Resetting BIOS to factory default when you don`t have access to it

[dareys]

Greetings,

In an attempt to minimize hacking on my box, I configured security and
password protected the BIOS of the machine.

In spite of having the passwords simple initially and oh my, written them
down. Yep. My BIOS is now inaccessible. Hacking? Any ideas on how I could
reset it. BTW, the computer still boots in Windows mode.

My last resort would be to restore from a backup make as soon as I opened
the machine, but I doubt that this will reset BIOS.

Thank you for your help.

Regards,

Jean-Pierre

 

[JS]

Consult the users manual for your motherboard.
Sometimes simply resetting the BIOS by removing
the CMOS battery for about 15 minutes (remove AC power cord first) will do
the job.

 

[Craig Coope]

Greetings,

In an attempt to minimize hacking on my box, I configured security and
password protected the BIOS of the machine.

In spite of having the passwords simple initially and oh my, written them
down. Yep. My BIOS is now inaccessible. Hacking? Any ideas on how I could
reset it. BTW, the computer still boots in Windows mode.

My last resort would be to restore from a backup make as soon as I opened
the machine, but I doubt that this will reset BIOS.

Thank you for your help.

Regards,

Jean-Pierre

As previously stated remove the battery but you may also have to
change a jumper setting too (and/or). Read the manual.

 

[R. McCarty]

If Windows boots:
1.) Open a Cmd Prompt Window
2.) Invoke Debug
-o 70 2e
-o 71 ff
-q
*o denotes letter o for octal address, not numeral Zero
In most cases this will mimic the action of moving the BIOS reset
jumper without having to open the PC case.

 

[Jose]

Greetings,

In an attempt to minimize hacking on my box, I configured security and
password protected the BIOS of the machine.

In spite of having the passwords simple initially and oh my, written them
down. Yep. My BIOS is now inaccessible. Hacking? Any ideas on how I could
reset it. BTW, the computer still boots in Windows mode.

My last resort would be to restore from a backup make as soon as I opened
the machine, but I doubt that this will reset BIOS.

Thank you for your help.

Regards,

Jean-Pierre

How do we know you are not a hacker trying to break into a machine
that is not yours?

it would be unethical to help you defeat security imposed on a
computer that is not yours.

Oh - too late!

Find the manual, find the jumper, pull it, put it back. No need to
wait 5 minutes.

Restoring from a backup will not change your BIOS.

 

[dareys]

JS,

Many thanks for the response. How could I overlook that. A while back I
configured the BIOS on another machine to protect it (e.g. disable WOL, boot
from the network, etc.) and the CMOS battery gave way, disabling the whole
setup.

I struggled to put in another battery for a while since the metal clip was
broken and I eventually had to saulder a new contact. I got some help from a
friend, and it was a fly by the seat of your pants repair on a pretty old
box, but it worked.

Thank you for the tip. I will just have to open up the box, find the CMOS
battery and disconnect it. The box came without that kind of documentation,
but I am sure I can find it online. As a matter of fact, I think I already
have it on CD.

Regards,

Jean-Pierre

P.S. There is another tip that indicates a command that can do the trick.
Frankly,
Opening up the box to add memory was time consuming enough (it is a lot
easier to take things apart than it is to put them back together
hey?), and
I would rather do that than open surgery. But again, many thanks.

 

[dareys]

Mr doe,

This sounds too easy, but I will consider it. Thank you for the response.

Jean-Pierre

 

[dareys]

Craig Coope,

Thank you for the response. The box came without a munual, but I can get
that on the internet. In any case, as I told JS, from previous experience, I
am pretty sure that removing the CMOS battery will do the trick.

Regards,

Jean-Pierre

 

[dareys]

R. McCarty,

Awsome. I think this is the way to go as it will avoid surgery.

As I indicated in another response, removing the CMOS battery on a laptop is
more time consuming than on a desktop. Taking the screws out is easy. Fitting
the keyboard and hand rest back in took me a good hour last time.

If this doesn´t do the trick, I will remove the CMOS.

Many thanks.

Jean-Pierre

 

[dareys]

Jose,

Truthfully, I hacked a number of PCs when I was in college, in the early
eighties, in order to learn about them, and for fun, with a number of other
fellow students and friends at NYU´s computer labs.

However, we never disrupted people´s work, or lives for more than a minute
and in the end we included them in the joke and all shared had a good laugh.
It was harmless.

Now, the sort of hacking that you are hinting at is unethical, and frankly,
since those days, I have moved on to other types of computer work, putting me
at the same kind of disadvantage my fellow non CS students were back in the
80s.

