locked out after too many password guesses

[Appolonia]

Does XP have the added security function, that after guessing th
password too often, it no longer boots to windows, but gives a DO
screen prompting for the password?

This has happened to me, and I can't get out of this screen. There i
no way to get to the BIOS, there is no way to get to the setup, a
pressing the F keys just fill the keyboard buffer and produce n
result. Taking the battery out hasn't helped. I can't boot from CD a
I can't change the boot sequence in the BIOS, and am therefore totall
stuck. I can't even get as far as C:/format - it's password o
nothing.

And this screen appeared after about 9 attempts to guess the password.

Any helpful suggestions will be gratefully received, but daft comment
about why I lost the password in the first place will be treated wit
the contempt they deserve.

Thank

 

[Nepatsfan]

Does XP have the added security function, that after
guessing the password too often, it no longer boots to
windows, but gives a DOS screen prompting for the password?

This has happened to me, and I can't get out of this screen.
There is no way to get to the BIOS, there is no way to get
to the setup, as pressing the F keys just fill the keyboard
buffer and produce no result. Taking the battery out hasn't
helped. I can't boot from CD as I can't change the boot
sequence in the BIOS, and am therefore totally stuck. I
can't even get as far as C:/format - it's password or
nothing.

And this screen appeared after about 9 attempts to guess the
password.

Any helpful suggestions will be gratefully received, but
daft comments about why I lost the password in the first
place will be treated with the contempt they deserve.

Thanks

Check with your computer and/or motherboard manufacturer. There
may be jumpers on the motherboard that need to be switched in
order to restore the default BIOS settings. For instance, the
Intel motherboard on the system I'm using has a jumper just
below the CMOS battery. Moving the jumper from the 1-2 position
to the 2-3 position clears the BIOS password.

What you're seeing has nothing to do with Windows since it is
occuring long before Windows start loading. It's a hardware,
not a software issue.

Good luck

Nepatsfan

 

[Sharon F]

Does XP have the added security function, that after guessing the
password too often, it no longer boots to windows, but gives a DOS
screen prompting for the password?

This has happened to me, and I can't get out of this screen. There is
no way to get to the BIOS, there is no way to get to the setup, as
pressing the F keys just fill the keyboard buffer and produce no
result. Taking the battery out hasn't helped. I can't boot from CD as
I can't change the boot sequence in the BIOS, and am therefore totally
stuck. I can't even get as far as C:/format - it's password or
nothing.

And this screen appeared after about 9 attempts to guess the password.

Any helpful suggestions will be gratefully received, but daft comments
about why I lost the password in the first place will be treated with
the contempt they deserve.

Thanks

This sounds like a system password not a Windows password. Windows can not
block access at the point in the boot process that you're describing since
the operating system has not even started to load yet. Many different
aspects of the system can be protected against unauthorized access and
unauthorized changes by setting up passwords in the BIOS settings. If this
is the case, there's nothing Windows can do to help. Call tech support for
the system.

 

[Appolonia]

Thanks for the advice all. I'm going to try moving the jumpers on th
motherboard as you suggested, but can't find a manufacturer or an
support for it. It's a 0W912.
Any ideas?

 

[Nepatsfan]

The only reference I can find to a 0W912 motherboard is for a
Dell Dimension 8250 desktop computer.

Here are some articles from Dell's support site that describe
how to remove the BIOS password from that system:

Remove password
http://support.dell.com/support/edocs/systems/dim8250/syssetup.htm#1105397

Motherboard diagram
http://support.dell.com/support/edocs/systems/dim8250/techov.htm#1105443

If none of this info applies to your system, post back with as
much detail as you can about your computer. Manufaturer's name,
system model #, motherboard specs, etc.

Nepatsfan

 

[Appolonia]

Thanks so much for all your detailed help.

I'll give it a try tonight and if it works I owe you a drink!