Could a virus do this?

[Hermana Linda]

One of my laptops suddenly turned off and when it came back, it had a BIOS password. We never had a BIOS password and are now locked out. I Googled but have not figured out how this happened. :scratch

[Beauty4Ashes]

No idea, but could you restart the computer in safe mode and go back to the last date before you had this virus? I forget what it's called.

[Hermana Linda]

No, I can't load Windows at all. :(

[Novella]

Asked DH and he said a virus definitely could do that :(

[StumblinMama]

Oh no:( Is your data backed up? Let me see what I can find out. What OS are you using?

---------- Post added at 07:27 PM ---------- Previous post was at 07:21 PM ----------

Linda, do you know how your boot order is set right now? Is it set with cd first, by any chance?

---------- Post added at 07:32 PM ---------- Previous post was at 07:27 PM ----------

What make/model is it? It looks like you can reset the BIOS by pulling the CMOS or by resetting it (if your model has a reset). That will require you to crack the case, but we should be able to find you a video on youtube to show you how to do it.

There's also supposedly some apps that will reset it, but you have to already have your boot order set with CD at the top since you obviously can't get into the BIOS to change it.

[Hermana Linda]

That computer is my younger son's and I don't have anything important there. He might. It's a VTN-FJ170 which apparently you can't reset with CMOS. :doh It seems that all we can do is get the Master Password from Sony. All we need is the serial number, the receipt and $50. :doh The serial number is because each computer has its own master password. :doh

We have the receipt but it was printed on thermal paper and is faded. I managed to scan it in and make it rather legible. My dh thought that maybe the wrinkles were making it harder to scan and ironed it. (PSA, do not iron thermal paper) Now it is more legible, but looks like a negative. :doh

We don't want to pay $50 for a 6 yr old computer anyway. :no

The Techie is going to go in and play with pins but I'm not very hopeful. :sigh

---------- Post added at 08:02 PM ---------- Previous post was at 08:00 PM ----------

Cassie,
I think the boot order is CD first but I'm not sure. I put in the restore disk and it didn't do any good at all, so maybe not. :shrug

Cindy,
Thank you. At least I know that. I have no idea how it got the virus though. :shrug

[StumblinMama]

Right, the restore disk won't do anything because you can't get into the BIOS. There are, however, supposed to be apps you can burn to CD that will reset the BIOS. Then, after you reset BIOS, you can do whatever you need as far as the OS is concerned :yes

ETA: Did he check to see if he can just pull the CMOS? Some have a reset, others you have to pull it. I've done it in a PC (easy) but never fooled around with it in a laptop. If he is able to locate and pull it, have him leave it for overnight so that the capacitors drain.

[Hermana Linda]

I Googled and found that Sony Vaios don't reset that way. However, maybe those other techies didn't try leaving it out all night. :think I don't remember them mentioning that. :think

[StumblinMama]

When you start the computer, there should be a screen that indicates who manufactured the BIOS. CmosPwd (http://www.softwaregeek.com/download/cmospwd.html) can recover BIOS password from certain manufacturers. You have to burn it to disc then boot into dos and use the commands shown.

---------- Post added at 11:30 PM ---------- Previous post was at 11:14 PM ----------

Have your ds read this (http://www.elfqrin.com/docs/biospw.html) page. It's got some good info, passwords to try, etc. All the way at the bottom, they talk about shorting the chip. I've seen that mentioned in several places, so I'm thinking it is a reliable option if nothing else works.

[Hermana Linda]

Ok, he finally tried to fix it and it did not go well. :sigh That page was mainly for computers which could already load windows. The code for the bios we need was not available in the part for computer not loading windows. Sony computers are not nice. :mutter He opened the laptop up with much wailing and gnashing of teeth as he stripped screws and twisted metal around hidden internal screws. It's not like he's never opened up a laptop before, Sony is just strange. He never did find the battery, it is nicely buried. I don't expect to ever see that lappy working again. :banghead He is now thinking of going halfies with us for a cheap netbook. :think

[StumblinMama]

Have him put it on Craigslist or ebay and sell it for parts :yes

[Hermana Linda]

We still need the hard drive. We still haven't found a way to get stuff off of a laptop hard drive. :sigh Now we have 2.

I am so annoyed that I have never found out exactly what virus did this, if any. And is Avast to blame for letting it through? :-/

[Kiara.I]

What about resetting the bios by moving the jumper on the pins on the motherboard?
Hmm...after googling it doesn't look like most people can find jumper pins.

This thread has a couple of lines of code that apparently work:
http://www.pcmech.com/forum/computer-hardware/6682-laptop-clear-cmos.html

[StumblinMama]

Linda, you can get a cable for $10 that slaves the laptop hdd to your desktop. It would be worth the $10 to try it.

ETA: Check here (http://www.amazon.com/s?ie=UTF8&tag=mozilla-20&index=blended&link_code=qs&field-keywords=Laptop%20Hard%20Drive%20Adaptor%20Kit&sourceid=Mozilla-search).

[Hermana Linda]

He thought he needed to buy a SATA bridge, but it didn't work. I'll have to have him talk with you. :think

[StumblinMama]

:think You should be able to just slave it on and pull the files over. Have him look at this (http://www.wikihow.com/Recover-Data-from-the-Hard-Drive-of-a-Dead-Laptop) article.

[Hermana Linda]

thanks, I will. :tu

[Leslie]

A virus can do this? :jawdrop

[Hermana Linda]

A virus can do this? :jawdrop
:shrug I'm still unsure. :sigh

---------- Post added at 07:24 PM ---------- Previous post was at 07:24 PM ----------

Most virus' want to reproduce and this compy is useless. :scratch