Found an old computer Dell Optiplex GX100 - has a password for bios?

I found a dell Opitex GX100 computer. It seems to work, but it has a
password for the bios...I am trying to format the harddrive as well
to
put XP on it, but I would like to change the boot sequence. Should I
try and flash the bios to erase the password?
Also, I am not sure of how much RAM is installed because it is a DELL
and it doesn't tell me at start up. I am hoping that getting into
the
bios will help me with that.

Lastly, is there a good FORMAT software for the floppy drive so I can
format and then run XP from the CD rom drive to install?

I have tried taking out the battery for over 30 minutes and the
password is still enabled. Any ideas?

You don't have to flash the BIOS to reset the password, just clear the CMOS
memory. Mortherboard jumper is moved from, say, pins 1/2 to pins 2/3 for ten
minutes then back. You will then have to make any necessary changes to BIOS,
such as date/time/etc when you boot.

"David D" <netrate@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:eb622e72-1ce0-40d2-95f3-852fd00c02de@25g2000hsx.googlegroups.com...
>I found a dell Opitex GX100 computer. It seems to work, but it has a
> password for the bios...I am trying to format the harddrive as well
> to
> put XP on it, but I would like to change the boot sequence. Should I
> try and flash the bios to erase the password?
> Also, I am not sure of how much RAM is installed because it is a DELL
> and it doesn't tell me at start up. I am hoping that getting into
> the
> bios will help me with that.
>
> Lastly, is there a good FORMAT software for the floppy drive so I can
> format and then run XP from the CD rom drive to install?
>
> I have tried taking out the battery for over 30 minutes and the
> password is still enabled. Any ideas?
>

I don't have the manual and don't know where those pins are. Thanks
for that, I am not sure what to do because I am unsure where on the
motherboard those jumpers are...

On Jun 26, 6:28 pm, "Jerry" <ChiefZekeNoS...@MSN.com> wrote:
> You don't have to flash the BIOS to reset the password, just clear the CMOS
> memory. Mortherboard jumper is moved from, say, pins 1/2 to pins 2/3 for ten
> minutes then back. You will then have to make any necessary changes to BIOS,
> such as date/time/etc when you boot.
>
>

"David D" <netrate@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:b8a8aa5b-0c46-4b01-b98e-4f246882fc49@l42g2000hsc.googlegroups.com...

> I don't have the manual and don't know where those pins are. Thanks
> for that, I am not sure what to do because I am unsure where on the
> motherboard those jumpers are...
>
> On Jun 26, 6:28 pm, "Jerry" <ChiefZekeNoS...@MSN.com> wrote:
> > You don't have to flash the BIOS to reset the password, just clear the
CMOS
> > memory. Mortherboard jumper is moved from, say, pins 1/2 to pins 2/3 for
ten
> > minutes then back. You will then have to make any necessary changes to
BIOS,
> > such as date/time/etc when you boot.

You do not have to bother with jumpers. To clear the BIOS
(to default settings, with no password) just remove the CMOS
battery for a couple of minutes. If this PC is years old you
might as well buy a new CMOS battery. Take the old one to
the store and match it exactly. The battery is a silver disc,
the size of a US niickel, probably held to the motherboard
by a clip of some sort. (Yours currently prompts for a BIOS
password, i.e. the CMOS still has some voltage. The
point is that they all run down in time, and when they do
they can cause boot problems that suggest other
failures, e.g. power supply. $3 spent on a new CMOS
avoids this.)

--
Don Phillipson
Carlsbad Springs
(Ottawa, Canada)

I did take out the battery for over 30 minutes and replaced it. No
dice, the password still comes up.


