HOW TO : By Pass Bios Password
By Pass Bios Password
How to Bypass BIOS Passwords
BIOS passwords can add an extra layer of securityfor desktop and laptop computers.
They are used to either prevent a user fromchanging the BIOS settings or to prevent the PC from booting without apassword. Unfortunately, BIOS passwords can also be a liability if a userforgets their password, or changes the password to intentionally lock out thecorporate IT department. Sending the unit back to the manufacturer to have theBIOS reset can be expensive and is usually not covered in the warranty. Neverfear, all is not lost. There are a few known backdoors and other tricks of thetrade that can be used to bypass or reset the BIOS
DISCLAIMER
This article is intended for IT Professionals andsystems administrators with experience servicing computer hardware. It is notintended for home users, hackers, or computer thieves attempting to crack thepassword on a stolen PC. Please do not attempt any of these procedures if youare unfamiliar with computer hardware, and please use this informationresponsibly. LabMice.net is not responsible for the use or misuse of thismaterial, including loss of data, damage to hardware, or personal injury.
Before attempting to bypass the BIOS password on acomputer, please take a minute to contact the hardware manufacturer supportstaff directly and ask for their recommended methods of bypassing the BIOSsecurity. In the event the manufacturer cannot (or will not) help you, thereare a number of methods that can be used to bypass or reset the BIOS passwordyourself. They include:
Using a manufacturers backdoor password to accessthe BIOS
Use password cracking software
Reset the CMOS using the jumpers or solder beads.
Removing the CMOS battery for at least 10 minutes
Overloading the keyboard buffer
Using a professional service
Please remember that most BIOS passwords do notprotect the hard drive, so if you need to recover the data, simply remove thehard drive and install it in an identical system, or configure it as a slavedrive in an existing system. The exception to this are laptops, especially IBMThinkpads, which silently lock the hard drive if the supervisor password isenabled. If the supervisor password is reset without resetting the and harddrive as well, you will be unable to access the data on the drive.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Backdoor passwords
Many BIOS manufacturers have provided backdoorpasswords that can be used to access the BIOS setup in the event you have lostyour password. These passwords are case sensitive, so you may wish to try avariety 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 arenot aware of any backdoor passwords that will work with name brand laptops.
WARNING: Some BIOS configurations will lock youout of the system completely if you type in an incorrect password more than 3times. Read your manufacturers documentation for the BIOS setting before youbegin typing in passwords
Award BIOS backdoor passwords:
ALFAROME ALLy aLLy aLLY ALLY aPAf _award AWARD_SWAWARD?SW AWARD SW AWARD PW AWKWARD awkward BIOSTAR CONCAT CONDO Condo d8ondjonet HLT J64 J256 J262 j332 j322 KDD Lkwpeter LKWPETER PINT pint SER SKY_FOXSYXZ syxz shift + syxz TTPTHA ZAAADA ZBAAACA ZJAAADC 01322222
589589 589721 595595 598598
AMI BIOS backdoor passwords:
AMI AAAMMMIII BIOS PASSWORD HEWITT RAND AMI?SWAMI_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 willbypass the BIOS password if the left shift key is held down during boot
IBM APTIVA BIOS
Press both mouse buttons repeatedly during the boot
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Password cracking software
The following software can be used to either crackor reset the BIOS on many chipsets. If your PC is locked with a BIOSadministrator password that will not allow access to the floppy drive, theseutilities may not work. Also, since these utilities do not come from themanufacturer, use them cautiously and at your own risk.
Cmos password recovery tools 3.1
!BIOS (get the how-to article)
RemPass
KILLCMOS
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Using the Motherboard "Clear CMOS"Jumper or Dipswitch settings
Many motherboards feature a set of jumpers ordipswitches that will clear the CMOS and wipe all of the custom settingsincluding BIOS passwords. The locations of these jumpers / dipswitches willvary depending on the motherboard manufacturer and ideally you should alwaysrefer to the motherboard or computer manufacturers documentation. If thedocumentation is unavailable, the jumpers/dipswitches can sometimes be foundalong the edge of the motherboard, next to the CMOS battery, or near theprocessor. Some manufacturers may label the jumper / dipswitch CLEAR - CLEARCMOS - CLR - CLRPWD - PASSWD - PASSWORD - PWD. On laptop computers, thedipswitches are usually found under the keyboard or within a compartment at thebottom of the laptop.
