Working on a locked bios

[Computerrock1]

I'm working on a dated computer with a locked bios, an intel pentium 4 @ 3.0 Ghz. What software is there to get around the locked bios of this gateway or has there finally been a release of a stable OC program that I could use to get this moving?

 

[Computerrock1]

Anybody have a solution?

 

[ahnilated]

You could purchase a new bios chip for the computer and then you wouldn't have a locked bios. I don't know of any other way to unlock it and I haven't seen a bios password cracker before.

 

[simon12]

There is most likely a jumper on the motherboard that will clear it

 

[jitpublisher]

You can google around, there used to be software you could install that would allow you to uncover some settings from inside windows, if there is any settings higher than the stock settings for the processor. It's not so much that the BIOS is locked, it is that the BIOS is stripped down to the bare minimum, so it pretty much matches the processor, there is very little added anything to even work with, if could get to it.
Even if you do find what you are looking for, and you could overclock the thing, it is still going to be an old slow P4. If you could get it overclocked to...say, 3.6ghz, then you would have a very, very hot running old, slow P4. Time to retire it if it isn't getting the job done anymore.

 

[simon12]

I may have misunderstood the question are you locked out of the bios due to a password or are the settings just locked?

 

[aberchonbie]

what are you guys talking about? They used to use socketed bios chips but now a lot more motherboard are using bios chips that are soldered on (with the exception of high end motherboards that have brought it back)

It will be difficult to find the BIOS for that motherboard since a lot of times manufacturers produce locked bioses for resellers such as Dell, HP, etc.

A password or a jumper on the motherboard will not unlock the "locked" bios. They have to release a bios update with these options. You have no other options. There are software titles that will let you overclock but it's extremely hard to find for overclocking a p4 cpu.

Regardless, it's more optimal to overclock from bios. Why do you think high end motherboards have additional modules and lcd panels that hook up directly to teh motherboard? These allow for the user to overclock the motherboard from bios/hardware instead of software in windows.

I would say to just let the computer run its course.

 

[jitpublisher]

what are you guys talking about? They used to use socketed bios chips but now a lot more motherboard are using bios chips that are soldered on (with the exception of high end motherboards that have brought it back)

It will be difficult to find the BIOS for that motherboard since a lot of times manufacturers produce locked bioses for resellers such as Dell, HP, etc.

A password or a jumper on the motherboard will not unlock the "locked" bios. They have to release a bios update with these options. You have no other options. There are software titles that will let you overclock but it's extremely hard to find for overclocking a p4 cpu.

Regardless, it's more optimal to overclock from bios. Why do you think high end motherboards have additional modules and lcd panels that hook up directly to teh motherboard? These allow for the user to overclock the motherboard from bios/hardware instead of software in windows.

I would say to just let the computer run its course.

Not on a prebuild like Gateway, HP or Dell. There is simply nothing to change, the settings simply are not there, or if they are, they are hidden from user view. The only way to tweak these is via software from Windows that can find anything on the board that can be adjusted.

 

[jsc]

Overclocking software:
http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/overclocking-software,2059.html

Most of these are are variations of a program called SetFSB which can force different freq divider settings. The problem is that you need to know exactly what brand and model that the PLL chip on your motherboard is.

And even then, YMMV to the extent that you may not even get out of the driveway.

 

[ram1009]

IMHO you're beating a dead horse.

 

[Computerrock1]

Best answer selected by Computerrock1.