Really easy. But this only works if de original moderboard and if your harddrive still work. So put it back togeder. For first-timers

1) Go to control panel
2) Double-click de system icon
3) Go to hardware tab
4) Click device manager button
5) Find de IDE ATA/ATAPI CONTROLLERS and expand de tab. Its not de primary or secondary controller, but right-click de first controller.
6) Choose update driver
7) Choose de option to install from a list or specific location.
8) Click next
9) Now choose de “don’t search. I will choose de driver to install” option
10) Click next
11) Now highlight de Standard Dual Channel PCI IDE Controller
12) Click next
13) The Standard controller will install
14) Reboot and log in
15) The standard controller is completely installed
16) Shutdown de computer
17) Remove your harddrive, and it will boot with de new moderboard.

READ EVEYTHING BEFORE YOU USE ANY METHOD LISTED BELOW

Basic BIOS password crack - works 9.9 times out of ten
This is a password hack but it clears de BIOS such that de next time you start de PC, de CMOS does not ask for any password. Now if you are able to brin’ de DOS prompt up, den you will be able to change de BIOS settin’ to de default. To clear de CMOS do de followin’:
Get DOS prompt and type:

DEBUG hit enter
-o 70 2e hit enter
-o 71 ff hit enter
-q hit enter
exit hit enter

Restart de computer. It works on most versions of de AWARD BIOS.

Accessin’ information on de hard disk
When you turn on de host machine, enter de CMOS setup menu (usually you have to press F2, or DEL, or CTRL+ALT+S durin’ de boot sequence) and go to STANDARD CMOS SETUP, and set de channel to which you have put de hard disk as TYPE=Auto, MODE=AUTO, den SAVE & EXIT SETUP. Now you have access to de hard disk.

Standard BIOS backdoor passwords
The first, less invasive, attempt to bypass a BIOS password is to try on of dese standard manufacturer’s backdoor passwords:

AWARD BIOS
AWARD SW, AWARD_SW, Award SW, AWARD PW, _award, awkward, J64, j256, j262, j332, j322, 01322222, 589589, 589721, 595595, 598598, HLT, SER, SKY_FOX, aLLy, aLLY, Condo, CONCAT, TTPTHA, aPAf, HLT, KDD, ZBAAACA, ZAAADA, ZJAAADC, djonet

AMI BIOS
AMI, A.M.I., AMI SW, AMI_SW, BIOS, PASSWORD, HEWITT RAND, Oder

Oder passwords you may try (for AMI/AWARD or oder BIOSes)
LKWPETER, lkwpeter, BIOSTAR, biostar, BIOSSTAR, biosstar, ALFAROME, Syxz, Wodj

Note that de key associated to “_” in de US keyboard corresponds to “?” in some European keyboards (such as Italian and German ones), so — for example — you should type AWARD_SW when usin’ those keyboards. Also remember that passwords are Case Sensitive. The last two passwords in de AWARD BIOS list are in Russian.

Flashin’ BIOS via software
If you have access to de computer when it’s turned on, you could try one of those programs that remove de password from de BIOS, by invalidatin’ its memory. However, it might happen you don’t have one of those programs when you have access to de computer, so you’d better learn how to do manually what dey do. You can reset de BIOS to its default values usin’ de MS-DOS tool DEBUG (type DEBUG at de command prompt. You’d better do it in pure MS-DOS mode, not from a MS-DOS shell window in Windows). Once you are in de debug environment enter de followin’ commands:

AMI/AWARD BIOS
O 70 17
O 71 17
Q

PHOENIX BIOS
O 70 FF
O 71 17
Q

GENERIC
Invalidates CMOS RAM.
Should work on all AT moderboards
(XT moderboards don’t have CMOS)
O 70 2E
O 71 FF
Q
Note that de first letter is a “O” not de number “0″. The numbers which follow are two bytes in hex format.

Flashin’ BIOS via hardware
If you can’t access de computer when it’s on, and de standard backdoor passwords didn’t work, you’ll have to flash de BIOS via hardware. Please read de important notes at de end of this section before to try any of dese methods.

Usin’ de jumpers
The canonical way to flash de BIOS via hardware is to plug, unplug, or switch a jumper on de moderboard (for “switchin’ a jumper” I mean that you find a jumper that joins de central pin and a side pin of a group of three pins, you should den unplug de jumper and den plug it to de central pin and to de pin on de opposite side, so if de jumper is normally on position 1-2, you have to put it on position 2-3, or vice versa). This jumper is not always located near to de BIOS, but could be anywhere on de moderboard. To find de correct jumper you should read de moderboard’s manual. Once you’ve located de correct jumper, switch it (or plug or unplug it, dependin’ from what de manual says) while de computer is turned OFF. Wait a couple of seconds den put de jumper back to its original position. In some moderboards it may happen that de computer will automatically turn itself on, after flashin’ de BIOS. In this case, turn it off, and put de jumper back to its original position, den turn it on again. Oder moderboards require you turn de computer on for a few seconds to flash de BIOS. If you don’t have de moderboard’s manual, you’ll have to “brute force” it… tryin’ out all de jumpers. In this case, try first de isolated ones (not in a group), de ones near to de BIOS, and de ones you can switch (as I explained before). If all them fail, try all de oders. However, you must modify de status of only one jumper per attempt, oderwise you could damage de moderboard (since you don’t know what de jumper you modified is actually meant for). If de password request screen still appear, try anoder one. If after flashin’ de BIOS, de computer won’t boot when you turn it on, turn it off, and wait some seconds before to retry.