Please remember to unplug your PC and use agrounding strip before reaching into your PC and touching the motherboard. Onceyou locate and rest the jumper switches, turn the computer on and check if thepassword has been cleared. If it has, turn the computer off and return thejumpers or dipswitches to its original position.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Removing the CMOS Battery
The CMOS settings on most systems are buffered bya small battery that is attached to the motherboard. (It looks like a smallwatch battery). If you unplug the PC and remove the battery for 10-15 minutes,the CMOS may reset itself and the password should be blank. (Along with anyother machine specific settings, so be sure you are familiar with manuallyreconfiguring the BIOS settings before you do this.) Some manufacturers backupthe power to the CMOS chipset by using a capacitor, so if your first attempt fails,leave the battery out (with the system unplugged) for at least 24 hours. Somebatteries are actually soldered onto the motherboard making this task moredifficult. Unsoldering the battery incorrectly may damage your motherboard andother components, so please don't attempt this if you are inexperienced.Another option may be to remove the CMOS chip from the motherboard for a periodof time.
Note: Removing the battery to reset the CMOS willnot work for all PC's, and almost all of the newer laptops store their BIOSpasswords in a manner which does not require continuous power, so removing theCMOS battery may not work at all. IBM Thinkpad laptops lock the hard drive aswell as the BIOS when the supervisor password is set. If you reset the BIOSpassword, but cannot reset the hard drive password, you may not be able toaccess the drive and it will remain locked, even if you place it in a newlaptop. IBM Thinkpads have special jumper switches on the motherboard, andthese should be used to reset the system.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Overloading the KeyBoard Buffer
On some older computer systems, you can force theCMOS to enter its setup screen on boot by overloading the keyboard buffer. Thiscan be done by booting with the keyboard or mouse unattached to the systems, oron some systems by hitting the ESC key over 100 times in rapid succession.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Jumping the Solder Beads on the CMOS
It is also possible to reset the CMOS byconnecting or "jumping" specific solder beads on the chipset. Thereare too many chipsets to do a breakdown of which points to jump on individualchipsets, and the location of these solder beads can vary by manufacturer, soplease check your computer and motherboard documentation for details. Thistechnique is not recommended for the inexperienced and should be only be usedas a "last ditch" effort.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Using a professional service
If the manufacturer of the laptop or desktop PCcan't or won't reset the BIOS password, you still have the option of using aprofessional service. Password Crackers, Inc., offers a variety of services fordesktop and laptop computers for between $100 and $400. For most of theseservices, you'll need to provide some type of legitimate proof of ownership.This may be difficult if you've acquired the computer second hand or from anonline auction.
How to Bypass BIOS Passwords
BIOS passwords can add an extra layer of securityfor desktop and laptop computers.
They are used to either prevent a user fromchanging the BIOS settings or to prevent the PC from booting without apassword. Unfortunately, BIOS passwords can also be a liability if a userforgets their password, or changes the password to intentionally lock out thecorporate IT department. Sending the unit back to the manufacturer to have theBIOS reset can be expensive and is usually not covered in the warranty. Neverfear, all is not lost. There are a few known backdoors and other tricks of thetrade that can be used to bypass or reset the BIOS
DISCLAIMER
This article is intended for IT Professionals andsystems administrators with experience servicing computer hardware. It is notintended for home users, hackers, or computer thieves attempting to crack thepassword on a stolen PC. Please do not attempt any of these procedures if youare unfamiliar with computer hardware, and please use this informationresponsibly. LabMice.net is not responsible for the use or misuse of thismaterial, including loss of data, damage to hardware, or personal injury.
Before attempting to bypass the BIOS password on acomputer, please take a minute to contact the hardware manufacturer supportstaff directly and ask for their recommended methods of bypassing the BIOSsecurity. In the event the manufacturer cannot (or will not) help you, thereare a number of methods that can be used to bypass or reset the BIOS passwordyourself. They include:
Using a manufacturers backdoor password to accessthe BIOS
Use password cracking software
Reset the CMOS using the jumpers or solder beads.
Removing the CMOS battery for at least 10 minutes
Overloading the keyboard buffer
Using a professional service
Please remember that most BIOS passwords do notprotect the hard drive, so if you need to recover the data, simply remove thehard drive and install it in an identical system, or configure it as a slavedrive in an existing system. The exception to this are laptops, especially IBMThinkpads, which silently lock the hard drive if the supervisor password isenabled. If the supervisor password is reset without resetting the and harddrive as well, you will be unable to access the data on the drive.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Backdoor passwords
Many BIOS manufacturers have provided backdoorpasswords that can be used to access the BIOS setup in the event you have lostyour password. These passwords are case sensitive, so you may wish to try avariety 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 arenot aware of any backdoor passwords that will work with name brand laptops.
