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Thread: Desperate

  1. #1
    Junior Member
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    Desperate

    Hi folks, sorry if this is in th wrong place but I couldnt see anywhwre else to put it.

    Simply...I am interrogating a laptop for someone and it has an administrator password set in the BIOS/CMOS.

    I am not that technical and have tried umpteen so called 'cracker programmes'.

    Half of them dont work and the other half are too complicated to use.

    One problem is...I cant identify the BIOS.

    It is a H/P but labelled model number compaq nc8000.

    Upon entering the rom based setup (f10) I am faced with a blue dialogue box which says 'Administrator Password with a key underneath it.

    I cannot type anything but can press return 3 times and then it just leaves an asterisk visible.

    The only thing I can do then is power off and restart.

    HELP....I AM GOING NUTS HERE.

  2. #2
    AO Ancient: Team Leader
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    Find the technical documentation and find out how to reset the BIOS. You won't be able to do it the way you are trying to. It's a jumper or something on the Motherboard that will need playing with.
    Don\'t SYN us.... We\'ll SYN you.....
    \"A nation that draws too broad a difference between its scholars and its warriors will have its thinking done by cowards, and its fighting done by fools.\" - Thucydides

  3. #3
    AOs Resident Troll
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    Reset the bios.....not sure about laptops...but most mb have a jumper to reset??

    Does HP have a default password??


    Who set the password??

    MLF
    How people treat you is their karma- how you react is yours-Wayne Dyer

  4. #4
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    Easier said than done on a laptop....I am lead to believe.

  5. #5
    AOs Resident Troll
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    As Tiger said...you need the documentation.

    Go to hp and look up the model>Bios>reset

    Should help...or call their tech support??

    MLF
    How people treat you is their karma- how you react is yours-Wayne Dyer

  6. #6
    Senior Member nihil's Avatar
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    Hmmm,

    Laptops are a real barrel of laughs when it comes to this sort of thing (NOT!!!).

    1. You can have three passwords, power up, administrator and hard drive. And that is before you get to the operating system.

    2. The first one will be stored on an EEPROM chip and is independent of the CMOS/BIOS, the second is probably in the CMOS/BIOS chipset, and the third is on the HDD where you cannot get at it.

    3. F10 suggests that it is a Compaq, (HP bought them a while back).

    4. If you can get that far I would guess that the power up password is not set, so resetting the BIOS should work. To do this, disconnect the device from mains, remove the rechargeable battery and then remove the button cell CMOS battery and leave it for 24 hours. That should clear the password. Most laptops don't have motherboard jumpers these days

    5. If the hard drive password has also been set, then you are SOL.

    Can your friend prove ownership of the machine? if not, you will not get any help from HP.

    Please describe what happens exactly when you power up. Like beeps, lights and what appears on the screen.

    Also, what exactly is it that you are trying to do? is the machine damaged or something...........there may be other approaches.

    Is this really a forensics problem or is it just hardware?




  7. #7
    Senior Member
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    Good Day,

    It is a H/P but labelled model number compaq nc8000
    The CMOS battery is located under the LED Switch cover. Disconnect that little bugger and follow the previous post.

    Another way is to flash the BIOS with a newer version. But let's stay away from that for awhile.

    cheers

    edited after looking at the online manual.
    Connection refused, try again later.

  8. #8
    Senior Member nihil's Avatar
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    Hi Relyt ,

    I agree that flashing the BIOS would work, but I don't see how you could do that if that is the true "admin" password. That one is intended to protect the BIOS settings, mainly against remote workers and their families.

    It would be useful to know more about the situation here, like if it is just a data recovery task there should be simpler ways.

    If you can prove ownership, then HP will do it for you, but they sure know how to charge for it

    We really need to know the history of the machine or what it does on boot, to figure if this is really the BIOS protection password?


  9. #9
    Junior Member
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    HI

    I also had the same problem witha bios password protection problem.

    I spoke to hp and they emailed me a form asking for details of the company and they then sent me a password which worked for that day.

    Hope this is of some help


    8lgm

  10. #10
    Senior Member
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    Question

    uH?
    They sent you a Bios password that worked only for one day???

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