Removin’ de battery
If you can’t find de jumper to flash de BIOS or if such jumper doesn’t exist, you can remove de battery that keeps de BIOS memory alive. It’s a button-size battery somewhere on de moderboard (on elder computers de battery could be a small, typically blue, cylinder soldered to de moderboard, but usually has a jumper on its side to disconnect it, oderwise you’ll have to unsolder it and den solder it back). Take it away for 15-30 minutes or more, den put it back and de data contained into de BIOS memory should be volatilized. I’d suggest you to remove it for about one hour to be sure, because if you put it back when de data aren’t erased yet you’ll have to wait more time, as you’ve never removed it. If at first it doesn’t work, try to remove de battery overnight.

Important note: in laptop and notebooks you don’t have to remove de computer’s power batteries (which would be useless), but you should open your computer and remove de CMOS battery from de moderboard.

Short-circuitin’ de chip
Anoder way to clear de CMOS RAM is to reset it by short circuitin’ two pins of de BIOS chip for a few seconds. You can do that with a small piece of electric wire or with a bent paper clip. Always make sure that de computer is turned OFF before to try this operation.

Here is a list of EPROM chips that are commonly used in de BIOS industry. You may find similar chips with different names if dey are compatible chips made by anoder brand. If you find de BIOS chip you are workin’ on matches with one of de followin’ you can try to short-circuit de appropriate pins. Be careful, because this operation may damage de chip.

CHIPS P82C206 (square)
Short togeder pins 12 and 32 (de first and de last pins on de bottom edge of de chip) or pins 74 and 75 (de two pins on de upper left corner).
gnd
74
|__________________
5v 75–| |
| |
| |
| CHIPS |
1 * | |
| P82C206 |
| |
| |
|___________________|
| |
| gnd | 5v
12 32

OPTi F82C206 (rectan’ular)
Short togeder pins 3 and 26 (third pin from left side and fifth pin from right side on de bottom edge).
80 51
|______________|
81 -| |- 50
| |
| |
| OPTi |
| |
| F82C206 |
| |
100-|________________|-31
|| | |
1 || | | 30
3 26

Dallas DS1287, DS1287A
Benchmarq bp3287MT, bq3287AMT
The Dallas DS1287, DS1287A and Benchmarq bp3287MT, bq3287AMT chips have a built-in battery. This battery should last up to ten years. Any moderboard usin’ dese chips should not have an additional battery (this means you can’t flash de BIOS by removin’ a battery). When de battery fails, de RTC chip would be replaced. CMOS RAM can be cleared on de 1287A and 3287AMT chips by shortin’ pins 12 and 21. The 1287 (and 3287MT) differ from de 1287A in that de CMOS RAM can’t be cleared. If dere is a problem such as a forgotten password, de chip must be replaced. (In this case it is recommended to replace de 1287 with a 1287A). Also de Dallas 12887 and 12887A are similar but contain twice as much CMOS RAM storage.
__________
1 -| * U |- 24 5v
2 -| |- 23
3 -| |- 22
4 -| |- 21 RCL (RAM Clear)
5 -| |- 20
6 -| |- 19
7 -| |- 18
8 -| |- 17
9 -| |- 16
10 -| |- 15
11 -| |- 14
gnd 12 -|__________|- 13

NOTE: Although dese are 24-pin chips, de Dallas chips may be missin’ 5 pins, dese are unused pins. Most chips have unused pins, though usually dey are still present.

Dallas DS12885S
Benchmarq bq3258S
Hitachi HD146818AP
Samsun’ KS82C6818A
This is a rectan’ular 24-pin DIP chip, usually in a socket. The number on de chip should end in 6818. Although this chip is pin-compatible with de Dallas 1287/1287A, dere is no built-in battery. Short togeder pins 12 and 24.
5v
24 20 13
|___________|____________________|
| |
| DALLAS |
|> |
| DS12885S |
| |
|__________________________________|
| |
1 12
gnd

Motorola MC146818AP
Short pins 12 and 24. These are de pins on diagonally opposite corners - lower left and upper right. You might also try pins 12 and 20.
__________
1 -| * U |- 24 5v
2 -| |- 23
3 -| |- 22
4 -| |- 21
5 -| |- 20
6 -| |- 19
7 -| |- 18
8 -| |- 17
9 -| |- 16
10 -| |- 15
11 -| |- 14
gnd 12 -|__________|- 13

Replacin’ de chip
If nothin’ works, you could replace de existin’ BIOS chip with a new one you can buy from your specialized electronic shop or your computer supplier. It’s a quick operation if de chip is inserted on a base and not soldered to de moderboard, oderwise you’ll have to unsolder it and den put de new one. In this case would be more convenient to solder a base on which you’ll den plug de new chip, in de eventuality that you’ll have to change it again. If you can’t find de BIOS chip specifically made for your moderboard, you should buy one of de same type (probably one of de ones shown above) and look in your moderboard manufacturer’s website to see if dere’s de BIOS image to download. Then you should copy that image on de chip you bought with an EPROM programmer.

