Question How do I get passed "Boot Failure Press any key to continue"?

[Kryssen]

I bought a small laptop from a Thrift Store with the logo "ByteSpeed" printed on top of the case.
It may not be the best laptop there is, but I'm pretty sure it would be fine to play videos from USB on. Later, when I got it home I noticed some issues.

-Turning it on leads me to a screen that says "Boot Failure Press any key to continue", pressing any key will cause the machine to repeat the same message over and over again.
-After restarting I tried to press the keys to take me to "Setup" and "Boot Menu". Both of these options only led me to an "Enter Password" screen. Unfortunately I don't have the password.

-My brother suggested replacing the harddrive. Once the replacement drive I ordered arrived I opened the case and figured out how to swap them out. After doing so, I turned on the laptop to find everything was the same.

-I even tried removing the Button cell battery to "reset the bios password". After 10 minutes of it being removed I turn on the laptop to see everything was the same. Putting the battery back in still did not change anything.

Can anyone help me get this small laptop working?​

 

[USAFRet]

You will have to install your own OS on it.

Password? You will have to ask the store where you bought it.
They almost certainly do not know either, but we here absolutely cannot assist with that.

 

[Kryssen]

Thank you for the response.

"You will have to install your own OS on it."

You sure that's the problem? The new harddrive I installed was said to already have Windows 10 on it.

 

[USAFRet]

You sure that's the problem? The new harddrive I installed was said to already have Windows 10 on it.

Swapping in a drive with an already existing OS is unlikely to work in the best of circumstances.
A Windows OS is not modular like that.

Here, we have a laptop of completely unknown specs and running condition.

 

[USAFRet]

How much did you pay for this thing?

 

[Kryssen]

How much did you pay for this thing?

It was tagged as $10.00, but I had a student discount of 20% off, so I paid $8.00

 

[Kryssen]

Swapping in a drive with an already existing OS is unlikely to work in the best of circumstances.
A Windows OS is not modular like that.

Here, we have a laptop of completely unknown specs and running condition.

Okay.
Could you explain to me in detail how I would go about installing an operating system on it?

 

[USAFRet]

Okay.
Could you explain to me in detail how I would go about installing an operating system on it?

From some other working system, create a Linux or Win 10 bootable USB to install from.
Boot from that, see what happens.

The issue with the BIOS password may pose a roadblock.

 

[Kryssen]

From some other working system, create a Linux or Win 10 bootable USB to install from.
Boot from that, see what happens.

The issue with the BIOS password may pose a roadblock.

Well I downloaded Windows 10 on a bootable USB flash drive. It works on my desktop computer, but when I tried it on the laptop...nothing changes.
I tried every port and even tired it without the hard drive.

Is there anything else I can do to get this laptop working?
I took a picture of the bottom case if it'll help.

 

[USAFRet]

If you boot up with NO drive, internal or USB...do you get to the BIOS?
(even if it asks for the password)

This appears to be something from July 2009? (2009-07)

 

[Kryssen]

If you boot up with NO drive, internal or USB...do you get to the BIOS?
(even if it asks for the password)

This appears to be something from July 2009? (2009-07)

I turned it on without a hard drive, and yes it still asks for a password on both "Setup" and "Boot Menu". And waiting still takes me to "Boot Failure Press any key to continue".

Do you think I need to take it apart further?

 

[USAFRet]

I turned it on without a hard drive, and yes it still asks for a password on both "Setup" and "Boot Menu". And waiting still takes me to "Boot Failure Press any key to continue".

Do you think I need to take it apart further?

You NEED that BIOS password to get it to boot from a USB or DVD.
Lacking that, you are out of luck.
And we here absolutely can't assist with that.

Further, ByteSpeed appears to be education oriented. This was a school or student system, from ages ago.
Very low performance system, when it was released a decade ago.

You just donated $10 to your Thrift Store, and now YOU get to take that to the recycle center.

 

[Kryssen]

You NEED that BIOS password to get it to boot from a USB or DVD.
Lacking that, you are out of luck.
And we here absolutely can't assist with that.

Further, ByteSpeed appears to be education oriented. This was a school or student system, from ages ago.
Very low performance system, when it was released a decade ago.

You just donated $10 to your Thrift Store, and now YOU get to take that to the recycle center.

Oh...that's rather rude.
With all due respect I'd prefer to do what I can to get this device working, and if you do not have any further help you can provide, please just say so.

 

[USAFRet]

To get it to boot from a USB or DVD, you need to get into the BIOS.
Which you can't do, because you don't have the password.

Contact the manufacturer, or the store where you bought it.

Sorry.

 

[Kryssen]

To get it to boot from a USB or DVD, you need to get into the BIOS.
Which you can't do, because you don't have the password.

Contact the manufacturer, or the store where you bought it.

Sorry.

Thank you for the ideas, I have proceeded to contact ByteSpeed, and I will followup with the thrift store I purchased the device from.
If it's okay I'd like to keep this thread open, just in case anyone has any further ideas. If I make any progress, I will return here to post about it.