Windows 10 power on pc access??
Discussion
Hope someone can help:-
My Windows 10 desktop PC, has started to show this message during startup?
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I don't know why this is happening?
I cannot use the PC - this screen is preventing it.
No - 'I DON'T KNOW THE SYSTEM POWER ON PASSWORD' - I've never set one.
Only thing I can think of is a recent windows update has caused it?
I'm not a geek so any ideas in plain english please
TA
Rene
My Windows 10 desktop PC, has started to show this message during startup?
>
>
I don't know why this is happening?
I cannot use the PC - this screen is preventing it.
No - 'I DON'T KNOW THE SYSTEM POWER ON PASSWORD' - I've never set one.
Only thing I can think of is a recent windows update has caused it?
I'm not a geek so any ideas in plain english please
TA
Rene
That looks more like a motherboard prompt. Possibly a dead CMOS battery on the board.
it's basically a watch battery that maintains certain settings while the power is off. If you feel up to it you can remove the case, find the battery and replace it. If not then take it to a repair centre for them to do it for you.
It could also be something more serious wrong with the motherboard or you could be a victim of a virus (been to any specialty sites recently?) but let's start with the easy stuff.
it's basically a watch battery that maintains certain settings while the power is off. If you feel up to it you can remove the case, find the battery and replace it. If not then take it to a repair centre for them to do it for you.
It could also be something more serious wrong with the motherboard or you could be a victim of a virus (been to any specialty sites recently?) but let's start with the easy stuff.
MacW said:
That looks more like a motherboard prompt. Possibly a dead CMOS battery on the board.
it's basically a watch battery that maintains certain settings while the power is off. If you feel up to it you can remove the case, find the battery and replace it. If not then take it to a repair centre for them to do it for you.
It could also be something more serious wrong with the motherboard or you could be a victim of a virus (been to any specialty sites recently?) but let's start with the easy stuff.
Having had a quick look online there do seem to be reports of HP PCs asking for the BIOS password. As you say it might need a trip down to the local repair shop to see if the password can be cleared with the reset jumper.it's basically a watch battery that maintains certain settings while the power is off. If you feel up to it you can remove the case, find the battery and replace it. If not then take it to a repair centre for them to do it for you.
It could also be something more serious wrong with the motherboard or you could be a victim of a virus (been to any specialty sites recently?) but let's start with the easy stuff.
OP: have you tried pressing the enter key three times?
rene7 said:
mr pointy
Thanks for reply it's a lenovo ryzen5 desktop ~ about 3 years old.
Never had any probs until this? completely baffled
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Just tried pressing enter 3times - get box with 'password check failed' msg.
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Rene
How confident are you with opening up your PC? It might be possible to clear the password by removing the small battery on the motherboard but I'm not sure if that would cause the BIOS to reset which might take more sorting out. Can you find a reliable PC repair shop nearby? Thanks for reply it's a lenovo ryzen5 desktop ~ about 3 years old.
Never had any probs until this? completely baffled
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Just tried pressing enter 3times - get box with 'password check failed' msg.
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Rene
https://support.lenovo.com/gb/en/solutions/ht03620...
Sounds like a bios related password.
Is it a laptop?
Sounds like a bios related password.
Is it a laptop?
Mr Pointy - Dundarach
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thanks for replies:-
I believe there's a Windows 10 recovery/reset install available for my PC for the OS on the SSD H/D, I don't mind re-installing the complete OS if it gets rid of this propblem, Q is how to access it?? Any Ideas, I done similar in the past on Win7 laptops, but they inevitably have a separate makers recovery system, anyone know whether this exists for my PC?
Here's a screen grab I did before pc was used
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Yes no problem opening case etc. I installed a large 'normal' HDD to go with the original SSD.
TA
Rene
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thanks for replies:-
I believe there's a Windows 10 recovery/reset install available for my PC for the OS on the SSD H/D, I don't mind re-installing the complete OS if it gets rid of this propblem, Q is how to access it?? Any Ideas, I done similar in the past on Win7 laptops, but they inevitably have a separate makers recovery system, anyone know whether this exists for my PC?
Here's a screen grab I did before pc was used
>
>
Yes no problem opening case etc. I installed a large 'normal' HDD to go with the original SSD.
TA
Rene
Follow the link to Lenovo provided above & look at the section on resetting the Power On password (the resetting the forgotton password bit, not the main bit which assumes you know the password):
https://support.lenovo.com/gb/en/solutions/ht03620...
https://support.lenovo.com/gb/en/solutions/ht03620...
From powered off
Press power button and repeatidly press either - esc \ f2 \ f11 (1 of the F keys or esc or del) will take you into the bios.
