Your computers BIOS is the first program that is run when ur computer starts. U can tell the BIOS to ask for a password when it starts, thus restricting access to ur computer. BIOS passwords r one of the oldest methods of protecting computer systems from unauthorized use and also one of the least used. The reason is coz password protecting ur computer BIOS is a simple and effective means of locking unwanted intruders out of ur computer, provided they have no access to the box itself or no hardware knowledge. If they do, it's the equivalent of locking ur house and leaving ur back window open. Fortunately for u, if u forgot ur keys inside, it's easy to get back in.
NOTE: For newbies and advance users.
NOTE: Please remember that most BIOS passwords do not protect the hard drive, so if you need to recover the data, simply remove the hard drive and install it in an identical system, or configure it as a slave drive in an existing system. The exception to this are laptops, especially IBM Thinkpads, which silently lock the hard drive if the supervisor password is enabled. If the supervisor password is reset without resetting the and hard drive as well, you will be unable to access the data on the drive.
Turn on ur PC or reboot. After some diagnostics messages and memory check, u 'll see a message like "Press to enter BIOS setup program". Press DEL and BIOS setup program starts.
NOTE: Some BIOS uses some other keys (ex. F2, F10 or any other key). See ur motherboard manual. Also some BIOS may not look exactly the same, but r similar.
From the menubar, go to "Security". Select the "User Password" and u 'll be prompted to enter a password. Then u must retype the password for confirmation. Now you'll want to set your system to ask for that password every time it boots, so select the BIOS FEATURES SETUP option, to see a menu. Select the Password Check option and change the setting to ALWAYS. Now navigate back to the main menu and select SAVE & EXIT SETUP. Your machine will then reboot and you'll be prompted for the password. Each and every time you boot you'll be asked for password you chose.
Reset/Remove a forgotten BIOS password.
All motherboards have a stored default configuration for their BIOS, which does not include password protection, for obvious reasons. Therefore, to defeat a BIOS password, all u need to do is manually reset the motherboard BIOS to its default settings.
NOTE: Resetting the BIOS to remove a password will also remove any other changes you have made to the default settings.
Most modern motherboards have a jumper built onto the board which will clear the CMOS (the onboard memory which stores any changes made to the default BIOS settings). Clearing the CMOS removes any changes made to the default BIOS settings. Generally this jumper is located next to the motherboard battery itself, but u better consult ur motherboard manual for the correct location.
NOTE: Some boards do not have a jumper in this position, but rather two contacts which you will need to (carefully) bridge with a metal object like a screwdriver.
To clear the CMOS using the jumper, turn the computer off, and set the jumper to the closed position (with the jumper bridging both metal pins). Press the power button to turn the computer on. Ur system will not power up, but the CMOS is cleared by this action. Then, open the jumper (put the jumper back to the default position) and power on the computer normally. U will most likely be stopped in the POST screen and prompted to press F1 or another key to set BIOS defaults. Do so, and from the BIOS screen, simply save and exit to load ur computer normally, minus the BIOS password.
If u are not sure of the location of the clear CMOS jumper, or ur system does not have one, there's another easy (but slower) way to clear the CMOS memory and reset the BIOS. Every motherboard has a battery built in which provides the trickle of power the CMOS memory needs to store its information. If u remove the battery for a brief period, the CMOS should lose its stored data.
NOTE: In all modern motherboards, the battery is a standard CR 2032 Lithium Cell, which looks like a coin.
To clear the CMOS memory, power down ur system and remove this battery (u will probably need a flathead screwdriver to do it) for 5-10 minutes, then pop it back in and turn ur system on. U will be prompted to set the BIOS defaults. From the BIOS screen, save and exit, and the password should no longer be set.
NOTE: While this works well with desktop PCs, notebooks and laptops employ slightly different methods of storing the BIOS password. In most cases, like 99% of the time, u will not be able to reset a forgotten BIOS password by this, or any other user accessible method. Since notebooks are easily stolen, manufacturers have evolved their security measures significantly to help u protect your data, and investment. In the mean time, when it comes to resetting a BIOS-level password on a notebook, usually the only option available is to send the entire notebook back to the manufacturer for support.
Many BIOS manufacturers have provided backdoor passwords that can be used to access the BIOS setup in the event you have lost your password. These passwords are case sensitive, so you may wish to try a variety of combinations. Keep in mind that the key associated to "_" in the US keyboard corresponds to "?" in some European keyboards. Laptops typically have better BIOS security than desktop systems, and we are not aware of any backdoor passwords that will work with name brand laptops.
NOTE: Some BIOS configurations will lock you out of the system completely if you type in an incorrect password more than 3 times. Read your manufacturers documentation for the BIOS setting before you begin typing in passwords
| Award BIOS backdoor passwords: |
| ALFAROME ALLy aLLy aLLY ALLY aPAf _award AWARD_SW AWARD?SW AWARD SW AWARD PW AWKWARD awkward | BIOSTAR CONCAT CONDO Condo d8on djonet HLT J64 J256 J262 j332 j322 | KDD Lkwpeter LKWPETER PINT pint SER SKY_FOX SYXZ syxz shift + syxz TTPTHA | ZAAADA ZBAAACA ZJAAADC 01322222 589589 589721 595595 598598 |
AMI BIOS backdoor passwords:
AMI
AAAMMMIII
BIOS
PASSWORD
HEWITT RAND
AMI?SW
AMI_SW
LKWPETER
A.M.I.
CONDO
PHOENIX BIOS backdoor passwords:
phoenix, PHOENIX, CMOS, BIOS
MISC. COMMON PASSWORDS
ALFAROME
BIOSTAR
biostar
biosstar
CMOS
cmosLKWPETER
lkwpeter
setup
SETUP
Syxz
Wodj
OTHER BIOS PASSWORDS BY MANUFACTURER
| Manufacturer | Password |
| VOBIS & IBM | merlin |
| Dell | Dell |
| Biostar | Biostar |
| Compaq | Compaq |
| Enox | xo11nE |
| Epox | central |
| Freetech | Posterie |
| IWill | iwill |
| Jetway | spooml |
| Packard Bell | bell9 |
| QDI | QDI |
| Siemens | SKY_FOX |
| TMC | BIGO |
| Toshiba | Toshiba |
TOSHIBA BIOS
Most Toshiba laptops and some desktop systems will bypass the BIOS password if the left shift key is held down during boot
IBM APTIVA BIOS
Press both mouse buttons repeatedly during the boot
If all else fails, check out the default passwords list
| If you need additional documentation about your motherboard, location of jumpers / dipswitches, location of the battery, BIOS settings, etc., here are some links to most of the major motherboard manufacturers. |
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