Format hard drive without admin rights

  • Thread starter Thread starter David M
  • Start date Start date
D

David M

My wife has a laptop from her last job and I thought I would use it as
my backup. However, the thing is nailed down with admin rights and I
acn't do anything. Even from Recovery Consule it asks for a password.
I tried to load XP over it and of course, I don't have privledges to do
that. It won't even let me load the drive for the wireless card I
installed. Help!
 
Boot from the Windows XP CD and "rights" do not come into play at all. Do a
clean install as opposed to repairing that which is there now.

--
Regards,

Richard Urban
Microsoft MVP Windows Shell/User

If you knew as much as you think you know,
You would realize that you don't know what you thought you knew!
 
David said:
My wife has a laptop from her last job and I thought I would use it as
my backup. However, the thing is nailed down with admin rights and I
acn't do anything. Even from Recovery Consule it asks for a password.
I tried to load XP over it and of course, I don't have privledges to
do that. It won't even let me load the drive for the wireless card I
installed. Help!
Click to expand...

You don't need admin rights to use the media that comes with the laptop and
reinstall from scratch.
 
lvee said:
chances are the disk did not go with the laptop from work.
Click to expand...

Yep..
But that's not presented as fact or not.
If it was not then they need to obtain the CD or buy a new one anyway -
because sooner or later - they will likely need to reinstall. =)
 
Yep! People forget that they may need the CD when they "acquire" a laptop
from work.

--
Regards,

Richard Urban
Microsoft MVP Windows Shell/User

If you knew as much as you think you know,
You would realize that you don't know what you thought you knew!

lvee said:
chances are the disk did not go with the laptop from work.
Click to expand...
 
Well yjey will need to reinstall if they format the drive. Though I don't see any mention of formatting in the body.
 
Can't get the CD to boot due to Admin issue. Recovery consule require
password (which again is a Admin password issue). If you know a way to
boot the CD please let me know. I bought a new version of XP and a
wireless card and I can't even load the drivers for the card. I'd love
to do a clean install, but I can't seem to get to the CD before it
boots to the existing XP.

Thanks
 
Guys... not trying to 'cheat' at anything here. I purchased perfectly
legal new version of XP to load, but simply can't get past the fact
that the Admin issue does not allow me to load software or even get
past the recovery consule (BIOS).
 
Per my post above, please explain how I can load my new XP version from
CD. I tried the recovery console, but that too requires a password.
 
In
David M said:
Per my post above, please explain how I can load my new XP
version
from CD.
Click to expand...


You want a clean installation? Just boot from the Windows XP CD
(change the BIOS boot order if necessary to accomplish this) and
follow the prompts for a clean installation (delete the existing
partition by pressing "D" when prompted, then create a new one).
You can find detailed instructions here:
http://michaelstevenstech.com/cleanxpinstall.html

or here http://windowsxp.mvps.org/XPClean.htm

or here http://www.webtree.ca/windowsxp/clean_install.htm
 
I'll take a look at these. I can't get to the BIOS (at least in the
manner I am doing it) as in recovery mode, I get promted for an Admin
password.
 
In
David M said:
I'll take a look at these. I can't get to the BIOS (at least
in the
manner I am doing it) as in recovery mode, I get promted for an
Admin
password.
Click to expand...


Please quote the message you are replying to, as I did here.
Messages without quotes are often incomprehensible.

You're doing it wrong. How to get into your BIOS depends, not on
Windows, but on what motherboard/BIOS you have. As a matter of
fact, you have to access the BIOS before Windows even starts to
boot. One common way is to press the Del key when you first power
on, but that's not necessarily right for your computer. Watch the
screen carefully when you first boot; there's often a message
there telling you what to do. If not, check your system
documentation or check with your vendor.

Also look here:
http://michaelstevenstech.com/bios_manufacturer.htm

Or just try the Del key. There's a good chance that's correct for
you.
 
I'll take a look at these. I can't get to the BIOS (at least in the
manner I am doing it) as in recovery mode, I get promted for an Admin
password.
Click to expand...


You get to the BIOS by holding the DEL key during boot-up. Usually its
the DEL key on the numpad. Other prefab PC's might deviate from the
windows norm and tell you to select some other key.
 
