I bought a used Dell Latitude E4310 that I want to replace Windows7 on with Fedora-22. Unfortunately the BIOS is locked and I do not have the admin password for it. A phone call to Dell was unproductive and none of the passwords offered in an on-line application work. Does anyone know what I can do to access this computer. I can return it, bought through Newegg, but it looks good so far, in new condition and the price is right. It even has a working battery.
I considered opening it and removing the bios battery which I assume would return it to the default conditions which I believe is no password set.
Any suggestions appreciated,
Bob
Battery removal and possibly a reset jumper needs to be shorted. Check the info on the mobo to be sure. On Jul 8, 2015 5:47 PM, "Bob Goodwin - Zuni, Virginia, USA" < bobgoodwin@wildblue.net> wrote:
I bought a used Dell Latitude E4310 that I want to replace Windows7 on with Fedora-22. Unfortunately the BIOS is locked and I do not have the admin password for it. A phone call to Dell was unproductive and none of the passwords offered in an on-line application work. Does anyone know what I can do to access this computer. I can return it, bought through Newegg, but it looks good so far, in new condition and the price is right. It even has a working battery.
I considered opening it and removing the bios battery which I assume would return it to the default conditions which I believe is no password set.
Any suggestions appreciated,
Bob
-- Bob Goodwin - Zuni, Virginia, USA http://www.qrz.com/db/W2BOD box10 FEDORA-22/64bit LINUX XFCE
-- users mailing list users@lists.fedoraproject.org To unsubscribe or change subscription options: https://admin.fedoraproject.org/mailman/listinfo/users Fedora Code of Conduct: http://fedoraproject.org/code-of-conduct Guidelines: http://fedoraproject.org/wiki/Mailing_list_guidelines Have a question? Ask away: http://ask.fedoraproject.org
Are you allowed to flash the bios? Would that be a possibility?
Ranjan
On Wed, 8 Jul 2015 18:03:58 -0400 fred roller fredroller66@gmail.com wrote:
Battery removal and possibly a reset jumper needs to be shorted. Check the info on the mobo to be sure. On Jul 8, 2015 5:47 PM, "Bob Goodwin - Zuni, Virginia, USA" < bobgoodwin@wildblue.net> wrote:
I bought a used Dell Latitude E4310 that I want to replace Windows7 on with Fedora-22. Unfortunately the BIOS is locked and I do not have the admin password for it. A phone call to Dell was unproductive and none of the passwords offered in an on-line application work. Does anyone know what I can do to access this computer. I can return it, bought through Newegg, but it looks good so far, in new condition and the price is right. It even has a working battery.
I considered opening it and removing the bios battery which I assume would return it to the default conditions which I believe is no password set.
Any suggestions appreciated,
Bob
-- Bob Goodwin - Zuni, Virginia, USA http://www.qrz.com/db/W2BOD box10 FEDORA-22/64bit LINUX XFCE
-- users mailing list users@lists.fedoraproject.org To unsubscribe or change subscription options: https://admin.fedoraproject.org/mailman/listinfo/users Fedora Code of Conduct: http://fedoraproject.org/code-of-conduct Guidelines: http://fedoraproject.org/wiki/Mailing_list_guidelines Have a question? Ask away: http://ask.fedoraproject.org
2015-07-08 22:47 GMT+01:00 Bob Goodwin - Zuni, Virginia, USA < bobgoodwin@wildblue.net>:
I bought a used Dell Latitude E4310 that I want to replace Windows7 on with Fedora-22. Unfortunately the BIOS is locked and I do not have the admin password for it. A phone call to Dell was unproductive and none of the passwords offered in an on-line application work. Does anyone know what I can do to access this computer. I can return it, bought through Newegg, but it looks good so far, in new condition and the price is right. It even has a working battery.
I considered opening it and removing the bios battery which I assume would return it to the default conditions which I believe is no password set.
Any suggestions appreciated,
Bob
Read and try this http://dogber1.blogspot.de/2009/05/table-of-reverse-engineered-bios.html http://bios-pw.org/
Removing battery on a modern laptop should not work, as master/user password are not stored in CMOS anymore.
