Installing Linux over Windows without BIOS access
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Installing Linux over Windows without BIOS access

Jurjen Bokma

June 2008

This was a fun one: we have a laptop with an unknown BIOS password, and we want to return it with the password still set, so erasing the BIOS is not an option. However, we do have Administrator access to the Windows running on the laptop, so in principle, adding another OS is possible. Turns out it is...

  1. Visit Mr. Herbert's page on this subject, and read it.

  2. Download the latest WinGRUB from gna.org, and pick from it the file grldr. Put it in C:\.

    1. Make C:\boot.ini visible:

      chattr c:\boot.ini -s -h -r

    2. Add the following line to c:\boot.ini: 

      	      C:\grldr="Chainload GRUB"

    3. Make C:\boot.ini invisible again:

      chattr c:\boot.ini +s +h +r

  4. Fetch from wherever you like a kernel and RAMdisk to boot, and put them in C:\boot. It's nice to fetch a network installation RAMdisk. These tend to require fewer CDs in order to work.

  5. Edit C:\boot\grub\menu.lst to contain something along the lines of: 

    title Install Linux
kernel   (hd0,0)/boot/linux   kernel-and-other-options
initrd   (hd0,0)/boot/initrd.gz

  6. Optionally, use Partition Magic to make some room for Linux.

  7. Reboot the laptop, and when booting pick the “Chainload GRUB” option. In the GRUB menu, pick “Install Linux”.

  8. You are now in a regular Linux installer.

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