Found an old computer Dell Optiplex GX100 - has a password for bios?

[David D]

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?

 

[Jerry]

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]

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...

 

[Don Phillipson]

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...

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.)

 

[David D]

I did take out the battery for over 30 minutes and replaced it. No
dice, the password still comes up.

 

[Malke]

I did take out the battery for over 30 minutes and replaced it. No
dice, the password still comes up.

Leave it out overnight and CMOS will be set to defaults (no password).

Malke

 

[Gurney]

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?

Why ask HERE? BIOS is accessed LONG before the OS loads so your
question is out of place.

Ask elsewhere

 

[Jerry]

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.

 

[Bob I]

Try this link
http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=Optilex+GX100+manual
and then this one
http://support.ap.dell.com/docs/systems/opgx100/en/index.htm

 

[David D]

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.

 

[Bob Knowlden]

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.

 

[davidfilmdirector]

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?

 

[Bill Sharpe]

Ask elsewhere

A somewhat more useful answer would be
"Ask Dell"

Bill

 

[davidfilmdirector]

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

 

[davidfilmdirector]

Yep, I upped the RAM to 256 for this.

 

[M.I.5¾]

A somewhat more useful answer would be
"Ask Dell"

Gurney doesn't do useful answers.

What are you replying to because there is no post from Gurney here?

 

[Bob I]

Gurney doesn't do useful answers.

What are you replying to because there is no post from Gurney here?

Perhaps you don't see it? it is on the MSnews server.

 

[Bill Sharpe]

Gurney doesn't do useful answers.

What are you replying to because there is no post from Gurney here?

You must have kill-filed messages with "ask elsewhere" in them. This
clown with a one-track mind keeps changing his name...

Bill

 

[M.I.5¾]

You must have kill-filed messages with "ask elsewhere" in them. This clown
with a one-track mind keeps changing his name...

Nope. Definitely not kill filed him. Since posting the above it seems that
his messages have been deleted because sometimes I can see the headers, but
the messages have been deleted. Why this is is a mystery because I can't
somehow see Gurney or Edric (or whatever he is this week) deleting his own
posts.

 

[JohnO]

Nope. Definitely not kill filed him. Since posting the above it seems
that his messages have been deleted because sometimes I can see the
headers, but the messages have been deleted. Why this is is a mystery
because I can't somehow see Gurney or Edric (or whatever he is this week)
deleting his own posts.

Your newsreader has a really good BS filter??