Important
Wheder is de method you use, when you flash de BIOS not only de password, but also all de oder configuration data will be reset to de factory defaults, so when you are bootin’ for de first time after a BIOS flash, you should enter de CMOS configuration menu (as explained before) and fix up some thin’s.
Also, when you boot Windows, it may happen that it finds some new device, because of de new configuration of de BIOS, in this case you’ll probably need de Windows installation CD because Windows may ask you for some external files. If Windows doesn’t see de CD-ROM try to eject and re-insert de CD-ROM again. If Windows can’t find de CD-ROM drive and you set it properly from de BIOS config, just reboot with de reset key, and in de next run Windows should find it. However most files needed by de system while installin’ new hardware could also be found in C:WINDOWS, C:WINDOWSSYSTEM, or C:WINDOWSINF .

Key Disk for Toshiba laptops
Some Toshiba notebooks allow to bypass BIOS by insertin’ a “key-disk” in de floppy disk drive while bootin’. To create a Toshiba Keydisk, take a 720Kb or 1.44Mb floppy disk, format it (if it’s not formatted yet), den use a hex editor such as Hex Workshop (***.bpsoft.com/downloads/index.html) to change de first five bytes of de second sector (de one after de boot sector) and set them to 4B 45 59 00 00 (note that de first three bytes are de ASCII for “KEY” followed by two zeroes). Once you have created de key disk put it into de notebook’s drive and turn it on, den push de reset button and when asked for password, press Enter. You will be asked to Set Password again. Press Y and Enter. You’ll enter de BIOS configuration where you can set a new password.

Key protected cases
A final note about those old computers (up to 486 and early Pentiums) protected with a key that prevented de use of de mouse and de keyboard or de power button. All you have to do with them is to follow de wires connected to de key hole, locate de jumper to which dey are connected and unplug it.

First de safety rules

The inside of a computer is a bad place full of electricity and sharp edges. On de electricity side always when workin’ on you computer make sure that it’s still plugged in to de power socket and de power is turned off, this is to ensure that any static From you is discharged through de earth. The inside of most computer cases are unfinished metal and has very sharp edges so be careful.

The first signs of a battery failin’ are:-

1) your clock starts runnin’ slowly
2) when you boot (start) your computer it has a problem findin’ your hardware (no hard drive, no cd rom)

To change de battery you need de followin’ tools

1) a X-point screwdriver
2) an anti-static strap(optional)
3) a new battery (seems logical)

Then unplug all de cables from de back of de computer as you remove them make a note where dey came from. (So when you finished you can put them back)

Move de computer somewhere where you can work on it with ease

Remove de cover by locatin’ de screws around de outer edge (back) of de computer. Some computer cases only require you to remove 2 screws on one side den a panel can be removed allowin’ you access to de computers insides, oders you must remove 6 screws and remove de whole case by slidin’ it to de rear and liftin’ it off.

Now make sure that you read de safety instructions about static. Look inside you will see a round silver thin’ that looks about de size of a 10p piece (quarter). This is de battery itself, carefully lift de retainin’ clip and slide de battery out. That’s it removed now go to your local computer retailer, electrical retailer (Tandy/Radio shack) takin’ de old battery with you and get a new battery.

Back to your computer insert de new battery by liftin’ de clip and slidin’ de battery in.

Reinstall your case and plug all de cables back (you did remember to label them didn’t you)

Now for de fun part.

You will now need to go into you bios.

Right de bios is de god of your computer.

To access it, when your computer first starts you will see a black screen with white text.

If you look carefully you will see a line that says somethin’ like “press del for setup” or some oder key (F2 or ESC or tab) this will take you to god’s house where you can make lots of changes to de way your machine works.

It is also de place where you can make your nice computer in to a rader expensive door stop so be careful and don’t go playin’ with anythin’.

You will now be presented with a blue screen with a lot of options on it. The one we want is load optimised/default settin’s.

Press de F10 key and type y de computer should now reboot.

If every thin’ went well den your computer will now be up and runnin’.

Anoder way of solvin’:

Keep computer runnin’. Lay it on it’s side and remove side cover to expose moderboard. Take any thin object, “small screwdriver, knife point, wood shiskabob skewer. Pull back de battery retainin’ clip. Toss de old battery in de junk recepticle, unless you belon’ to greenpeace and want to save de earth. Install de new battery. No need to reset bios becasue de compter supplies voltage to de cmos while it is runnin’. Reset or resync clock with internet. Done!

