Hello Hugh,

You are right. This MAY reset the BIOS password (depending on the
motherboard make/model), but it is impossible for it to reset the Windows
password. The Windows password is stored in a file on the disk in encrypted
form. There is no way the BIOS could possibly know how to modify that file,
especially on an NTFS filesystem.

Russ Poffenberger
[log in to unmask]

At 01:24 AM 1/24/2005, you wrote:
>I read the following post on another board and commented that it was
>unlikely to work. The poster insists that he has used this procedure to
>re-set the Admin  (Not BIOS) password on Win9x, ME and XP. Can anyone tell
>me who's right?
>
>"I know that the following will work on Win9x, WinMe, and Winxp but have
>never had Win2k. I do know that this does not work on WinNT.
>
>I've been told that you can find it using a linux boot disk but have not
>tried that.
>
>There are 2 ways and it depends on your computer's manufacturer. Open your
>cpu and look at the motherboard. Locate your cmos battery. On some Dell's,
>next to the battery is a jumper called pswd. Look at it through a magnifying
>glass to remember the jumper settings and then remove the plastic sleeve
>then turn on your computer briefly then turn it off then replace the plastic
>sleeve and ensure the jumper settings are the same and then reboot. This
>will erase your default admin password and when it asks for a password,
>leave it blank.
>
>The other way is to open the cpu and locate and remove the battery. Then
>start up the cpu briefly then turn it off then replace the battery and
>reboot. When the system reboots, go into the bios and reset the admin's
>password since it is now blank.
>
>Then reboot the computer and when it asks for the password, either leave it
>blank or type in the password that you entered into the new bios settings.
>
>Remember though, due to removing the battery, your clock and date settings
>must be reset."
>
>          PCBUILD maintains hundreds of useful files for download
>                      visit our download web page at:
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         PCBUILD maintains hundreds of useful files for download
                     visit our download web page at:
                  http://freepctech.com/downloads.shtml