Gateway Solo 9300 laptop password reset.

ksolomon84
ksolomon84 Member Posts: 1 New User
edited November 2023 in 2018 Archives
I picked up the laptop at a thrift store and it has a password on it. Im not sure if its a bios or hard drive password. It does not boot to windows. Is there any way to reset the password? 

Answers

  • Sharanji
    Sharanji ACE Posts: 4,327 Pathfinder
    ksolomon84 

    The normal ways to eliminate a password are :
    >>Remove the onboard BIOS battery for a short period of time. This will also reset the BIOS to its default values
    >>Check for a BIOS password "shorting" jumper on the motherboard.
    >>Check for password clearing dip switches on the motherboard.
    All of these options require access inside the case, get help of a technician if you are not comfortable with disassembling the laptop.

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  • JackE
    JackE ACE Posts: 44,330 Trailblazer
    Pretty old and heavy laptop. I have one too.  :)  Most came with Win95, W98SE & WinME. It'll barely run WinXP and some earlier Linux distributions. And the BIOS is severely limited on what upgrades are possible to fully utilize WinXP. If it's the BIOS asking for a password, you can try to enter the an incorrect password three times in a row after which it ***might*** return a code that can be used to bypass the password.  If it doesn't show a code, the next step would be to try to discharge the BIOS chip by opening the machine. Jack E/NJ

    Jack E/NJ