Member Avatar for wazzergy

Hi I have a dell latitude D820 notepad. My son thinks he is a computer wizz kid, messed about with the windows and bios passwords. when the laptop is booted up it is asking me for the bios password. Because he has tried to enter passwords in a number of times It will not let me press F2 to get to the bios settings. I have tried to put in my XP disc and over wite but the boot up hits this password first and thats as far as it goes. I have took the thing to bits took the watch cell battery out and shorted it, cannot find any jumpers on the motherboard, does a laptop have them? Tried to boot it back up and still the same. Spoke to Dell but the warrenty does not include what my soon has done.
Is the next thing a new motherboard?
Thanks in advance for you help and surgestions.

  • 5 Contributors
  • 7 Replies
  • 593 Views
  • 2 Years Discussion Span
  • Latest Post Latest Post by masadzala

Dani AI

Generated

Brief recap and practical next steps based on the thread: is seeing a BIOS-level password prompt on a Latitude D820 that prevents entering setup or booting. Replies from and others show common user attempts have already been tried, and that means the problem sits in firmware-level authentication rather than the Windows install or hard drive contents.

What to do next (legal, low-risk options):

  • Gather the machine’s service tag/serial and proof of ownership before contacting support or a repair shop. Manufacturers and authorized shops will almost always ask for ownership proof before helping with BIOS/firmware locks.
  • Contact the manufacturer or an authorized Dell service centre for an official password-clear or board-level repair — that is the legitimate route for a BIOS lock. Ask exactly what documentation they need and whether the fix is a reflash, an EEPROM reprogram, or a board replacement.
  • If preserving data is the priority, remove the hard drive and have its contents read from another PC or by a data-recovery service. If the drive itself is password‑protected or encrypted, professional recovery will be required.

Cautions and cost considerations:

  • Avoid anonymous “master‑password” websites or unvetted online services (mentioned earlier in the thread) — they can be scams, may demand payment without guarantee, and can put data or hardware at risk.
  • Don’t attempt further ad‑hoc hardware shorting or invasive tinkering if uncertain; that can cause permanent damage. Get a written repair estimate and compare repair cost versus replacement value before authorizing a motherboard swap.

This keeps things legal, preserves data options, and points to the realistic paths that professional support or authorised repair can provide.

Recommended Answers

All 7 Replies

Member Avatar for Sturm

You could try opening up the computer and removing and putting back the cmos battery on your motherboard.

Member Avatar for loyd

If you have exhausted . . . obtain a "boot and nuke" fdd or cdd. Put the disk in and power up. Key autonuke at the splash and press enter. In an hour or so, you will have an empty hdd. No password, no os, no data, no partition, nothing. Load it up with your favorites.

Member Avatar for Sturm

its a bios problem so that obviously wont work.

Member Avatar for loyd

Really, the boot and nuke is exactly that. It will boot - guaranteed and it will nuke - no prob. Precisely how it works takes a long explanation. It does not care at all about the bios, it just boots and nukes.

Member Avatar for loyd

Once you wipe the hdd, you will want bios D820_A07 from dell.com dated 6/26/07.

Member Avatar for masadzala

how can i remove bios password for dell latitude d820

Be a part of the DaniWeb community

We're a friendly, industry-focused community of developers, IT pros, digital marketers, and technology enthusiasts meeting, networking, learning, and sharing knowledge.