else, if it's necesssary.

wither 3 · Apr 6, 2012

Yeh, I was looking at my mobile workstation the other day to see how the base comes apart. I could readily get into the area where the battery is but not where the video card is.

I think that's done for warranty purposes.

NoelDP · Apr 8, 2012

wither 3 said:
Yeh, I was looking at my mobile workstation the other day to see how the base comes apart. I could readily get into the area where the battery is but not where the video card is.

I think that's done for warranty purposes.

Mostly it's done because of the space and heat requirements - although it should be easy enough to place the CMOS battery, or CMOS Clear jumpers under one of the removable covers on most machines.
Possibly the reasoning is that a CMOS battery will generally last well over 3 years - and the expected life of a laptop isn't much more than that (especially for the cheaper models), so no-one will ever need to replace one.

bypassing BIOS and HDD passwords and

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