WARNING: Some BIOS configurations will lock youout of the system completely if you type in an incorrect password more than 3times. Read your manufacturers documentation for the BIOS setting before youbegin typing in passwords
Award BIOS backdoor passwords:
ALFAROME ALLy aLLy aLLY ALLY aPAf _award AWARD_SWAWARD?SW AWARD SW AWARD PW AWKWARD awkward BIOSTAR CONCAT CONDO Condo d8ondjonet HLT J64 J256 J262 j332 j322 KDD Lkwpeter LKWPETER PINT pint SER SKY_FOXSYXZ syxz shift + syxz TTPTHA ZAAADA ZBAAACA ZJAAADC 01322222
589589 589721 595595 598598
AMI BIOS backdoor passwords:
AMI AAAMMMIII BIOS PASSWORD HEWITT RAND AMI?SWAMI_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 willbypass the BIOS password if the left shift key is held down during boot
IBM APTIVA BIOS
Press both mouse buttons repeatedly during the boot
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Password cracking software
The following software can be used to either crackor reset the BIOS on many chipsets. If your PC is locked with a BIOSadministrator password that will not allow access to the floppy drive, theseutilities may not work. Also, since these utilities do not come from themanufacturer, use them cautiously and at your own risk.
Cmos password recovery tools 3.1
!BIOS (get the how-to article)
RemPass
KILLCMOS
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Using the Motherboard "Clear CMOS"Jumper or Dipswitch settings
Many motherboards feature a set of jumpers ordipswitches that will clear the CMOS and wipe all of the custom settingsincluding BIOS passwords. The locations of these jumpers / dipswitches willvary depending on the motherboard manufacturer and ideally you should alwaysrefer to the motherboard or computer manufacturers documentation. If thedocumentation is unavailable, the jumpers/dipswitches can sometimes be foundalong the edge of the motherboard, next to the CMOS battery, or near theprocessor. Some manufacturers may label the jumper / dipswitch CLEAR - CLEARCMOS - CLR - CLRPWD - PASSWD - PASSWORD - PWD. On laptop computers, thedipswitches are usually found under the keyboard or within a compartment at thebottom of the laptop.
Please remember to unplug your PC and use agrounding strip before reaching into your PC and touching the motherboard. Onceyou locate and rest the jumper switches, turn the computer on and check if thepassword has been cleared. If it has, turn the computer off and return thejumpers or dipswitches to its original position.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Removing the CMOS Battery
The CMOS settings on most systems are buffered bya small battery that is attached to the motherboard. (It looks like a smallwatch battery). If you unplug the PC and remove the battery for 10-15 minutes,the CMOS may reset itself and the password should be blank. (Along with anyother machine specific settings, so be sure you are familiar with manuallyreconfiguring the BIOS settings before you do this.) Some manufacturers backupthe power to the CMOS chipset by using a capacitor, so if your first attempt fails,leave the battery out (with the system unplugged) for at least 24 hours. Somebatteries are actually soldered onto the motherboard making this task moredifficult. Unsoldering the battery incorrectly may damage your motherboard andother components, so please don't attempt this if you are inexperienced.Another option may be to remove the CMOS chip from the motherboard for a periodof time.
Note: Removing the battery to reset the CMOS willnot work for all PC's, and almost all of the newer laptops store their BIOSpasswords in a manner which does not require continuous power, so removing theCMOS battery may not work at all. IBM Thinkpad laptops lock the hard drive aswell as the BIOS when the supervisor password is set. If you reset the BIOSpassword, but cannot reset the hard drive password, you may not be able toaccess the drive and it will remain locked, even if you place it in a newlaptop. IBM Thinkpads have special jumper switches on the motherboard, andthese should be used to reset the system.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Overloading the KeyBoard Buffer
On some older computer systems, you can force theCMOS to enter its setup screen on boot by overloading the keyboard buffer. Thiscan be done by booting with the keyboard or mouse unattached to the systems, oron some systems by hitting the ESC key over 100 times in rapid succession.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Jumping the Solder Beads on the CMOS
It is also possible to reset the CMOS byconnecting or "jumping" specific solder beads on the chipset. Thereare too many chipsets to do a breakdown of which points to jump on individualchipsets, and the location of these solder beads can vary by manufacturer, soplease check your computer and motherboard documentation for details. Thistechnique is not recommended for the inexperienced and should be only be usedas a "last ditch" effort.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Using a professional service
If the manufacturer of the laptop or desktop PCcan't or won't reset the BIOS password, you still have the option of using aprofessional service. Password Crackers, Inc., offers a variety of services fordesktop and laptop computers for between $100 and $400. For most of theseservices, you'll need to provide some type of legitimate proof of ownership.This may be difficult if you've acquired the computer second hand or from anonline auction.
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