Any tech experts on here? I need to make a SATA drive bootable

[stuartmoss]

Hello all, I've just bought a PC from an office liquidation sale (great bargain too), except the computer, like all in the sale were minus the hard drives (data protection etc). So I've bought a SATA 500gb drive to go in the empty slot, and would *normally* turn on the machine, press F2 and change the boot sequence to install Windows 8 from CD. However the BIOS is password protected to go straight to the hard drive, and I can't change the boot sequence without the password....and you've guessed it, the salesroom have no idea and the company that went into liquidation no longer exists to ask anyone there. So what I need to do is make the SATA drive that I've bought bootable, so that from the C: command prompt, I can insert a CD, and then run it....at least that's what I'm thinking...I'm absolutely no expert so I'm on here now asking for some expert advice please.... Thank you!

 

[bangor-toad]

Hi,
The simplest thing is to get rid of the BIOS password.
To do so, follow these steps:

Unplug the PC. (Really! - Unplug from the wall and take the mains cable out of the PC)
Open the PC.
Carefully remove the little coin battery.
Go away for a tea / coffee for at least 15 minutes.
Put the battery back in.
Close the case.
Plug back in and switch on.
The BIOS settings should all be reset with no password.

Good luck,
Mr Toad

 

[JamesT]

Hi,
The simplest thing is to get rid of the BIOS password.
To do so, follow these steps:

Unplug the PC. (Really! - Unplug from the wall and take the mains cable out of the PC)
Open the PC.
Carefully remove the little coin battery.
Go away for a tea / coffee for at least 15 minutes.
Put the battery back in.
Close the case.
Plug back in and switch on.
The BIOS settings should all be reset with no password.

Good luck,
Mr Toad

There's quite often a jumper that will clear the bios password which might be easier than removing the battery. Finding the docs for the PC online (assuming it's a major brand like Dell) should help with this.

 

[ainsworth74]

Finding the docs for the PC online (assuming it's a major brand like Dell) should help with this.

If you can identify the make and model of the motherboard that should lead to the same outcome!

I'd try removing the CMOS battery first and see if that does it but if not then you're going to have to try finding the right jumper.

 

[stuartmoss]

Thanks everyone for the very helpful advice. I shall try all of the above once home later.

 

[3rd rail land]

There's quite often a jumper that will clear the bios password which might be easier than removing the battery. Finding the docs for the PC online (assuming it's a major brand like Dell) should help with this.

Yes this is what I have done in the past to reset all BIOS settings. It can be tricky if you have never done this before and therefore don't know what you are looking for but I am sure there are YouTube videos etc out there which will help you.

 

[najaB]

There's quite often a jumper that will clear the bios password which might be easier than removing the battery.

I second the jumper method. Even if it's not a major brand the header will likely be a single jumper somewhere close to the battery and labelled something like RCT_CLR or similar.

 

[Howardh]

I bought a brand new Windows 10, but have a windows 7 disk+activation code, so removed the drive from the W10 machine, put in a new blank drive to install W7, yet the drive wouldn't kick in. On other PC's I have had no problem doing that, and I'm reluctant to nuke/boot the W10 drive and install W7 on it in case it fails!

So I'll try that battery method!

 

[AM9]

I second the jumper method. Even if it's not a major brand the header will likely be a single jumper somewhere close to the battery and labelled something like RCT_CLR or similar.

The 'CMOS' jumper is usually three pins with a jumper on two. The centre pin connects to the CMOS memory positive power pin. One end pin connects to the battery positive contact and the other end pin connects to zero volts. When the jumper connects the battery to the CMOS memory the contents are preserved. When the jumper is connecting the CMOS memory to zero volts, the memory is erased. The reason that a jumper is used to 'unpower' the CMOS is that the current required to sustain the memory contents is very low, - in the order of nano amps, so the associated capacitance (both stray and actual components) on the line to the memory is enough to prevent erasure for minutes maybe hours. Shorting the CMOS pin to ground rapidly and reliably discharges the voltage to zero in milliseconds. When this has been done, return the jumper to the original pair of pins to power the CMOS memory and allow new values to be stored in it.
As najaB almost says, the pins should be labelled RTC_CLR or similar, (not RCT_CLR).

 

[najaB]

The 'CMOS' jumper is usually three pins with a jumper on two.

Indeed. When I said 'single jumper' I meant that it's normally not near the front panel header (power switch, internal speaker, reset button, etc.) but rather sits closer to the battery or BIOS chip.

As najaB almost says, the pins should be labelled RTC_CLR or similar, (not RCT_CLR).

Well, that is "something like" RCT_CLR.

 

[AM9]

Indeed. When I said 'single jumper' I meant that it's normally not near the front panel header (power switch, internal speaker, reset button, etc.) but rather sits closer to the battery or BIOS chip.
Well, that is "something like" RCT_CLR.

Yes, it wasn't a criticism. ☺ RTC stands for Real Time Clock, which PCs need as they weren't, and even now, aren't always able to access a time source from online. Once RTCs became the norm, they became the repository for the ever increasing bios settings data.