setup password

[joewages]

hey, I have bought a used computer with windows 98se. I need to run ide setup and when I get to the setup screen it ask for the password. i obviously don't know it is there any way to retrieve it?

Thanks

Joe Wages

[ringfinger]

"I need to run ide setup"... are you saying you're trying to reinstall windows on a standard IDE drive? "When I get to the setup screen", the setup screen for windows installation or the load screen/bios for the windows thats installed? Sounds like it could be a BIOS password to me.

[Jlo555]

That's most likely a BIOS password. You can try to reset the CMOS either by taking out the battery in the motherboard for a few seconds and putting it back in or move the jumper on the motherboard. I'm guessing you have no documentation for the motherboard, so I suggest you find the model number of the board and google it for a manual, or instructions on how to reset the CMOS. But resetting the CMOS does reset all the BIOS settings to default, that includes removing the password. So, you will have to manually set all of the settings on the BIOS manually after you reset it. Of course, that is, if this password is for the BIOS, which it most likely is.

[eidenk]

hey, I have bought a used computer with windows 98se. I need to run ide setup and when I get to the setup screen it ask for the password. i obviously don't know it is there any way to retrieve it?

Maybe that's what you need :

ProduKey is a small utility that displays the ProductID and the CD-Key of MS-Office, Windows, and SQL Server installed on your computer. You can view this information for your current running operating system, or for another operating system/computer - by using command-line options. This utility can be useful if you lost the product key of your Windows/Office, and you want to reinstall it on your computer.

http://www.nirsoft.net/utils/product_cd_key_viewer.html