-- Bob Goodwin - Zuni, Virginia, USA http://www.qrz.com/db/W2BOD box10 FEDORA-22/64bit LINUX XFCE
-- users mailing list users@lists.fedoraproject.org To unsubscribe or change subscription options: https://admin.fedoraproject.org/mailman/listinfo/users Fedora Code of Conduct: http://fedoraproject.org/code-of-conduct Guidelines: http://fedoraproject.org/wiki/Mailing_list_guidelines Have a question? Ask away: http://ask.fedoraproject.org
On Jul 8, 2015 4:47 PM, "Bob Goodwin - Zuni, Virginia, USA" < bobgoodwin@wildblue.net> wrote:
I bought a used Dell Latitude E4310 that I want to replace Windows7 on
with Fedora-22. Unfortunately the BIOS is locked and I do not have the admin password for it. A phone call to Dell was unproductive and none of the passwords offered in an on-line application work. Does anyone know what I can do to access this computer. I can return it, bought through Newegg, but it looks good so far, in new condition and the price is right. It even has a working battery.
I considered opening it and removing the bios battery which I assume
would return it to the default conditions which I believe is no password set.
Any suggestions appreciated,
Bob
-- Bob Goodwin - Zuni, Virginia, USA http://www.qrz.com/db/W2BOD box10 FEDORA-22/64bit LINUX XFCE
--
If you just bought an unusable product, you should return it. If you attempt something too adventurous, you might not be able to return it.
That said, Dell service manuals aren't hard to find online.
--Pete
On 07/08/2015 03:47 PM, Bob Goodwin - Zuni, Virginia, USA wrote:
I bought a used Dell Latitude E4310 that I want to replace Windows7 on with Fedora-22. Unfortunately the BIOS is locked and I do not have the admin password for it. A phone call to Dell was unproductive and none of the passwords offered in an on-line application work. Does anyone know what I can do to access this computer. I can return it, bought through Newegg, but it looks good so far, in new condition and the price is right. It even has a working battery.
I considered opening it and removing the bios battery which I assume would return it to the default conditions which I believe is no password set.
Any suggestions appreciated,
Bob
Had an identical problem. I called Dell and the took me through some BIOS steps while I was on the phone with them. The gave me the BIOS passwd and I was able to reset BIOS to the settings I wanted. You have to have with you all the numbers they will ask for, They are usually on the bottom of the laptop and beneath the battery. So be prepared to remove the battery and give them those numbers. Better yet, write them all down on paper before you call them. 800-624-9896
On 07/08/2015 03:47 PM, Bob Goodwin - Zuni, Virginia, USA wrote:
I bought a used Dell Latitude E4310 that I want to replace Windows7 on with Fedora-22. Unfortunately the BIOS is locked and I do not have the admin password for it. A phone call to Dell was unproductive and none of the passwords offered in an on-line application work. Does anyone know what I can do to access this computer. I can return it, bought through Newegg, but it looks good so far, in new condition and the price is right. It even has a working battery.
I considered opening it and removing the bios battery which I assume would return it to the default conditions which I believe is no password set.
Any suggestions appreciated,
Bob
Also, since you already have win7, the installed win7 is registered to your laptop. You might want to dd the win7 partition to a usb drive and save it. You might even be able to sell it along with the activation code on the sticker beneath the laptop.
On 08/07/15 19:59, jd1008 wrote:
On 07/08/2015 03:47 PM, Bob Goodwin - Zuni, Virginia, USA wrote:
I bought a used Dell Latitude E4310 that I want to replace Windows7 on with Fedora-22. Unfortunately the BIOS is locked and I do not have the admin password for it. A phone call to Dell was unproductive and none of the passwords offered in an on-line application work. Does anyone know what I can do to access this computer. I can return it, bought through Newegg, but it looks good so far, in new condition and the price is right. It even has a working battery.
I considered opening it and removing the bios battery which I assume would return it to the default conditions which I believe is no password set.
Any suggestions appreciated,
Bob
Also, since you already have win7, the installed win7 is registered to your laptop. You might want to dd the win7 partition to a usb drive and save it. You might even be able to sell it along with the activation code on the sticker beneath the laptop.
.
I guess it might be good to save it, I'll probably give that a try.
However I rarely run Windows and I am lost when I do ...
