Dell Inspiron 4100, Windows ME Ok, I was installing some some software from HP (just a user guide for an all-in-one printer) and had a total system crash. After installing the software, I got the Blue screen "system has become unstable... any key to return to windows... ctrl+alt+del to reboot" so I did the ctrl+alt+del On reboot I was sent to bios. Normal for this system when it doesn't shut down correctly. Just exited the bios. Then got black DOS screen: Invalid boot diskette Insert Boot Diskette into A: I have no rescue disk... (of course.. my boss' computer) Can't even enter Bios. Prompts for current password. Can't see why a password would be set (my boss isn't technical AT ALL) Please help!!!!

Update. Found a rescue disk. However, the system is not even reading the floppy drive. Must get into Bios... but can't...

You need to get the manual that came with the machine and get a backdoor password for recovery. Failing that, try the ones on these: BIOS password and locked hard disk recovery How to bypass BIOS passwords Call Dell support before trying to use a password cracker or resetting the CMOS chip. If anything happens to it, your responsible -- your boss won't love you anymore. :( :) PS. The first password I'd try if I were you, is. DELL

When you download, try it this way: One other thing I do on downloading is, after you get the download (M$ does not structure its downloads so you can’t do this for some reason on an MS download), after download, AS SOON AS THE INSTALL SHIED APPEARS, BEFORE YOU CLICK THE INSTALL ICON, #1. log off the net, #2. disable AV (right click tray icon), #3. then ctrl-alt-delete to close AV in close-program, THEN (and only then) #4. click on the install procedure. Otherwise your AV might read the install as an invader and mess with it. Then manually shut down for two full minutes.