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[The_Almighty_Bacon_Lord]

Delete Delete Delete

[Zero999]

Normally all that needs to be done is shorting a jumper but if you can't find it. Try disconnecting the power, removing both batteries, the one for the real time clock (on the mother board) and the main battery pack, waiting for 5 minutes, then replacing all the batteries. Hopefully this will reset the BIOS settings in the SRAM.

[wraper]

Normally all that needs to be done is shorting a jumper but if you can't find it.

Not on laptops, works only on desktop motherboards.

[Electro Fan]

Hopefully the reset approach works but if it doesn't and you can remove the chip perhaps the password field can be read and rewritten with a chip programmer.  There is at least one popular programmer discussed here in the forums that is sold on eBay - it covers many chips; there is a list and you could check to see if your chip is on the list.  Might depend on the chip package - not sure how feasible it will be with SMD.  Even if it is feasible it might or might not be cost-effective - kind of depends on how much you really want/need to get into the BIOS.

[Electro Fan]

Hopefully the reset approach works but if it doesn't and you can remove the chip perhaps the password field can be read and rewritten with a chip programmer.

A quick look for a chip programmer shows programmers which cost over $50 CAD... This motherboard is cheaper than the programmer, plus, I'd probably only use the programmer once. It's not worth the investment. Thanks for the suggestion!

Understand, in case you change your mind here is the model from a pretty good seller.
http://m.ebay.com/itm/High-speed-MiniPRO-USB-Universal-BIOS-Programmer-TL866CS-including-4-adapters-/221072202503?_trkparms=aid%253D222007%2526algo%253DSIC.MBE%2526ao%253D1%2526asc%253D20150519202348%2526meid%253Dda9ab1f54c514682856f53a161d8210b%2526pid%253D100408%2526rk%253D2%2526rkt%253D16%2526mehot%253Dpp%2526sd%253D172260016191&_trksid=p2056116.c100408.m2460

There are also other versions of the kit.

[NottheDan]

Normally all that needs to be done is shorting a jumper but if you can't find it.

Not on laptops, works only on desktop motherboards.

Yes, on laptops too. The Toshiba ones I've seen have it accessible through the RAM bay and labelled B500. Though, I haven't that much contact with Toshiba laptops. Some models have supposedly a single pad that you have to short to ground.

[KerryW]

In my limited experience, the password was saved in the RAM area of the RTC.  You can remove the battery and the password will be lost, along with your system setup information.

Or you can edit the information, if you have the right tool.

[Zero999]

In my limited experience, the password was saved in the RAM area of the RTC.  You can remove the battery and the password will be lost, along with your system setup information.

Or you can edit the information, if you have the right tool.

I thought that too but apparently it doesn't work for modern laptops.

[RGB255_0_0]

Toshibas often have a couple of pads to short near the RAM modules.

Removing batteries doesn't work for modern laptops as they store the settings/passwords in non-volatile storage.

[KerryW]

I thought that too but apparently it doesn't work for modern laptops.

That's not a surprise.  The manufacturer has access to the hardware and the BIOS, and can change anything they want.  I wrote a program to read/edit the CMOS memory (back in 1995, under DOS) using I/O ports 0x70 & 0x71.  If they kept that compatibilty it should still work.  There are other programs available on the Net that do the same thing, but of course if they changed the way the data is accessed those won't work either.

[Kilrah]

Laptops are usually more protected (i.e. things aren't stored in a legacy location, settings are non-voltaile and there may be no easy way to wipe them) for obvious anti-theft reasons.

The cause for resetting a BIOS password must be 80% due to forgetting things on a desktop, but 80% to use a stolen machine on a laptop. I have once forgotten the password on an Acer machine, the only solution was to ship it to the manufacturer with original purchase receipt to get it unlocked (I didn't bother). Same with Apple stuff and more.

[Zero999]

I thought that too but apparently it doesn't work for modern laptops.

That's not a surprise.  The manufacturer has access to the hardware and the BIOS, and can change anything they want.  I wrote a program to read/edit the CMOS memory (back in 1995, under DOS) using I/O ports 0x70 & 0x71.  If they kept that compatibilty it should still work.  There are other programs available on the Net that do the same thing, but of course if they changed the way the data is accessed those won't work either.

Given the machine won't boot an operating system, whether it be on a hard drive or removable media, until after the BIOS password has been entered I doubt that will work.

[PA0PBZ]

There used to be manufacturer/master passwords, but if that is still the case today I don't know. Worth a search maybe.

[george.b]

Is it as simple as shorting two pins of an IC (such as what is done on the Lenovo Thinkpad series)?

Wait, what?

Once upon a time, I bought an used Thinkpad T61. It came with a supervisor password (SVP) set up. One day I flashed a modded bios... and it wouldn't boot without the SVP.
Had to do all kinds of juggling around with reading a 24RF08 (not the BIOS chip) through the serial port on another computer in order to use some utility that would read and reprogram that EEPROM in a way that cleared the SVP.

So, no, that wasn't too simple at all

[Back2Volts]

I have used Thinkpads since they came out.   Lots of them because of my employer.   I do not know about other brands, but on the Thinkpads, there was the option to secure (we were required to) the hard drives.   The pasword is actually stored in a special place in the drive.   It is supported by an ATA(?) command.   Long time ago, after a machine upgrade to serial drives, after moving the data, inadvertently, I was left with a parallel drive with the PW on it.   I could never figure out how to unlock it.  It was a 60GB unit.   After a while the interest on it faded becuse of obsolescence.   It is probably in a drawer somewhere.

