Unable to boot past BIOS

1) Remove the AC adapter (Charger), and main Battery.

2) The CMOS Battery is now referred to also, as the RTC Battery.
Real Time Clock

3) Turn the laptop over, bottom side up.
The large rectangular cover in the middle, is the Memory Door.
Loosen the screws, lift on the Memory Door; on the screw side.

The RTC Battery is a coin-cell battery, in a plastic holder ('Bag'), with two wires coming out, that end in a small male plug connector.

Unplug the male connector from the motherboard, remove the RTC Battery.

Past this point cannot tell you exact location of those jumper pads.
Usually under a piece of Mylar plastic.
Often under the Ram Memory modules, or under the Wireless Module. ('Card')

The RTC Battery helps retain that password.
However there is also a capacitor, or capacitors; that hold a trickle charge - INDEFINITELY, after ALL power is removed.

Briefly touching the aforementioned jumper pads, relieves this stored trickle charge.

http://www.dell.com/support/troubleshooting/us/en/19/Product/latitude-e4310

Scroll down.......-> Service Manual
Removing and Replacing Parts > Coin-Cell Battery

Hmmm, looking for jumper pad information I ran into this;
Looks like the jumper pad method will not work either,

http://forum.notebookreview.com/dell-latitude-vostro-precision/394528-how-reset-bios-cmos-latitude-e6400.html

Read post -
applebook - 29th June 2008,

"There is no way to reset the Bios on the new Latitudes. Removing the power and PRAM battery does nothing. Everything in the Bios is contained in the EPROM flash chip and keyboard ROM chip. The E series uses a chip that cannot be reset by jumpers either."

Next plan of attack is to take;
1) Drivers license, or some other valid form of identification
2) Proof of purchase
3) Credit Card
4) Laptop

,down to nearest Dell authorized repair shop, and have the resident tech obtain the Master Password from Dell.

The Master Password will be used to either;
A) Create a new password
B) Eliminate the password

Tech keeps the Master Password.

Regards,
joecoolvette

nplug computer, set jumber to reset RTC and remove batery.Remove every device on the PC including peripherals except for CPU, 1 stick of RAM, DVD OR FLOPPY (whichever you will reflash from).Plug PC and power on [YES, with battery OUT and jumper still on RESET RTC], hold delete (MUST USE PS/2 Keyboard) if you're lucky you'll be able to enter the BIOS and use EZFLASH to reflash BIOS, it supports USB thumb drive provided it's formatted to FAT.Reflash (the flash could have been successful but they released a bad buggy BIOS, if so then reflash with the earlier version) After flashing the PC will reset itself DO NOT INTERFERE! When the computer boots up you should expect a CMOS error message (it's normal because you just reflashed).Power off, unplug PC, replace battery and return RTC jumbers to normal.Reconnect everything and plug PC back in and power on and enter BIOS settings.

First read articles on "ESD".
Link:
http://www.computerhope.com/esd.htm

Look for any warnings or post messages during boot sequence

1. Verify the RAM are the correct modules for your computer.
2. If the RAM is correct then remove 1 stick of RAM
3. Check the jumper settings on the HDD to verify Master, Slave, or Cable Select.
4. Remove the hard drive and verify the system will post.
5. Reinstall the HDD and boot to Bios and verify all devces are detected.
6. You might reset the Bios with the J2,3 to the J1,2 jumper.on the mother board.

Troublshooting is a process of elimination. Start barebones and work your way up!

The best method to reset a BIOS password depends on what BIOS the computer has. Common BIOS's include AMI, Award, IBM and Phoenix. Numerous other BIOS's do exist, but these are the most common.

Some BIOS's allow you to require a password be entered before the system will boot. Some BIOS's allow you to require a password to be entered before the BIOS setup may be accessed.

The general categories of solutions to reset a BIOS password are:

* Using a Backdoor BIOS Password
* Resetting the BIOS Password using Software
* Resetting the BIOS Password using Hardware
* Vendor Specific Solutions for resetting the BIOS Password

Using a Backdoor BIOS Password

Some BIOS manufacturers implement a backdoor password. The backdoor password is a BIOS password that works, no matter what the user sets the BIOS password to. These passwords are typically used for testing and maintenance. Manufacturers typically change the backdoor BIOS passwords from time to time.
AMI Backdoor BIOS Passwords

Reported AMI backdoor BIOS passwords include A.M.I., AAAMMMIII, AMI?SW , AMI_SW, BIOS, CONDO, HEWITT RAND, LKWPETER, MI, and PASSWORD.
Award Backdoor BIOS Passwords

One reported Award backdoor BIOS password is eight spaces. Other reported Award backdoor BIOS passwords include 01322222, 589589, 589721, 595595, 598598 , ALFAROME, ALLY, ALLy, aLLY, aLLy, aPAf, award, AWARD PW, AWARD SW, AWARD?SW, AWARD_PW, AWARD_SW, AWKWARD, awkward, BIOSTAR, CONCAT, CONDO, Condo, condo, d8on, djonet, HLT, J256, J262, j262, j322, j332, J64, KDD, LKWPETER, Lkwpeter, PINT, pint, SER, SKY_FOX, SYXZ, syxz, TTPTHA, ZAAAADA, ZAAADA, ZBAAACA, and ZJAAADC.
Phoenix Backdoor BIOS Passwords

