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Before attempting to bypass the
BIOS password on a computer, please take a minute to contact the
hardware manufacturer support staff directly and ask for their
recommended methods of bypassing the BIOS security. In the event
the manufacturer cannot (or will not) help you, there are a
number of methods that can be used to bypass or reset the BIOS
password yourself. They include:
-
Using a manufacturers
backdoor password to access the BIOS
-
Use password cracking
software
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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 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.
Backdoor passwords
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.
WARNING: 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
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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
cmos |
LKWPETER
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
Password
cracking software
The following software can be
used to either crack or reset the BIOS on many chipsets. If your
PC is locked with a BIOS administrator password that will not
allow access to the floppy drive, these utilities may not work.
Also, since these utilities do not come from the manufacturer,
use them cautiously and at your own risk.
Using the
Motherboard "Clear CMOS" Jumper or Dipswitch settings
Many motherboards feature a set of
jumpers or dipswitches that will clear the CMOS and wipe all of
the custom settings including BIOS passwords. The locations of
these jumpers /
dipswitches will vary depending on the motherboard
manufacturer and ideally you should always refer to the motherboard or
computer manufacturers documentation. If the documentation is
unavailable, the jumpers/dipswitches can sometimes be found along the
edge of the motherboard, next to the CMOS battery, or near the processor.
Some manufacturers may label the jumper / dipswitch CLEAR - CLEAR
CMOS - CLR - CLRPWD - PASSWD - PASSWORD - PWD. On laptop
computers, the dipswitches are usually found under the keyboard
or within a compartment at the bottom of the laptop.
Please remember to unplug your PC
and use a grounding strip before reaching into your PC and
touching the motherboard. Once you locate and rest the jumper
switches, turn the computer on and check if the password
has been cleared. If it has, turn the computer off and return the jumpers or
dipswitches to its original position.
Removing the
CMOS Battery
The CMOS settings on most systems
are buffered by a small battery that is attached to the
motherboard. (It looks like a small watch 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 any other machine specific
settings, so be sure you are familiar with manually
reconfiguring the BIOS settings before you do this.) Some manufacturers backup the 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. Some batteries are actually soldered onto the
motherboard making this task more difficult. Unsoldering the
battery incorrectly may damage your motherboard and other
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 period of time.
Note: Removing the battery
to reset the CMOS will not work for all PC's, and almost all of
the newer laptops store their BIOS passwords in a manner which
does not require continuous power, so removing the CMOS battery
may not work at all. IBM Thinkpad laptops lock the
hard drive as well as the BIOS when the supervisor password is
set. If you reset the
BIOS password, but cannot reset the hard drive password, you may
not be able to access the drive and it will remain locked, even
if you place it in a new laptop. IBM Thinkpads have special
jumper switches on the motherboard, and these should be used to
reset the system.
Overloading
the KeyBoard Buffer
On some older computer systems, you can force
the CMOS to enter its setup screen on boot by overloading the
keyboard buffer. This can be done by booting with the keyboard
or mouse unattached to the systems, or on 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 by connecting or "jumping" specific solder beads
on the chipset. There are too many chipsets to do a breakdown of
which points to jump on individual chipsets, and the location of these
solder beads can vary by manufacturer, so please check your
computer and motherboard documentation for details. This
technique is not recommended for the inexperienced and should be
only be used as a "last ditch" effort.
Using a
professional service
If the manufacturer of the laptop
or desktop PC can't or won't reset the BIOS password, you still
have the option of using a professional service. Password
Crackers, Inc., offers a variety of services for desktop and
laptop computers for between $100 and $400. For most of these
services, 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 an online auction.
Links to Motherboard
Manufacturers
If you need additional
documentation about your motherboard, location of jumpers /
dipswitches, location of the battery, BIOS settings, etc., we've
included links to most of the major motherboard manufacturers
here.
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