Help! I forgot MA CMOS password

[Senseis]

I am hoping guys and girls can help me, I'm stumpt.
I have a Latitude D600 laptop and I was going to change my config in the bois for wireless because i jus got it yesterday, but the problem is I've forgot my password for Admin in the bios, I've used "KILLCMOS" before and works great, but it's a program runs in dos off the floppy after I use the bootup disk; thing is I don't have a floppy drive on ma laptop, by the my OS is XP PRO. It would be easy with a pc, all I would do is use the jumper or take out the cmos battery, but this is a laptop and i'm not about to take it apart, especially when I'm not confident in taking apart a laptop.

I have managed to go into safe mode with command prompt and run the program, but it seem like it doesn't work through that method.

So If someone have a suggestion, know of a cmos reset software, or know how I can get around this problem.. Please help.


Thanx in advance if I don't get to message back.

 

[ShoobieRat]

Ack! Latitude! I have one of those at work. Makes a great coffee coaster and argumentive paperweight.

Anyway, check your manual to find out how to clear your CMOS. Usually it involves yanking the mobo battery out (not the laptop battery, the little watch battery inside). That should erase the CMOS, and clear things up.

If it doesn't....I think you got a problem. (Not to mention a lovely example of why passwords should not always be memory-only.)

 

[Senseis]

Sorry, but like I'd said earlier I not goin and won't take apart my laptop, especially when it's fairly new...I'm sure the battery is not easy to find. What I really need is a resetting program.

 

[bla!!]

If it's that new and you got a warranty with it, send it back in. The shop will gladly reset that for ya.

 

[Senseis]

Well, I'm not sure fi the warranty would cover that, ne ways that in involves sending it away to Dell and who how long that would take..Example I have a abit board for my desktop sent in RMA and looks like I"m goin to have to wait 8 weeks and I can't do without it for any given weeks...I usually don't have problem getting around the cmos thing, but the laptop only has cdrw/dvd rom drive. Maybe if anybody know how to set a boot disk on a cd boot into a: prompt or access my cd....A boot disk as though you would use a floppy bootup disk, plus I know there are cmos password cracking software out there, but what are they is the question....?

 

[Senseis]

Thanx for the pointers MicroBell, however I've read that website and looks abit complicated for me, but you definitley on the right track. Is there not a simpler way? P.s I did gave it a shot but the cd wouldn't boot.

 

[TheMajor]

You have setup your BIOS to boot from CD..LOL

Get a screwdriver and take out that little battery

 

[Senseis]

You have setup your BIOS to boot from CD..LOL

Get a screwdriver and take out that little battery

That's one of the first basic thing I do when I am booting from the cd, but thanx for your 2 cent ne ways. Sorry, but I'm not about to take a $5 screw driver to a $2300 laptop and start prying, I could see me butchering it up.

Anyways, there's a couple of thing I'm gonna try...
1) Pay one of my tech guy $20 to make boot cd that actually work with another cd in dos.

2) and If for some for reason number 1 doesn't work, then I'm gonna spend the $35 for a external usb floppy.

I keep ppl psoted on how it goes.

Also, with some of the newer laptop you can't jus take the battery out and drain the power, most of the manufactures see this as a flaw and have this attempt alot more difficult for thoses ppl who wanna liberate laptops.

 

[Senseis]

Ack! Latitude! I have one of those at work. Makes a great coffee coaster and argumentive paperweight.

Anyway, check your manual to find out how to clear your CMOS. Usually it involves yanking the mobo battery out (not the laptop battery, the little watch battery inside). That should erase the CMOS, and clear things up.

If it doesn't....I think you got a problem. (Not to mention a lovely example of why passwords should not always be memory-only.)

I would be more than happy to take those paperwieght off your hands @ what paperwieght cost these days.

 

[ShoobieRat]

Seriously, dude. Yer making a huge deal out of nothing. Grab yer manual, see how to pop (or unscrew) the cover off, and just pull out the battery with your fingers. It's not hard, not complicated, and if you've got enough brainpower to be setting CMOS passwords and running a laptop, yer fine.

If you send it back, Dell will probably charge you an arm and a leg to fix the problem, and what THEY are going to do is open up the case and pop the little battery out.

You don't need to throw away $20 in beer money, or go through the mess of making boot disks. Just pop the little battery out.

It's a Latitude. Chances are, if you shake it like an Etch-a-sketch, the battery will fall out anyway.