Question

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    Topic
  • #2158179

    Reset Bios Password

    Locked

    by pitroadrush ·

    Hello, I just bought Dell desktop optiplex 330 from my previous work, 3 weeks old pc. But, the bios is password protected and I did not received the password.
    Is there a way I can delete/reset this password and give me full access to the PC.
    Dell Desktop Optiplex 330.
    Thanks,

All Answers

  • Author
    Replies
    • #2773110

      Clarifications

      by pitroadrush ·

      In reply to Reset Bios Password

      Clarifications

    • #2773104

      Check manual

      by larryd4 ·

      In reply to Reset Bios Password

      Their is a BIOS reset jumper switch on the board.

    • #2773103

      TR members do not assist in password recovery or removal.

      by thumbsup2 ·

      In reply to Reset Bios Password

      [b][u]Do not respond to this thread.[/u][/b]

      We, the members of TechRepublic – A Resource for IT Professionals, will not assist anyone in the recovery/removal of lost passwords. You may have a legitimate reason to recover/remove a password. However, we cannot verify your motives and will therefore not assist anyone in what may be an attempt at gaining unauthorized access to a computer system. Due to the open nature of this forum, any assistance given to help circumvent security measures, even for legitimate purposes, would be available for unscrupulous individuals to use for illegitimate purposes. This is a risk that we, the members of TechRepublic, [b]will not take[/b]. Please do not ask questions of this nature on TechRepublic.

      If you have a legitimate need to circumvent a password scheme, please contact the vendor for the software / hardware and request their assistance. E.g. Windows XP password recovery/removal issues should be taken up with Microsoft’s technical support, Phoenix BIOS password recovery/removal issues should be taken up with Phoenix Technologies, hard drive password recovery/removal should be taken up with the manufacturer of the hard drive, etc…

      [b][u]To those viewing this post: Please DO NOT respond any further to this thread.[/u][/b]

      [i]This template has been released under the GNU public license and you are encouraged to use it as a standard reply for questions of similar nature, provided that you make any modifications available to other users.[/i]

      You can take it back to your previous work and ask the technicians to reset the BIOS password to either nothing at all, or at least something you can remember. Short of doing that, your only option is to contact DELL.

      • #2773097

        Oh come on

        by larryd4 ·

        In reply to TR members do not assist in password recovery or removal.

        I can see trying to hack an OS account or circum-navigating a network account but a documented method of reseting CMOS settings?

        Any A+ book shows you how to do it..

        • #2773086

          larryat

          by shasca ·

          In reply to Oh come on

          Is a thumb really that important to you that you would give up your ethics?

          It’s not a matter of know how. It’s a matter of “we as trained and educated professionals do not condone piracy, or the encouragemant of unethical behaviour”. i.e. hacking.

          You aren’t enrolled in troll school are you?

        • #2773072

          Piracy????

          by larryd4 ·

          In reply to larryat

          I do not condone piracy and clearly understand security but we are talking about a question that is as common as how to format a hard drive, which brings up an excellent point.

          Instead of asking how can I get around a user password what if the poster states, I have a PC I purchased from my company and I want to install a new OS but I want to format the HD first how would I do that?

          Do we know that the PC is actually theirs?

          Do we know if this person actually purchased it or is just trying to setup a stolen PC for his or her own use??

          I am all for not posting on techniques and ways to hack, crack, or otherwise glean information off of a PC.

          But ignoring the fact that every PC in the world has a jumper that wipes the CMOS settings is just plain, head in the sand, goofy.

        • #2773064

          Not going to win me over

          by shasca ·

          In reply to Piracy????

          I’m not going to agre with you.

          You also seem to have a penchant that if someone posts something you don’t agree with it is your responsiblity to tell the world of your vast intellectual prowess even at the expense of your TR peers.

          Justa wee bit arrogant don’t ya think……

        • #2773059

          Arrogant?

          by larryd4 ·

          In reply to Not going to win me over

          Arrogant? No I don’t think so, but since you feel the need to goad this more. As a prior A+ instructor I know what’s out their as common knowledge. As a community, if you want to insist on sticking your head in the sand and saying sorry we don’t do that, in reguards to documented hardware configs across an entire industry, then thats the choice you make.
          TR is moderated and if they feel the post is in violation of their policies it will be removed. But when someone posts a blanket policy statement and are obvioulsy not a moderator, then they open it up to discussion.

