Harddrive Method for using the DST.Zip File
Several forum users have written to me with problems arising from Laptops having just the Admin/Configure Setup Passwords, but the previous owner had disabled everything but the Harddrive before setting that password. That would necessitate using the shorting method to clear, as it seems resetting BIOS defaults by disconnecting the CMOS Battery did not reenable the peripheal drives.
Being a lazy sort, i came up with a way using a DOS bootable only Notebook drive, but it is involved. I have made one of these myself and once made correctly, it is a foolproof way to run the DST software to delete and then reset your Service Tag. You need an 8.5mm/9.5 mm High Notebook Harddrive(any capacity), a W98 Boot Disk(ONLY; a W-ME or later will not do), a 2.5" to 3.5" IDE Adapter, and a PC with W98SE/Me/2k/XP and a Floppy drive; the PC should have the DST.Zip file on its desktop still zipped, you also need either Compressed Folders or Winzip(trialware) to extract the contents when it is time.
You first plug the harddrive into the adapter, then open up the PC and disconnect your Harddrive(s) from the Primary IDE cable, then connect the little NB drive and adapter to the IDE cable. Put your W98 boot disk in the floppy drive and boot into DOS to an A:\Prompt, TYpe/enter FDISK and answer the large disk support question Y. When Fdisk Options comes up, select 4 and see if the disk is bare "No Partitions Defined". If bare , Esc back to Fdisk Options. If partitions and or format are present, also Esc back to Fdisk Options. With the latter condition, Select 3 and delete all partition(s). If it shows more than one, Start with the Logical Drive first, then the Extended DOS Partition and finally the Primary DOS Partition. Then check with Fdisk Option 4 again and you should get No Partitions defined. If you have any Non-DOS Partitions, delete those also.
Now reboot still with the boot disk, Type/enter FDISK, answer (Y) when queried,and again return to Fdisk Options . Select Fdisk Option 1 and create a PRIMARY DOS ACTIVE partition for the whole drive . ESC out when finished and then reboot again. When the A:\ Prompt comes up, this time type and enter format C:/s (note the space).
When the format finishes, shut down the PC, disconnect the notebook drive, reconnect the PC's Harddrive, now disconnect your optical drive that is Master in the Secondary IDE Channel and connect the notebook harddrive and adapter in its place. Now boot the computer up to Windows and Unzip/Extract All the DST .Zip file with that prepped NB Harddrive as the destination for the contents. When that is complete, remove the NB harddrive and reconnect your PC's optical drives and then close it up.
Remove the adapter from the NB Harddrive, put it into the caddy for your laptop in place of the primary Hardddrive, change the blade IDE adapter plug from one drive to the other and then plug it into your laptop. Turn it on and it should boot into DOS and prompt you to Change your Service Tag. DO so and the password should be gone afterwards.
With this method, the boot order is not important since the harddrive can not be disabled in the boot order and even with the other drives enabled, unless they have bootable disks in them , the harddrive will always boot first.
This is a lot, but once made, I kept mine for future use. I used an IBM 2.16gb 9.5mm DKLA-22160 for mine. I even use it for BIOS Flashes and then delete the executables after; it is a far safer way of doing BIOS flashes than the Harddrive method which starts under windows and then reboots into DOS to finish
Dave