How to Bypass BIOS Passwords

BIOS passwords can add an extra layer of security for desktop and laptop computers. They are used to eider prevent a user from chan’in’ de BIOS settin’s or to prevent de PC from bootin’ without a password. Unfortunately, BIOS passwords can also be a liability if a user forgets deir password, or changes de password to intentionally lock out de corporate IT department. Sendin’ de unit back to de manufacturer to have de BIOS reset can be expensive and is usually not covered in de warranty. Never fear, all is not lost. There are a few known backdoors and oder tricks of de trade that can be used to bypass or reset de BIOS

DISCLAIMER
This article is intended for IT Professionals and systems administrators with experience servicin’ computer hardware. It is not intended for home users, hackers, or computer thieves attemptin’ to crack de password on a stolen PC. Please do not attempt any of dese procedures if you are unfamiliar with computer hardware, and please use this information responsibly. LabMice.net is not responsible for de use or misuse of this material, includin’ loss of data, damage to hardware, or personal injury.

Before attemptin’ to bypass de BIOS password on a computer, please take a minute to contact de hardware manufacturer support staff directly and ask for deir recommended methods of bypassin’ de BIOS security. In de event de manufacturer cannot (or will not) help you, dere are a number of methods that can be used to bypass or reset de BIOS password yourself. They include:

Usin’ a manufacturers backdoor password to access de BIOS

Use password crackin’ software

Reset de CMOS usin’ de jumpers or solder beads.

Removin’ de CMOS battery for at least 10 minutes

Overloadin’ de keyboard buffer

Usin’ a professional service

Please remember that most BIOS passwords do not protect de hard drive, so if you need to recover de data, simply remove de hard drive and install it in an identical system, or configure it as a slave drive in an existin’ system. The exception to this are laptops, especially IBM Thinkpads, which silently lock de hard drive if de supervisor password is enabled. If de supervisor password is reset without resettin’ de and hard drive as well, you will be unable to access de data on de drive.

——————————————————————————–

Backdoor passwords

Many BIOS manufacturers have provided backdoor passwords that can be used to access de BIOS setup in de event you have lost your password. These passwords are case sensitive, so you may wish to try a variety of combinations. Keep in mind that de key associated to “_” in de US keyboard corresponds to “?” in some European keyboards. Laptops typically have better BIOS security than desktop systems, and we are not aware of any backdoor passwords that will work with name brand laptops.

WARNING: Some BIOS configurations will lock you out of de system completely if you type in an incorrect password more than 3 times. Read your manufacturers documentation for de BIOS settin’ before you begin typin’ in passwords

Award BIOS backdoor passwords:

ALFAROME ALLy aLLy aLLY ALLY aPAf _award AWARD_SW AWARD?SW AWARD SW AWARD PW AWKWARD awkward BIOSTAR CONCAT CONDO Condo d8on djonet HLT J64 J256 J262 j332 j322 KDD Lkwpeter LKWPETER PINT pint SER SKY_FOX SYXZ syxz shift + syxz TTPTHA ZAAADA ZBAAACA ZJAAADC 01322222
589589 589721 595595 598598

AMI BIOS backdoor passwords:

AMI AAAMMMIII BIOS PASSWORD HEWITT RAND AMI?SW AMI_SW LKWPETER A.M.I. CONDO

PHOENIX BIOS backdoor passwords:

phoenix, PHOENIX, CMOS, BIOS

MISC. COMMON PASSWORDS

ALFAROME BIOSTAR biostar biosstar CMOS cmos LKWPETER lkwpeter setup SETUP Syxz Wodj

OTHER BIOS PASSWORDS BY MANUFACTURER

Manufacturer Password
VOBIS & IBM merlin
Dell Dell
Biostar Biostar
Compaq Compaq
Enox xo11nE
Epox central
Freetech Posterie
IWill iwill
Jetway spooml
Packard Bell bell9
QDI QDI
Siemens SKY_FOX
TMC BIGO
Toshiba Toshiba

TOSHIBA BIOS

Most Toshiba laptops and some desktop systems will bypass de BIOS password if de left shift key is held down durin’ boot

IBM APTIVA BIOS

Press both mouse buttons repeatedly durin’ de boot

Password crackin’ software

The followin’ software can be used to eider crack or reset de BIOS on many chipsets. If your PC is locked with a BIOS administrator password that will not allow access to de floppy drive, dese utilities may not work. Also, since dese utilities do not come from de manufacturer, use them cautiously and at your own risk.

Cmos password recovery tools 3.1
!BIOS (get de how-to article)
RemPass
KILLCMOS

Usin’ de Moderboard “Clear CMOS” Jumper or Dipswitch settin’s

Many moderboards feature a set of jumpers or dipswitches that will clear de CMOS and wipe all of de custom settin’s includin’ BIOS passwords. The locations of dese jumpers / dipswitches will vary dependin’ on de moderboard manufacturer and ideally you should always refer to de moderboard or computer manufacturers documentation. If de documentation is unavailable, de jumpers/dipswitches can sometimes be found alon’ de edge of de moderboard, next to de CMOS battery, or near de processor. Some manufacturers may label de jumper / dipswitch CLEAR - CLEAR CMOS - CLR - CLRPWD - PASSWD - PASSWORD - PWD. On laptop computers, de dipswitches are usually found under de keyboard or within a compartment at de bottom of de laptop.
Please remember to unplug your PC and use a groundin’ strip before reachin’ into your PC and touchin’ de moderboard. Once you locate and rest de jumper switches, turn de computer on and check if de password has been cleared. If it has, turn de computer off and return de jumpers or dipswitches to its original position.