          I did not instuct the user on how to circumnavigate the BIOS password I simply made the obviouse statement that every PC has a jumper to reset the BIOS switch. And every Dell PC has those instructions in the manual. The same manual thats shipped with the PC and is readily available online for free at the Dell support site.

          Oh and I have no intention of trying to win you over. Since I have no concern as to your opinon. But I will address anyone who tells me I have no concern for security.

        • #2773051

          OK. Thank you.

          by shasca ·

          In reply to Arrogant?

          ………………..

        • #2772964

          Really?

          by the scummy one ·

          In reply to Piracy????

          But ignoring the fact that every PC in the world has a jumper that wipes the CMOS settings is just plain, head in the sand, goofy.

          I beg to differ on this opinion. As there are many computers that do not have a jumper setting to bypass the BIOS password. In fact, some need verification from the manufacturer to get a reset code to plug in and override the Admin PW or boot PW.

          I think you are working on old systems

        • #2772961

          Really?

          by larryd4 ·

          In reply to Really?

          Except for Laptops, which are now being manufactured without the jumper or are so hidden you can’t get to them, every Dell desktop system we get which is either XPS or Optiplex, has a jumper.

          The brand new Lenovo desktops have them, even our newest Dell poweredge blade servers have them.

          The HP Blackbird a buddy of mine bought about 6 months ago has the jumper.

          I’m curious to see who would remove them, since it seems pretty silly to pay to have the PC shipped back to the manufacturer or dispatch a tech just reset a lost BIOS password.

        • #2992904

          My Mombo…

          by —tk— ·

          In reply to Really?

          doesn’t have any Jumpers at all… Its really new but regardless… None what so ever… LOL… to reset the BIOS, you push a button.. 132-YW-E180-A1 is the model from EVGA…

        • #2773077

          bios reset…

          by pitroadrush ·

          In reply to Oh come on

          Something do not make sense… agree Larry… So I guess I have to be a company to request any information…

        • #2773047

          Not really

          by bizzo ·

          In reply to bios reset…

          The upshot of this is that we get a lot of people asking how to bypass passwords, and as we don’t know whether the machine is stolen or geniune, we cannot really give the solution.

          If the machine has genuinely been bought from your previous company, then the best thing to do is to contact them and either ask them for the password, or take it to them and ask them to remove it.

          If you cannot contact that company again, for whatever reason, you will need to contact Dell, be able to prove proof of ownership, and they should help you.

        • #2773045

          Then let the poster buy an A+ book.

          by jdclyde ·

          In reply to Oh come on

          If the posters story is true, then why would he not go back to his previous employer and have them unlock the bios?

          The only reason they would not, is if he did not legally purchase that system as claimed.

          Still want to spoon feed him the answer, knowing he is a thief?

        • #2773039

          careful

          by shasca ·

          In reply to Then let the poster buy an A+ book.

          he bites

        • #2773029

          No I don’t

          by larryd4 ·

          In reply to Then let the poster buy an A+ book.

          Define spoon fed?

          My point is if I provided a link to the manual or explained where this all was on MB sure I would agree with the argument, that I was spoon feeding.

          But if you are assuming that this person doesn’t know much, since he has to post the question to begin with.

          Then by simply stating the obvious which is all PC’s have a bios reset switch on the MB, is it really going to help them get any farther?

          And more over shouldn’t it be the job of the moderators to post these warnings and remove these types of posts?

        • #2773020

          Fish

          by wizard-09 ·

          In reply to No I don’t

          Did you not smell it from the post, 3 week old PC he got from work, so they sold him a 3 week old pc and put a BIOS password on it for what reason?

          Maybe it in’t his and if it is you should have told him to go back to the company.

        • #2773002

          Fish

          by larryd4 ·

          In reply to Fish

          Ok so the post is Fishy, but let me play devil’s advocate.

