Need to reset both BIOS and Administrator passwords

[John Reece]

Greetings,

The situation is as follows: A malevolent employee has left and locked down
an important non-networked computer (Dell Optiplex) that we require access
to. He has:

1. Reset the local Administrator password.
2. Put an Admin password on the BIOS so that we can't alter the boot
sequence and use one of the standard password re-setting tools, all of which
require booting from CD, USB or floppy.
3. Padlocked (yes, padlocked!) the computer so that it can't be opened
without serious hassles in order to fiddle with the password jumpers and/or
CMOS battery.

So, we need to re-set the BIOS password so that we can change the boot
sequence to allow us to re-set the Admin password, but we need to do it with
software if possible.

Questions:

1. Does anyone know of a software-based method for re-setting the BIOS
password that doesn't require Admin rights?
2. Does anyone know of a way of changing the boot sequence that (a) can
bypass the BIOS and (b) doesn't require Admin rights?
3. Does anyone know of a way of resetting the local Admin password that
doesn't require booting from a CD, USB or floppy?
4. What other newsgroups do you think might be helpful?

John

 

[Gary S. Terhune]

1. Cut off the padlock. Machine is worthless this way.
2. Pull the CMOS battery for half a minute and then reset it. That will get
rid of the BIOS password.
3. Search for a password cracker. There's lots of them out there, most of
them free. Use it to get into the Administrator account. Easy.

 

[John John]

You have little choice but to cut the padlock, sooner or later you will
have to cut the padlock anyway so may as well cut it now! Then remove
the battery or jump the CMOS. As for the Windows password do a search
for "nordahl offline" and you will find a free, reputable password reset
utility. Be warned that if there are encrypted files on the machine and
if you change the password of the user who encrypted the files the files
will be lost.

John

 

[HeyBub]

Greetings,

The situation is as follows: A malevolent employee has left and
locked down an important non-networked computer (Dell Optiplex) that
we require access to. He has:

1. Reset the local Administrator password.
2. Put an Admin password on the BIOS so that we can't alter the boot
sequence and use one of the standard password re-setting tools, all
of which require booting from CD, USB or floppy.
3. Padlocked (yes, padlocked!) the computer so that it can't be opened
without serious hassles in order to fiddle with the password jumpers
and/or CMOS battery.

So, we need to re-set the BIOS password so that we can change the boot
sequence to allow us to re-set the Admin password, but we need to do
it with software if possible.

Questions:

1. Does anyone know of a software-based method for re-setting the BIOS
password that doesn't require Admin rights?
2. Does anyone know of a way of changing the boot sequence that (a)
can bypass the BIOS and (b) doesn't require Admin rights?
3. Does anyone know of a way of resetting the local Admin password
that doesn't require booting from a CD, USB or floppy?
4. What other newsgroups do you think might be helpful?

Call the cops. What he's done is criminal. At least the police report will
give you standing for an insurance (or bonding) claim.

Call your lawyer and have your lawyer call him. The employee is liable for
the (not insignificant) cost of recovering the usability of the machine.
Others have suggested cutting off the lock; I recommend calling a
locksmith - the locksmith will be far more expensive, even if you have to go
to small claims court.

Hint: Be careful what you say about him when asked for a reference. 'He
diligently observed all national holidays" is okay. "We never actually
caught him stealing" is likewise okay.

The BIOS is independent of Windows - there is no Windows function that
interacts with the BIOS. The BIOS is completely hardware oriented.
Therefore, the answer to #1 and #2 above is: No, there is no software
solution to the BIOS password difficulty.

 

[Bruce Chambers]

Greetings,

The situation is as follows: A malevolent employee has left and locked down
an important non-networked computer (Dell Optiplex) that we require access
to. He has:

1. Reset the local Administrator password.
2. Put an Admin password on the BIOS so that we can't alter the boot
sequence and use one of the standard password re-setting tools, all of which
require booting from CD, USB or floppy.
3. Padlocked (yes, padlocked!) the computer so that it can't be opened
without serious hassles in order to fiddle with the password jumpers and/or
CMOS battery.

So, we need to re-set the BIOS password so that we can change the boot
sequence to allow us to re-set the Admin password, but we need to do it with
software if possible.

Questions:

1. Does anyone know of a software-based method for re-setting the BIOS
password that doesn't require Admin rights?

None. Cut off the padlock.

2. Does anyone know of a way of changing the boot sequence that (a) can
bypass the BIOS and (b) doesn't require Admin rights?
No.

3. Does anyone know of a way of resetting the local Admin password that
doesn't require booting from a CD, USB or floppy?

Several. But you have to know the current password first.


Cut off the padlock and reset the BIOS. Nothing else will suffice.


--

Bruce Chambers

Help us help you:



They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary
safety deserve neither liberty nor safety. -Benjamin Franklin

Many people would rather die than think; in fact, most do. -Bertrand Russell

 

[Lil' Dave]

An IT would know to provide at least the bios mfr and version when seeking
such info. And, would probably not seek that info here.
Dave

 

[Bruce Chambers]

An IT would know to provide at least the bios mfr and version when seeking
such info. And, would probably not seek that info here.

True, but what's your point? There are literally hundreds of thousands
of businesses that are too small and too poor to have an IT staff or to
even be able to readily afford an outside technician.


--

Bruce Chambers

Help us help you:



They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary
safety deserve neither liberty nor safety. -Benjamin Franklin

Many people would rather die than think; in fact, most do. -Bertrand Russell

 

[Gary S. Terhune]

A few of them are my clients.

 

[John Reece]

Correct, and you have profiled the business with 100% accuracy; I am not an
IT professional. That's what newsgroups are for ;-)

Many thanks for all the suggestions. Getting rid of the lock looks like the
only way to go.

BTW, it's a Phoenix BIOS (don't know the version) and none of the readily
available backdoor passwords have worked.

John

 

[Gary S. Terhune]

Regardless, you need to be able to get into the box someday.

Good luck!

 

[Ken Blake]

1. Cut off the padlock. Machine is worthless this way.
2. Pull the CMOS battery for half a minute and then reset it. That will
get rid of the BIOS password.
3. Search for a password cracker. There's lots of them out there, most of
them free. Use it to get into the Administrator account. Easy.

And 4. Notify the police. What he has done--especially padlocking what he
doesn't own--is criminal behavior.

 

[Lil' Dave]

Unplug the PC from the outlet, or whatever. Get a bolt cutter. Open the PC
and remove the cmos battery for a few minutes or use the cmos reset jumper.
This doesn't have to be a knowledge contest, just use some common sense. If
it was my personal PC, I'd be doing exactly that. Not letting someone hold
my PC hostage any longer.
Dave

 

[Lil' Dave]

Thank you for the insight. Your knowledge is infinite, and credulous.
Especially to resolving the problem the OP provided.
Dave

 

[Paul Knudsen]

Greetings,

The situation is as follows: A malevolent employee has left and locked down
an important non-networked computer (Dell Optiplex) that we require access
to. He has:

1. Reset the local Administrator password.
2. Put an Admin password on the BIOS so that we can't alter the boot
sequence and use one of the standard password re-setting tools, all of which
require booting from CD, USB or floppy.
3. Padlocked (yes, padlocked!) the computer so that it can't be opened
without serious hassles in order to fiddle with the password jumpers and/or
CMOS battery.

You really ticked him off, hmm? I'd call the police and see if they
can scare him into fixing that. If not, charge him with property
damage.

 

[Not Me]

Bolt cutters will remove most padlocks in a matter of seconds.
I hope the employee is now a former employee.