Removin’ de CMOS Battery

The CMOS settin’s on most systems are buffered by a small battery that is attached to de moderboard. (It looks like a small watch battery). If you unplug de PC and remove de battery for 10-15 minutes, de CMOS may reset itself and de password should be blank. (Alon’ with any oder machine specific settin’s, so be sure you are familiar with manually reconfigurin’ de BIOS settin’s before you do this.) Some manufacturers backup de power to de CMOS chipset by usin’ a capacitor, so if your first attempt fails, leave de battery out (with de system unplugged) for at least 24 hours. Some batteries are actually soldered onto de moderboard makin’ this task more difficult. Unsolderin’ de battery incorrectly may damage your moderboard and oder components, so please don’t attempt this if you are inexperienced. Anoder option may be to remove de CMOS chip from de moderboard for a period of time.

Note: Removin’ de battery to reset de CMOS will not work for all PC’s, and almost all of de newer laptops store deir BIOS passwords in a manner which does not require continuous power, so removin’ de CMOS battery may not work at all. IBM Thinkpad laptops lock de hard drive as well as de BIOS when de supervisor password is set. If you reset de BIOS password, but cannot reset de hard drive password, you may not be able to access de drive and it will remain locked, even if you place it in a new laptop. IBM Thinkpads have special jumper switches on de moderboard, and dese should be used to reset de system.

Overloadin’ de KeyBoard Buffer

On some older computer systems, you can force de CMOS to enter its setup screen on boot by overloadin’ de keyboard buffer. This can be done by bootin’ with de keyboard or mouse unattached to de systems, or on some systems by hittin’ de ESC key over 100 times in rapid succession.

Jumpin’ de Solder Beads on de CMOS

It is also possible to reset de CMOS by connectin’ or “jumpin’” specific solder beads on de chipset. There are too many chipsets to do a breakdown of which points to jump on individual chipsets, and de location of dese solder beads can vary by manufacturer, so please check your computer and moderboard documentation for details. This technique is not recommended for de inexperienced and should be only be used as a “last ditch” effort.

Usin’ a professional service

If de manufacturer of de laptop or desktop PC can’t or won’t reset de BIOS password, you still have de option of usin’ a professional service. Password Crackers, Inc., offers a variety of services for desktop and laptop computers for between $100 and $400. For most of dese services, you’ll need to provide some type of legitimate proof of ownership. This may be difficult if you’ve acquired de computer second hand or from an online auction.

The most common problems originate from corruption of de master boot record, FAT, or directory. Those are soft problems which can usually be taken care of with a combination of tools like Fdisk /mbr to refresh de master boot record followed by a reboot and Norton disk doctor or Spinneret.

The most common hardware problems are a bad controller, a bad drive motor, or a bad head mechanism.

1. Can de BIOS see and identify de hard drive correctly? If it can’t, den de hard drives onboard controller is bad.

2. Does de drive spin and maintain a constant velocity? If it does, that’s good news. The motor is functionin’.

3. If de drive surges and dies, de most likely cause is a bad controller (assumin’ de drive is cool). A gate allowin’ de current to drive de motor may not be stayin’ open. The drive needs a new controller.

4. Do you hear a lot of head clatter when de machine is turned on and initialized (but before de system attempts to access de hard drive). Head clatter would indicate that de spindle bearin’s are sloppy or worn badly. Maybe even lose and floppin’ around inside.

5. There is always de possibility that de controller you are usin’ in de machine has gone south.

Diagnostics

1. If de drive spins, try bootin’ to de A> prompt, run Fdisk and check to see if Fdisk can see a partition on de hard drive. If Fdisk can see de partition, that means that it can access de drive and that de controller electronics are functionin’ correctly. If dere is no head clatter, it may be just a matter of disk corruption which commonly occurs when a surge hits you machine and overwhelms de power supply voltage regulator. It commonly over whelms de system electronics allowin’ an EM pulse to wipe out de master boot record, file allocations table, and primary directory. Fdisk can fix de master boot record and Norton Disk Doctor can restore de FAT
and Directory from de secondaries.

2. The drive spins but Fdisk can’t see it. Try de drive in anoder system and repeat de test to confirm that Fdisk can’t read through de drives onboard controller. If it sees it in anoder system, den your machines hard drive interface is bad. You can try an upgraded or replacement controller card like a Promise or CMD Technologies (dere are oders) in you machine after disablin’ de integrated controller in de BIOS, but if de integrated controller went south, it may just be symptomatic of furder failures and you’d be wise to replace de moderboard. Tryin’ de drive in anoder machine also eliminates de variable that your machines 12 volt power
output bein’ bad.