          I’m simply a clerk with simple computer skills who is either been working for the company or has just started but either way they down size and/or farm out a division or department. To bring money back in to the company they decide to sell the 100 or so PC’s they bought in the last year to staff and friends of staff. But IT who was downsized or as usual is under staffed does not have the time to format and re-install the OS. But since all the data was stored on their servers we can just sell the PC’s.

          Which they do and the person who purchased it wants to get in to their BIOS and not wait 3 to 6 months to get a response from IT.

          More over IT doesn’t want to give out the set BIOS password because its the same password for the rest of the PC’s still being used in the company.

          And this guys asks IT dept. or a friend how to reset the BIOS password and they tell them to post here.

          My point is reseting a BIOS chip whether its a battery or the jumper is common knowledge. And by my statement, check your manual, doesn’t automatically make me on board with hacking and scamming for accounts.

          In fact if this person obtained the PC legally or illegally if anyone is at fault it’s the company that the PC came from.

          Because either they security is so lax that anyone can walk out the door with a PC under their arms or they failed to prep the PC before they sold it.

        • #2772983

          Ok

          by pitroadrush ·

          In reply to Fish

          Great, pretty much is people buy computer from stores or clone your own. Do not buy second hand computer or accept computer from someone because people think you stole that crap at end of the day who might care a crook or not, online posting where nobody knows how is. Reset previous password to put your own hardware. No matter it is legit or not post from me or others will think the same thing. Hardware question.

        • #2772951

          A year old computer

          by the scummy one ·

          In reply to Fish

          and a 3 week old computer aer not the same. But, the fact is, the company put a BIOS PW on it, why cant they remove it if they ‘sold’ it to him/her?
          How many companies will buy a new computer only to sell it off a few weeks later due to downsizing? They would rid themselves of the older items first.

          The point is, we do not offer this kind of help. It IS a security feature, no matter how readily available the information is from a Google search. As Security is being asked to be bypassed, we SHOULD NOT lead a person to anyplace other than the manufacturer. I dont even care if it IS IN the owners manual.

        • #2772968

          Just because…

          by cmiller5400 ·

          In reply to No I don’t

          Just because the information is out there, doesn’t mean that we have to point to it.

          WE as a COMMUNITY decided not to answer these questions and to post a blanket response on password issues. You have only been around with your account for a little over a year, so maybe it was before your time…

          Here’s my point…

          Good afternoon all, I have recently purchased a car from a friend but he misplaced the ignition keys. Can someone please tell me how to hot wire the car so I can use it?

          See my point, just because the information is available if a search with the proper keywords are used, doesn’t mean that it should be freely given out…

        • #2772952

          I understand your point

          by larryd4 ·

          In reply to Just because…

          I see your point but then consider this. If I were to ask a car club forum on how to hot wire a car, I may get yelled at, but I may also be told how. But the bottom line is there are tons of sites that show you how.

          http://www.google.com/search?q=How+to+hotwire+a+car&rls=com.microsoft:en-us&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&startIndex=&startPage=1

          I thought the posting of a giant paragraph of how its all so bad was pretty ridiculous. Since we are all in this field we are all aware of security issues. But I think it was shasca who put my back up when she eluded to the fact that I don’t care about security after my post.

          Erring on the side of safety I understand and being responsible IT people I also understand.

          But then again are we trying to help people who need it and direct them to learn more or is this just a place for techies to shout out?

          Further more the assumption that this person stole the computer just because of bad english is pretty arrogant don’t ya think?

          And the best part is I have been a member of TR a lot longer then my account suggests, but then again that doesn’t make to much of a difference.

        • #2772940

          keep digging

          by shasca ·

          In reply to I understand your point

          “But I think it was shasca who put my back up when she eluded to the fact that I don’t care about security after my post”.

        • #2772936

          ;)

          by larryd4 ·

          In reply to I understand your point

          shasca wants be sure this makes the TROLOV top 10 biggest posts of the week!

          Thats why we only see snyde comments rather then well thought out statements. 🙂

        • #2772867

          Question: (and I know the answer) Is this a security

          by silverbullet ·

          In reply to I understand your point

          or a simple hardware issue?

