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Date:      Wed, 15 Feb 2012 19:54:22 -0600 (CST)
From:      Robert Bonomi <bonomi@mail.r-bonomi.com>
To:        freebsd-questions@freebsd.org
Subject:   Re: Technical Support Question
Message-ID:  <201202160154.q1G1sMpc043081@mail.r-bonomi.com>
In-Reply-To: <CAPohJ98WUQb30_jj7hhxv1cVzFqJB5aUi4NqSx4tPGQNbxt0Tw@mail.gmail.com>

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Chip Oakley <silverskymusic2@gmail.com> wrote:
>
> Hello,
>
> I am upgrading to BSD from windows.
>
> I am having complications with an old password from Windows that I cannot
> remember.
>
> I created an ISO Boot CD on another computer and installed it and made sure
> to set the BIOS to boot from CD, to no avail.

There are at least two possibilities to explain 'to no avail' -- which utterly
fails to describe what actually happened.
  1) the CD you made -- by unspecified means -- is not actually bootable, and
     the BIOS proceeds to the 'next' available boot device (the hard-disk) and
     boots Windows -- which wants the password you hve forgotten.
  2) there is a *BIOS* password that you must supply before being able to boot
     _anything_

> Is there a way to access the executable files from the CD and overwrite
> windows for my BSD installation?

"Probably".

_IF_ the CD is 'bootable'.
_IF_ the CD does not have read errors in the boot code.
_IF_ the CD _drive_ is working properly, and is properly aligned.
_IF_ the machine will boot from CD.
_IF_ the machine BIOS is set to try to boot from the CD before other devices.

You claim to have made a CD on nother machine.  Will _that_ machine boot from
the CD you made?  If not, you made the CD incorrectly.




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