NEED HELP! Customer locked out of her Acer Aspire 3680.

NEED HELP! Customer locked out of her Acer Aspire 3680.
I hope no one minds me posting this question here but I am at a loss to
solve this issue and hope someone here can help. My customer is locked out of
her Acer Aspire 3680. She hasn’t used it for a few months and has forgotten
the password. I have searched the net for possible solutions and tried
everything I came across that appeared to make sense but other than sending
the laptop to Acer for them to unlock it at approx £100 plus postage and VAT
I have no idea.
I have tried and had no luck with the following:
• I have opened up the back to try and find the CMOS battery
• I have disconnected 4 connectors that look like they could lead to a CMOS
battery for more than 30mins
• Phoenix backdoor passwords: PHOENIX, CMOS, BIOS and phoenix
Any help would be much appreciated
Regards to all Alan

"Alan" <> wrote in message
news:8B813E7D-9D4A-4D76-B18D-...
> NEED HELP! Customer locked out of her Acer Aspire 3680.
> I hope no one minds me posting this question here but I am at a loss to
> solve this issue and hope someone here can help. My customer is locked out
> of
> her Acer Aspire 3680. She hasn’t used it for a few months and has
> forgotten
> the password. I have searched the net for possible solutions and tried
> everything I came across that appeared to make sense but other than
> sending
> the laptop to Acer for them to unlock it at approx £100 plus postage and
> VAT
> I have no idea.
> I have tried and had no luck with the following:
> • I have opened up the back to try and find the CMOS battery
> • I have disconnected 4 connectors that look like they could lead to a
> CMOS
> battery for more than 30mins
> • Phoenix backdoor passwords: PHOENIX, CMOS, BIOS and phoenix
> Any help would be much appreciated
> Regards to all Alan
>


Acer may have to replace the BIOS chip.. send it back to Acer..

--
Mike Hall - MVP
How to construct a good post..
http://dts-l.com/goodpost.htm
How to use the Microsoft Product Support Newsgroups..
http://support.microsoft.com/default...help&style=toc
Mike's Window - My Blog..
http://msmvps.com/blogs/mikehall/default.aspx

"Mike Hall - MVP" <mikehall@remove_mvps.com> wrote in message
news:%...
>
> Acer may have to replace the BIOS chip.. send it back to Acer..
>

Huh? Why?

ss.

"Synapse Syndrome" <> wrote in message
news:%...
>>
>> Acer may have to replace the BIOS chip.. send it back to Acer..
>>
>
> Huh? Why?


Oh right, just reread it, and realised that he is talking about a BIOS
startup password.

ss.

"Alan" <> wrote in message
news:8B813E7D-9D4A-4D76-B18D-...
> NEED HELP! Customer locked out of her Acer Aspire 3680.
> I hope no one minds me posting this question here but I am at a loss to
> solve this issue and hope someone here can help. My customer is locked out
> of
> her Acer Aspire 3680. She hasn't used it for a few months and has
> forgotten
> the password. I have searched the net for possible solutions and tried
> everything I came across that appeared to make sense but other than
> sending
> the laptop to Acer for them to unlock it at approx £100 plus postage and
> VAT
> I have no idea.
> I have tried and had no luck with the following:
> . I have opened up the back to try and find the CMOS battery
> . I have disconnected 4 connectors that look like they could lead to a
> CMOS
> battery for more than 30mins
> . Phoenix backdoor passwords: PHOENIX, CMOS, BIOS and phoenix
> Any help would be much appreciated
> Regards to all Alan


She could try hypnosis, to recover the password.

ss.

"Synapse Syndrome" wrote:

> "Alan" <> wrote in message
> news:8B813E7D-9D4A-4D76-B18D-...
> > NEED HELP! Customer locked out of her Acer Aspire 3680.
> > I hope no one minds me posting this question here but I am at a loss to
> > solve this issue and hope someone here can help. My customer is locked out
> > of
> > her Acer Aspire 3680. She hasn't used it for a few months and has
> > forgotten
> > the password. I have searched the net for possible solutions and tried
> > everything I came across that appeared to make sense but other than
> > sending
> > the laptop to Acer for them to unlock it at approx £100 plus postage and
> > VAT
> > I have no idea.
> > I have tried and had no luck with the following:
> > . I have opened up the back to try and find the CMOS battery
> > . I have disconnected 4 connectors that look like they could lead to a
> > CMOS
> > battery for more than 30mins
> > . Phoenix backdoor passwords: PHOENIX, CMOS, BIOS and phoenix
> > Any help would be much appreciated
> > Regards to all Alan
>
>
> She could try hypnosis, to recover the password.
>
> ss.
>
> Thats funny!
>