I called Dell first, the first guy spoke good English and took all the information but did not handle the Latitude line and put me on to another whom I could barely understand but it was obvious that I need to establish ownership. I just filled out the data required at Dell.com/transfer, the address he provided. Dunno where that will go. I have tried other on-line avenues such as a Dell page that wants the service tag number and returns several passwords "that might work" but didn't.
Newegg's vendor is ZoomUSA, I only received the computer yesterday afternoon but will try contacting them later this morning.
As I probably mentioned, I would prefer not to return/exchange since it is used and this one looks to be in like new condition, odds are I would not do as well in an exchange.
Thanks,
Bob
I bought a used Dell Latitude E4310 that I want to replace Windows7 on with Fedora-22. Unfortunately the BIOS is locked and I do not have the admin password for it. A phone call to Dell was unproductive...
Return it back to the seller and buy the same (or another) model w/o Windows. You will save money and be able to install Linux as you wish. That's what I' d do.
I'd never buy a computer with locked anything.
jh
---------- Původní zpráva ---------- Od: Bob Goodwin - Zuni, Virginia, USA bobgoodwin@wildblue.net Komu: users@lists.fedoraproject.org Datum: 9. 7. 2015 12:39:31 Předmět: Re: OT Password problem -
"On 08/07/15 19:59, jd1008 wrote:
On 07/08/2015 03:47 PM, Bob Goodwin - Zuni, Virginia, USA wrote:
I bought a used Dell Latitude E4310 that I want to replace Windows7 on with Fedora-22. Unfortunately the BIOS is locked and I do not have the admin password for it. A phone call to Dell was unproductive and none of the passwords offered in an on-line application work. Does anyone know what I can do to access this computer. I can return it, bought through Newegg, but it looks good so far, in new condition and the price is right. It even has a working battery.
I considered opening it and removing the bios battery which I assume would return it to the default conditions which I believe is no password set.
Any suggestions appreciated,
Bob
Also, since you already have win7, the installed win7 is registered to your laptop. You might want to dd the win7 partition to a usb drive and save it. You might even be able to sell it along with the activation code on the sticker beneath the laptop.
.
I guess it might be good to save it, I'll probably give that a try.
However I rarely run Windows and I am lost when I do ...
I called Dell first, the first guy spoke good English and took all the information but did not handle the Latitude line and put me on to another whom I could barely understand but it was obvious that I need to establish ownership. I just filled out the data required at Dell.com/transfer, the address he provided. Dunno where that will go. I have tried other on-line avenues such as a Dell page that wants the service tag number and returns several passwords "that might work" but didn't.
Newegg's vendor is ZoomUSA, I only received the computer yesterday afternoon but will try contacting them later this morning.
As I probably mentioned, I would prefer not to return/exchange since it is used and this one looks to be in like new condition, odds are I would not do as well in an exchange.
Thanks,
Bob
On 08/07/15 19:59, jd1008 wrote:
You might want to dd the win7 partition to a usb drive and save it.
Where would I find an instruction for doing this? I have not been able to mount the hard drive [using f-22 live] assuming it would be /dev/sda.
On 07/09/15 10:53, Bob Goodwin - Zuni, Virginia, USA wrote:
On 08/07/15 19:59, jd1008 wrote:
You might want to dd the win7 partition to a usb drive and save it.
Where would I find an instruction for doing this? I have not been able to mount the hard drive [using f-22 live] assuming it would be /dev/sda.
win7 has a recovery process that will build 3 dvd's to restore system.
to access it, press the 'windows' key, the key with the windows logo, in the bottom left entry bar, [ Search programs and files ] enter the word: recovery press <enter>.
you will then see a window with;
Programs (2) Recovery Media Creator Recovery Media Creator Help
click on: Recovery Media Creator
follow instructions in the: Recovery Media Creator window.
this must be run as 'Administrator'.
if it ask for a password, which you may not know, then you will need to pull "ntpassword" cd from;
http://pogostick.net/~pnh/ntpasswd
load that page, press 'page down' and you will see links to downloading.
i burned a cd to remove win7 passwords on the laptop i was given.
a little while ago, while having nothing better to do, ((GBWG)), i ran some searches for your laptop.
i found several manuals, but none showed how/what to open to disable the bios passwords, other than to remove cmos battery and let it sit for 30 minutes to 24 hours.
https://www.ehow.com/how_7609529_update-locked-bios.html https://www.ehow.com/how_6943618_reset-cmos-dell-inspiron.html https://www.ehow.com/how_5916403_clear-cmos-dell-notebook.html
http://www.tech-faq.com/reset-dell-bios-password.html
among what i found, there seems to be a dell rep who will help people recover bios passwords;
http://community.spiceworks.com/topic/712748-bios-hard-drive-password-reques...
hth.
