First post, by HomeLate
I'm trying to reset the system password on an Olivetti M380/XP9 with a BA832 motherboard (BIOS Rev 1.07).
Here's what I've tried so far:
- Removed the CMOS battery and left it out for an extended period — no effect. The password prompt persists.
- Tried common default passwords (OLIVETTI, blank, etc.) — none worked.
- Located and removed the PAL chip at U104 (identified as PWPRO — password protection — in the Olivetti service documentation) — the system would not boot without it, so this isn't viable.
- I have the original Olivetti Setup Utility diskette, but the password prompt appears before the system will boot from floppy, so I can't use it.
From the Olivetti service manual I can see the BA832 uses an 82C206 integrated peripherals controller, and the Extended Setup references both CMOS RAM (64 bytes) and a separate NV RAM area. The password appears to live in NV RAM.
What I'm looking for:
- Any information on the specific NV RAM chip used on the BA832 board and how to clear or replace it
- Whether anyone has experience with the 82C206 and knows of a hardware method to reset its NV RAM
- Whether it's possible to reset the password
Any help would be greatly appreciated!