>At 06:34 AM 10/14/98 -0700, you wrote:
>>A friend brought me a system in which the motherboard password
is enabled
>>but he's forgotten the password. As a result, on boot up, when
you hit 'DEL'
>>to get to the CMOS setup you're presented with a small screen
that asks for
>>the password. Since we don't remember the password we're stuck
there.
>>Is there any way to work around this problem and disable the
password so
>>that we can get to the setup menu?
>>Richard.
>
>In late model motherboards, there is a jumper on the
motherboard that let
>you "clear" the CMOS setting, including the password.  Some
motherboards
>have a clear mark for the switch, some don't.  The best way is
to see the
>manual (came with the computer or download from the
motherboard
>manufacturer).  Before you try it, however, you need to power
down your
>computer.  I have seen several types:
>
>1. two pin, no jumper as default.  You put a jumper on it and
wait for 10 to
>15 seconds, remove it and restart the computer.
>
>2. three pin, jumper is on "normal" position as default.  You
move the
>jumper to the "clear" position, wait for 10 to 15 seconds, put
it back to
>"normal" position and restart the computer.
>
>3. dip switch.  Same operation as in 2.
>
>Clearing CMOS will delete all the settings so you will have to
set the CMOS
>after you restart the computer.  Except for the hard disk
setting, you
>typically don't have to deal with other settings in the first
round.
>Therefore, you should have the hard disk parameters ready
(cyliner, sector,
>etc.).  If the CMOS setting has HDD Auto Detection option, you
can let the
>CMOS to set the hard disk.
>Regards.
>
>-- Biwu Yang
>

Hi,
   Just a quick word about this technique.  Some ATX
motherboards have to be UNPLUGGED from the outlet before the
switch (jumper) is set.  This is because there is always power
running to the motherboard, even when the computer is off.
(This comes from a motherboard's web site, but I can't remember
which one (I think FIC)).

Donald Gaither

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