          I see Larry’s point and agree with all his posts. One must catagorize this on an individual basis not a global one. BIOS passwords are intended to secure the hardware not the data content. Come on now.

          Answer: hardware

        • #2772858

          Ok, now

          by the scummy one ·

          In reply to I understand your point

          lets say it was locked and he lied, he is at work and they locked the BIOS to stop people from changing some things (like boot order, multi-boot options, legacy USB, any USB, etc.).

          Maybe this person is working for an employer that does not want these options available. But he wants to copy data to a flash drive (blocked in Win and BIOS), so he wants to enable multi-boot, and boot order to boot to a live cd, then copy the data to the UB stick.

          You dont have the answers, and a password IS a security feature.

        • #2992911

          For the scummy one

          by silverbullet ·

          In reply to I understand your point

          Your hypothetical dance into la, la, land is less than amusing, however for the sake of your efforts my analysis is that the business lacks the very first level of any security,,,,,,,, physical!

          Ok he lied. Your hypothetical business does not demonstrate to secure their resources with any means of ?first? level security. We can discuss 2nd, 3rd, and so on but the lack of physical security is not in place. No video surveillance, no access security to the building or room. With the proper physical security we are not having this discussion. That?s the answer!

          Here is my hypothetical. This business has no IT department to speak of. Each department is responsible for purchasing their own computer equipment. The procurement procedures are so loose that his manager uses the same to reward good employees with stuff. (cell phones, computers, credit card expenses for in-town meals ect.) The manager does this to retain the good guys. The manager?s boss is a tight ass that only seeks to reward with 1% raises. This company contracts The Geek Squad to set up any newly purchased equipment with what ?they? deem necessary. All the passwords in the world are not going to protect this company from any level of breach. The answer is the same!

        • #2992880

          What??

          by the scummy one ·

          In reply to I understand your point

          “my analysis is that the business lacks the very first level of any security,,,,,,,, physical! ”

          Ok, that is if, the OP is telling the truth and it is at home, what if it was at work and the OP is just trying to bypass the security? Hmmm, maybe the OP is on the level, but someone later is searching around and sees the answer here?

          It is not the goal for us to give out cracks or bypass security at ANY level. If you cant understand that, I feel sorry for you.

          “No video surveillance, no access security to the building or room.”
          Where did this come from? Out from L. field apparently.
          What if the computer IS locked to the desk, at work? and again, what if the OP is not the issue, but some other reader of these posts later? Again, I say you fail

          “Here is my hypothetical. This business has no IT department to speak of. Each department is responsible for purchasing their own computer equipment.”

          Ok, then why is there a BIOS lock?

          We can go round and round all day, however, this is a security feature, and we discourage ANY posts that will help to crack the security of a system, regardless of how easy the information is to obtain elsewhere.

          The only thing I see in your post is an argument just to argue. Nothing else. We have revisited this several times already — for more information about our views here, keep reading through the thread

        • #2992854

          What!

          by silverbullet ·

          In reply to I understand your point

          Scummy, first,,,,,,,,, this is “your” hypothetical because you think he is lying. Him lying is not a fact. So research and discover the facts before proceeding.

          I don’t like hypotheticals situations,,, especially with a dilettante, tyro, or any novice. You seem to want to set the parameters for every post on this thread.

          If “What” is your response, I need to better utilize my time with more meaningful banter. Your cookie cutter ideas are not relative with the hunderds of clients I have seen, and helped over the past 25 years. I’m glad you are not reponsible for security where I work.

        • #2992840

          Whatever

          by the scummy one ·

          In reply to I understand your point

          “Scummy, first,,,,,,,,, this is “your” hypothetical because you think he is lying. Him lying is not a fact. So research and discover the facts before proceeding.”

          I brought up a situation as, hypothetical. Whether or not I think he is lying should not matter, so researching this person and situation does not require the fact. You completely miss the point in the entirety and I am tired of playing and re-typing the same thing over and over again. If you dont understand by reading through these posts, you probably never will, no matter how many times it is explained.

          “I don’t like hypotheticals situations,,, especially with a dilettante, tyro, or any novice. You seem to want to set the parameters for every post on this thread.”

          really, I havent replied to every post. But OK, whatever. I have been explaining the situation when things were called into question. This is the way we do things. But as I said, the clueless will stay clueless until they open their eyes.

