Reset Dell Bios Password? - Page 2

ark42 · 05-15-2012, 12:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fallen Kell

Not sure if you tried, but simply pull the batteries. Remove the laptop's battery, open up the laptop itself (search for directions on the internet, usually involved removing keyboard for access to motherboard), and remove the BIOS battery. Wait 5 minutes, put the BIOS battery back in, put laptop back together, and boot. The system should now no long contain a BIOS password, or it has been reset to hard-coded value.

Yes, I tried, and people keep suggesting it without reading the topic. I even said I tried in the first post. It does not work. The password is stored in NVRAM, not in the regular CMOS settings.

serpretetsky · 05-15-2012, 01:32 PM

this sounds strange, but if its a modern laptop, it probably has AHCI mode turned on the SATA port. AHCI supports hot swapping hard drives. You can try to boot to the cd, and after booting plug in the drive and continue the setup, it might work.

Good luck, i had an IBM i had to remove the password for. When i first got the IBM i thought i would simply reset the battery, I did not know what i was getting myself into. A couple of resisters, a diode, a DB9 serial port, a crap soldering job, and some alligator clips attached to a strange little chip on the IBM mobo and i finally got the password reset. :/. Not really sure the final product was even worth it, fun experience though.

imagoon · 05-15-2012, 01:49 PM

The issue you are having is why all of my office laptops I deployed go out with a "office approved BIOS password." Quite a few of the D / E series laptops started using NVRAM to store the passwords (along with a sector of the HDD.) The laptop that was locked needed to be sent back to Dell. It came back with a different motherboard. Further reading indicated that there was an NVRAM chip that has to be replaced with another that has the proper code in it or the laptop will refuse to post. Can't cheat and plug a blank one in. If you can find a scrapped board you can left the 8pin chip and solder it in place.

ketchup79 · 05-15-2012, 02:06 PM

First time reading this thread, and I have a question I didn't see answered yet. How is there not an option to select boot device (F12 usually)? Every computer I've seen in the past several years has an option to go to the boot device menu without triggering the bios password.

Since you said it starts to load windows, this sounds like a normal bios password, and not a user password.

I have heard people say if the registered owner of the laptop calls Dell support, they can get a "master password." There is a form on their website if you need to transfer the ownership to do it yourself.

imagoon · 05-15-2012, 02:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ketchup79

First time reading this thread, and I have a question I didn't see answered yet. How is there not an option to select boot device (F12 usually)? Every computer I've seen in the past several years has an option to go to the boot device menu without triggering the bios password.

Since you said it starts to load windows, this sounds like a normal bios password, and not a user password.

I have heard people say if the registered owner of the laptop calls Dell support, they can get a "master password." There is a form on their website if you need to transfer the ownership to do it yourself.

On the laptops I worked with you could choose which devices didn't need a password to boot to. Default was "all require password." For the E and D series, there didn't seem to be a master password, they always made us replace the motherboard.

ark42 · 05-15-2012, 03:35 PM

I mentioned in the original post that F12 requires a password. It's the same as pressing F2, you get nowhere until you enter the password.

ketchup79 · 05-15-2012, 03:56 PM

Do you have any more details on the call to dell? I am really surprised that didn't work. May take a more forceful person to make the call.

xennotech · 09-19-2012, 03:27 PM

i called dell today because a user brought me a laptop that was locked out. i managed to get the tech to generate a password for me, but it did not work.

im at my wits end and really dont want to spend anymore time on this issue.

for reference, ive downloaded and tried every took i could find here, and in other places.

laptop is a vostro 1700. the password the dell tech generated for me was the same i had gotten off numerous websites:

19.09.2012 20:20 DELL service tag: 5B4KRD1-595B password: 4b8es436

since this is an 07 laptop, im praying there is a CMOS jumper somewhere i can pull, but really, REALLY dont want to take this big thing apart. any help is appreciated.

Matt1970 · 09-19-2012, 06:20 PM

I highly doubt you will find a CMOS jumper thast will erase that passowrd. There are CMOS crack programs out there but the ones I have seen boot off a cd and I cannot attest to their effectiveness.

Godfarva · 09-20-2012, 02:00 PM

@ ARK42

I might be able to help.

If i am understanding you correctly you power up the laptop and finishes POST and you get this screen that says "This computer system, #XXXXXXX-595B, is protected by a password authentication system. You cannot access the data
on this computer without the correct password." Correct? if so make sure that the numbers are 595b at the end. if it is all I need is the service tag and I have a dell utility that gives that admin password.

jsalpha2 · 09-26-2012, 01:46 AM

Try this 2eg8qrm4
It may ask for something else, I can't remember. I had one like this a few months ago.
Once I unlocked the bios password, I think it asked for a hard drive password.
Send me a PM if you need more help.

Evander · 09-26-2012, 04:41 PM

Some BIOS have a BIOS recovery mode, activated by a certain key combination, in case of a bad flash. I have a 2007 ACER laptop w/ Phoenix BIOS that can boot (while holding down keys) from a USB floppy and reflash the BIOS, even if you can't boot into the BIOS (this feature is not publicly documented). Maybe your Dell has a similar feature

Tetrarch · 10-20-2012, 09:55 PM

After updating your BIOS, have you tried generated password again?

Tetrarch · 11-22-2012, 12:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ark42

I mentioned in the original post that F12 requires a password. It's the same as pressing F2, you get nowhere until you enter the password.

I had the exact same problem and tried all the usual steps. Eventually I used a paid service (€10) which provided two different passwords which are dependent on your BIOS version.
I'm not sure if I can provide a weblink to a commercial service or PM it, can someone advise?

MinimalOwl · 11-23-2012, 07:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tetrarch

I had the exact same problem and tried all the usual steps. Eventually I used a paid service (€10) which provided two different passwords which are dependent on your BIOS version.
I'm not sure if I can provide a weblink to a commercial service or PM it, can someone advise?

If you could PM me it'd be appreciated.

Steltek · 11-23-2012, 08:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tetrarch

After updating your BIOS, have you tried generated password again?

It won't matter - flashing the BIOS does not reset the password BIOS or boot menu passwords. Ironically, it is a security feature meant to prevent somebody from doing exactly what you are trying to do, i.e. reset the password by flashing the BIOS.