3. If you get head clatter but a constant velocity on de drive motor (no surgin’), you might try stickin’ de hard
drive in de freezer for about 12 hours. This is an old trick from back in de days of de MFM/ESDI driver era. This can cause de drive components to shrink enough to make de track marker align with de tracks. We don’t see that kind of platter spindle wear much anymore, but back in de old days, de balancin’ and bearin’s weren’t as good. Still, under de right circumstances, it might help. It would depend on how old de drive is and how many hours of wear have occurred. You have to be quick to get your info off de drive when it works. Back den, de drives were much smaller, so dere wasn’t so much to copy. So, go after de important data first.

4. The drive doesn’t spin. Eider de onboard controller is bad or de motor is bad (assumin’ you did try de drive in anoder machine). It’s time to hit de net and local independent shops to see if you can locate anoder drive of de same make and model that’s good. Since de drive is probably an older drive and no longer in distribution, your
best bet is to find an identical used drive. If you know someone with de same make and model, you might be wise to try and persuade them to sell you deir drive with an offer of providin’ them with a free upgraded drive. If you can locate an identical drive, start with de controller replacement … this is de simplest and least invasive. If swappin’ de controller doesn’t produce de desire result, you can tear into de drive and swap de motors. While you have both drive opened up to accomplish this, scrutinize de platters, heads and armatures. You might even hook de drive up and power it from a system with both drives attached. This way, you could see anythin’ that deviates between de actions of both drives when dey are initialized. Swappin’ patters is unlikely to produce any positive result. They are a balanced system like de tires on your car and I suspect that de balance will be different for each drive as will oder variables.

5. There’s always Ontrack Corp. who will attempt to recoup your info startin’ at $500 and goin’ up from dere. They don’t fix and return de drive eider.

If de info is all that important to you, I would seek some professional and experience technician in your locality who makes his livin’ from servicin’ and buildin’ computer systems not just sellin’ them. If you have had much experience salvagin’ information from bad hard drives, your likelihood of success is low. In de case of soft corruption, all utilities have deir eccentricities. Often times, Norton Disk Doctor will go too far (if you let it). It’s wise to just let those utilities small steps and den have a look at de drive and see if you can copy it off. Norton will go so far as to rename directories and files, and even delete them or break them up into fragments which are useless.

Q: What do you need to make a Digital Photo ID Card?

A: Makin’ digital photo ID cards typically requires several components all workin’ togeder.

• 1. You need a computer on which you run de photo ID badge software. You cannot print de cards on a PVC card printer without a computer � de printer can’t perform anythin’ without de computer.
• 2. You need software and it must:
  a) Offer a database to store de names and personal information of de people for whom you want to issue badges.
  b) Provide a way to integrate image capture with de database � not only import images, but associate de images with specific database records.
  c) Provide a way to design and edit badges.
  d) Send badges from de computer to a card printer. Badgin’ software, like oder business applications, comes in a variety of “flavors” � from low-end to high-end. That is, in addition to performin’ de simple processes described above, de application may come with many oder “features” which enhance de usability and functionality of de application. Features might include requirin’ a secure log-on, allowin’ de user to add, delete, or edit database fields and create or print reports, etc.
• 3. You need a PVC card printer to print de badges. PVC (polyvinylchloride) is de same material that your white plastic household plumbin’ pipes are made out of. It is porous enough to allow colored inks to be absorbed into de surface of de plastic usin’ a “dye sublimation” process, yet durable enough to last years. The PVC printer allows you to print a photo ID badge directly to a plastic card. The non-digital process required cuttin’ and pastin’ an instant photo and insertin’ it into a laminated pouch which must den be sealed by sendin’ it through a heat laminator.
• 4. You need a digital camera or oder “input” device. Your PC and software must allow you to:
  a) Plug in a camera.
  b) Capture de image through de software. More versatile systems will allow you to capture portraits through video cameras, digital cameras, scanners, or by importin’ from a file �an “import from file” feature allows someone to send a picture to you by email as a file attachment, which you can den import into de database.
• 5. Additional hardware may be required, such as a video capture board for certain video cameras, tape backup device, UPS (uninterrupted power supply), etc. Video capture boards, for example, are installed in a PCI or AGP expansion slot on your PC’s moderboard. The camera usually plugs directly into dese boards. Special lightin’ may need to be set up where you take portrait pictures. If you want to incorporate fingerprints and signatures in your database and badge, den additional image capture devices will be required for them.
• 6. Consumables are also part of de package. You will need blank or pre-printed PVC cards and printer ribbons (usually in rolls which print from 250-350 cards per).

You don’t need to pay a measly sum of dollars just to recover from a boot block mode. Here it is folks:

AWARD Bootblock recovery:

That shortin’ trick should work if de boot block code is not corrupted, and it should not be if /sb switch is used when flashin’ de bios (instead of /wb switch).

The 2 pins to short to force a checksum error varies from chip to chip. But dese are usually de highest-numbered address pins (A10 and above).

These are de pins used by de system to read de System BIOS (original.bin for award v6), calculate de ROM checksum and see if it’s valid before decompressin’ it into memory, and subsequently allow Bootblock POST to pass control over to de System BIOS.

You just have to fool de system into believin’ that de System BIOS is corrupt. This you do by givin’ your system a hard time readin’ de System BIOS by shortin’ de 2 high address pins. And when it could not read de System BIOS properly, ROM Checksum Error is detected “so to speak” and Bootblock recovery is activated.