          “If “What” is your response, I need to better utilize my time with more meaningful banter. Your cookie cutter ideas are not relative with the hunderds of clients I have seen, and helped over the past 25 years. I’m glad you are not reponsible for security where I work.”

          I really have no idea wtf you are talking about here, nor do I care.

        • #2992831

          Scummybreath/SB

          by shasca ·

          In reply to I understand your point

          “BREATH SCUMMY BREATH”!!! your are starting to hypervetilate. Not worth your time and effort.

          Hello wall

        • #2992830

          LOL

          by the scummy one ·

          In reply to I understand your point

          yes, I am too calm, maybe there is not enough airflow here for me to get upset.
          Hmmm — more thoughts to ponder.

        • #2992807

          Silver Mullet reveals something about his character

          by jiminpa ·

          In reply to I understand your point

          or lack there of.

          “I don’t like hypotheticals situations,,, especially with a dilettante, tyro, or any novice. You seem to want to set the parameters for every post on this thread.”

          A direct attack is hardly the way to get your point across.

          “Your cookie cutter ideas are not relative with the hunderds of clients I have seen, and helped over the past 25 years.”

          and here he reveals his own insecurities.

          Tsk Tsk Tsk.

          Even TR senior editors do not believe it is a good idea

          http://techrepublic.com.com/5208-10879-0.html?forumID=101&threadID=305220&messageID=3042164

        • #2992798

          Character flaw

          by jdclyde ·

          In reply to I understand your point

          To knowingly help someone break the password on a system that is not theirs is knowingly helping a thief.

          Can you say “accessory to a crime”?

          If he legally purchased that system, he would be able to approach the people that sold it to him to unlock the hardware.

          According to his story, he knows who it was that sold him the system, and is unreasonable to think they would not unlock it for him.

        • #2772955

          We are a community

          by the scummy one ·

          In reply to No I don’t

          and as such are partially responsible for the ethics of said community. So it should not rest solely on the over-worked moderator of many different sites to filter through these 24/7.

          Besides, why do you think many manufacturers are working hard at ways to block these? Stolen equipment, that is why!
          Look around, HDD manufacturers are making HDD’s physically destroy the disks if they detect being tampered with. Motherboard manufacturers are setting multiple layer PW for differing things, and including TPM chips. For Notebooks, these are more common, because they are most likely to be stolen, and they add that you must call for a specific code to enter at a specific time to override the protections.
          Why do you think the protections are EVEN THERE in the first place? Are you a friggin MORON to understand this? What good is having the protection, and using it, if it is useless?

    • #2773102

      Re: Reset BIOS

      by tardcart ·

      In reply to Reset Bios Password

      Oops… didn’t read the post above. Sorry.

    • #2773049

      If you bought it legally

      by jdclyde ·

      In reply to Reset Bios Password

      go back to your previous work and ask them to unlock the bios for you.

      A reasonable request, if your little story is true.

      • #2772728

        Not necessarily…

        by wtrths ·

        In reply to If you bought it legally

        Many companies sell their old computers that are otherwise laying around waiting for disposal to employees for minimal fees. They usually remove all OS and company licenses, and users are encouraged to find their own OS, drivers, etc.

        So his story is plausible to me, seen it happen. IT usually may not assist the users, because it’s not an “official” sale.

        • #2992847

          that would be like selling a car without keys

          by jdclyde ·

          In reply to Not necessarily…

          it is one thing to not have an OS loaded, it is quite another to sell a locked product that is unusable.

          It is unreasonable to assume anyone legally selling a computer would not unlock the bios at time of sale, or afterwards if they honestly forgot.

        • #2992787

          We sell

          by ganyssa ·

          In reply to that would be like selling a car without keys

          our out-of-warranty PCs when we do mass replacements. As we have many more employees than PCs, we have a raffle for the opportunity to buy a PC, usually in the $25 to $50 range. We also have a BIOS password on all PCs that are deployed.

