I think this is drifting a long way off the original query. If I
remember
correctly, the original poster operates a computer lab and his students
have discovered the 'backdoor' password for the Award BIOS and are
changing settings all over the shop. Sure, you can clear the CMOS, but
that
doesn't stop the students going back in again.

Only wholesale motherboard replacements for units with non-award BIOSs
will avoid this problem - until the students find the backdoor passwords
for
the new ones, that is....

Regards
Angus

> -----Original Message-----
> From: [log in to unmask] [SMTP:[log in to unmask]]
> Sent: 04 May 1998 14:32
> Subject:      Re: BIOS Passwords
>
>         Hi.
> >   On most systems, there are a pair of pins which you can "short"
> > (connect temporarily) to erase all of the CMOS configuration data,
> > including any password.[2]  On some systems, these pins carry
> current
> > from the battery, on others, you may have to turn on the system
> power
> > with the pins shorted.
> >   On systems without such pins, you can get a very similar effect by
> > removing/disconnecting the battery and waiting for a minute or two.
> > No short needed in this case -- deprived of battery power, the CMOS
> > memory will revert to its default state.  This is probably what you
> > were thinking of.
> >
>         Removing the battery and waiting for a discharge for a minute
> or
> so is theoretically enough, but not in practice, since:
>         -Memory retention voltage uses to be very low.
>         -You don't know how many capacitors are retaining charge.
>         So my advice is remove the battery AND short every pin of the
> cmos chip to ground.
>
>         BTW, don't short directly the battery pins, since you will
> damage it.
>
> ************************************
> Javier Vizcaino. Ability Electronics. [log in to unmask]
>   Starting point:        (-1)^(-1) = -1
>   Applying logarithms: (-1)*ln(-1) = ln(-1)
>   Since ln(-1) <> 0, dividing:  -1 = 1     (ln(-1) is complex, but
> exists)