Inspiron Error Code & admin password bypass - HELP!

Hi all,
I'm new here. I'm no computer genius but I'm no 'dummy' either. I tried like heck to resolve this problem but just cannot figure it out. I called Dell cust svc but they want $49 to talk to INDIA! ugh. I need a response from someone who at least "writes" English! Bought my mom a notebook a few years ago and it was just fine until recently when my niece tried to get on and got the Administrator's login box (blank screen underneath) - nothing before it except the Windows logo with the little boxes blinking across. No matter what we do, it won't allow a bypass. I get this on mine but only need to "enter" to bypass. No one has set it up to be password protected in any way...at least that is what I'm being told. I went into setup and disabled all passwords with no success. I then ran the Diagnostic Test and got 1 Error Code: 00F0:136C - "IDE device failed ...blank media or no media is present in optical drive. Test requires media w/data (Resource CD, Installation CD)" No disks came with her notebook but instead an insert that tells you what to do in lieu of that which I would try except for the fact that I cannot get past the login box at all. There is an "option" button (at the bottom within the box) but that comes up with no menu or other choices. It's like I'm going around and around and the only place I can go is back where I started. MY QUESTIONS: 1. Are the 2 problems related - the box and the error code?, and 2. Does anybody know how to fix this?
Thank you so much...any info will be greatly appreciated.

 

Unfortunately the kind of info you're asking for specifically (password bypass) isn't allowed on these forums - at some point a moderator will probably shut down the thread.

It's likely what happened is that she entered a password or some text in the password field and hit the Enter key, effectively creating a password where none existed before. That's why you need to have your profile set to No Password or you risk exactly this kind of scenario happening.

If you look in your manual you'll find the solution (or download it and read it) as it is one of the FAQ's usually covered. We just can't post it here - Sorry.

 

Oh, wow...had no idea I was out of line here. Sorry! Thanks for the info!

 

Wait a second...hold on here...what about my error code problem? I have no idea if that has anything whatsoever to do with a password bypass/administrator's login box. All I know is that I ran the Diagnostics Test and came up with that one error code. Also, as I said, I get the administrator's box on my notebook (and can bypass it with a click) but the MAIN DIFFERENCE is that on mine, I have Windows in the background...all my icons are there like always. On my mom's notebook, there is no sign of Windows...just the administrator's login box - nothing behind it. Isn't that a horse of another color? I'm certainly no expert (obviously!) but this might be 2 distinctly separate issues. Can you at least tell me if that is correct and if so, what the error code problems is about? Thanks again!

 

There's probably another user account on the computer that you can type into the dialogue box.

There's 2 ways of logging on when booting into Windows. One is the graphical logon where you click a name and enter a password, and the other is the dialogue box like you mentioned above. It may have somehow gotten switched.

Maybe somebody else can chime in on how to get it back to the graphical logon as I don't know off the top of my head.

 

Thanks much...I will try that...I didn't try getting in under another name, just the one that was in the box. I'll just smack myself silly if that was it!