.
The problem is solved. The dealer support guy [ZoomUsa] requested the system number, I provided it, and he immediately returned the password required with the necessary instructions. Now I can install Fedora on it.
On 09/07/15 13:08, g wrote:
On 07/09/15 10:53, Bob Goodwin - Zuni, Virginia, USA wrote:
On 08/07/15 19:59, jd1008 wrote:
You might want to dd the win7 partition to a usb drive and save it.
Where would I find an instruction for doing this? I have not been able to mount the hard drive [using f-22 live] assuming it would be /dev/sda.
win7 has a recovery process that will build 3 dvd's to restore system.
to access it, press the 'windows' key, the key with the windows logo, in the bottom left entry bar, [ Search programs and files ] enter the word: recovery press <enter>.
you will then see a window with;
Programs (2) Recovery Media Creator Recovery Media Creator Helpclick on: Recovery Media Creator
follow instructions in the: Recovery Media Creator window.
this must be run as 'Administrator'.
if it ask for a password, which you may not know, then you will need to pull "ntpassword" cd from;
http://pogostick.net/~pnh/ntpasswdload that page, press 'page down' and you will see links to downloading.
i burned a cd to remove win7 passwords on the laptop i was given.
. That deals with Windows passwords, I'm stuck with an unknown BIOS admin password.
As near as I can find out Dell can calculate it from the computer's unique service tag number, but first you have to convince them you own the computer, I am waiting for that to happen.
. http://www.tech-faq.com/reset-dell-bios-password.html Tries to calculate it, produces passwords, none of which work for me.
a little while ago, while having nothing better to do, ((GBWG)), i ran some searches for your laptop.
i found several manuals, but none showed how/what to open to disable the bios passwords, other than to remove cmos battery and let it sit for 30 minutes to 24 hours.
. Someone responding yesterday suggested that simply removing the battery may not be enough. With my luck it would change something I need and not fix the password problem! Else I would have done that already.
https://www.ehow.com/how_7609529_update-locked-bios.html https://www.ehow.com/how_6943618_reset-cmos-dell-inspiron.html
https://www.ehow.com/how_5916403_clear-cmos-dell-notebook.html
. He says: "Locate the third leg (small metal bar) connecting the chip to the board. Use the end of your paper clip to gently tap on the leg two or three times. This will reset the chip to its original factory settings." That one is too vague, too many missing details.
Read more : https://www.ehow.com/how_5916403_clear-cmos-dell-notebook.html
Read more : https://www.ehow.com/how_5916403_clear-cmos-dell-notebook.html
http://www.tech-faq.com/reset-dell-bios-password.html
among what i found, there seems to be a dell rep who will help people recover bios passwords;
http://community.spiceworks.com/topic/712748-bios-hard-drive-password-reques...
. Looks like that one dried up.
JohnC (Dell) Jan 21, 2015 at 5:55 AM
Hi all,
Please note that we have been advised to no longer provide BIOS/hard drive password unlock codes through forums and as such, I've edited the original post in this thread to reflect this. From this point on, we will no longer provide assistance for these issues on Spiceworks, publicly or privately.
.
hth.
.
On 09/07/15 13:08, g wrote:
win7 has a recovery process that will build 3 dvd's to restore system.
to access it, press the 'windows' key, the key with the windows logo, in the bottom left entry bar, [ Search programs and files ] enter the word: recovery press <enter>.
you will then see a window with;
Programs (2) Recovery Media Creator Recovery Media Creator Helpclick on: Recovery Media Creator
follow instructions in the: Recovery Media Creator window.
this must be run as 'Administrator'.
I will look at this procedure, but three DVD's to restore Windows7?
I'm not sure it's worth that, and what does restore mean, would I have a copy I could install in a VM in a different computer or does it only restore using a "hidden" file on the original computer? Sounds iffy ...