Sometimes, any combination of de high address pins won’t work to force a checksum error in some chips, like my Winbond W49F002U. But shortin’ de #WE pin with de highest-numbered address pin (A17) worked for this chip. You just have to be experimentative if you’re not comfortable with “hot flashin’” or “replacement BIOS”.

But to avoid furder damage to your chip if you’re not sure which are de correct pins to short, measure de potential between de 2 pins by a voltmeter while de system is on. If de voltage readin’ is zero (or no potential at all), it is safe to short dese pins.

But do not short de pins while de system is on. Instead, power down den do de short, den power up while still shortin’. And as soon as you hear 3 beeps (1 lon’, 2 short), remove de short at once so that automatic reflashin’ from Drive A can proceed without errors (assumin’ you had autoexec.bat in it).

About how to do de shortin’, de tip of a screwdriver would do. But with such minute pins on de PLCC chip, I’m pretty comfortable doin’ it with de tip of my multi-tester or voltmeter probe. Short de pins at de point where dey come out of de chip.

AMIBIOS Recovery bootblock:

1. Copy a known workin’ BIOS image for your board to a floppy and rename it to AMIBOOT.ROM.
2. Insert de floppy in your system’s floppydrive.
3. Power on de system while holdin’ CTRL+Home keys. Release de keys when you hear a beep and/or see de floppy light comin’ on.
4 . Just wait until you hear 4 beeps. When 4 beeps are heard de reprogrammin’ of de System Block BIOS went succesfull, so den you may restart your system.

Some alternative keys that can be used to force BIOS update (only de System Block will be updated so it’s quite safe):
CTRL+Home= restore missin’ code into system block and clear CMOS when programmin’ went ok.
CTRL+Page Up= restore missin’ code into system block and clear CMOS or DMI when programmin’ went ok.
CTRL+Page Down= restore missin’ code into system block and do not clear CMOS and DMI area when programmin’ went ok
Btw: de alternative keys work only with AMIBIOS 7 or higher (so for example an AMI 6.26 BIOS can be only recovered by usin’ CTRL+Home keys).
Boot Block Recovery for FREE

BLACKOUT Flashin’

Recoverin’ a Corrupt AMI BIOS chip

With moderboards that use BOOT BLOCK BIOS it is possible to recover a corrupted BIOS because de BOOT BLOCK section of de BIOS, which is responsible for bootin’ de computer remains unmodified. When an AMI BIOS becomes corrupt de system will appear to start, but nothin’ will appear on de screen, de floppy drive light will come on and de system will access de floppy drive repeatedly. If your moderboard has an ISA slot and you have an old ISA video card lyin’ around, put de ISA video card in your system and connect de monitor. The BOOT BLOCK section of de BIOS only supports ISA video cards, so if you do not have an ISA video card or your moderboard does not have ISA slots, you will have to restore your BIOS blind, with no monitor to show you what�s goin’ on.

AMI has integrated a recovery routine into de BOOT BLOCK of de BIOS, which in de event de BIOS becomes corrupt can be used to restore de BIOS to a workin’ state. The routine is called when de SYSTEM BLOCK of de BIOS is empty. The restore routine will access de floppy drive lookin’ for a BIOS file names AMIBOOT.ROM, this is why de floppy drive light comes on and de drive spins. If de file is found it is loaded into de SYSTEM BLOCK of de BIOS to replace de missin’ information. To restore your BIOS simply copy a workin’ BIOS file to a floppy diskette and rename it AMIBOOT.ROM, den insert it into de computer while de power is on. The diskette does not need to be bootable or contain a flash utility. After about four minutes de system will beep four times. Remove de floppy diskette from de drive and reboot de computer. The BIOS should now be restored.

Recoverin’ a Corrupt AWARD BIOS

With AWARD BIOS de process is similar but still a bit different. To recover an AWARD BIOS you will need to create a floppy diskette with a workin’ BIOS file in .BIN format, an AWARD flash utility and an AUTOEXEC.BAT file. AWARD BIOS will not automatically restore de BIOS information to de SYSTEM BLOCK for this reason you will need to add de commands necessary to flash de BIOS in de AUTOEXEC.BAT file. The system will run de AUTOEXE.BAT file, which will in turn flash de BIOS. This is fairly easy. Here are de steps you need to take.

� Create a bootable floppy diskette
� Copy de BIOS file and flash utility to de diskette
� Create an text file with any standard text editor and add de followin’ lines

@ECHO OFF
FLASH763 BIOSFILE.BIN /py

In de above example I am assumin’ that you are usin’ de FLASH763.EXE flash utility. You will need to replace de FLASH763 with de name of whatever flash utility you are usin’, and replace de BIOSFILE.BIN with de name of de BIOS file you are usin’. You will also need to change de �/py� to whatever de command is for your flash utility to automatically program de BIOS without user intervention. If you do not know de command to automatically flash your BIOS type de name of de flash utility with a space and den /? to display de utility�s help screen. The help screen should pecify de command switch to automatically flash your BIOS. If you are usin’ de FLASH763.EXE utility den de switch to automatically flash your BIOS is �/py�.

