password problems

We gave my daughter a laptop for graduation she has left home leaving her laptop useless because she has it password protected. She will tell us what it is..I know that it is a pasario and it is running vista is there anything we can do to get it back..even if it means bringing it back to factory. I know i my xp there is key you can hit when it boots up to give you a restore option. The key on vista is apparently not the same..can you help

 

extra info at one time she was networked to my pc so she could use my wireless..but for some reason my computer will not show hers is there a back door that way

 

Are you having trouble with a Windows login password for a certain user account, or is this a 'power on' password; meaning that the password is in the PC's BIOS and you're prompted for the password almost immediately after turning on the laptop.... If it's the latter of the two, there's not much we can do for you, if it's a Windows account password, there may be some hope.

hd2k

 

we are prompted for password immediatley before the screen even comes up

 

OK- this is called a 'power on password' (or "POP" for short). Generally speaking, POP's are IMPOSSIBLE to remove without knowing what the original password is. There are devices and services advertised on eBay (and other places on the web) that claim to remove power on passwords. I haven't used any of these services or devices, so I can't really vouch for their usefulness or success rate(s). One thing you can try: go to the PC makers web site and see if they have any info about passwords for your exact model of laptop. Try using their 'tech-chat' if available or send tech support an email. Also, locate a manual for the laptop. Find out where the CMOS (also called RTC or BIOS) battery is located. Sometimes removing this battery (and the main battery) for over 24 or 48 hours will remove the password; but that's usually only on older models. I've seen lists of 'backdoor' passwords; supposedly entered by the BIOS or PC maker for situautions like yours. I've tried these passwords and never had them work, but I suppose it's always worth a shot. Here's a link: http://www.pwcrack.com/bios.shtml The passwords are listed about half-way down the page. These folks also offer password removal. You send them the laptop and for a fee, they'll remove the password. I haven't used this particular company, or their services, so I cannot personally recommend them. I know all this doesn't help too much, but it's something. I've had quite a bit of experience dealing with POP's, and have only been able to reset 2 passwords myself, without having to mail the PC or without taking it totally apart and replacing chips on the mainbaord, or replacing the mainbaord itself. Well, good luck, and keep us posted!!!!

hd2k

 

As Hopperdave says, a laptop seldom has the same features as a pc, and I did a lot of research, and tried several 'fixes', as I have been asked previously to help people get past them.
Believe me, sometimes, you can replace the hard drive, and possibly reset up the laptop, but otherwise, apart from a tool someone made up for some tochiba laptops (which I did not attempt to make , or, use), I found nothing got rid of that password to get into the bios. So, Hopperdave did exceptionally well to beat a couple.

 

The 2 I was able to reset were on identical older models (old Tecra's or Libretto's I think). I found a schematic online to build a 'boot blocker' that goes into the parallel port. Using an old printer cable, you connect pins a & b to pin c, connect pins d, e, and f to pins g and h... and so on... you plug it into the parallel port and it allowed you to boot to the floppy, where I had a CMOS reset program (I think it was called BIOSkill or something similar) that wiped out all BIOS settings to 'day 0' from the factory.... but that only worked on select older Toshiba's. Ya know, the 3 inch think gray ones that weighed like 20 pounds

hd2k

 

Sounds just like the tool that I looked at, - that appears to be the answer, getting the floppy killbios/bioskill to work- I had no luck.
Tim,
You would think the manufacturers would help, if they know it is the genuine owner, but from what I have encountered, they don't, even if you can prove its yours. - If anyone does get the manufacturer to help, other than returning it and having a new hard drive fitted, ( One such owner fitted a new hard drive, and was able to use the laptop again, but, still could get nothing off the old one, without specialist help.)I would appreciate it being posted- it could help a lot of people.

 

It's been my experience that the manufacturers generally say that they can do nothing other than install a new motherboard for $400+... at least that's what Dell and HP have told me in the past. Hopefully Toshiba will be more helpful. I would think that if you can 'prove' the laptop is yours with receipts and serial numbers and such, that they'd be more likely to help the customer unlock their PC..... good luck! and let us know what happens!

hd2k

 

One point about laptop Bios pasword protection - it stops the hard drive spinning up somehow, so reading off another computer, even is not a go.
As Hopperdave said, older Toshiba's might be crackable, but newer one's............Security of data, is deemed ttoo important.

 

hi jcdgl,

sometimes the easiest way to solve a problem is not the expected one. You gave your daughter a laptop for graduation and she left it useless. She password protected it. She will tell you what it is. (was that a typo? Did you mean she won't tell you?)

In this case, it might be easier to work on this part of the problem and solve the laptop problem by solving the problems with your daughter. From your post, it sounds like this is not your laptop. It belongs to your daughter and she doesn't want you to get into it.

abri