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Having been given a Compaq 2820D computer I am having...

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Question by Danny
Submitted on 3/24/2004
Related FAQ: N/A
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Having been given a Compaq 2820D computer I am having problems opening it.  It keeps asking for login information which I haven't got.  Does anyone know how I can get in to it?


Answer by Jimmy
Submitted on 6/17/2004
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Hello
  I too have a Compaq 2820D which I am trying to convert to use as a Firewall/Router using Freesco, an awesome Slackware Linux based clone of Cisco firewall-routing works.  My interest is trying to get two ethernet NICS in it but I think I can help you.
  First of all I need to know when this "login" screen appears.  If you box boots all the way up to having the Operating System in place ( probably a good 2 minutes considering this box has an old 486 processor ) and then presents you with a login screen it will depend largely on what OS is installed as to how you get around that,so if this is the case you need to tell what OS is installed.

  However if immediately after POST ( where your computer counts up memory and locates hardware like drives, ports etc ) you get a login screen then it is because the CMOS-BIOS setup has been password protected.  You can try to get around this by entering setup ( on this model it is the F10 key IIRC that pushing while memory is counting will get you into setup ) and seeing if you can change it there.  If it has been totally system passworded you will have to remove the little disc ( quarter sized ) battery that powers the CMOS-BIOS so that it "forgets" everything.  This means you will have to reset everything in there but it will get you around the login/password problem.
   Chances are if the login is in the OS you will have to reinstall the OS or some other OS to avoid having to resort to extreme hacker tools to discover the old password.  If it is a Windows OS you might possibly have some luck pushing F8 right after POST which will bring up the boot menu allowing you to choose "safe mode".  This might let you in, again depending on what OS is on it.  Originally Compaq installed Windows 3.1.  Being a 486 you might want to consider wiping the drive and installing Linux which will be much faster on a 486 than any M$ product, except DOS.
Good Luck

 

Answer by Tony
Submitted on 10/5/2004
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What kind of operating system does it have?
e-mail me back a
ct06goddardt@ovsd.us

 

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