For me Fedora running from a flash drive is a joy to use compared to the installed Windows7. Even the touch pad works better and I didn't think I could manage without a track ball.
Bob
On 07/09/15 16:19, Bob Goodwin - Zuni, Virginia, USA wrote:
On 09/07/15 13:08, g wrote:
win7 has a recovery process that will build 3 dvd's to restore system.
to access it, press the 'windows' key, the key with the windows logo, in the bottom left entry bar, [ Search programs and files ] enter the word: recovery press <enter>.
you will then see a window with;
Programs (2) Recovery Media Creator Recovery Media Creator Helpclick on: Recovery Media Creator
follow instructions in the: Recovery Media Creator window.
this must be run as 'Administrator'.
I will look at this procedure, but three DVD's to restore Windows7?
i agree. ms has stock in dvd makers. ;-)
actually, i believe it is because the files are segregated. so, not knowing what a user has added, the dvd's are allocated as to the type of files. like: #1 = base system, #2 = additional, #3 = recovery programs. which is just a guess, with #3 being the recovery boot dvd.
application dvd 3: [geo@boxen TOSHIBA]$ ll total 984 -r--------. 1 geo geo 49 Nov 28 2005 AUTORUN.INF dr-x------. 38 geo geo 1768 Jun 1 16:03 comps1 -r--------. 1 geo geo 8 Sep 3 2007 DISK.1 -r--------. 1 geo geo 12261 Aug 10 2006 INSTALL2.CHM -r--------. 1 geo geo 18276 Aug 10 2006 INSTALL.CHM -r--------. 1 geo geo 955760 Aug 14 2009 INSTALL.EXE -r--------. 1 geo geo 12893 Aug 31 2009 INSTALL.INI [geo@boxen TOSHIBA]$ du -h * 2.0K AUTORUN.INF 9.7M comps1/TC0009130 4.5M comps1/TC0009150 22M comps1/TC0012630 37M comps1/TC0014330 15M comps1/TC0014820 26M comps1/TC0014830 42M comps1/TC0016370 22M comps1/TC0019060 13M comps1/TC0020970 86M comps1/TC0021240 43M comps1/TC0021470 55M comps1/TC0021490 20M comps1/TC0022160 2.3M comps1/TC0022170 4.0M comps1/TC1003250 110M comps1/TC1003260 2.7M comps1/TC1003270 14M comps1/TC1003280 3.6M comps1/TC1003290 635M comps1/TC1003300 4.2M comps1/TC1003310 7.3M comps1/TC1003320 137M comps1/TC1003330 3.4M comps1/TC1003620 5.8M comps1/TC1003710 5.9M comps1/TC1003730 16M comps1/TC3000800 9.4M comps1/TC4002380 7.3M comps1/TC4004990 14M comps1/TC4006020 14M comps1/TC4006030 29M comps1/TC4006540 70M comps1/TC4006570 13M comps1/TC4006900 114M comps1/TC4007240 21M comps1/TC4007590 1.6G comps1 2.0K DISK.1 12K INSTALL2.CHM 18K INSTALL.CHM 934K INSTALL.EXE 14K INSTALL.INI [geo@boxen TOSHIBA]$
recovery dvd 1: [geo@boxen TI103196W0D]$ ll total 390 dr-x------. 1 geo geo 4096 Jun 1 15:13 BIN dr-x------. 1 geo geo 2048 Jun 1 15:13 BOOT -r--------. 1 geo geo 383562 Jul 13 2009 BOOTMGR -r--------. 1 geo geo 187 Jun 1 15:08 DATA.INI -r--------. 1 geo geo 1807 Sep 1 2009 PLANDATA.INI dr-x------. 1 geo geo 2048 Jun 1 15:13 PLANFOLDER dr-x------. 1 geo geo 2048 Jun 1 15:13 SOURCES -r--------. 1 geo geo 0 Jun 29 2009 !V6_00_03.VRP dr-x------. 1 geo geo 2048 Jun 1 15:13 ZZImages [geo@boxen TI103196W0D]$ du -h * 8.6M BIN/X64 15M BIN 12M BOOT/FONTS 15M BOOT 375K BOOTMGR 512 DATA.INI 2.0K PLANDATA.INI 4.0K PLANFOLDER/TI103196W00 6.0K PLANFOLDER 131M SOURCES 0 !V6_00_03.VRP 4.0G ZZImages/ZZImages 4.0G ZZImages [geo@boxen TI103196W0D]$
recovery dvd 2: [geo@boxen TI103196W0D]$ ll total 4 -r--------. 1 geo geo 187 Jun 1 15:08 DATA.INI dr-x------. 3 geo geo 88 Jun 1 15:34 ZZImages [geo@boxen TI103196W0D]$ du -h * 2.0K DATA.INI 3.4G ZZImages/ZZImages 3.4G ZZImages [geo@boxen TI103196W0D]$
I'm not sure it's worth that, and what does restore mean,
restore what was operational. ie, base system, service packs, user added programs and files. all of which would be needed if one needed to restore system that was lost, corrupted, etc, etc...
