[tzar]

Hello there,

I am trying to access the BIOS to enable an on-board USB. However, the BIOS is password-protected, the work of the outgoing IT staff who has since left the company.

I know I can reset the BIOS by taking out the CMOS battery and letting the CMOS bleed for a few minutes, right? NOW, when I opened the PC and looked at the motherboard, it looked like no PC I've ever seen before! I think its a workstation or something. And there's NO CMOS battery! How then do I bleed the CMOS so that I can reset the BIOS? Or is there any other way I can get around the password prompt? The IT staff who left is not answering any of our calls.
I'm sure some of you sheer Guru's know of a way. Please advise.

 

[ceri sheeran]

Hi,

Normally this can be solved by removing the BIOS battery for 30 minutes or so.

If you have no obvious BIOS battery, then it can often be a battery soldered onto the motherboard. It may be hidden under power supply or something else.

Also look for a maintenance jumper on the motherboard (usually near the BIOS battery). This normally has a single jumper across two of the three pins and is moved to the other two pins to clear the BIOS.

Go to the computer or motherboard manufacturers web site and look for details of layout of the motherboard.

Alternatively look at a Flash BIOS upgrade

Please provide details of the computer make & model and the motherboard & O/S

It is highly unlikely that there is no battery.

hth

Ceri

 

[raybro]

Hi tzar. ceri sheeran's advice is right on target, but I advise this.... The process will also take ALL your BIOS settings back to default. Not that you have a lot of options since you cannot get into your BIOS to see what your current settings are.

Just thought you would like to know about this "side effect" in case something odd or unexpected happens after the fact.