- Found an old computer Dell Optiplex GX100 - has a password for bios?
- Posted by David D on June 26th, 2008
I found a dell Opitex GX100 computer. It seems to work, but it has a
password for the bios...I am trying to format the harddrive as well
to
put XP on it, but I would like to change the boot sequence. Should I
try and flash the bios to erase the password?
Also, I am not sure of how much RAM is installed because it is a DELL
and it doesn't tell me at start up. I am hoping that getting into
the
bios will help me with that.
Lastly, is there a good FORMAT software for the floppy drive so I can
format and then run XP from the CD rom drive to install?
I have tried taking out the battery for over 30 minutes and the
password is still enabled. Any ideas?
- Posted by Jerry on June 26th, 2008
You don't have to flash the BIOS to reset the password, just clear the CMOS
memory. Mortherboard jumper is moved from, say, pins 1/2 to pins 2/3 for ten
minutes then back. You will then have to make any necessary changes to BIOS,
such as date/time/etc when you boot.
"David D" <netrate@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:eb622e72-1ce0-40d2-95f3-852fd00c02de@25g2000hsx.googlegroups.com...
- Posted by David D on June 26th, 2008
I don't have the manual and don't know where those pins are. Thanks
for that, I am not sure what to do because I am unsure where on the
motherboard those jumpers are...
On Jun 26, 6:28 pm, "Jerry" <ChiefZekeNoS...@MSN.com> wrote:
- Posted by Don Phillipson on June 26th, 2008
"David D" <netrate@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:b8a8aa5b-0c46-4b01-b98e-4f246882fc49@l42g2000hsc.googlegroups.com...
You do not have to bother with jumpers. To clear the BIOS
(to default settings, with no password) just remove the CMOS
battery for a couple of minutes. If this PC is years old you
might as well buy a new CMOS battery. Take the old one to
the store and match it exactly. The battery is a silver disc,
the size of a US niickel, probably held to the motherboard
by a clip of some sort. (Yours currently prompts for a BIOS
password, i.e. the CMOS still has some voltage. The
point is that they all run down in time, and when they do
they can cause boot problems that suggest other
failures, e.g. power supply. $3 spent on a new CMOS
avoids this.)
--
Don Phillipson
Carlsbad Springs
(Ottawa, Canada)
- Posted by David D on June 27th, 2008
I did take out the battery for over 30 minutes and replaced it. No
dice, the password still comes up.
On Jun 26, 7:28 pm, "Don Phillipson" <e...@SPAMBLOCK.ncf.ca> wrote:
- Posted by Malke on June 27th, 2008
David D wrote:
Leave it out overnight and CMOS will be set to defaults (no password).
Malke
--
MS-MVP
Elephant Boy Computers - Don't Panic!
FAQ - http://www.elephantboycomputers.com/#FAQ
- Posted by Gurney on June 27th, 2008
On Thu, 26 Jun 2008 15:15:32 -0700 (PDT), David D <netrate@yahoo.com>
wrote:
question is out of place.
Ask elsewhere
- Posted by Jerry on June 27th, 2008
The pins are labelled on the motherboard: CMOS - the jumper will be one
1/2 - you change it to the other two - 2/3 - or the opposite; whichever will
work.
"David D" <netrate@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:b8a8aa5b-0c46-4b01-b98e-4f246882fc49@l42g2000hsc.googlegroups.com...
- Posted by Bob I on June 27th, 2008
Try this link
http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q...x+GX100+manual
and then this one
http://support.ap.dell.com/docs/syst...0/en/index.htm
David D wrote:
- Posted by David D on June 27th, 2008
Well, it seems that I have some other problems. I took out the hard
drive and loaded Win 2000 on it using another computer. It worked
great and then when I reinstalled the HD, I now get the blue screen
saying the HD is inaccessible. It must be the drivers on the DELL
motherboard or something that is doing it. I was hoping to find a
piece of software that would work from the A drive or something -
going to Bootit.com and get the Win2000 boot disks, maybe that will
help, but not sure. I guess I am going to try leaving the battery out
overnight - try to set the boot to the CD drive the Win 2000, and if
that fails, it is going into the garbage.