          The password is removed before sale, obviously. We’ve also forgotten on occasion. All you have to do is return it, and we’ll remove it. Cheerfully, even, because our boss will not allow it any other way. It is, after all, our mistake.

        • #2992786

          Do you sell

          by the scummy one ·

          In reply to We sell

          3-week old systems?
          If so, can I work for you? a 3-week old $30 system sounds good to me. Just hire me for like 2 days and I’ll grab a few systems and throw them on ebay 😀

        • #2992778

          five finger discount is more like it

          by jdclyde ·

          In reply to Do you sell

          It is a gullible person to believe this losers story.

          As a side note (while using that word) I was shocked to find that gullible is NOT in the Webster dictionary.

        • #2992771
        • #2992303

          You missed it Darre11

          by jdclyde ·

          In reply to five finger discount is more like it

          because only someone gullible would LOOK to see if it is there or not! :p

          Gotcha! 😀

          Damn, I crack myself up! ;\

        • #2992774

          Sorry, but no

          by ganyssa ·

          In reply to Do you sell

          they all have standard warranties, which means more like 3-year-old systems. It’s still a good deal, which is why we have to have a raffle. Not nearly the sort of deal the OP found, however.

    • #2772931

      To Sum up

      by larryd4 ·

      In reply to Reset Bios Password

      So as to not have it get lost in the rants within the thread, here is my point and I hope it makes sense.

      Someone posts who has locked themselves out of their PC because of a BIOS password issue. Whether its because its stolen, someone screwed up, they have no idea what they are doing, or the person is simply posting the wrong information.

      The bottom line they are coming to a place that is known for its help and assistance.

      You as a community have made a choice to not help these people in there need to fix their problem.

      Whether the problem is real or not you the community are making that choice. Now the bottom line is, the more popular posters are making that choice. I have never been asked if we should or shouldn’t answer a question such as how to reset a BIOS and the fact that I told a user to check their manual, doesn’t seem to me a problem.

      ThumbsUp2 decided to speak for the entire community and tell us not to post to this thread which in itself is irresponsible. No one should be assuming they post for all, especially in a public forum like this. Of anything this is arrogant and self assuming.

      Everyone is assuming this user is a thief, because of the context of his post, which is even more ridiculous.

      My point is I have always seen the TR forum a place to get and give help. And the bottom line is users screw up and I have seen users who know nothing get in to and mess up and their BIOS settings.

      So where is it so wrong to state the obvious “Check you manual”, rather than post a 3 to 4 paragraph rant on how evil this post is. I’ll tell ya right now if I was a noob user asking the same question and had no clue, I would never come back.

      • #2772927

        I didnt have a problem with the

        by the scummy one ·

        In reply to To Sum up

        “check your manual” advice, just like I wouldnt have a problem telling them to contact the place that they purchased it from, or the manufacturer of the system. To me, all of these are acceptable.

        As for TUp2, this response was agreed upon and has been used for over a year, by many members from a discussion thread. If you believe that this response should be changed or altered, start a discussion about it? The fact is that a large amount of TR regulars have agreed and used this template would suggest that we felt it was the responsible thing to do.
        As times change though, this may lead to an end (I doubt it though), but if you want to revisit the issue, be my guest.

        This is a community, more than just a website. And, as such, you are part of the community, and have an opinion and a voice.

        Now, this OP really looks fishy though. The company just gave the person a 3 week old system, and it has a BIOS PW that needs to be removed? That doesnt bring up any red flags for you???

        The only reason I started (even with insulting earlier) was that you were arguing the use of the we wont help post, which, I personally agree with, especially with people like the OP. Normally I dont have any issues with you.

        • #2772926

          The red flag, well sorta…

          by larryd4 ·

          In reply to I didnt have a problem with the

          I have a shipment of 120 PC’s that are config’d by the Feds due in June. They will have the same BIOS password on them as do all of our systems. I can easily see both sides of the fence here but I promised someone I wouldn’t post any more. 🙂

        • #2772910

          Last thought Larry

          by jdclyde ·

          In reply to The red flag, well sorta…

          the reason for the standard “we don’t answer” reply, is because everytime someone posts in the discussion, it gets thrown back up into the light of day for more to see.