would I have a copy I could install in a VM in a different computer or does it only restore using a "hidden" file on the original computer?
if your install uses 3 partitions, you would have to allocate 3 partitions in vm.
on this toshiba, 1st part = system boot and data, 2nd part = actual system, 3rd part = hddrecovery.
how the names came about and apply, that is something for someone more familiar with today's oos. i dropped oos at w95b.
Sounds iffy ...
i understand, but you have to consider that you are not installing from ms oem disk. recovery/restore is just that. also, because it is a laptop, you need special drivers for unique hardware of dell.
something that may best be answered by someone who has built a vm image.
if 'dd' can be used to create a vm image then 'dd' would be way to go. but you do need to mount drive with something like partition magic live, then look at drive to see if it is sliced up.
For me Fedora running from a flash drive is a joy to use compared to the installed Windows7.
hell, anything is a joy to run instead of oos. only reason i saved win7 on my laptop is to play the win games i have. ;-)
Even the touch pad works better and I didn't think I could manage without a track ball.
if your track ball is usb, win7 will find it during boot up and make it usable.
this post could be considered as "TMI", but it is only that i am trying to pass along to you what you may have in store.
in closing, did you get a dell oem cd for your laptop? i do believe that for someone to sell a computer with ms system installed, they are required to also supply the install cd. in your case, that cd must be a dell oem cd.
On 2015-07-08 17:47, Bob Goodwin - Zuni, Virginia, USA wrote:
I bought a used Dell Latitude E4310 that I want to replace Windows7 on with Fedora-22. Unfortunately the BIOS is locked and I do not have the admin password for it. A phone call to Dell was unproductive and none of the passwords offered in an on-line application work. Does anyone know what I can do to access this computer. I can return it, bought through Newegg, but it looks good so far, in new condition and the price is right. It even has a working battery.
In my experience, *new* Dell machines do not have locked BIOS. However, I have a friend who recently bought a "refurbished" Dell machine that had been BIOS locked. It's most likely the entity that "refurbished" the machine that locked the BIOS. You'll need to contact them to obtain the password / do research on them (not Dell) to find typically used passwords.
Personally I consider this practice abhorrent and would never buy such a machine or deal with sellers that engage in such practices. Also, FWIW, this friend has had terrible problems with his machine. (A locked BIOS is a red flag; the seller doesn't want you to have full control of the system. You'd better ask yourself *why?*. It may be to try to extort money out of you later for service, or it may be to hide a problem with the machine. Either one isn't good news for you.)
My advice: don't buy used computers. Build your own from new parts, or buy new from a reputable dealer. With used, you never know what you're getting (e.g. did someone sell it because some hardware component is going bad?) and you can easily end up having to spend more money to fix it than if you'd bought new.
On 09/07/15 10:04, Matthew Woehlke wrote:
In my experience,*new* Dell machines do not have locked BIOS. However, I have a friend who recently bought a "refurbished" Dell machine that had been BIOS locked. It's most likely the entity that "refurbished" the machine that locked the BIOS. You'll need to contact them to obtain the password / do research on them (not Dell) to find typically used passwords.
Personally I consider this practice abhorrent and would never buy such a machine or deal with sellers that engage in such practices. Also, FWIW, this friend has had terrible problems with his machine. (A locked BIOS is a red flag; the seller doesn't want you to have full control of the system. You'd better ask yourself *why?*. It may be to try to extort money out of you later for service, or it may be to hide a problem with the machine. Either one isn't good news for you.)