David said:
Per my post above, please explain how I can load my new XP version from
CD. I tried the recovery console, but that too requires a password.
Click to expand...

As many of the OP's have stated you just boot from your XP CD, you do
not reinstall via the recovery console, and the recovery console is NOT
the BIOS.

If you have to enter the BIOS to change the first boot device to the
CD-ROM then I suggest you visit the manufacturers site and down load or
look at the users manual. Many (in not most) desktops use the Del key
to enter the BIOS BUT many laptops use other keys such as F1, F2 or
other combinations. What is the make and model of the laptop? With that
information we may be able to help further.
 
GreenieLeBrun wrote:
As many of the OP's have stated you just boot from your XP CD, you do
not reinstall via the recovery console, and the recovery console is NOT

the BIOS.

If you have to enter the BIOS to change the first boot device to the
CD-ROM then I suggest you visit the manufacturers site and down load or

look at the users manual. Many (in not most) desktops use the Del key
to enter the BIOS BUT many laptops use other keys such as F1, F2 or
other combinations. What is the make and model of the laptop? With that

information we may be able to help further.



Its a Compac EVO. Maybe I am missing something, but everyone says to
just boot fro the CD, however I turn on the laptop with the XP CD in
and it goes right to operating system slready installed. From there, I
am stumped as I need ADMIN to do anything. DEL, F12, F8, etc.. only
sends me to the recovery consule from which it doesn't seem auto-detect
the drive (although I hear it check nig the drive as it spins).

I'll check the Compaq site. I am shocked that this is turning into
such work.
 
Also, the Evo 410 does not have an internal drive which may be part of
the problem. It comes with an external drive via the USB. I asssume
it's not loading the disc becasue it's not booting in an order that
would put the USB ahead of the HD. I looked at the HP site and it says
to use F10, but that only puts me in the recovery consule without the
option to change the boot order. Help?
 
Also, the Evo 410 does not have an internal drive which may be part of
the problem. It comes with an external drive via the USB. I asssume
it's not loading the disc becasue it's not booting in an order that
would put the USB ahead of the HD. I looked at the HP site and it says
to use F10, but that only puts me in the recovery consule without the
option to change the boot order. Help?
 
David M said:
GreenieLeBrun wrote:
As many of the OP's have stated you just boot from your XP CD, you do
not reinstall via the recovery console, and the recovery console is NOT

the BIOS.

If you have to enter the BIOS to change the first boot device to the
CD-ROM then I suggest you visit the manufacturers site and down load or

look at the users manual. Many (in not most) desktops use the Del key
to enter the BIOS BUT many laptops use other keys such as F1, F2 or
other combinations. What is the make and model of the laptop? With that

information we may be able to help further.



Its a Compac EVO. Maybe I am missing something, but everyone says to
just boot fro the CD, however I turn on the laptop with the XP CD in
and it goes right to operating system slready installed. From there, I
am stumped as I need ADMIN to do anything. DEL, F12, F8, etc.. only
sends me to the recovery consule from which it doesn't seem auto-detect
the drive (although I hear it check nig the drive as it spins).

I'll check the Compaq site. I am shocked that this is turning into
such work.
Click to expand...

To clear a password, you need to disassemble the laptop and remove the CMOS
battery. You can find manuals to assist you on the Compaq/HP web site. The
manual is pretty easy to follow and has illustrations showing the
disassembly steps.
You will need a PDF reader to open the manuals.
http://h200001.www2.hp.com/bc/docs/...268629-001_rev1_us/TPM_268629-001_rev1_us.pdf
--
Michael Stevens MS-MVP XP
(e-mail address removed)
http://www.michaelstevenstech.com
For a better newsgroup experience. Setup a newsreader.
http://www.michaelstevenstech.com/outlookexpressnewreader.htm
 
Michael,

It was easy to remove the RTC, but it did not remove teh ADMIN
password. I have followed the Compaq manual which is simply F10 to get
to the BIOS, but it puts me in the Recovery Mode. I am at my wits end
and think it's worth $60 to replace the Hard Drive. I assume the ADMIN
stuff will go away at that point?

It's not worth $60 to drive myself crazy over this... thoughts?????????
 
Back
Top