          If one person posts a polite “sorry, we can not help you break a password”, it can be left to die a quiet death.

          Many of us make our living securing company assets, and look at how we would feel if it was our system that you are helping him steal. And helping someone break into a system that isn’t theirs (which logically is the case here) is helping commit a crime.

      • #2772921

        A few thoughts …

        by jasonhiner ·

        In reply to To Sum up

        Larry – I think you sound pretty legit and you certainly have a pretty common problem.

        The IT pros in this community have been a little hostile in this thread, but what they are trying to do (albeit in an overly snarky way) is ultimately uphold the golden rule. They wouldn’t want other IT pros telling people how to bypass IT security constraints for their systems, so they don’t share that information either.

        IT pros have been conditioned against doing this under any circumstances because of social engineering attacks in which people provide perfectly normal-sounding excuses for bypassing standard rules and protocols.

        So while I wish most of the TechRepublic members in this thread were a little nicer about it, I hope you’ll appreciate that they are genuinely trying to do the right thing here.

        • #2772917

          Well I must admit

          by larryd4 ·

          In reply to A few thoughts …

          Well I must admit my hackles were up, but as with most of the community, I believe whole heartedly in security. But I?m also that type A personality that tends to not back down. I?ve also been teaching a tech class at night and have been enjoying the A+ curriculum again.

      • #2772913

        It the user was sold a system that was locked

        by jdclyde ·

        In reply to To Sum up

        do you honestly think he got a manual with it?

        As yourself if his/her post passes the smell test. Is it reasonable to believe his past employer sold him a locked system three weeks ago, and refuse to unlock the bios for him?

        The other side of the coin, even if you DO believe the user, if you post the answer, someone that is NOT valid will come behind and get the same answer. This site gets flooded with people trying to break into stolen systems all the time, most finding the site via a google search.

        Do you really want the TR community to be lowered to being flooded by even more thief’s?

        If you really do believe the user, and really want to help them, send them a peer message, rather than posting the answer out in the open. Would you agree that is a reasonable way to handle it?

        • #2772909

          Ok.

          by larryd4 ·

          In reply to It the user was sold a system that was locked

          Look I’ll get right to it.
          You can’t make assumptions that posters are bad just because of the question they ask.

          Yes it would have made sense to send them a peer to peer message but..

          This site reaches people across the globe and to make an assumption because of bad english is like not listnening to someone just because they don’t speak the same language.

          Granted the user is a month old and apparently from Maryland. But what if this is a 13 year old Iraqy(not sure of spelling) who just get out of Iraq and was given a PC by someone?

          I’m just looking at the other side and looking at how they would feel and their opinion of the site from the responses they get.

          You can find posts where even I laugh at the inability for someone to write a coherent sentance. But I still back it up with an attempt to understand their question.

        • #2772842

          ok

          by wizard-09 ·

          In reply to Ok.

          Let’s all shake hands and make up lol, larry you got your slap on the head to get the brain working again I see both sides here but I tend not to help with questions like this.

        • #2992843

          I never said anything about use of language

          by jdclyde ·

          In reply to Ok.

          And because the smarter thief’s will have a better excuse, it is easier to NOT answer any hacking questions in the open forum.

          If you DO believe the person is legitimate, then and only then would the peer mail be appropriate. Answering a thief’s question just because you can is irresponsible.

          And no, I would not help a lying 13 year old break into a stolen computer either.

    • #2992997

      Is this a Joke?

      by galbraithjl17 ·

      In reply to Reset Bios Password

      First off I seriously doubt that a business of any kind is going to sell a 3 week old computer. Second, if you are on here and don’t kniow how to reset the BIOS then you should buy a book. An A+ book. We all have. How do you think we learned? Sorry but I doubt that there is anyone here going to believe you. Find a crappy site that may help you.

    • #2992893

      Mod. Deletions

      by shasca ·

      In reply to Reset Bios Password

      Thanks for not removing the whole thread.

    • #2992785

      My final word and opinion.

      by larryd4 ·

      In reply to Reset Bios Password

      If you want to delve deeper in to this issue, I think the members here are divided in to two areas, paranoid security people and everyone else. Sorry if that seemed harsh but it’s the impression I’m getting.