Alan wrote:
> NEED HELP! Customer locked out of her Acer Aspire 3680.
> I hope no one minds me posting this question here but I am at a loss
> to solve this issue and hope someone here can help. My customer is
> locked out of her Acer Aspire 3680. She hasn't used it for a few
> months and has forgotten the password. I have searched the net for
> possible solutions and tried everything I came across that appeared
> to make sense but other than sending the laptop to Acer for them to
> unlock it at approx £100 plus postage and VAT I have no idea.
> I have tried and had no luck with the following:
> . I have opened up the back to try and find the CMOS battery
> . I have disconnected 4 connectors that look like they could lead to
> a CMOS battery for more than 30mins
> . Phoenix backdoor passwords: PHOENIX, CMOS, BIOS and phoenix
> Any help would be much appreciated
> Regards to all Alan


This guy managed to reset the password with WinPhlash.
(I don't know if your situation is the same.)
http://techrepublic.com.com/5208-111...sageID=2013304

Get it here:
http://www.acersupport.com/notebook/...winphlash.html

Alan <> wrote:


>I have tried and had no luck with the following:
>• I have opened up the back to try and find the CMOS battery
>• I have disconnected 4 connectors that look like they could lead to a CMOS
>battery for more than 30mins

It sounds like you haven't actually found the battery. It's got to be
there, it would be about the size and shape of a quarter (a silvery
disk about an inch or so in diameter). Look in the system or
motherboard documentation. Maybe you can find documentation about that
motherboard at Acer's web site.

--
Tim Slattery
MS MVP(Shell/User)

http://members.cox.net/slatteryt

"Tim Slattery" wrote:

> Alan <> wrote:
>
>
> >I have tried and had no luck with the following:
> >• I have opened up the back to try and find the CMOS battery
> >• I have disconnected 4 connectors that look like they could lead to a CMOS
> >battery for more than 30mins
>
> It sounds like you haven't actually found the battery. It's got to be
> there, it would be about the size and shape of a quarter (a silvery
> disk about an inch or so in diameter). Look in the system or
> motherboard documentation. Maybe you can find documentation about that
> motherboard at Acer's web site.
>
> --
> Tim Slattery
> MS MVP(Shell/User)
>
> http://members.cox.net/slatteryt
>

Looks like finding the cmos battery is the key. I am looking for dissemble
instructions for the Acer Aspire 3680 but not having much luck. I have to be
careful not to damage it in any way

With many laptops the BIOS password isn't removed by clearing the CMOS. The
only way to remove it is by sending it to a factory authorized repair
center. I'm sure there is a procedure but as a security precaution to make
stolen laptops unusable it is a closely guarded secret. It is different for
different brands and even different models of the same brand.

--
Kerry Brown
MS-MVP - Windows Desktop Experience: Systems Administration
http://www.vistahelp.ca/phpBB2/



"Alan" <> wrote in message
news:48498092-F681-4A22-8730-...
>
>
> "Tim Slattery" wrote:
>
>> Alan <> wrote:
>>
>>
>> >I have tried and had no luck with the following:
>> >• I have opened up the back to try and find the CMOS battery
>> >• I have disconnected 4 connectors that look like they could lead to a
>> >CMOS
>> >battery for more than 30mins
>>
>> It sounds like you haven't actually found the battery. It's got to be
>> there, it would be about the size and shape of a quarter (a silvery
>> disk about an inch or so in diameter). Look in the system or
>> motherboard documentation. Maybe you can find documentation about that
>> motherboard at Acer's web site.
>>
>> --
>> Tim Slattery
>> MS MVP(Shell/User)
>>
>> http://members.cox.net/slatteryt
>>
>
> Looks like finding the cmos battery is the key. I am looking for dissemble
> instructions for the Acer Aspire 3680 but not having much luck. I have to
> be
> careful not to damage it in any way