390 MT, Unable to remove, change, delete admin password in BIOS

Question

Recently picked up an Optiplex 390 MT. Boots and runs fine. BUT --

the "admin password" is set and locked in the BIOS and Ive be unable to delete/reset/remove it.

I've tried all the suggestions found in google search, pulled, set, reset, the jumpers pswd, clr cmos, .., pushed the power button to ground the board, ....

Tried and failed with "Clearing Administrator Password -Optiplex 760" in the Dell Community.

In desperation I removed the battery, power cable, all the peripherals and even the memory; let it sit 30 hours.

Still locked.

PLEASE advise.

Thanks,

Steve

SOGLAD5 · Answer

Hello, Steve... BEFORE  you proceed please do take accurate NOTES of your current CMOS settings!  This should save you lots of time later... Steve, that 30 hours won't matter much if you left that CMOS 'button battery' installed because that is it's job... even if the power cord is disconnected! That Battery retains 'setup' / Time-Date / configurations and more ~ including passwords. Try removing that Battery (SONY CR2032 DL2032 ECR2032 CMOS Lithium 3V Watch Battery typical) and what a perfect time to replace it! Don't install your fresh battery just yet... try holding the Power Button down for 3 min...then installing your fresh battery... If that fails, remove the new battery and hold that Power Button down again for another 3 min... Now let your system have another '30 hour' timeout... with NO battery installed! AFTER 30 hours, with NO battery installed... hold that Power Button down again for three min and let go... NOW install your fresh battery and reboot... Good thing you have your NOTES to reset the BIOS settings! Please let us know how you progress? Anthony

stevenba2 · Answer

Anthony,

Thank you SO much for your reply.

During the 30 hours, the button battery WAS removed, as was power chord, all connections, and even RAM.

I am suspecting I need to do something more with the power button. I do not recall holding it for 3 minutes. I may have held it 10 or 15 seconds on more than one attempts.

So, can I get away with removing everything for less than another 30 hours and then hold the power button for 3 (I'll make it 4) minutes? Also, what should be the state of the psw reset and cmos clear jumpers during all this?

Again, thanks very much for your time and attention.

Regards,

Steve

stevenba2 · Answer

Anthony, A follow-up from prior post: While (hopefully) waiting for you reply, I removed all connections and battery, held power button for 4 minutes, and tried again. Still locked. So I removed all connections and battery, held power button for 4 minutes, and started the 30 hour clock. Currently the jumpers are in their 'normal' operating position. Thanks again, Steve

SOGLAD5 · Answer

Steven.. I tried a GOOGLE search for:  'dell optiplex 390 bios jumper' and then selected 'Images' before my search...  There are quite a few photos, but next I selected the 'Bios Password' bubble at the top.  While more photos are presented, many refer to DELL.  I thought you had tried the jumpers (too) earlier but in case you haven't ~ please do! This link does not specify your 390MT, but does show how to do a 'DELL PASSWORD RESET'... Steven, to save you time and additional problems, be SURE to take BIOS SETTINGS notes BEFORE you begin.  I can't emphasize enough how important this is!   One OPTIPLEX brought me to the mat with slow boot times!  I reinstalled my OS twice and even tried a fresh download.  When I installed a new SSD I also installed a 'fresh/new' CMOS battery... just to know the new history of that system.  (I add a tiny sticker near the battery with the date... usually on the Supply).   In that process a 'VIDEO CARD SETTING' was changed(!) so only at boot time my Dell was busy trying to locate and communicate with 'my new video card' ~ (that I didn't install).   After long delays the system would finally give up trying and booted using the internal video card.  Heck, my Dell was much faster with the old (old SATA) hard drive, but now even that took a long time to boot! I had lots of 'suspects' like a faulty SSD, bad memory (I have some of those) or perhaps a new virus or bad Windows installer DVD?  Nope... I changed that one BIOS 'video' setting and HUZZAH!  My Dell BLAZED back to life! hope this helps, Steve... here is a link: RESET A DELL

stevenba2 · Answer

Hello Anthony,

Thanks for your reply.

I DID try multiple permutations of jumper settings. I finally decided that BIOS password is not "admin password". They are displayed on different screens and the BIOS password is NOT set -- it's the darn admin password which is very persistent. I also jumped the clr cmos to no avail.

I should know more tomorrow after 30 odd hours of power off. I will definitely hold the power button for at least 3 minutes as you suggested earlier..

At least this is teaching us that "admin password" is pretty darn secure!

If there is any other method of grounding the board you know of, please share.

Thanks,

Steve

stevenba2 · Answer

Hello Anthony,

Well -- almost 2 days no power.
Held power for 4 minutes.
Inserted battery and the rest.
Powered it up.

STILL LOCKED!!!!!

I don't know what to do.

Are the instructions to replace the bios chip?
Can the BIOS be flashed in this condition?

Anything?

Steve

stevenba2 · Answer

Hi Anthony, FYI: Tried to flash the bios.  CANNOT.  Prompted for the admin password.

SOGLAD5 · Answer

@stevenba2 wrote:

Hi Anthony,

FYI: Tried to flash the bios. CANNOT. Prompted for the admin password.

