Computer Geeks Needed...HELP

[nicotime]

Ok, I have my moms Dell 4700 WinXP and she got it loaded down with viruses and worms. I have run Malwarebytes that had 144 infected files and entries, AdAware, AVG and Spybot. Tried to download all of the Windows updates but it would get to 66% and freeze. I go in to System Settings and the boot sequence and other settings are locked due to a password that nobody ever set or knows. So now I cant boot from a cd and booting normally or safe mode just gets me the BSD. After I cleaned out everything I could find and rebooted I can no longer get past the BSD.

How can I clear the unknown password?
What else can I try other than just about everything in F2, F8 and F12?

 

[kristin]

Is the rollback function locked out, too?

 

[Charged]

Ok, I have my moms Dell 4700 WinXP and she got it loaded down with viruses and worms. I have run Malwarebytes that had 144 infected files and entries, AdAware, AVG and Spybot. Tried to download all of the Windows updates but it would get to 66% and freeze. I go in to System Settings and the boot sequence and other settings are locked due to a password that nobody ever set or knows. So now I cant boot from a cd and booting normally or safe mode just gets me the BSD. After I cleaned out everything I could find and rebooted I can no longer get past the BSD.

How can I clear the unknown password?
What else can I try other than just about everything in F2, F8 and F12?

nico are you talking about the bios boot sequence settings?
It sound like you are. Pull bios battery off the motherboard. There is normally a jumper next to the battery somewhere, After you pull the battery move the jumper to clear bios position and then put it back. Replace the battery and you should be able to adjust the bios settings.

 

[Cricker]

Yes sounds like a BIOS password. Some Bios's have Default passwords that may work. But Charged is correct if it is a BIOS password. Remove the CMOS battery. Looks like a silver disc usually like a large nickel or small quarter. You may also have to short the board. BE VERY CAREFUL DOING THIS. Go online try to google the motherboard, then google how to reset the BIOS password of THAT motherboard model. Usually only requires you to touch two pins with like a pair of pliers etc..

Im assuming you are doing this because you are trying to change the boot order in BIOS in order to boot from disc?? have you tried pressing F12 to get to the one time boot menu?? If this is a different problem let me know Ill try to answer when I get off work from Geek Squad LOL

 

[nicotime]

Is the rollback function locked out, too?

If your talking about the last good configuration...yes

nico are you talking about the bios boot sequence settings?
It sound like you are. Pull bios battery off the motherboard. There is normally a jumper next to the battery somewhere, After you pull the battery move the jumper to clear bios position and then put it back. Replace the battery and you should be able to adjust the bios settings.

I'll get the MB diagram from Dell website and give that a try C.

Thanks guys.

 

[Cricker]

Where in MD are you LOL Im in NOVA, perhaps I can help ya. I really do work for Geek Squad haha

 

[nicotime]

Yes sounds like a BIOS password. Some Bios's have Default passwords that may work. But Charged is correct if it is a BIOS password. Remove the CMOS battery. Looks like a silver disc usually like a large nickel or small quarter. You may also have to short the board. BE VERY CAREFUL DOING THIS. Go online try to google the motherboard, then google how to reset the BIOS password of THAT motherboard model. Usually only requires you to touch two pins with like a pair of pliers etc..

Im assuming you are doing this because you are trying to change the boot order in BIOS in order to boot from disc?? have you tried pressing F12 to get to the one time boot menu?? If this is a different problem let me know Ill try to answer when I get off work from Geek Squad LOL

Yep...tried everything in F12. Yeah...if I can change the boot sequence I have a Smithfraud disk and the Dell OS cd to try a system restore. Thanks

 

[nicotime]

Where in MD are you LOL Im in NOVA, perhaps I can help ya. I really do work for Geek Squad haha

Let me give this a try and if it doesnt work I'll let you know Cricker...thanks

 

[Charged]

To clear bios password on the Dell 4700.

 

[rannox]

Dells tend to be missing normal things like a cmos jumper reset (you usually dont need to pull the battery if u have one). Bsod in safe mode usually means bad drivers for something vital. Malwarebytes might have seen something as a false positive and removed it. Good program, just get a lot of false positives.

If you have the battery you can unplug it for about 5-15 mins (hopefully its not a soldered one) and unlug the power cable as well.

If that doesn't work there are some other methods, kind of a ..... but they work. Basically research bios password removal, and try to get a boot disk. I think ultimate boot cd might have one built in, havent had to do that in a few years soo... yeah, lol.

 

[rannox]

lol, apparently that one has one... lol

To clear bios password on the Dell 4700.

 

[voltaire]

Before you do the jumper thing to wipe out the settings it would be wise to write down all the current settings that aren't default or auto-config...

 

[nicotime]

Yep got it C...but do I need to clear the CMOS or just the password? And it says to put the passw jumper on 2&3...but do I put it back on 1&2 like clearing the CMOS instructs...or do them both?

 

[voltaire]

Oh I didn't see the above where that board has a seperate jumper for just the password. Definitely just clear the password and not the CMOS.

Put it on 2&3 of the Password jumpers, then put it back on 1&2 of the Password jumpers. Don't touch the CMOS jumpers at all.

 

[nicotime]

Well...cleared the password...changed the boot to cd first and still get the BSD???????

 

[Dkrom68]

After moving jumper start computer and allow it to get past bios the shut down and replace jumper to 1 and 2 just doing it with computer off wont change anything

 

[Bobnoxious]

I'm not real sure what all this stuff is about with clearing the CMOS, but just run Malwarebytes in SAFE MODE first.

 

[nicotime]

Yep did that...I got the pass cleared, the cd changed to the first boot device and saved...go out of bios to the F12 screen and tried Safe...normal..last known and still BSD. It doesnt even act like its trying to boot the cd, but maybe the dell reinstall cd is not formatted as a boot disk.

 

[nicotime]

cant get to safe mode

 

[rannox]

Well...cleared the password...changed the boot to cd first and still get the BSD???????

in the boot sequence disable all but the cd, the hd should still be read once in the cd's os, but nothing booted from it.

If you do not get the option to boot from cd, then either the cd is bad or the cdrom is bad.