Password-B-Gone (off topic)

[Avery Todd]

Hi Rob,

At 11:14 PM 03/14/02 -0800, you wrote:
><<OFF TOPIC>>
>
>A question for the more "digitally minded".  In an effort to exploit the 
>never ending waste of the university I picked up a number of computers 
>today.  I rescued them just a scant few moments from being crushed and 
>deposited in a recycling dumpster.  When I came home and sorted through it 
>I found both some trash and some treasure.  The trash was real trash but 
>the treasure are fully functional computers and monitors.  It is truly 
>amazing how universities chant their liberal "save the earth and 
>environment" crap and tell the public how their budget is never enough and 
>at the same time crush perfectly good and usable computer hardware... and 
>other amazing things.  This of course is another story.

It's always been amazing to me how the "powers that be" would rather
spend $30-$40,000 for a new instrument rather than $20,000 or so for a
very well rebuilt older one!

Avery

>Anyway I have some identical Dell computers.  I got one up and running 
>with no effort at all, just plugged it in and hooked it up to a perfectly 
>good discarded monitor.  Windows 98 popped up beautifully and I proceeded 
>to clean the system.  Unfortunately it isn't always this easy.  Some 
>computers have a password at start up, (before windows boots).  Of course 
>I have no way of knowing what the passwords are so I am stuck.  My 
>question is:  Does anyone know how to purge a BIOS password?  I know I 
>could temporarily remove the bios battery but that would also delete all 
>the other BIOS data.
>
>Any ideas?  Thanks in advance.
>
>
>Rob Goodale, RPT
>Las Vegas, NV
>
>
>