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Unremoveable ROM password

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5 replies

by da_bassman

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Here's my problem. . . . I have an IN810P/EP Intel based socket 370 mobo with a 933 MHz P3 CPU in it. The mobo has a "ROM password" that I cannot get rid of.
Here's the scenerio if I follow all the way through.
After applying power to the mobo it POST's and it comes to the press F1 to enter setup/F2 to load default values & continue. Pressing either F1 or F2 goes to the "ROM password" screen which after 3 wrong entries will show a "splash screen" that says GOLDEN TREE COMMUNICATIONS and entering program and after a few seconds it goes to back to another variation of the POST screen with a F1 to resume screen where with a known good harddrive connected after pressing F1 will get a BOOT Failure disk error.

I have done the following trying to remove the password.

Using the CMOS reset jumper I have reset the CMOS which didn't get rid of it.
Remove the battery, and power supply connector and left it set for 24 hours didn't help
Used a variety of password cracks, no change
Used the "kill CMOS" utility, no help.

I know this is an older mobo but I hate to give it up as I have use for the thing if I could just get past the password issue. Does anyone have ideas other than what I've already tried?

Thanks for reading this and any answers.

gdb

5 replies

by thechas

The fact of the somewhat specialized POST splash screen suggests to me that the motherboard has a custom BIOS.

The company that originally had the motherboard had a custom BIOS written for them that included their splash screen and the BIOS password. The password is there to keep users from changing system level settings and causing problems.

The big questions are:

Can you identify the manufacture of the motherboard and get a "standard" BIOS for it?

And, does the custom BIOS code prevent you from flashing the BIOS?

If you can get the correct BIOS, and you are locked out from flashing the BIOS ROM, "IF" the ROM is in a socket, there are ways to flash the BIOS code into a new ROM.

Chas

by hal 9000

You can purchase a new BIOS Chip from this place

http://tinyurl.com/n2sgx

Whenever I have any Mission Critical Servers or other machines instead of flashing the BIOS I always buy replacement BIOS Chips from them and I've found them quite reliable and very professional.

Col

by da_bassman

The manufacturer of the mobo is BCM @bcmcom.com.
I have queried their tech support but have not received an answer and really don't expect to since it is at the end of their support cycle. I do also know that the "Golden Tree Communications" is or was an organization that provided internet service to hotels. I'm guessing that they had a bunch of these boards custom made. The bios chip is soldered on the mobo so replacing it is not a very viable alternative. As much as I hate to I guess I'll eventually give up and chuck this mobo. I don't have too much invested in it.

Thanks for the input from both of you.

gdb

by hal 9000

You have a Custom M'Board that was made for a special appliance and not designed to be used in anything else. You'll be able to use the CPU and RAM but the M'Board will be nothing but scrap as I've never seen a P3 M'Board that didn't have the BIOS Chip in a socket.

Col

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