ATI HDMI output is unplugged

Yes, I agree, it is a mess, because of this stupid "Dell System Restore" I really lost everything, except my pictures ( which I had saved on an external USB stick.)

It looked straight forward, and I was asked to put all the files en folders I wanted to safe in a special place with Dell ( perhaps I find them back one day.)

But I had never thought I was gonna be prompted for an administrator password to log on after this "Restore".
And this password I have never known from the start, when a friend in England set up the laptop for me in 2010 when I bought it new.

So for days, I could not log on, then I managed to go round this by creating in safe mode a user administration password. Then I was back on the laptop and noticed there was nothing, even service pac 1 had gone.

Now I really only need this (hidden) administrator password to get into BIOS to restore my sound, otherwise I would not bother.

I can get on line, I can get to my mail, I have most of my pictures back and now sp 1 aswell.

But I really hate not being able to listen to Video's, interviews, news and music. Have not looked at the TV for years.

I will take your advise and restore first.
I am not familiair with things like formatting and so on, so I will just use a CD or DVD.

Thanks for your help and I will keep on posting till this is solved.

Cheers,
Thelma

Windows password is easy to reset. Just download and make bootable media of Offline Windows Password & Registry Editor - can reset administrator password or change registry

You may need to change BIOS boot order or use the one-time "Boot Menu" for bootable media to work - should say which key to press during POST (1st screen that comes to display when you start the laptop)

However, the built-in Administrator account is disabled by default, and you may not be able to enable it if you don't have administrator privileges with your current account. That can be by-passed too, needs a bit more work as in:

Code:

- Boot with the media
- Change the registry as follows:
-- HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\Setup\SetupType - set the value to 2
-- HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\Setup\CmdLine - set the value to cmd.exe
- Restart the PC, it should open a command prompt
- Enter: net localgroup Administrators [UserLoginName] /add
-- where [UserLoginName] is your regular user account name, as in C:\Users\
- restart PC
- login with your own account, which should be now a local administrator

Another method would be to enable the built-in Administrator account with the command line as follows (same procedure as above, but enter the following command at cmd when windows starts)

Code:

- net user Administrator /active:yes
- reset Administrator password with the above bootable media or some other similar program
- login with Administrator

If all the above fail somehow (say, due to not being able to boot with CD/DVD-ROM or USB sticks) you can still take the hard disk to a friend and load the registry hive and change the registry keys mentioned above, etc. (No need to go into that detail at the moment)

------

Regarding a BIOS password, I will let others comment on that.

Hello ICIT2LOL,

I did the registry - backup and restore, method 2 ( as you suggested ) very early this morning and it worked ! I Checked it, it's there ! Thanks for that !

Then I went walking the dogs and when I came back, Windows was installing 225 updates so I just went to work and when I checked in the evening it was installed successful.

Could not open my Google account anymore so got back on that for the moment via Internet Explorer.

I will try this registry change "11 to 10 " thing tomorrow, it might work ?

After all these up dates, sound still the same, terrible !

Thanks,
Thelma

Thanks Gokay,

Now, before I am going to do anything about this "password" that I need to get into BIOS I would like to understand some things to do with PASSWORDS IN GENERAL, that I think are very unclear to a lot of Computer users.

First;

Control panel > User accounts ( Ad or Remove user accounts ).

Here I have 2 user accounts;

1 account is Administrator, password protected. I know that account password.

2 account is password protected. I know the password of that account also.

I think most user have that set up ?

Second;

In Security ( open on boot with F2) we find; ( in my case)

Unlock setup Status Locked
Unluck setup ( in white)

Admin Password Status Set
System Password Status Not Set
HDD Password Status Not set

Set Admin Password
Set System Password ( in blue)
Set HDD Password ( in blue)

Password in Boot ( enable)

Computrace (Deactivate).

Now as you will know by now, I need to recuperate THE Password !!!!!!, which is asked, when you open your BIOS with F2 in boot.

Which one is that, and what do the others do ?

If anybody knows this and has the time ( and interest ) to explain this, it would be so marvellous for a lot of computer users I think.

I am looking forward to any replay on this, already a BIG THANK YOU .

Thelma

Hey Thelma, what I wrote was regarding Windows account passwords, which as you mentioned already known by you. So you can disregard that post.

The passwords you mention are BIOS passwords. Maybe it is possible to remove them with a motherboard CMOS reset (never had to reset BIOS passwords) but you may need to disassemble the laptop to get to the CMOS battery. So, wait for someone experienced with laptops to lead you.

Yes, your are right and thanks again for your answer ( the instructions are clear enough) that is not an easy way to go.

The furthest I ever got was getting the key board out as a rescue job after a full glass of red had gone over it.

I ONLY assume that my mate (when opening this new laptop for me in December 2010) put in a password, because why on earth would they otherwise ask for it ?

I did try this going into SAM in regidit safe mode command prompt, but it did not wanted to open. It says " that SAM is open somewhere else and cannot respond.

As I had so many difficulties in opening the system, I am afraid to now change things in the security.

That is really, why I asked about all the different passwords there are on a computer.

Still, no sound ......

Been very bad weather Yesterday and a Saturday, so I spend most time thinking about solutions for my 3 laptop problems and searching the internet.

Managed to sort out 2 of them ( if interrested, see other threads of me here on sevenforums) and I am now getting close ( I think) to solving this last one.

I went into the Dell comunity. My laptop is a Dell ( old but really good !) and I know that the solution has to be found by Dell.

They have the most terrible technical support ( this is a Word Wide Known Fact).
You cannot e-mail them.
There tel nr are not to be used out of the UK ( bought my Dell there, so have to go back there for info and support ) or you are redirected to somewhere in India to a person that hardly speaks English.

They have closed ( since only February) the possibility - for Laptops - to get your system set up Password on line.
You now HAVE to call in with all your technical details.
So, tomorrow, during normal working hrs I have to call Dell UK technical support and hope to get through.

The Dell big computers have all a password jump system build in next to the BIOS.

And then, when I can finally get into my BIOS with my new password, it is still not 100% sure that the sound problem lays there.

But I need to find this out first, before I start to buy hardware.

So, fingers crossed !!!!

Thelma