What I am trying to say id that there can be more to it that a PW in the flash.     

[JoeO]

I have used Thinkpads since they came out.   Lots of them because of my employer.   I do not know about other brands, but on the Thinkpads, there was the option to secure (we were required to) the hard drives.   The pasword is actually stored in a special place in the drive.   It is supported by an ATA(?) command.   Long time ago, after a machine upgrade to serial drives, after moving the data, inadvertently, I was left with a parallel drive with the PW on it.   I could never figure out how to unlock it.  It was a 60GB unit.   After a while the interest on it faded becuse of obsolescence.   It is probably in a drawer somewhere.

What I am trying to say id that there can be more to it that a PW in the flash.   

I worked refurbishing IBM laptops. 

All these people who post "jumper 2 pins" "remove the battery"  are all wet.  20 years ago this stuff worked, not any more.

You are correct, there is a password stored on the drive.  In fact there can be up to 4 passwords.   When the drive powers up, you have 4 chances to enter the correct password.  After that the HD powers down and you have to go through a complete power down/ power up cycle before it will accept passwords to test.

There is also a password on the mother board.  There was a "joe in Australia" who could zero out the password for you.  You had to pull the eprom off the motherboard and send it to him.  Don't know if he is still in business anymore.

[tautech]

Normally all that needs to be done is shorting a jumper but if you can't find it.

Not on laptops, works only on desktop motherboards.

Yup, doesn't work with laptops.

I've restored a locked up Toshiba Satellite A200 bios fingerprint reader using the pad shorting process while booting IIRC.
Pads are under the RAM as others have described and the process while simple requires 3 hands and the tongue held right. 
I've got the documentation at home I think and if you can't find mention of the process on the net PM me and I'll shoot it to you when I'm home week after next.

[jancumps]

Hopefully the reset approach works but if it doesn't and you can remove the chip perhaps the password field can be read and rewritten with a chip programmer.

A quick look for a chip programmer shows programmers which cost over $50 CAD... This motherboard is cheaper than the programmer, plus, I'd probably only use the programmer once. It's not worth the investment. Thanks for the suggestion!

If the price of a new board is 50 CAd, you've already lost your chances to make a profit on this one when you look at it for one hour.

[Chalcogenide]

I have had a strange experience with an HP netbook. I was given that thing with the request to upgrade RAM and do a clean Windows install, but they forgot to tell me the BIOS password. Long story short, if you entered the password incorrectly it provided an error code. There are websites that, given that error code, generate a "master password" that clears the user-set BIOS password. I was able to do the hardware upgrade and install Windows before the owner answered with the password.

[German_EE]

OK, this may sound strange but bear with me.

1) Put your laptop motherboard into a good quality plastic bag, throw in a few of those silica gel desiccant bags as well to make sure that it stays dry.

2) Stuff the lot in a freezer overnight.

3) The next morning pull the motherboard out of the freezer and let it warm up to room temperature. THIS IS IMPORTANT or you will have issues with condensation.

4) Try the motherboard and see if the password is zeroed out.

Why?

Years ago this trick worked with the Philips coded radios that they fitted to Opel cars. If the power to the radio was lost and the owner didn't have the password then the freezer trick was used.

[Shock]

Just a second is this still an electronics forum?

[CJay]

In my limited experience, the password was saved in the RAM area of the RTC.  You can remove the battery and the password will be lost, along with your system setup information.

Or you can edit the information, if you have the right tool.

I thought that too but apparently it doesn't work for modern laptops.

It's not worked for laptops for a long time.

All the way back to 486 and possibly before that.

A simple I2C and SPI programmer for a PC is only a couple of TTL chips, should not be difficult to build something that can read/program them, the password is rarely encrypted by anything difficult to break.

[CJay]

I worked refurbishing IBM laptops. 

All these people who post "jumper 2 pins" "remove the battery"  are all wet.  20 years ago this stuff worked, not any more.

You are correct, there is a password stored on the drive.  In fact there can be up to 4 passwords.   When the drive powers up, you have 4 chances to enter the correct password.  After that the HD powers down and you have to go through a complete power down/ power up cycle before it will accept passwords to test.

There is also a password on the mother board.  There was a "joe in Australia" who could zero out the password for you.  You had to pull the eprom off the motherboard and send it to him.  Don't know if he is still in business anymore.

Joe in Australia worked out the pins on the dock connector for a lot of IBM machines and developed a programmer using a couple of TTL chips which would dump the 24RF08 chip, you sent him the image and he sent you back the password.

Pretty simple to work out for yourself though with a bit of knowledge.

[CJay]

I have had a strange experience with an HP netbook. I was given that thing with the request to upgrade RAM and do a clean Windows install, but they forgot to tell me the BIOS password. Long story short, if you entered the password incorrectly it provided an error code. There are websites that, given that error code, generate a "master password" that clears the user-set BIOS password. I was able to do the hardware upgrade and install Windows before the owner answered with the password.

And Dell too.

[Back2Volts]

Joe in Australia worked out the pins on the dock connector for a lot of IBM machines and developed a programmer using a couple of TTL chips which would dump the 24RF08 chip, you sent him the image and he sent you back the password.

Pretty simple to work out for yourself though with a bit of knowledge.

The drive passwords are on each drive, not on the 24RF08 chip.   Each drive password can be different from the two other BIOS passwords.   Pretty simple to understand that, a procedure like that may have been able to unlock the actual machine, but not get to unlock the drives.   One would have to replace the drives.