How do I reboot my Laptop when the BIOS settings won't let me?

TwoCables · 11 Apr 2013

ICit2lol said:

TwoCables said:

lol

"Awesome laptop in brand new condition! Used only once!"

Yeah one lady owner, low miles, regularly serviced etc etc I can tell you are a car sales man

hehe I probably could be!

"Includes a free game called Guess the Password!"

ICIT2LOL · 11 Apr 2013

TwoCables said:

ICit2lol said:

TwoCables said:

lol

"Awesome laptop in brand new condition! Used only once!"

Yeah one lady owner, low miles, regularly serviced etc etc I can tell you are a car sales man

hehe I probably could be!

"Includes a free game called Guess the Password!"

What are you LOL!!

TwoCables · 11 Apr 2013

hehe :)

alphanumeric · 12 Apr 2013

There are advantages and disadvantages to setting the password. On a corporate laptop you may want the BIOS locked down so nobody can boot from an external device. The person using it doesn't have to know the password. Take it one step further and you have to enter the BIOS password to even boot it up and enter your Windows password. The disadvantage is if it is already set on a laptop you buy second hand. Then you end up in a situation like the OP is in. You don't know what it is so now you can't change it. You also can't change the boot order so reinstalling an OS has now become a major pain. For most people there likely isn't any reason to set any BIOS password. I don't use one on any of my PC's or my laptop. I do use a Windows password on all my PC's though.

Faladu · 13 Apr 2013

Dear OP, Windows lasting has nothing to do with 32-bit/64-bit, it's all the architecture of the CPU and these days and for a long while, we have been into 64-bit CPUs.

What I think is, you ran into LOTS of incompatible software you were used to using, when you switched from 32bit to 64bit Windows, that is the ONLY reason to fall back to 32bit from 64bit, the ONLY ONLY ONLY.

If you try to install a 64-bit OS on a 32-bit CPU, it will stop during install and tell you, so it's not happening, so indeed you have a 64-bit CPU, and features wise 64-bit is superior.... just that compatibility issue is the ONLY thing....

For instance, old old 16-bit games/apps, won't run on 64-bit OS, but WILL on a 32-bit, usually.

YMMV, just thought I should clear that up.

TwoCables · 13 Apr 2013

All consumer Intel CPUs have been 64-bit since the Pentium 4 which was introduced in the spring of 2004.

ICIT2LOL · 13 Apr 2013

Faladu said:

Dear OP, Windows lasting has nothing to do with 32-bit/64-bit, it's all the architecture of the CPU and these days and for a long while, we have been into 64-bit CPUs.

What I think is, you ran into LOTS of incompatible software you were used to using, when you switched from 32bit to 64bit Windows, that is the ONLY reason to fall back to 32bit from 64bit, the ONLY ONLY ONLY.

If you try to install a 64-bit OS on a 32-bit CPU, it will stop during install and tell you, so it's not happening, so indeed you have a 64-bit CPU, and features wise 64-bit is superior.... just that compatibility issue is the ONLY thing....

For instance, old old 16-bit games/apps, won't run on 64-bit OS, but WILL on a 32-bit, usually.

YMMV, just thought I should clear that up.

Well that laptop does indeed have a 64bit CPU - Intel Corei3-2310M and you might be quite right with the software but haven't heard for awhile what is happening so can't comment on that right now. I agree thatreverting back to a 32bit system is in my mind a retrograde step but I supposeit’s the OP's machine he has to do what he feels is right eh?

Faladu · 13 Apr 2013

That's just FYI, the user can do whatever they want and always do! :)

ICIT2LOL · 13 Apr 2013

Faladu said:

That's just FYI, the user can do whatever they want and always do! :)

Thanks and appreciated.
Actually the point that I was really saying was we haven't heard for two days now so don't really know what is going on - not having shot at you if that is what I sounded like:)