Locked Password on Administrator Account

mumslave

Have you tried contacting dell support, they may have a backdoor password for your HDD. Best of luck anyways

spud17

But when I looked at the drives in F2 setup, it had greyed out HDD password.

Not 100% sure what OP is asking? This is different to the Windows password?

I've used, Safe Mode then login to administrator account and change the main admin account.

Perhaps help could be HERE

Browntoa

if its the hard disk password then the only way is to contact dell, on the earlier ones you could disconnect the Cmos battery and reset it but they shut this avenue as Joe burglar could do it

fwor

Sorry - I misunderstood and thought the OP was referring to the Windows admin p/w. As Browntoa says, if it's a HDD p/w, what I suggested won't help.

spud17

I have locked the password on my Administrator Account. I tried to change it and it kept saying the original password was not being accepted. So I logged out and when I tried to log in, it HAD changed my password to another password, but every password that I have tried old and new will not let me in.

But when I looked at the drives in F2 setup, it had greyed out HDD password.

This first quote suggests a Windows password, but the latter "F2 and greyed out" suggests a BIOS password.

Bit of clarification needed.

computershack

If it is the BIOS password, that's going to cost a shedload of money to get sorted and could mean a new mainboard. The old "removing the CMOS backup battery" trick hasn't worked for years now.

needhelpcertifyme

thanks for your help everyone. This is all I need right now in my life! LOL.

I thought it was just Windows to my account password, but as I said when I went into setup, it showed the HDD greyed out, so seems I had put the Administrator password on my Bios, without even realising it.

I cannot get past the login screen when I try safemode. As it asks for the password, which I cannot get it to accept anything that I had as my new and old password.

Ok, will got sit in a corner and cry at how unfair life is.

taxi97w

Maybe you jotted the password down on some documentation; windows handbook, windows installation cd cover.......

fwor

needhelpcertifyme wrote: »

so seems I had put the Administrator password on my Bios, without even realising it.

I don't see how it is possible to do that accidentally.

needhelpcertifyme wrote: »

I cannot get past the login screen when I try safemode.

Windows won't allow you to bypass the login screen simply by using Safe Mode. There would be no point in having a username and password if it were that easy.

If it really is just the Windows login screen that you can't get past, one of the solutions posted above will solve the problem.

closed

netbook or laptop - Are you sure it doesn't have a dvd/cd drive, (a slot on the right hand side rather than a drawer)

If you have really set a bios password, phone dell for an override, you said you tried safemode, the menu would come up after the bios password stage.