      Let’s ignore the original post and I will agree its “Fishy” to say the least.

      My perception of IT is thus, IT is a service oriented profession. No matter how much the “business” relies on the IT infrastructure we are simply here to provide information quickly and as clearly as possible. Even if you were to say “But I’m a developer and I make products to sell” or “I’m in security and I only secure the access”, your still a service.

      With a majority of world wide businesses using the youngest commercial operating system on the market, security has always been at the forefront of any IT division or company’s priority.

      This “security” issue is also what most professionals use as a “boon” to their ability. Most IT Managers could say “We successfully provided service to our company for over 20 years”. But would much rather say, “For 20 years we ran and protected the company’s information without one security breach, stolen piece of hardware, or stolen information”. Which is a great accomplishment but in an era when hacking, freaking(I know its on old 80’s telecom term), and reverse engineering is a required course in some form in college, it will always be an inevitable struggle.

      This security paranoia is the real reason I have gotten my head chopped of for such a simple response. This simple, sophomoric, question has created an air of ?”how dare you” that is blatantly obvious. It’s this “how dare you” attitude that creates a sense of standoffish, aloofness that personifies IT. I hate to go back 10 years but the ridiculous Saturday Night Live skit “Computer Guy” is a classic example; http://www.nbc.com/Saturday_Night_Live/video/clips/nick-burns/2786/ .

      Anyone with minimal aptitude can figure out how to open and steal a HD, RAM, a DVD, even a power supply. Especially now when big brand PC’s are made to open up with a push of a button.

      Participating in an online “public” forum is a risk and yes you may be helping someone who may have less then honorable intentions, but that’s the risk you take. This is not a company where I am threatened with a firing or reprimand for saying the wrong thing. TR could close my account; they could go so far as banning my IP from the forum also. But we all know how easily that is circumvented. But this apparent “agreed” upon statement, makes the assumption that the entire 1.6 million or so members have all agreed to it, is ridiculous. No one speaks for me or anyone else on this public forum. Now if TR was closed and you could not see the actual posts except with an account, that would be a different story.

      When I joined TR I was thrilled to find an open public place to get answers, talk with like minded IT people, and even help others if I could. Sadly I do not have the time to sit and answer questions all day or all night; though I think it would be a lot of fun. My job, my consulting work, my family life, and my computer gaming habit keeps me from doing that. I am not looking to single out any one person or create a rift, but this is a public forum and should be treated as such. I understand that this “statement” was adopted way before I was here and overall I agree with it. But take step back and look at the big picture and see what that post would look to a budding computer tech who is just trying things out.

      Doesn’t it make more sense to just ignore the post, if you the member, thinks that the person has evil intentions, rather then putting up a sign with sirens and flashing lights?

      I mean it usually happens that way doesn’t it? I have seen so many posts that say, “I forgot my Admin password and I need to recover it can you tell me how”? These just fall away never to be seen from or sometimes get one of those off handed remarks from a member.

      And no I don’t want to create more work for the TR team, they do a good job and I enjoy the broadcasts, blogs, DLs, and general fun they add to this great site. But as someone said in a reply to me up the thread, this is a community, and just because there are people who don’t agree with something doesn’t mean that they are enemy number one.

      That includes members who have been a part of the community a week or 15 years, doesn’t it?

      Ok so now I’m gonna finish out my day and try to max out my 75 Mage on WOW tonight! The wife and kid are going to the in-laws, so its just me, a Guinness, and Outland!

      • #2992775

        Word and TR

        by larryd4 ·

        In reply to My final word and opinion.

        Every time I cut and past from Word to TR the quotes and what not turn to question marks. I’ll use notepad next time, but I so need the spell checker. 😉

        • #2992733

          Put on a spell checker…

          by thumbsup2 ·

          In reply to Word and TR

          There’s one for IE and FF both. It checks spelling in text boxes like the ones we type in to reply.

      • #2992765

        Well then,

        by the scummy one ·

        In reply to My final word and opinion.

        you have made up your mind. So go with it. But do not be surprised if your posts are pulled like the 3 this morning.

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