I'm really stuck here. My computer is showing an 'Enter password' screen, and I've read this might be related to the BIOS due to a corrupted installation or something. I can't log in at all. I have an Asus motherboard with an i5 6500 processor. I looked around on a Microsoft forum, but nothing seems helpful. I wish I could just share an image of the screen!
3 Answers
Just to throw in my two cents, have you tried using 'Password' as a potential password? Also, make sure to check your motherboard manual for instructions on clearing the CMOS. If you don't have a physical copy, you can usually find it online.
First off, is your motherboard second-hand? As far as I know, Asus doesn't usually set BIOS passwords by default—unlike Lenovo, for instance. If you've got no jumper pins to bridge for resetting, you should turn off the power, take out the CMOS battery, and let it sit for a good ten minutes to make sure it's completely powered down before putting it back in.
Got it! So I just need to find the battery and remove it. Thanks for the tip!
It sounds like you might be dealing with a BIOS password issue. This usually happens if the boot drive isn't detected, which can mean the drive is dead or Windows is just messed up. One way to potentially fix this is by clearing the BIOS, which you can do by removing the CMOS battery. If you're not sure how to do that, there are tutorials online that can help you out!
So am I understanding right that I might just need to take out the battery? What if everything else is fine?
I haven't even thought about that. I'll give it a shot—thanks!