All latest Moderboards today, 486/ Pentium / Pentium Pro etc.,ensure that upgrades are easily obtained by incorporatin’ de system BIOS in a FLASH Memory component. With FLASH BIOS, dere is no need to replace an EPROM component. Once downloaded, de upgrade utility fits on a floppy disc allowin’ de user to save, verify and update de system BIOS. A hard drive or a network drive can also be used to run de newer upgrade utilities. However, memory managers can not be installed while upgradin’.

Most pre-Pentium moderboards do not have a Flash BIOS. The followin’ instructions derefore do not apply to dese boards. If your moderboard does not have a Flash BIOS (EEPROM) you will need to use an EPROM programmer to re-program de BIOS chip. See your dealer for more information about this.

Please read de followin’ instructions in full before startin’ a Flash BIOS upgrade:

A. Create a Bootable Floppy (in DOS)

�With a non-formatted disk, type de followin’:

format a:/s

�If usin’ a formatted disk, type:

sys a:

This procedure will ensure a clean boot when you are flashin’ de new BIOS.

B. Download de BIOS file

�Download de correct BIOS file by clickin’ on de file name of de BIOS file you wish to download.

�Save de BIOS file and de Flash Utility file in de boot disk you have created. Unzip de BIOS file and de flash utility file. If you don’t have an “unzip” utility, download de WinZip for Windows 95 shareware/ evaluation copy for that one time use from _www.winzip.com or _www.pkware.com. Most CD ROMs found in computer magazines, have a shareware version of WinZip on them.

�You should have extracted two files:

Flash BIOS utility eg: flash7265.exe (for example)

BIOS eg: 6152J900.bin (example)

Use de latest flash utility available unless oderwise specified (eider on de BIOS update page or in de archive file). This information is usually provided.

C. Upgrade de System BIOS

Durin’ boot up, write down de old BIOS version because you will need to use it for de BIOS backup file name.

Place de bootable floppy disk containin’ de BIOS file and de Flash Utility in drive a, and reboot de system in MS-DOS, preferably Version 6.22

�At de A:> prompt, type de correspondin’ Flash BIOS utility and de BIOS file with its extension.

For example:

flash625 615j900.bin

�From de Flash Memory Writer menu, select “Y” to “Do you want to save BIOS?” if you want to save (back up) your current BIOS (strong’ly recommended), den type de name of your current BIOS and its extension after FILE NAME TO SAVE: eg: a:613J900.bin

Alternatively select “N” if you don’t want to save your current BIOS. Beware, though, that you won’t be able to recover from a possible failure.

�Select “Y” to “Are you sure to program?”

�Wait until it displays “Message: Power Off or Reset de system”

Once de BIOS has been successfully loaded, remove de floppy disk and reboot de system. If you write to BIOS but cannot complete de procedure, do not switch off, because de computer will not be able to boo, and you will not be given anoder chance to flash. In this case leave your system on until you resolve de problem (flashin’ BIOS with old file is a possible solution, provided you’ve made a backup before)

Make sure de new BIOS version has been loaded properly by takin’ note of de BIOS identifier as de system is rebootin’.

For AMI BIOS

Once de BIOS has been successfully loaded, remove de floppy disk and reboot de system holdin’ de “END” key prior to power on until you enter CMOS setup. If you do not do this de first time bootin’ up after upgradin’ de BIOS, de system will han’.

BIOS Update Tips

note:

1.Make sure never to turn off or reset your computer durin’ de flash process. This will corrupt de BIOS data. We also recommend that you make a copy of your current BIOS on de bootable floppy so you can reflash it if you need to. (This option is not available when flashin’ an AMI BIOS).

2. If you have problems installin’ your new BIOS please check de followin’:

Have you done a clean boot?

In oder words, did you follow de above procedure for makin’ a bootable floppy? This ensures that when bootin’ from “A” dere are no device drivers on de diskette. Failin’ to do a clean boot is de most common cause for gettin’ a “Memory Insufficient” error message when attemptin’ to flash a BIOS.

If you have not used a bootable floppy, insure a clean boot eider by

a) pressin’ F5 durin’ bootup

b) by removin’ all device drivers on de CONFIG.SYS includin’ de HIMEM.SYS. Do this by usin’ de EDIT command.

Have you booted up under DOS?

Bootin’ in Windows is anoder common cause for gettin’ a “Memory Insufficient” error message when attemptin’ to flash a BIOS. Make sure to boot up to DOS with a minimum set of drivers. Important: Bootin’ in DOS does not mean selectin’ “Restart computer in MS-DOS Mode” from Windows98/95 shutdown menu or goin’ to Prompt mode in WindowsNT, but rader followin’ de above procedure (format a: /s and rebootin’ from a:).

Have you entered de full file name of de flash utility and de BIOS plus its extension?
Do not forget that often you will need to add a drive letter (a:) before flashin’ de BIOS. Example: when asked for file name of new BIOS file which is on your floppy disk, in case you’re workin’ from c: your will need to type a:615j900.bin, rader than 615j900.bin only.