Compaq Armada V300 Series Reference Manual page 117

If you enter the password incorrectly, an incorrect password
prompt displays. Try again to enter the password. After three
unsuccessful attempts, you must turn the computer off and back
on again before you can continue.
The password is not case sensitive. However, you must use
the same keys each time you enter the password. For example, the
numbers at the top of the keyboard are not recognized as being the
same as the numbers in the embedded numeric keypad.
Once your power-on password has been established, you can
change it using your computer keyboard. Each computer keyboard
is designed to meet specific country requirements. The syntax for
changing the password varies according to the keyboard
purchased with your computer. To determine which character is
appropriate for your keyboard, refer to the table below.
Belgian
Brazilian
Danish
French
French Canadian
German
Italian
Japanese
Korean
Latin American
Norwegian
Portuguese
Spanish
Swedish/Finnish
Swiss
Taiwanese
U.K. English
U.S. English
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