Reported Phoenix BIOS backdoor passwords include BIOS, CMOS, phoenix, and PHOENIX.
Backdoor BIOS Passwords from Other Manufacturers

Reported BIOS backdoor passwords for other manufacturers include:

Manufacturer BIOS 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
SOYO SY_MB
TMC BIGO
Toshiba Toshiba

Remember that what you see listed may not be the actual backdoor BIOS password, this BIOS password may simply have the same checksum as the real backdoor BIOS password. For Award BIOS, this checksum is stored at F000:EC60.
Resetting the BIOS Password using Software

Every system must store the BIOS password information somewhere. If you are able to access the machine after it has been booted successfully, you may be able to view the BIOS password. You must know the memory address where the BIOS password is stored, and the format in which the BIOS password is stored. Or, you must have a program that knows these things.

You can write your own program to read the BIOS password from the CMOS memory on a PC by writing the address of the byte of CMOS memory that you wish to read in port 0x370, and then reading the contents of port 0x371.

!BIOS will recover the BIOS password for most common BIOS versions, including IBM, American Megatrends Inc, Award and Phoenix.

CmosPwd will recover the BIOS password for the following BIOS versions:

* ACER/IBM BIOS
* AMI BIOS
* AMI WinBIOS 2.5
* Award 4.5x/4.6x/6.0
* Compaq (1992)
* Compaq (New version)
* IBM (PS/2, Activa, Thinkpad)
* Packard Bell
* Phoenix 1.00.09.AC0 (1994), a486 1.03, 1.04, 1.10 A03, 4.05 rev 1.02.943, 4.06 rev 1.13.1107
* Phoenix 4 release 6 (User)
* Gateway Solo - Phoenix 4.0 release 6
* Toshiba
* Zenith AMI

Resetting the BIOS Password using Hardware

If you cannot access the machine after if has been powered up, it is still possible to get past the BIOS password. The BIOS password is stored in CMOS memory that is maintained while the PC is powered off by a small battery, which is attached to the motherboard. If you remove this battery, all CMOS information (including the BIOS password) will be lost. You will need to re-enter the correct CMOS setup information to use the machine. The machines owner or user will most likely be alarmed when it is discovered that the BIOS password has been deleted.

On some motherboards, the battery is soldered to the motherboard, making it difficult to remove. If this is the case, you have another alternative. Somewhere on the motherboard you should find a jumper that will clear the BIOS password. If you have the motherboard documentation, you will know where that jumper is. If not, the jumper may be labeled on the motherboard. If you are not fortunate enough for either of these to be the case, you may be able to guess which jumper is the correct jumper. This jumper is usually standing alone near the battery. If you cannot locate this jumper, you might short both of the points where the battery connects to the motherboard.

If all else fails, you may have to clear the BIOS password by resetting the RTC (Real Time Clock) IC (Integrated Circuit) on your motherboard.

Many RTC's require an external battery. If your RTC is one of this type, you can clear the BIOS password just by unsocketing the RTC and reseating it.

RTC's which require external batteries include:

* Dallas Semiconductor DS12885S
* TI benchmarq bq3258S
* Motorola MC146818AP
* Hitachi HD146818AP
* Samsung KS82C6818A

Most RTC chips with integrated batteries can be reset to clear the BIOS password by shorting two pins together for a few seconds.

You will see more than one option for some chips due to testing by various people in the field. Remember to remove power from the system before shorting these pins.

RTC Chip Pins
Dallas DS1287A
TI benchmarq bp3287AMT 3 (N.C.) and 21 (NC/RCL)
Chips & Technologies P82C206 12 (GND) and 32 (5V)
-or-
74 (GND) and 75 (5V)
OPTi F82C206 3 and 26
Dallas Semiconductor DS12887A 3 (N.C.) and 21 (RCLR)

You should be able to discover how to reset the BIOS password stored in most RTC (Real Time Clock) chips by reading the manufacturers data sheet for that RTC. Some RTC's, like the Dallas DS1287 and TI benchmarq bq3287mt cannot be cleared. The solution to resetting the BIOS password on systems with those RTC's is to purchase a replacement RTC chip. How inconvenient!

