Personal Computers Questions

Is there anyway to clear out a bios password?

by on January 19, 2009

Q: I have a Gateway E4400 Pentium 3 computer. When I start up my computer I am prompted to enter my bios password. The problem is I don’t have a bios password so someone else must have set it and now I cannot get in. Is there anyway to clear the bios password?

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5 Responses to “Is there anyway to clear out a bios password?”
  1.  

    See page 73 of your manual for instructions on how to clear the BIOS password. If you don’t have your manual handy, you can view it in pdf format here:

    http://support.mpccorp.com/tech_support/CASES/3500654/8505594.pdf

     

    Mark (Uber Geek) says: on January 19, 2009 at 7:37 pm

  2.  

    Mark, I am very grateful to you for supplying me with the E 4400 manual. It will be the tool that will get me up and running. However I did not remember to say that the battery had died and I have no record of the old bios settings. The only thing I can do is use the default settings. Do you have any advise for me concerning how to regenerate the proper bios settings. Thank you for the work you do for this site. You and the site are appreciated.

     

    James Walter (Newbie) says: on January 20, 2009 at 12:42 am

  3.  

    Sorry for the delay in getting back to you, I just saw your post today.

    First off, if you haven’t already done so, replace your motherboard battery with a fresh one. As far as proper bios settings, unless your experiencing some kind of serious problem with your PC, the default bios settings are probably just fine.

     

    Mark (Uber Geek) says: on January 26, 2009 at 8:54 am

  4.  

    Mark,
    This thing started with the computer asking me for a password on boot up. I
    had used the computer a few times and never had the thing ask for a password
    on boot up.

    However after moving the jumper and then rebooting, it properly added the mantaince catagory and I was able to select remove all password.

    Closed down the computer, returned the jumper to the original place and
    installed a new battery.

    Booted it up again and the first thing to happen is the request for the pass word. I just pressed enter and it promptly places and X after the starement
    and moved down one line ad asked for the password. After the 3rd enter, it stated that the computer was closing due to inability to enter the present
    passward.

    I am at my witts end without help. I am thinking that my bois may have become defective and I might benifite from replacing the file. Howeve, the Gateway
    site has the proper file, but it said that I could not use a 3.5 flopy if it was not formated properly. Below is a copy of the statement.

    I am thinking I could formate it with /s using Win98. I have access to a computer running Win98.

    What do you are any others out there advise.
    James

    Gateways copy and non-doable instructions.

    7509189.exe
    BIOS Update for the E-4400 (Valhalla) Motherboard, version
    FB82010A.15A.0027.P07

    Note:

    When updating your computer’s BIOS, the update process fails if you use a
    floppy disk formatted in Microsoft® Windows® 2000, Windows NT®, or Windows
    XP. Instead, use a new IBM pre-formatted disk. Refer to Readme.txt file for
    more details.

     

    James Walter (Newbie) says: on January 26, 2009 at 9:09 pm

  5.  
    Picked as best answer

    Try doing the password reset steps again, also there should be an option to ‘load default values’ or something like that, be sure to hit that too. Double check the other parts of the bios to make sure there aren’t any other password related settings that might be set.

    Since you swapped the battery out after changing the bios settings that might have hosed things up.

    If that password prompt comes up again, and you happen to have a digital camera handy, send me a screenshot at mark(at)askageek.com

     

    Mark (Uber Geek) says: on January 26, 2009 at 10:12 pm