On Jun 26, 7:28 pm, "Don Phillipson" <e...@SPAMBLOCK.ncf.ca> wrote:
> "David D" <netr...@yahoo.com> wrote in message
>
> news:b8a8aa5b-0c46-4b01-b98e-4f246882fc49@l42g2000hsc.googlegroups.com...
>
>
>
> > I don't have the manual and don't know where those pins are. Thanks
> > for that, I am not sure what to do because I am unsure where on the
> > motherboard those jumpers are...
>
> > On Jun 26, 6:28 pm, "Jerry" <ChiefZekeNoS...@MSN.com> wrote:
> > > You don't have to flash the BIOS to reset the password, just clear the
> CMOS
> > > memory. Mortherboard jumper is moved from, say, pins 1/2 to pins 2/3 for
> ten
> > > minutes then back. You will then have to make any necessary changes to
> BIOS,
> > > such as date/time/etc when you boot.
>
> You do not have to bother with jumpers. To clear the BIOS
> (to default settings, with no password) just remove the CMOS
> battery for a couple of minutes. If this PC is years old you
> might as well buy a new CMOS battery. Take the old one to
> the store and match it exactly. The battery is a silver disc,
> the size of a US niickel, probably held to the motherboard
> by a clip of some sort. (Yours currently prompts for a BIOS
> password, i.e. the CMOS still has some voltage. The
> point is that they all run down in time, and when they do
> they can cause boot problems that suggest other
> failures, e.g. power supply. $3 spent on a new CMOS
> avoids this.)
>
> --
> Don Phillipson
> Carlsbad Springs
> (Ottawa, Canada)

David D wrote:

> I did take out the battery for over 30 minutes and replaced it. No
> dice, the password still comes up.

Leave it out overnight and CMOS will be set to defaults (no password).

Malke
--
MS-MVP
Elephant Boy Computers - Don't Panic!
FAQ - http://www.elephantboycomputers.com/#FAQ

On Thu, 26 Jun 2008 15:15:32 -0700 (PDT), David D <netrate@yahoo.com>
wrote:

>I found a dell Opitex GX100 computer. It seems to work, but it has a
>password for the bios...I am trying to format the harddrive as well
>to
>put XP on it, but I would like to change the boot sequence. Should I
>try and flash the bios to erase the password?
>Also, I am not sure of how much RAM is installed because it is a DELL
>and it doesn't tell me at start up. I am hoping that getting into
>the
>bios will help me with that.
>
>Lastly, is there a good FORMAT software for the floppy drive so I can
>format and then run XP from the CD rom drive to install?
>
>I have tried taking out the battery for over 30 minutes and the
>password is still enabled. Any ideas?
Why ask HERE? BIOS is accessed LONG before the OS loads so your
question is out of place.

Ask elsewhere

The pins are labelled on the motherboard: CMOS - the jumper will be one
1/2 - you change it to the other two - 2/3 - or the opposite; whichever will
work.

"David D" <netrate@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:b8a8aa5b-0c46-4b01-b98e-4f246882fc49@l42g2000hsc.googlegroups.com...
>I don't have the manual and don't know where those pins are. Thanks
> for that, I am not sure what to do because I am unsure where on the
> motherboard those jumpers are...
>
> On Jun 26, 6:28 pm, "Jerry" <ChiefZekeNoS...@MSN.com> wrote:
>> You don't have to flash the BIOS to reset the password, just clear the
>> CMOS
>> memory. Mortherboard jumper is moved from, say, pins 1/2 to pins 2/3 for
>> ten
>> minutes then back. You will then have to make any necessary changes to
>> BIOS,
>> such as date/time/etc when you boot.
>>
>>

Try this link
http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q...x+GX100+manual
and then this one
http://support.ap.dell.com/docs/syst...0/en/index.htm


David D wrote:

> I don't have the manual and don't know where those pins are. Thanks
> for that, I am not sure what to do because I am unsure where on the
> motherboard those jumpers are...
>
> On Jun 26, 6:28 pm, "Jerry" <ChiefZekeNoS...@MSN.com> wrote:
>
>>You don't have to flash the BIOS to reset the password, just clear the CMOS
>>memory. Mortherboard jumper is moved from, say, pins 1/2 to pins 2/3 for ten
>>minutes then back. You will then have to make any necessary changes to BIOS,
>>such as date/time/etc when you boot.
>>
>>

Well, it seems that I have some other problems. I took out the hard
drive and loaded Win 2000 on it using another computer. It worked
great and then when I reinstalled the HD, I now get the blue screen
saying the HD is inaccessible. It must be the drivers on the DELL
motherboard or something that is doing it. I was hoping to find a
piece of software that would work from the A drive or something -
going to Bootit.com and get the Win2000 boot disks, maybe that will
help, but not sure. I guess I am going to try leaving the battery out
overnight - try to set the boot to the CD drive the Win 2000, and if
that fails, it is going into the garbage.