I received an IBM laptop with same issue a few months back. The error message due to the drained out CMOS RTC (coin-cell battery), which retains and other BIOS settings.
The system is OK and all you have to do is to get the CMOS/RTC battery replaced by the a professional.
Good Luck!
CreativeTECH

hi friend,

Probably a dead Motherboard battery. Need to enter the BIOS screens and reset values. Especially the time and date. Maybe the boot order and if using USB KBoard enable legusy USB devices. This will occur each time your friend shuts down and reboots until the battery is changed.
Issue
When you turn your Toshiba computer on, you see an error message like: **** Bad RTC battery ****
**** Bad Checksum (CMOS) ****
Check system, then press [F1] key The Real Time Clock (RTC) battery provides power for the internal clock/calendar and for maintaining system configuration settings.
This error can occur when a machine has been left turned-off for an extended period of time (around a month), and is the result of a depleted RTC battery. Other symptoms include not being able to execute Windows Update properly, errors/problems executing application software (like Norton Antivirus), and the appearance of the Windows XP "Desktop Clean Wizard".
Resolution This condition is easy to fix in 3 basic steps: Reset the BIOS defaults
Set the correct date and time in Windows.
Charge the RTC battery Please follow the detailed instructions in the next section.
Procedure Set BIOS defaults Press the [F1] key as instructed in the error message:
**** Bad RTC battery ****
**** Bad Checksum (CMOS) ****
Check system, then press [F1] key In the BIOS setup screen press the [Home] key to restore the default values, then press the [End] key to save and exit, then the [Y] key to confirm and restart the system. Set the correct date and time in Windows As Windows starts-up, you may see an error message about an "Invalid System Time". Go ahead and click "OK" to clear the error dialog. Open the Windows Control Panel and open the "Date and Time" control by double-clicking its icon. Set the correct date and time, then click OK to save. Charge the Real Time Clock (RTC) battery To charge the RTC battery, connect the AC adapter and turn the computer on (both the DC IN and Power LEDs must be green). Leave the machine on for approximately 24 hours to ensure a full charge in the RTC battery. Please note that the RTC battery does not charge while the PC is turned off, regardless of whether the AC adapter is connected or not. Other Information: If, on subsequent reboots, the "Bad RTC Battery" error persists, it's quite likely that you actually do have a bad RTC battery. If that's the case, you should contact a Toshiba Authorized Service Provider to have the system serviced. Windows XP Desktop Cleanup Wizard The first time you reboot Windows XP after resetting the system clock, Windows XP may try to run the "Desktop Cleanup Wizard". Simply Cancel the "Desktop Cleanup Wizard" at the first dialog. If you do manage to clean your shortcuts from the desktop and want to recover them, you will find them in a folder called "Unused Desktop Shortcuts". You can recover them as follows: Double-click to open the "Unused Desktop Shortcuts" folder
Click to expand the "Edit" menu, and click "Select All"
Drag the selected items back to your desktop
Close the "Unused Desktop Shortcuts" folder. You can delete this folder if it is empty.

thank u for using fixya

regards,
sivaranjini

That means that after computer had been off for a long time the CMOS battery has drained, and CMOS (BIOS) settings had been reset to default.

Usually the computer will work fine after pressing F1, but you may get wrong date and time.

Try charging battery completely, often the problem disappears, if it does not , then the choice is between pressing F1 each time you start the laptop, or disassembling the laptop and replacing CMOS internal coin battery, located on the lower side of the motherboard.

Hi,
you would usually flash/update the old bios, with the new bios via floppy disk drive, or cd if your motherboard supports it. if you go to the manufacturers web-site-support or downloads. you should be able to get the latest bios for the board. also read any notes on " flashing the bios " if the board won,t boot, you can,t damage it anymore than it already is. nothing to lose everything to gain.
if you have to send the board to be unsoldered/re-soldered very expensive usually.

if this information solves your problem, please rate as Fixya.

Many thanks for using the forums.

Mike @ compurepair.

that is because the password in question that you are trying to get past is the BIOS password most likely. Verify that your computer is turned off, remove power cord from back of computer, and find the jumper near the Bios chip on the motherboard. It will usually be close to the battery ( another option, temporarily remove the battery for about 30 seconds, then replace the battery into its proper position ). Be careful when you do this as some battery sockets are a pain to work with. Anyway in nearly all cases, the Bios reset jumper is located very close to both the battery and the bios chip ( firmware ). Removing the Bios reset jumper and positioning it one pin over from the initial position will usually reset the bios and get rid of the bios password requirement. Always put the bios reset jumper back into its initial position before re-appying power to the motherboard. Be careful not to leave anything loose lying around on the motherboard or in the case, else you might fry the motherboard..
Once you have successfully managed to get past the Bios password, then you should see the computer start to boot up normally and prior to Windows boot up and in the Bios routine you can configure the computer to boot to CD first. In many more modern situations, the motherboard is already configured that way.

1.) Unplug AC, take out the main battery.

2.) Take out /disconnect the RTC (real time clock) battery for app. half an hour (the period of 5 min as specified in the MSG normally is not long enough).

3.) Plug in the AC adapter (batteries still removed); computer should boot automatically, if not use the power button.

4.) The machine will boot and show the 162-error-msg "system options not set". Use F1 to save the settings.

5.) Shut down the computer and disconnect AC power again.
6.) Re-connect the RTC-battery.
7.) Install the battery pack(s).
8.) Restart the computer.

Caveat: All settings are set back to factory standard.
You'll have to enter a correct date/time and change the settings to your needs.

Note: pls strictly keep to the sequence.
Re-starting with the main battery and or RTC-battery inserted will spoil the job.