HDD User Password Acer Aspire 3680 sell broke or get fixed

triggerhappy_2

If you can open up the back of the laptop (there are a few panels with screws) you should be able to find the CMOS battery - it looks like a big watch battery, a bit smaller than a 2p.

Take it out for a few minutes and put it back in. Start up the machine again and hopefully the BIOS password will have been forgotten.

golfkec

thankyou i will try that triggerhappy

System

It's not the BIOS password but the hard disk password. If anything like IBMs then removing the battery does nothing (or can even make things worse) and can also stop you using any other HDD in it.

Basil1234

just looked up the spec http://reviews.cnet.com/laptops/acer-aspire-3680-2249/4507-3121_7-32416895.html?!!!!!mncolBtm;rnav

if you have been offered £70 for it as it is. my advice flog it as not worth the hassle as it would seem you skill are quite limited, also the spec is quite old and limited. also doesn't list harddrive manufacturers the only way of find out properely is to unscrew the cover flap and remove it and then do more work.
if you sell as it and is in the description e.g. hdd locked then you are ok i would dump it quick as i could and let someone else deal with it.

Baldur

See reply #7 http://www.computing.net/answers/hardware/hdd-password/55972.html

They said acer computers to do that when a drive goese (presumably means 'goes') bad.

golfkec

Tried that trigger thanks but no success. Ill just let it go on ebay i think. I have another techie question about a digital camera on another post if anyone could have a look as i have had no replies

triggerhappy_2

!!!!!! wrote: »

It's not the BIOS password but the hard disk password. If anything like IBMs then removing the battery does nothing (or can even make things worse) and can also stop you using any other HDD in it.

IME the hdd password has always been set through and controlled by the BIOS. I was just suggesting a primitve BIOS reset as an option. Never heard of doing so making anything worse - certainly never happened to me the many times I've done it - but I'm willing to stand corrected. Won't stop me doing doing it again though.

ETA: also, what do you do if the CMOS battery dies? Would you bin the motherboard?

System

I believe that the problem is that it stores the HDD password in NVRAM as well. By resetting the CMOS it then has a conflict of having a password set in NVRAM but the BIOS is now saying that there is no password. With IBMs the recommendation was to replace the motherboard as this was the cheapest option. There may be methods to recover now but 3 years ago we never got an answer for ours.

Obviously manufacturers vary but I would never recommend setting a HDD password based on my experience.

triggerhappy_2

!!!!!! wrote: »

Obviously manufacturers vary but I would never recommend setting a HDD password based on my experience.

Have to agree with you there. There are less problematic ways of securing your data.

Your point about the NVRAM makes sense, I've just never come across it causing an issue. It'd make me steer clear of IBM if it is the case since CMOS failure, though relatively rare since computers don't usually last long enough for it to happen, isn't unheard of and should be a cheap and simple fix.