Booting into DOS from XP

I have a problem, obviously.

Is there any way to boot into DOS from XP? It's pretty complicated, but, I need to clear the CMOS. Normally I'd just open up the computer but it's my sister's and it has that warranty seal on it that she wants to keep. For some reason the BIOS has a setup password (no boot password) and I can't change the boot order. So I'm stuck booting from the harddisk. The ideal solution would be to modify the boot partition somehow and install DOS (partition magic could do this im guessing). That way I could boot into DOS and run my cmos-clear utility (w00t) and voila, no setup password and I can therefore restore her computer (XP is broken). So, to sum things up, is there a way to boot into DOS from XP? (with read access from C: drive)

Press F8 while booting and press it until the Safe Mode menu comes up.

Or make yourself a BartPE CD that contains the CMOS clear program I use for work.

The problem with hitting F8 is that is does not allow you to boot into DOS, only command prompt (with GUI). I also can't boot from CD. I've heard that you can't clear CMOS from a NT-based operating system. Is this true?

why can't you make a bootable floppy and use killcmos?
http://www.utilitygeek.com/details.php?fileid=82

what brand of computer is that? most computers now dont have a seal like that. well dells dont so that is most computers :D

Try the link listed here.
Most BIOS's have a Backdoor
Password that you can use to
get into the system

http://labmice.techtarget.com/articles/BIOS_hack.htm

Let us know

I cant boot from the floppy. But I will try those backdoors. I'm almost positive those backdoors are old and BIOS manufacturers don't incorporate them anymore. KillCMOS does work but not under NT (NT has BIOS protection somehow while DOS does not). I was thinking of using a similar program to PartitionMagic because I could then resize the NTFS partition, install DOS, and edit bootloader(hopefully). BIOS backdoors may work, though.


thnx for the help

EDIT: forgot to add that I can only boot from HDD-0.

up to her, but that sticker means jack. it's just to say it was sealed when it left the factory. if an authorized tech (like me) were to work on it, we wouldn't put another sticker to say it's sealed.

what brand of computer is it anyways?

thanks for input dudes, but i got it working.

i borrowed partitionmagic from a friend and got it to where i could install freeDOS on its own partition and then i ran killcmos.exe. yay!

ps - the computer is an emachines (figures)

i personally build all my own computers so i know what's inside them cause i mainly use *BSD/linux.

ack. at least you got it figured out.

emachines got bought out by gateway recently. dunno who got the worse end of the deal. :confused:

http://ubcd.sourceforge.net/

You could have gotten that as well, you might want to snag it for future use. Its a bootable CD with just about everything you need on it, even has the CMOS stuff.

Like BartPE w/o the GUI