Did you try to FLASH your BIOS using a basic BOOTABLE "DOS" USB Flash Drive?

There is a tiny free file called: Rufus 3.5.exe that will help you create one...

Check YOUTUBE for this title to see how easy it is:

Rufus takes 2 minutes to create a bootable USB flash drive

NEXT, if you are confident about making a "bootable CD" WITH your flash file included ~ maybe you could sacrifice a CD Disk (or three) towards the effort?

I have a few "Re-writable CD disks" kicking around and I would try one of them...

You can buy a two-pack for $4.25 (on eB..) if you don't mind waiting a few days for mail from Calif?

Anthony

stevenba2 · Answer

Hi soglad5,

Thanks for your response and suggestion. I will try this a bit later.

FYI: I had run the flash exec under win 10 but did not get the admin password prompt until the job was running.
I'm pessimistic that it will work from standalone DOS but I will give it a shot.

Regards,
Steve

SOGLAD5 · Answer

DO keep in mind that 'CD and USB' booting should be enabled in BIOS for this to work... So let's assume they are!  (always trying to think in a positive manner)... IF you are unable to change those setting because you lack a password ~ press on anyway... It's a good idea to test your Bootable Flash Drive in another system so you are assured it WILL boot AND that your BIOS File is on there too!  Assured that your Flash Drive works, press on... *Best that you do run and install from DOS, before any anti-virus activation and before any program locks access to anything on your drive... At your 390, power down and disconnect your Hard Drive SATA Cables. Plug your flash drive in and power-up...  At startup BIOS will fail your Hard Drive (because it's disconnected and 'missing')... Now we TRUST your system will try your CD and/or USB next ~ because BIOS is 'forced' to look for a 'bootable program' or files from either of them! Now your Flash DOS USB satisfies BIOS and boots to DOS!  HUZZA!  You are in.  IF you discover your CD and USB Booting Options are turned 'OFF' in BIOS, that creek may look mighty long and full of floating things. Anthony

speedstep · Answer

REMOVING battery NEVER CLEARS bios passwords. Bios password is stored in eeprom that is not related to bios CMOS.

You have to set the jumper and specifically go into F2 Bios and Disable and Clear. You could also reset bios to all defaults which clears the boot password and CMOS password.

Then shut down and move the jumper to the other position.

The ADMIN password is under SECURITY in the F2 bios menus.

You disable admin password in other words make it so there is no bios password.

https://downloads.dell.com/manuals/all-products/esuprt_desktop/esuprt_optiplex_desktop/optiplex-390_owner%27s%20manual_en-us.pdf

Security

Internal HDD-0 Password

Displays the current status of the password on the system's

internal hard disk drive (HDD). This option is not set by default

Strong Password

This option lets you enable or disable strong passwords for the

system.

Password

Configuration

Allows you to control the minimum and maximum number of

characters allowed for a administrative password and the

system password.

Password Bypass

This option lets you bypass the System (Boot) Password and the

internal HDD password prompts during a system restart.

Disabled — Always prompt for the system and internal HDD

password when they are set. This option is disabled by

default.

Reboot Bypass — Bypass the password prompts on

Restarts (warm boots).

NOTE:

The system will always prompt for the system and

internal HDD passwords when powered on from the off

state (a cold boot). Also, the system will always prompt for

passwords on any module bay HDDs that may be present.

Password Changes

This option lets you determine whether changes to the System

and Hard Disk passwords are permitted when an administrator

password is set. W

Allow Non-Admin Password Changes

- This option is enabled by

default

https://www.dell.com/support/home/us/en/04/product-support/product/optiplex-390/manuals

savvy2 · Answer

the MT minitower motherboard, is clearly stated,, good.

the settings are in the manual called dell user guide, 57pages,

one setting admin pw set and then clicks , block BIOS setups is an option and if set this also. then

BIOS is locked down too

the books shows 3 jumpers

1:MFG+mode (do not play with this, AMT security override.)

2: RTC-RESET, (nvram reset I guess same on coin cell out , I guess.

3: PW Clear, (bingo> and in the manual in words but no photos how to find it) rumor is under PCI-cards blocking easy view, gee, why not tune off PC remove all cards and look for all 3 pin jumpers? (SOP?)

and last is HDD _PW, (not sure but I think this can not be used to gain access to data ever if set) and lost PW

but the other manual called

Dell OPTIPLEX 390 Technical Manualbook

tech sheet , NO.

owners manual #2 , no again.

so where is the missing manual seems lost now at tell

here it is , at the ECHO !
TECHNICAL GUIDEBOOK,

they talk about it but never show the jumpers in all 4 manuals. wow, (my guess POLICY NOW)

here it is deep in inside dell.

https://www.dell.com/learn/us/en/04/shared-content~data-sheets~en/documents~optiplex-390-technical-guidebook-101311.pdf

page 4, missing, information on PW_clear.

and the drawings skip all jumpers, for sure.

if you google this many folks found the jumper easy

by LOOKING and read ing the labels.

one guy said, gee, the GPU I have (huge) blocks me from seeing this jumper, wow.

.

Optiplex Desktops

390 MT, Unable to remove, change, delete admin password in BIOS

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