My PC is locked

This morning when I boot up my PC I got for the 1st time the request to
enter "system password". I have never set up such a thing, only
administartor password. I asked my son if he did not dabble with the PC
yesterday and he assured me he did not. Now we are all punished in the
family...
How can I unlock it without slapping him?

Thanks


--
Nescau

Nescau wrote:

>
> This morning when I boot up my PC I got for the 1st time the request to
> enter "system password". I have never set up such a thing, only
> administartor password. I asked my son if he did not dabble with the PC
> yesterday and he assured me he did not. Now we are all punished in the
> family...
> How can I unlock it without slapping him?

Is the request for the password when you immediately start the computer? If
yes, then this is a BIOS-level password and they don't magically get set by
themselves. You do the math.

If you have a desktop computer, unplug it from the wall and remove the
motherboard battery. The battery is a small circular coin-shaped battery.
Be careful not to damage any motherboard components. Now wait. Sometimes
you only need to wait a few minutes; other machines will take hours or even
overnight. So go get an iced tea of something.

Now put the battery back and start the computer. Removing the battery resets
the BIOS settings to default, which means no password.

If you have a laptop you'll need to call the laptop mftr.'s tech support for
instructions. Some laptop BIOSes can be reset by the end user and others
need to be sent to the factory for hard reprogramming.

If I have misinterpreted your post and the request for password is a
*Windows* password (not what it sounds like), then please post back
clarifying that.

Malke
--
MS-MVP
Elephant Boy Computers - Don't Panic!
http://www.elephantboycomputers.com/#FAQ

Nescau wrote:

>
> Thank you very much indeed Malke. Yes it is the 1st request I get on
> the screen immediately when you press the start button.
> I'll work on the motherboard battery when I am back home.

Let me know how it went and if you need more help.

Malke
--
MS-MVP
Elephant Boy Computers - Don't Panic!
http://www.elephantboycomputers.com/#FAQ

Hi Malke

Only found the time to do this now. Basically nothing has changed
I did unplug the PC from the wall, unplug the other leads, put the P
on a table. opened the mother board, took the motherboard battery off,
I did 1st: not putting the batttery back, plugged the PC without it an
it was still asking for the same password
2) Unplugged again PC, opened mother board, put the battery back
plugged again but it still requests password
it is the only small circular coin-shaped spare part
In your previous mail you say depending on the machine, one might hav
to be patient. so what result should I get? just that when I log o
tomorrow it will just not ask for the password and will go straight int
windows mode
Reading carefully your instructions you say after unplugging and
removing the mother board battery to wait a few minutes. What I don'
understand is that what difference it makes to unplug it for a fe
minutes or for hours or a night when the PC is unplug in the firs
place. Is it a matter of trying again and again, sort of every 2 hours

--
Nescau

"Nescau" <> wrote in message
news:...

> Reading carefully your instructions you say after unplugging and
> removing the mother board battery to wait a few minutes.

Pehaps this is where the "patience" comes into play?

> What I don't understand is that what difference it makes to unplug it
> for a few
> minutes or for hours or a night when the PC is unplug in the first
> place.

Once the battery is removed, 'distributed capacitance' in the circuitry
can supply voltage - acting like a battery for some relatively short
time. Some motherboards provide a means for 'shorting out' the circuit,
but in the absence of that you may have to wait some time for the
voltage to leak away.