need to change boot order - cant access BIOS

[Siggy]

Hi all,
I have an Acer Aspire 9305
I have forgotten the BIOS password and do not want to pay Acer $100 USD plus postage to reset it for me.
Is there a way to change the boot sequence from Windows Safe Mode.
My laptop became corrupted from Spyware and Viruses and now freezes every time it gets to Windows – Safe mode is OK – for now!
I have the recovery discs but cant get the laptop to boot from CD – because I forgot the password to the BIOS.
My understanding is that the password is stored in the eeprom? and so even if I knew where the battery was – it would do no good to remove it!

I have tried Bios320 and cmospwd – neither worked
it is a Phoenix bios and i have tried the so called backdoor pw of phoenix PHOENIX BIOS and CMOS

I have tried to reinstall emanager or erecovery ( acer software) and neither will install – I think it is the virus that is preventing it or they cant be installed in safe mode – and full windows just freezes.

SO – is there a software that will modify the BIOS from within windows and let me change the boot sequence.

thanks

[kryyst]

Nope.

Your best bet is to just keep trying the bios password. Take a moment calm down and try and think back to what the password may have been.

You can also try and clean the virus the forceful way. Pull the harddrive out, put it in a drive enclosure connect it to a different computer with anti-virus software and try and clean it.

[Siggy]

Nope.

thats what I was afraid of :(

Your best bet is to just keep trying the bios password. Take a moment calm down and try and think back to what the password may have been.

I have put in every variation of every password I have ever used - and still cant get to it!

You can also try and clean the virus the forceful way. Pull the harddrive out, put it in a drive enclosure connect it to a different computer with anti-virus software and try and clean it.

I have done this too! - I am pretty sure the virus is gone - but in going it has taken a lot of the windows with it - so it freezes when it logs into windows - Safe mode is OK but anything else and it freezes.

Is there a way of installing the recovery discs by using the enclosure? I thought it had to be in the Laptop for the registry settings etc to take effect?

thanks for your help!

[troll]

If you disc-to-disc recovery option in the bios was set to Enabled (By Default)

You can use the Alt and F10 keys on powerup to get the laptop to boot the recovery partition and do a factory restore. ALL YOUR DATA WILL BE GONE when you do this.

You press Alt F10 During the white Acer screen, but I never get it to work half the time so I alternately & quickly tap the Right Alt and F10 keys duing the post till I see the XP Recovery screen loading.

[kryyst]

One other thing I was thinking, most newer machines have a boot menu option while it's booting up, though it's not always enabled. While it's booting up start hitting F12. If the functionality is there it'll bring up a boot menu that allows you to select which device you want to boot off of.

[QCH]

On most machines (laptop and desktop), removing the BIOS battery will reset the BIOS password. So, I contacted Acer using my "influence" regarding replacing the BIOS battery...

Unfortunately, we do not have the guide on how to remove or replace the CMOS battery for the notebook. For this issue, we recommend sending the notebook to Acer repair facility if the notebook is in warranty or out of warranty.

So... either you get gutsy and take the laptop apart to remove the battery or send it back. If you DO remove the BIOS battery, make sure the laptop battery is removed and the power cord is unplugged. Then press every button and key to dissipate any residual charges... leave the BIOS battery out for, 10 minutes, then plug it back in and see if that works.