.... Now I believe that I have been the victim of hacking of some kind or
other for a while now, and the only reason I am trying to protect the machine
is so my personal information, my work or proprietary employer information,
are not public or stolen.

So, believe me, no, I am not a hacker. These issues have made me learn a
lot, but I have also forgone a great deal of income and opportunities,
because of them. Just lost productivity and lack of communication...

I would never put this information to bad use. I have my life to live and
have no interest in harming other people this way, no matter how I may feel
about them. Like the Beatles said, "Live and let live". I have better things
to do with my time.

Like living the American Dream? Wherever that may be. All people are the same.

Regards,

Jean-Pierre

 

[Jose]

Jose,

Truthfully, I hacked a number of PCs when I was in college, in the early
eighties, in order to learn about them, and for fun, with a number of other
fellow students and friends at NYU´s computer labs.

However, we never disrupted people´s work, or lives for more than a minute
and in the end we included them in the joke and all shared had a good laugh.
It was harmless.

Now, the sort of hacking that you are hinting at is unethical, and frankly,
since those days, I have moved on to other types of computer work, putting me
at the same kind of disadvantage my fellow non CS students were back in the
80s.

... Now I believe that I have been the victim of hacking of some kind or
other for a while now, and the only reason I am trying to protect the machine
is so my personal information, my work or proprietary employer information,
are not public or stolen.

So, believe me, no, I am not a hacker. These issues have made me learn a
lot, but I have also forgone a great deal of income and opportunities,
because of them. Just lost productivity and lack of communication...

I would never put this information to bad use. I have my life to live and
have no interest in harming other people this way, no matter how I may feel
about them. Like the Beatles said, "Live and let live". I have better things
to do with my time.

Like living the American Dream? Wherever that may be. All people are the same.

Regards,

Jean-Pierre

I got it. It's just sometimes creepy when people seek guidance
recovering their user password or their administrator password or
their product ID, moved the HDD and now can't access folders, etc. and
so much help is offered to circumvent security. It is not just
"here", the info can be found many places.

Probably legit most of the time, but maybe somebody stole the laptop
and is trying to get in posing here as a helpless victim of poor
memory, or maybe it is some kid trying to break into mommy's PC.
Sure! I'll tell you how to reset your password!

I don't recall ever posting a method to get around security blocks,
but that could just be me.

 

[JS]

Do you have a laptop or desktop PC?

 

[sgopus]

if someone has physical access to the pc, just about any security can be
bypassed.
forgetting admin password is an easy one to get past, I work on friends and
members of a local users pc group, and finally bought a piece of software to
get past the admins password, sure saves loads of worry, and as a word of
caution, I do not use it for personal advancement, just to help others when
they can't remember their passwords, or mess up their accounts.

 

[dareys]

JS,

It´s a laptop...

Jean-Pierre

Do you have a laptop or desktop PC?

 

[dareys]

Jose,

I understand what you are saying. Yes, how can you tell if the person is
legit. Well, if you are suspicious, just ask the person to identify
themselves. Or just put their name into a search into Yahoo or Google to see
if they have a trail...

Check mine under and you will see who I am and what I am about. I am pretty
sure there is nothing bad about me out there. Anyway, thank you for the help.
I will let ya´ll know how it went when I fix it.

Regards,

Jean-Pierre

 

[dareys]

sgopus,

Gee, I would love to find out the name of this program. Even if I write the
passwords down, which is a pain (and defeats the purpose of having them), I
keep having problems.

Anyway, it is good for you to help others.

Regards,

Jean-Pierre

 

[JS]

Then it's not as simple as removing the case
cover on a desktop. Better check your users manual
to see what you need to know on resetting the BIOS.

 

[sgopus]

When I get home I'll look it up, and post it tomorrow. it's not free I paid
for it, not that much, but it's worth every penny due to all the people I've
been able to help

 

[dareys]

JS,

Yes, hence the questions.

I have done it with a Desktop and it is a piece of cake, but it is harder
with a laptop. Like I said, taking out the screws, removing the handrest and
keyboard, as well as any other necessary components is a piece of cake. About
fifteen minutes tops.

I just did it to add memory to the box and actually saw the CMOS battery.
How ironic. I just doubled checked everything with the documentation last
night and will resolve the problem ASAP. I have some other issues to address
over the weekend.

However, putting everything back into place, well that took me about an hour
and a half so I am not looking forward to it. Hopefully some of the other
mecanisms will work.

Again thank you all for your help. I will let you know how it works.

Jean-Pierre

 

[dareys]

Frankly, maybe it is not such a good idea. What if other people reading this
have other designs... That would not be cool would it. If you want to let me
know, let me know and we can figure out a way to exchange the information.