- Posted by Bob Knowlden on June 27th, 2008
Something unexpected has been happening to replies to this group, but I'll
try again, without links.
There is a jumper on the GX100 mainboard to reset the password. Details are
at support.dell.com. (The jumper is near the front left corner of the board,
near one of the ends of the riser card slot.) I'd provide a link, but my
last attempt gave a posting that disappeared. There are all sorts of
instructions available there, including how to open the case.
You shouldn't need any sort of boot floppy with this system. Its BIOS can be
set to boot from an IDE CD drive, allowing you to install XP in the normal
way.
Return address scrambled. Replace nkbob with bobkn.
"David D" <netrate@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:a700b951-a80b-4741-ba66-7711e977c7e2@m73g2000hsh.googlegroups.com...
- Posted by davidfilmdirector@gmail.com on June 27th, 2008
Bob,
Sending you a personal email about this.
The jumper for the PASSWORD worked great. But the new issue is that
it won't boot from the CD rom, even though I tell it to boot from
there in the boot sequence. I get this error :
F1 to retry boot F2 to enter setup.
Nothing else. So I have tried a few other HD I have lying around,
same year as the computer and they all do the same. Is this a BIOS
problem?
On Jun 27, 11:56 am, "Bob Knowlden" <nk...@comcast.net> wrote:
- Posted by Bill Sharpe on June 27th, 2008
Gurney wrote:
"Ask Dell"
Bill
- Posted by davidfilmdirector@gmail.com on June 27th, 2008
Bob,
After about 7 hours of working on it, finally got it. I had to make
up the 4 floppy disk for Win2000 boot from bootdisk.com. Finally got
it installed and running. Now, going to put XP on it and see if that
takes. Thanks for all the help.
David
- Posted by Leythos on June 27th, 2008
In article <c18fadc8-9b40-4467-88dd-26f979a2f179@
34g2000hsh.googlegroups.com>, davidfilmdirector@gmail.com says...
I just tossed about 8 GX100 units, they are P2 if I remember correctly,
and most of them had 128MB RAM, XP will run, but you're going to want
256MB RAM.
--
- Igitur qui desiderat pacem, praeparet bellum.
- Calling an illegal alien an "undocumented worker" is like calling a
drug dealer an "unlicensed pharmacist"
spam999free@rrohio.com (remove 999 for proper email address)
- Posted by davidfilmdirector@gmail.com on June 28th, 2008
Yep, I upped the RAM to 256 for this.
- Posted by Leythos on June 28th, 2008
In article <91c551c0-0d03-4b38-b388-2d5760174de8
@d45g2000hsc.googlegroups.com>, davidfilmdirector@gmail.com says...
If they still have the Service Tag you can still go to Dell's website
and just enter that ID number and it will provide you with all of the
drivers.
--
- Igitur qui desiderat pacem, praeparet bellum.
- Calling an illegal alien an "undocumented worker" is like calling a
drug dealer an "unlicensed pharmacist"
spam999free@rrohio.com (remove 999 for proper email address)
- Posted by M.I.5¾ on June 30th, 2008
"Bill Sharpe" <wfsnopam@adelphia.net> wrote in message
news:uaMOJiJ2IHA.528@TK2MSFTNGP02.phx.gbl...
Gurney doesn't do useful answers.
What are you replying to because there is no post from Gurney here?
- Posted by Bob I on June 30th, 2008
M.I.5¾ wrote:
Perhaps you don't see it? it is on the MSnews server.
- Posted by Bill Sharpe on June 30th, 2008
M.I.5¾ wrote:
clown with a one-track mind keeps changing his name...
Bill