The bios is the pre startup part of the computer that controls the disks, keyboard etc. way before Windows starts.
Once in the bios you should see some options for start up, one of which might be the power on password, which can be enabled or disabled.
In ye'olden days, once the motherboard battery went flat, the bios would loose all its settings and revert to factory, which might include turning this option on.
However with modern PC's the batter is now often replaced and the details stored in flash ram etc. which means you can't simply whip the battery out to clear passwords like we used to do - dammit!
However if you can enter the bios, you should be able to turn this option off.
So powered off completely.
Power on, press as many buttons as quickly as possible (normally is either esc, f1, f11, or del) and see what you can see.
Press power button and repeatidly press either - esc \ f2 \ f11 (1 of the F keys or esc or del) will take you into the bios.
The bios is the pre startup part of the computer that controls the disks, keyboard etc. way before Windows starts.
Once in the bios you should see some options for start up, one of which might be the power on password, which can be enabled or disabled.
In ye'olden days, once the motherboard battery went flat, the bios would loose all its settings and revert to factory, which might include turning this option on.
However with modern PC's the batter is now often replaced and the details stored in flash ram etc. which means you can't simply whip the battery out to clear passwords like we used to do - dammit!
However if you can enter the bios, you should be able to turn this option off.
So powered off completely.
Power on, press as many buttons as quickly as possible (normally is either esc, f1, f11, or del) and see what you can see.
Can I be real cheeky and ask, was the PC acquired for you from a friend who found it spare in the office??
The amount of times friends computers have locked bios's as they been spares in the office!!!
Corporate IT will almost certainly lock a bios to give them some form of control.
If not, everything should be default and we can easily find standard passwords online, should these be required!!
The amount of times friends computers have locked bios's as they been spares in the office!!!
Corporate IT will almost certainly lock a bios to give them some form of control.
If not, everything should be default and we can easily find standard passwords online, should these be required!!
Dundarach
I think I tried that - but without the original password [which I don't know/ I never set one up] you can't change it - DUH !!!
WIll try the f2 thing on startup
will take a few mins though
Rene
Nope I bought it new off ebay - it came in Lenovo box with a crap owners manual 4 pages
I think I tried that - but without the original password [which I don't know/ I never set one up] you can't change it - DUH !!!
WIll try the f2 thing on startup
will take a few mins though
Rene
Nope I bought it new off ebay - it came in Lenovo box with a crap owners manual 4 pages
I had this recently except with my HP desktop.
The culprit seemed to be a bios update distributed by Windows update which required the bios admin password to complete when the machine rebooted. Now the interesting thing is I've never set a bios admin password nor a power on password and have been able to do all the things I normally do in the bios without it.
In my case, there is a procedure for my hp desktop where there is a jumper which you have to remove on the motherboard to clear the password setting, power back on, check password is no longer required, then power off and put the jumper back on.
Find the system manual for your model of lenovo and find the section for clearing that power on password.
The culprit seemed to be a bios update distributed by Windows update which required the bios admin password to complete when the machine rebooted. Now the interesting thing is I've never set a bios admin password nor a power on password and have been able to do all the things I normally do in the bios without it.
In my case, there is a procedure for my hp desktop where there is a jumper which you have to remove on the motherboard to clear the password setting, power back on, check password is no longer required, then power off and put the jumper back on.
Find the system manual for your model of lenovo and find the section for clearing that power on password.
The password is preventing you from gaining access to the machine, it's not getting as far as the operating system for you to attempt any recovery.
The Lenovo documentation is a bit of a dogs dinner, it mentions the clear cmos jumper on the motherboard but handily doesn't tell you where it is. You're going to need to whip the cover off and have a look at the motherboard itself. I say it's a dogs dinner because some versions of the documentation show a jumper, others show a battery location only but still ask you to use the jumper....
https://download.lenovo.com/pccbbs/pubs/v55t-15api...
and then in another bit of the hardware maintenance manual:
https://download.lenovo.com/pccbbs/thinkcentre_pdf...
The Lenovo documentation is a bit of a dogs dinner, it mentions the clear cmos jumper on the motherboard but handily doesn't tell you where it is. You're going to need to whip the cover off and have a look at the motherboard itself. I say it's a dogs dinner because some versions of the documentation show a jumper, others show a battery location only but still ask you to use the jumper....
https://download.lenovo.com/pccbbs/pubs/v55t-15api...
and then in another bit of the hardware maintenance manual:
https://download.lenovo.com/pccbbs/thinkcentre_pdf...
Edited by eltawater on Thursday 18th August 13:22
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