passwords --breaking

[TAIWL]

how's everyone doing i just have a Question...........

what would i have to do to unlock a labtop that was giving to me by a friend and i cannot unlock the pc.........but i'm now seeking help can anyone give any type of software to break the password.....

this is exactly waht the computer says when i first boot it up


this computer system is protected by a password authentication system you cannot access the dta on this comuter without the correct password

[MrLinus]

Sounds like a BIOS password. What kind of laptop is it (since some laptops don't have that little nifty battery to remove)

Alternatively, you might want to ask your friend for the password.

[TAIWL]

sorry

the pc is a Dell latitude d505

and my friend doesn't know the password

thanks

[MrLinus]

There are a few sites that talk about breaking the BIOS password:

http://labmice.techtarget.com/articles/BIOS_hack.htm
http://www.hardwareanalysis.com/content/topic/21041/
http://www.users.globalnet.co.uk/~sk...s/latitude.exe <--- (apparently a Dell Password by-pass -- not tested and not sure of reliability)

http://web.archive.org/web/200402272...dell/dell.html <--- had to yank this one from the WayBackMachine archive but it might help.


The Manual has a suggestion. There is a mini-battery you can remove (that might reset things). However, there is this warning for the Dell L400:

If you forget any of your passwords, call Dell. For your protection, Dell’s technical support staff will ask you for proof of your identity to make sure that an unauthorized person is not trying to use the computer.

[The_Messiah]

Or perhaps you could look up your Motherboard info, and find out which jumper controls the bios, switch the jumper, turn the computer on, and off again (sometimes won't turn on depending on the MB) then replace the jumper. That way, all the bios will be back to defaults.

[Cope57]

You could try using System Rescue CD to recover or change the password.

[Relyt]

Good Day,

If it has a battery, doing it the physical way….

First of all, it must absolutely be your computer. The reason I say this is you are most likely going to have to, very carefully, do some open laptop surgery to get the BIOS reset. (There will most likely be several little screws to keep track of and hopefully you will get it all put back together the way it was before the intrusive surgery). Additionally static electricity from your bod could definitely damage the internal components. So if it’s not yours and you just want to peek inside someone else’s computer, I’d just sit it back down and walk away from it. And if you weren’t accustomed to working on computers, I’d make arrangements with Dell to get it flashed or reset. Another possible option: Search the Internet for the manufacturer of your BIOS. Some of the companies actually provided backdoor passwords so that the techs could readily adjust the BIOS settings/have access. I don’t know if that is the situation in your case, but it is an option.

And of course if I had big fingers and was all nervous and jerky (jervous and nerky), before I opened it up, I’d try the other options listed by the folks that previously posted.

Generally a laptop has the same type of innards as a desktop minus a huge amount of space. However the procedures for resetting BIOS settings may be somewhat similar. But don’t expect to find or at least easily find a jumper to reset. Also one giant difference is the location of the BIOS battery. It can be tucked away anywhere and unlike the desktop; it may not be clearly visible. My laptop has it under the keyboard; others conceal them quite nicely so we can’t easily do what you are currently asking. You can probably get a hold of Dell and find it’s location if it exists. Also the battery wires could be soldered on and that could present another set of problems for you as well. Hopefully if it is soldered you can follow the wires to a connector and simply disconnect it, wait a few minutes and then reconnect it. So set yourself up a nice clean workspace, make sure you guard against the affects of static electricity, and open up the hood and find the battery. Sorry I can’t lead you through it, I don’t have a Dell.

cheers