win 98 password

I'm going to try and fix a fellow at works old 166mhz computer, but!
Its password protected and I can't get him on the phone, he may be out of town working, probably is.
Anyway how do I get past his password? I told him at first that depending on whats wrong I may have to format and start from scratch, he said OK. But I'd rather not. This is a freebe so the quicker I get done the better.

 

Usually just closing [X] the window works.. the machine will continue on to the desktop. If not tried safe mode?
OR...
1)when the computer boots keep pressing F8 until you get to a boot screen.

2)Select boot in DOS.

3)Get yourself into the windows folder by typing "cd windows" (without the "")

4)next type "dir *.pwl". This will display the login password files.

5)after you found out the one thats yours (or ne1 elses you want to get into) type del username.pwl

6)Reboot the computer

 

Can't get anything but type password. F8 still brings me to the password with no other options. F1 for setup brings me to the password with no other options. Boot disk same thing.
If I can't get into the computer is there a way to just format?? Reset bios??? Hit it with a hammer????

 

hold down the left shift key and you can boot into safe mode..
Even from a boot disk? Is BIOS skipping boot from floppy? I had this problem with a 95 machine & safe mode got by it.. DOS surelly will...

 

Why don't you try to crack it with knoppix std

http://www.knoppix-std.org/

and crack it using this code pwl9x

 

I'll try that tonight, thanks!

I'll try the knoppix disk also, I have one here but I don't think it will work it appears to show the password long before any boot process takes place.

 

So it is a BIOS password? Look up the motherboard settings find the jumper to clear cmos password and pull it... that will clear it.

 

Pull the battery out for a few minutes....that'll do it.

 

Well pulling the battery out didn't work, and I can't find the cmos jumper, shoot it's hard to find the memory. It's one of those machines that weights a ton and hides the mother board behind "EVERYTHING"
I talked to the guy that I was going to fix it for, he doesn't know the password either. Said it's been sitting in the closet for 5 years.

 

If this is a BIOS password, pulling the battery on the motherboard should clear it.

If it is a Windows 98 password, and the system is 5 years old, just wipe and load.

 

The system is probably ten years old. I pulled the battery and left it out for atleast twenty mins while I did something else but it didn't work.

BUT as I was sitting contemplating what to do I saw some writing on the inside of the cover that I removed. You know what it said

J1F2-1 and 2 enable password
J1F2- 2 and 3 disable password
It never even crossed my mind to look inside the case for.........directions?

 

Like I said pulling the jumper will fix it... the battery does not always do it.. but if it has a jumper it will...(I think that is why it is there ).

 

So it worked?

 

Couldn't find a bios jumper anywhere. The jumper I had to change stayed in the 2-3 position it had nothing to do with the bios. When I pulled the battery it reset the bios but it didn't effect the pass word.