Dell CMOS Password Setup Hangs with Microsoft Mouse 8.2 (84749)

SUMMARY

When you use the Microsoft mouse driver version 8.2 for MS-DOS (MOUSE.COM or MOUSE.SYS which comes with Microsoft Windows operating system version 3.1) with Dell CMOS's system password set for "after boot," the computer may hang after the password has been entered and any external command is executed (any executable).

Dell has confirmed this to be a problem and is researching solutions.

MORE INFORMATION

Mouse Driver in AUTOEXEC.BAT

If the mouse driver is used in the AUTOEXEC.BAT

C:\WINDOWS\MOUSE.COM

then after the computer starts and you enter your password, the system will lock up after you press ENTER for any external command. This problem will not occur for any internal command (DIR, CD, and so on).

Once the computer has locked up, pressing CTRL+ALT+DEL will not have any effect.

Mouse Driver in CONFIG.SYS

If the mouse driver is used in the CONFIG.SYS file

    DEVICE=C:\WINDOWS\MOUSE.SYS

the system will lock up when you start the system and the mouse driver will be reported as not loaded.

Note: At this point it will be necessary to start with a system disk that also contains a CONFIG.SYS and AUTOEXEC.BAT file.

If the system password is set to be activated "before boot," then the problem does not exist.

How to Activate Dell CMOS Password

The Dell CMOS setup is activated by the following keys pressed simultaneously:

   CTRL+ALT+ENTER

To get to the screen containing the password options, press the following keys simultaneously:

   ALT+N  (N = next screen)