how to install XP on password locked Sony Vaio with 2000 installed?

[nikko]

Trying to help out a friend. He has a laptop with Windows 2000 installed and
it's password protected. He doesn't know the password and someone told him
(and i don't know enough to dispute this) that 2000 doesn't have a DOS mode.
I'm not even sure why that would matter. Anyway, if he reboots with a
bootable XP disc in the CD-ROM, he should be good to go, right? Any idea
what the key to bring up the bios is on the Sony Vaio? Thanks in advance for
your help.

 

[Michael Kho]

Try to open the buttom of the laptop, some products have the bios battery on
the buttom, it should help to reset the bios.

 

[Chris]

Trying to help out a friend. He has a laptop with Windows 2000 installed
and it's password protected. He doesn't know the password and someone told
him (and i don't know enough to dispute this) that 2000 doesn't have a DOS
mode. I'm not even sure why that would matter. Anyway, if he reboots with
a bootable XP disc in the CD-ROM, he should be good to go, right? Any idea
what the key to bring up the bios is on the Sony Vaio? Thanks in advance
for your help.

This is true WIN2K does not run MSDOS, but WIN XP is the same it is a 32bit
OS and will only run an MSDOS window so most MSDOS based software will not
run, infact the XP core is based on WIN2K.



--
Chris
Technical director CKCCOMPUSCRIPT
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Silicone Graphics.
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http://www.ckccomp.plus.com/site/page.HTM
(e-mail address removed)

 

[Sleepless in Seattle]

If you are talking about a "power on password" rather than a Windows
password then you will have to send the laptop to a Sony agent to have the
password disabled.

F2 to enter BIOS but my guess is you won't get in.

 

[kony]

Trying to help out a friend. He has a laptop with Windows 2000 installed and
it's password protected.

Ok, and .... ?

He doesn't know the password and someone told him
(and i don't know enough to dispute this) that 2000 doesn't have a DOS mode.

What does he need the password for?
Does he own this laptop?

It appears to have a CDROM drive? What about floppy?
Nothing "needs" to have any kind of "mode", merely to be
able to boot to a device other than the HDD. Is the bios
not set up to allow this? Make a boot disc, boot floppy, or
of course the least flexible route would be the WinXP disc.

You could just remove the HDD, format it, and copy the
CDROM's I386 folder to it on another system, making drive
bootable of course before returning it to the laptop.

I'm not even sure why that would matter.

Then ask him.
Further, ask why in the world someone would mess up a
perfectly good laptop with XP, which IS 2K but with bloat
added... typically the opposite direction someone ought to
want to go with a laptop's slower HDD, often lesser memory,
etc.

Anyway, if he reboots with a
bootable XP disc in the CD-ROM, he should be good to go, right? Any idea
what the key to bring up the bios is on the Sony Vaio? Thanks in advance for
your help.

What's the great secret here, can't he try these things
already?

 

[Jan Alter]

If the password is only to get into Win2000 then you should have no trouble
with the installation of XP by just sticking the CD in the drive and
rebooting.
If the Password is to get passed the bios then the best option is what
Michael referred to unscrewing the bottom compartments of the laptop until
you find a disk battery. Remove the battery for about 20 minutes and then
replace it. There may even be a jumper to reset the bios (as on a desktop).
When you start the computer you'll most likely be asked to go to setup to
indicate the hardware that you have, or it will start on its own without the
password prompt.

 

[ByTor]

Trying to help out a friend. He has a laptop with Windows 2000 installed and
it's password protected. He doesn't know the password and someone told him
(and i don't know enough to dispute this) that 2000 doesn't have a DOS mode.
I'm not even sure why that would matter. Anyway, if he reboots with a
bootable XP disc in the CD-ROM, he should be good to go, right? Any idea
what the key to bring up the bios is on the Sony Vaio? Thanks in advance for
your help.

http://labmice.techtarget.com/articles/BIOS_hack.htm

 

[Plato]

Trying to help out a friend. He has a laptop with Windows 2000 installed and
it's password protected. He doesn't know the password and someone told him

Tell him to ask the thief who he bought it from for the password.