Hi..
 >  BS> The CMOS holds its data when the computer is shut off because a small
 >  BS> recharagable battery on the motherboard keeps it supplied with a tiny
 >  BS> electric current. Let the battery run down by keeping the computer 
f
 > The computer hasn't ran in months before I tried using it.. Can't copy
 > the CMOS info because I can't even get far enough to. I don't think it
 > uses a battery. a lot of motherboards use a capacitor, so what I think
 > I'm gonna have to do is discharge every damn capacitor on the board
 > until it's comopletely juiceless. (btw- to discharge a capacitor just
 > short the 2 leads witha screwdriver). I'll have to pull the whole thing
 > apart. I was just hoping one of you had a CMOS zapper laying around, but
 > I couldn't use it anyways. oh well...
If you can boot the pc normally, do this to wipe the CMOS (looses all CMS 
settings, including the password. Use at own risk.):
run debug. At the - prompt, enter the following:
o 70,12
o 71,ff
o 70,35
o 71,ff
q
This will erase the entire cmos, including password. You'll have to set 
everything up from scratch, but at least you can get in. If the password is 
set such that you can't even boot the PC, then you are in trouble. I normally 
have an EPROM that I stick into the ROM socket on a video card which does the 
same thing - by using the video card ROM space, you gain access to the system 
before the password. Not something the 'average' user can manage themselves 
though, since making ROM's isn't easy, and requires some specialised 
rdware.
    Craig
--- FMail/386 1.20+
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