Help with a workstation laptop!!

[PhotoOpp]

I just managed to really screw up a Compaq laptop (Evo N400c model) that was given to my wife by her company, when she left them. The laptop was part of their corporate domain and so I decided to change the setup so that I could incorporate it into our home network workgroup. However after doing this I have found that I can no longer get into the laptop!!

The operating system is Windows 2000 Professional and when I made the change from the domain to our workgroup I was asked for a password which I entered. Now when I fire up the computer and I am asked for a password it will not accept anything!!

I wasn't very worried when I started this process because I thought that I could reboot from a CD... however I didn't look very carefully and only later saw that there wasn't a CD player!!! (nor an A drive!)

So I am hoping that someone has an idea on how I can get past the logon problem. I guess my alternative is to find a CD player with a USB connection... (I am assuming that these exist). Does anyone have a recommendation on where I can find a cheap one?

 

[jimp56]

There are ways to have the password changed or blanked but I cannot go into details here. If you do some creative googling you will see what I mean. Either way you will need a floppy or cdrom for that.

as for the CDROM question - I could be wrong but I dont think a USB cd-rom would be seen as bootable in the BIOS (especially in a compaq)? If so, it wouldnt work for an O/S reinstall.

Unfortunately, you have bigger problems than this - I have worked on that exact model before - and they use a customized partitioning scheme on the hard drive that cannot be replicated without the system recovery CD. So, if you dont have the original CDs that came with the laptop, you are pretty much out of luck even if you can get a bootable cd drive in there.

I tried several manual partioning schemes during Win2k setup and none of them would boot no matter what, until I used the recovery CDROM. Not sure why still. It wasnt the older compaq system partition issue - which I am aware of.

Another important note: due to what I believe to be an older BIOS limitation, this system can only use FAT or FAT32 partitions, not NTFS. (at least the sample I worked on was that way, they ~may~ have changed this with a later production run, but not from what I have seen). So if you do manage to get Windows installed (XP, maybe?)without the recovery cd, be sure to choose fat32 during install.

My suggestion is to search second-hand stores and try to find the media tray that the laptop sits in (including cdrom drive)and buy one - you'll save yourself a ton of grief. It might be pretty difficult to get one. (I use a store called Electronic Discount Sales - they have tons of rare hardware items there - Im sure there are others as well, maybe even eBay) -- it might also be possible to get one from compaq still, but doubtful.

 

[PhotoOpp]

This is a follow-up...

I went out and bought a USB floppy drive (wonder why we still call them floppy drives!!) and a USB CDrom. The BIOS (ver 1.03) does allow for a boot from a floppy connected via USB. So I was able to boot up the computer this way. Once I was able to get in I got past the screwed up password and reinstalled the OS with XP. Now I have a functional laptop.

jimp56 thanks for your comments... although not exactly correct for my situation they got me thinking in the right direction. By the way my system uses NTFS and not FAT.

 

[jimp56]

thanks, i must have been working on an earlier production model. good to know for future.