My advice: don't buy used computers. Build your own from new parts, or buy new from a reputable dealer. With used, you never know what you're getting (e.g. did someone sell it because some hardware component is going bad?) and you can easily end up having to spend more money to fix it than if you'd bought new.
-- Matthew
First, I did not anticipate this problem when I ordered the device. Would you have expected that?
I have initiated the necessary process to get Dell to provide a password, I have also contacted the dealer about an hour ago and I am waiting for a response.
If all else fails I can return it, however I believe it is worth the effort to get the problem corrected, at least give the seller a chance to respond, he is probably reputable, certainly I must assume so until proven otherwise.
I added RAM and F22/XFCE Live on a flash drive runs very nicely on it, a big relief from trying to figure out how Windows7 works.
As for buying new, I really can't justify buying a portable computer, just saw an ad and bought it to play with, with one exception, I have assembled all my computers from new parts in server type cases, very convenient. As I said before it appears to be like new, has a Dell battery in good condition and I think will make a good Fedora computer. It even connected to my NFS server as soon as I created a mount point for it.
Thank you for your advice,
Bob
On 2015-07-09 10:55, Bob Goodwin - Zuni, Virginia, USA wrote:
On 09/07/15 10:04, Matthew Woehlke wrote:
In my experience,*new* Dell machines do not have locked BIOS. However, I have a friend who recently bought a "refurbished" Dell machine that had been BIOS locked. It's most likely the entity that "refurbished" the machine that locked the BIOS. You'll need to contact them to obtain the password / do research on them (not Dell) to find typically used passwords.
Personally I consider this practice abhorrent and would never buy such a machine or deal with sellers that engage in such practices. Also, FWIW, this friend has had terrible problems with his machine. (A locked BIOS is a red flag; the seller doesn't want you to have full control of the system. You'd better ask yourself *why?*. It may be to try to extort money out of you later for service, or it may be to hide a problem with the machine. Either one isn't good news for you.)
My advice: don't buy used computers. Build your own from new parts, or buy new from a reputable dealer. With used, you never know what you're getting (e.g. did someone sell it because some hardware component is going bad?) and you can easily end up having to spend more money to fix it than if you'd bought new.
First, I did not anticipate this problem when I ordered the device. Would you have expected that?
With no previous experience? Probably not. Now? I'd... be "very cautious" about buying a refurbished computer. Especially from someone that deals in "used" computers.
You're probably better off buying from an honest individual making a one-time sale, actually. (The problem there of course is knowing whether or not the individual *is* honest.)
I bought a "used" ASUS netbook off eBay that has been a truly wonderful little machine. IIRC the seller stated it had been booted once but was otherwise brand new; presumably he just didn't want it for whatever reason. I put in a larger memory module and replaced the spinning drive with an SSD and have never had any issues with it.
But anyway, that's general advise (i.e. for future reference / others thinking about buying used). I do hope you can get your issue resolved and don't have further trouble.
If all else fails I can return it, however I believe it is worth the effort to get the problem corrected, at least give the seller a chance to respond, he is probably reputable, certainly I must assume so until proven otherwise.
I would strongly recommend you try to install Fedora before your return period expires if at all possible. My friend was unable to install it, and had issues reinstalling Windows later.
On 09/07/15 13:16, Matthew Woehlke wrote:
With no previous experience? Probably not. Now? I'd... be "very cautious" about buying a refurbished computer. Especially from someone that deals in "used" computers.
You're probably better off buying from an honest individual making a one-time sale, actually. (The problem there of course is knowing whether or not the individual*is* honest.)
My experience has been different. I bought a motherboard from Craig's list from a local, It worked for a couple of weeks and died, refused to complete the POST. He didn't want to hear about it, it was as is I guess. Computers I've bought on-line from dealers specializing in used equipment have always worked and held up long enough for me to want to replace them with something newer. They have even settled problems with a phone call.
Today's problem is solved. I e-mailed them this morning and they responded this afternoon. The dealer support guy [ZoomUsa] requested the system number, I provided it, and he immediately returned the password required with the necessary instructions. Problem solved within 24 hours of receiving the equipment! Now I can install Fedora on it.
