Kernel won't load, Linux noob. Help!

[emflans10]

So, a lady friend of mine gave me a Dell mini to see if I could change/reset/fix because her main password was missing. She couldn't do updates or any of that.

Like the fool I was, I decided to enter the pheonixBIOS.

From there I entered security and saw "Set User Password" and "HDD password", so I decided to set passwords for those, and somehow I must've enabled the password on boot. So every time I start up the comp I have to type on two passwords, the user one, and the HDD one.

And then it goes to the grub. I'm a complete noob with linux, but I think the kernel has to load before hand for the computer to work normally? Because that's all I want. The missing password can be forgotten about (she's an elderly lady who couldn't remember her password but now thinks she does ::sigh:.

I've tried to disable the password on boot, and I've tried "discard changes" and "load setup defaults", but they don't work. How do I get this computer back to normal? I don't have an external CD drive, and I really want to save all of the stuff on the computer. Because really, all I did was set two passwords, and now it doesn't work right.

Help please? I'd be eternally grateful.

[Geek-9pm]

Welcome to Computer Hope.
There a re lots of people here that can help you.
First, please give some more info about which of the Dell mini notebooks.

Also, some here are very reluctant to give out information about passwords for laptop or notebook computers.

The Dell web site has information of how you can identify your computer with a service code and a serial number. With that information thy can assist you in doing a password reset on the system.

http://support.dell.com/

[nate22]

Sorry take it to your local pc shop. They can crack it for you, usualy after taking you personal information down just in case. Its not that i think you stole this laptop or anything just when i was talking to the guy at my local computer store he says he gets stories kind of like yours all the time. Most legit stores will take down info just in case it is stole so when the cops come into the shop saying that this computer with this serial was stolen the shop will have the information to help catch the theif.Z
So take it to your local shop and they might be able to crack it.