Member Avatar for demarco39730

i recently bought a computer at a police auction it has win 2000 on it it also has a password that i cant crack
i want to install win xp but the boot sequence cant be change or something can some one help me

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A short, practical summary and safe plan that follows the thread discussion.

The auction origin matters. bought the machine at a police auction and, as observed, auction lots can include recovered or unclaimed items. Confirm clear title and keep the auction paperwork and serial numbers before doing anything with the machine: possession alone does not guarantee lawful ownership and federal/state laws about receiving stolen property can apply. (law.cornell.edu)

Diagnose which “password” is present before trying fixes. Several replies in the thread treated software-level access and reinstall options (for example the suggestions from and ); others (, ) correctly pointed out firmware/drive-level locks are a different class of problem. If the lock is firmware/BIOS-level, the manufacturer or an authorized service center is the appropriate route — OEMs document supported procedures and typically require proof of ownership before issuing any reset or release code. (dell.com)

If the storage device itself is locked or encrypted (hardware/ATA password, a self‑encrypting drive, or BitLocker), the situation is different: many modern drives use cryptographic protection that cannot be bypassed without the recovery key or a sanctioned cryptographic revert (which irreversibly erases the data). Likewise, Microsoft documents that BitLocker recovery keys cannot be recreated by support — a recovery key or backup is required to unlock. For encrypted drives the vendor or an authorized lab is the correct contact; otherwise replacing the drive is the practical option. (seagate.com)

Practical checklist (legal + low‑risk):

  • Preserve auction receipts, note model/serial numbers, and ask the auction house/police for title paperwork.
  • If ownership is provable and the goal is a usable PC (not data recovery), install a new drive/SSD and a supported OS — Windows XP is end of support and not recommended.
  • If data on the locked drive must be recovered, contact the drive vendor or an accredited data‑recovery/service center (do not attempt firmware hacks).
    These steps avoid illegal activity, reduce risk of permanent data loss, and follow the safer routes suggested in the thread. (learn.microsoft.com)

Recommended Answers

All 11 Replies

Member Avatar for dcc

Wipe the hdd with something like WipeDrive or Kill Disk and you should be able to format, partition, and install the OS. You will need to make a CD of the download, make you CD-ROM the first device in the boot order, place the CD in the drive and boot from it.

Member Avatar for The Dude

Couldnt you also boot to a floppy and type FORMAT C??

Welcome to the site Demarco :)

Member Avatar for dcc

With a hdd that you don't know what is stowed away on it I would suggest erring on the side of caution and wipe the drive with a utility like . Formatting the hdd will only erase the file address where as wiping it will completely overwrite the whole drive.

Member Avatar for hbk619

Wipe the hdd with something like WipeDrive or Kill Disk and you should be able to format, partition, and install the OS. You will need to make a CD of the download, make you CD-ROM the first device in the boot order, place the CD in the drive and boot from it.

OP said they can't change the boot order.

can you not go back to the people who sold it at the auction and get them to log in or whatever and change it? If it's legit of course..

Member Avatar for jbennet

I think he means they Password protected the HDD and BIOS . This is seperate from the OS.

Member Avatar for hbk619

but they would know the password, wouldn't they?

Member Avatar for jbennet

yes he should contact the seller

Member Avatar for happygeek

Unlikely they would know. Most items at police auctions are not ex-police kit, but rather stolen/recovered and unclaimed property.

Still, worth a try I guess.

Member Avatar for jbennet

if its a BIOS password you may be able to remove it by pulling out the CMOS battery and/or setting a jumper/dipswitch correctly

Member Avatar for happygeek

CMOS battery removal often does the trick, yes.

Member Avatar for jbennet

see if you can download a motherboard manual. it will say in there.

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