Aspire 7720z series laptop

jayjo
jayjo Member Posts: 6 New User
edited March 2023 in 2017 Archives
I was given a very old Acer inspirion laptop, windows 7 Vista and I reset it to factory settings when I first got it and that was almost a year ago and now it's so full, out of date and giving me problems I need to do it again but it keeps saying I don't know the current password. Now I can't do anything without it asking for the password. Even tapping F2, F12, and the alt/F10.

Answers

  • JackE
    JackE ACE Posts: 44,328 Trailblazer

    Retry the Alt+F10 coldboot recovery method ***exactly*** as shown in this video

     

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H2xoMEPfiPQ

     

    Jack E/NJ

    Jack E/NJ

  • jayjo
    jayjo Member Posts: 6 New User
    I did. I also tried couple other things I watched on you tube. It goes directly to the password screen. The screen almost looks DOS stuff. Lets me try 3 times and then shuts down to a blank gray screen. It doesn't give me an error code on the last try either.
  • JackE
    JackE ACE Posts: 44,328 Trailblazer

    >>>I was given a very old Acer inspirion laptop, windows 7 Vista >>>

     

    Just to be clear (1) Is this an ACER 7720Z or a DELL Inspiron? (2) Is its operating system Windows 7 or Windows Vista? Jack E/NJ

    Jack E/NJ

  • jayjo
    jayjo Member Posts: 6 New User
    It is an Acer Aspire 7720z. It's running Windows 7 Vista. I've done it before, but I remember it was a combination of two keys, it wasn't hard to do at all. The password screen never showed up. ????
  • jayjo
    jayjo Member Posts: 6 New User
    It is an Acer Aspire 7720z. It's running Windows Vista. I've done it before, but I remember it was a combination of two keys, it wasn't hard to do at all. The password screen never showed up. ????
  • JackE
    JackE ACE Posts: 44,328 Trailblazer

    The safest method to remove a BIOS password is to try to drain, short or remove the BIOS chip's coin battery on the mainboard.

     

    We'll try draining first. Remove the charger & main battery. Then press & hold the power button for about a minute. Then press & immediately release the power button a half dozen or so times. We're trying to drain all charge on the BIOS chip so that it goes into a default state.

     

    Reinsert the charger and battery. Press the power button once to see if the BIOS password has been removed.  

     

    Jack E/NJ    

    Jack E/NJ

  • jayjo
    jayjo Member Posts: 6 New User
    No it's still the same. I would totally give up but I know it's possible, because I've done it. Shoot I should of write it down.
  • JackE
    JackE ACE Posts: 44,328 Trailblazer

    OK. The 2nd easiest method is to see if the memory module compartment on the mainboard has any BIOS re-set jumper pins. If so equipped, they'd be located somewhere around the periphery of the memory modules so they wouldn't have to be removed to access the pins. Jack E/NJ  

    Jack E/NJ

  • jayjo
    jayjo Member Posts: 6 New User
    Ok. And I do this how? I've taken one apart before. But I need a little more detailing.
  • JackE
    JackE ACE Posts: 44,328 Trailblazer

    Remove 4 or 5 screws holding a rather large irregularly shaped panel with ventilation slots on the bottom of the laptop. Jack E/NJ

    Jack E/NJ