Bob
On 2015-07-09 16:52, Bob Goodwin - Zuni, Virginia, USA wrote:
On 09/07/15 13:16, Matthew Woehlke wrote:
With no previous experience? Probably not. Now? I'd... be "very cautious" about buying a refurbished computer. Especially from someone that deals in "used" computers.
You're probably better off buying from an honest individual making a one-time sale, actually. (The problem there of course is knowing whether or not the individual*is* honest.)
My experience has been different. I bought a motherboard from Craig's list from a local, It worked for a couple of weeks and died, refused to complete the POST. He didn't want to hear about it, it was as is I guess. Computers I've bought on-line from dealers specializing in used equipment have always worked and held up long enough for me to want to replace them with something newer. They have even settled problems with a phone call.
I do admit I have very limited experience, and that not first-hand :-). Personally I always buy new when I can, at least for things like computer equipment. (And cars. If I *could*, I'd prefer new houses, too, though at least there you do inspections when you buy "used". Things like books, furniture, etc. where visible condition is usually a good indicator as to the actual condition, are another matter though.)
Today's problem is solved. I e-mailed them this morning and they responded this afternoon. The dealer support guy [ZoomUsa] requested the system number, I provided it, and he immediately returned the password required with the necessary instructions.
That's good to hear; it means this dealer isn't locking the BIOS because they are trying to hide something or wring more money out of you, and probably have a more benign reason (maybe to stop people that don't know what they're doing from accidentally bricking their machines). Anyway, glad they were able to help you.
Good luck with your new Fedora system! :-)
Today's problem is solved. I e-mailed them this morning and they responded this afternoon. The dealer support guy [ZoomUsa] requested the system number, I provided it, and he immediately returned the password required with the necessary instructions.
That's good to hear; it means this dealer isn't locking the BIOS because they are trying to hide something or wring more money out of you, and probably have a more benign reason (maybe to stop people that don't know what they're doing from accidentally bricking their machines). Anyway, glad they were able to help you.
I would suggest putting in a good review of the dealer if possible. This lets others know and is also encouraging to the dealer that his good actions are noticed.
Ranjan
____________________________________________________________ FREE ONLINE PHOTOSHARING - Share your photos online with your friends and family! Visit http://www.inbox.com/photosharing to find out more!
On 07/10/2015 07:33 AM, Matthew Woehlke wrote:
probably have a more benign reason (maybe to stop people that don't know what they're doing from accidentally bricking their machines).
That's no excuse. Once you've paid for the machine and received it, what you do with it is none of their business.
On 10/07/15 12:42, Joe Zeff wrote:
On 07/10/2015 07:33 AM, Matthew Woehlke wrote:
probably have a more benign reason (maybe to stop people that don't know what they're doing from accidentally bricking their machines).
That's no excuse. Once you've paid for the machine and received it, what you do with it is none of their business.
.
Yes and these are used computers, I'm not surprised that something like a BIOS password might get through any quality testing that might be done. It worked as the typical user might expect and probably would never be a problem for him.
I dumped Windows7 and installed Fedora 22 this morning and it works well, I am satisfied ...
Bob
On 2015-07-10 12:42, Joe Zeff wrote:
On 07/10/2015 07:33 AM, Matthew Woehlke wrote:
probably have a more benign reason (maybe to stop people that don't know what they're doing from accidentally bricking their machines).
That's no excuse. Once you've paid for the machine and received it, what you do with it is none of their business.
...so if I sell you a gun, I should be sure to ship it to you with the safety *off*? Sure, that might be more convenient, but OTOH it's not like I welded the safety in the "on" position.
I agree with the sentiment, and that's why I take a very low view of dealers that password lock the BIOS *and won't tell you the password*. If they're happy to tell you... I still don't necessarily agree with having one in the first place, but I'm much less inclined to ascribe sinister motives.
(Or, as Bob indicated, maybe it was an accident. Maybe they test the BIOS password lock of every computer they sell and sometimes forget to remove the password again.)
-
Alchemist -
Bob Goodwin -
fred roller -
g -
j.halifax2＠seznam.cz -
JD -
Joe Zeff -
Matthew Woehlke -
Pete Travis -
Ranjan Maitra