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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
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

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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 BIOSTAR KDD ZAAADA
ALLy CONCAT Lkwpeter ZBAAACA
aLLy CONDO LKWPETER ZJAAADC
aLLY Condo PINT 01322222
ALLY d8on pint 589589
aPAf djonet SER 589721
_award HLT SKY_FOX 595595
AWARD_SW J64 SYXZ 598598
AWARD?SW J256 syxz
AWARD SW J262 shift + syxz
AWARD PW j332 TTPTHA
AWKWARD j322
awkward

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 LKWPETER
BIOSTAR lkwpeter
biostar setup
biosstar SETUP
CMOS Syxz
cmos Wodj

OTHER BIOS PASSWORDS BY MANUFACTURER

Manufacturer Password

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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.

Cmos password recovery tools 3.1

RemPass
KILLCMOS

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 manufacturer's 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

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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.

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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.

Elite Computer
2 the Max A-trend Matsonic
Systems
American
Abit Epox Microstar
Megatrends
PC Chips Amptron Freetech QDI
Aopen Giga-Byte Fujitsu Siemens ASUS
IBM SuperMicro Biostar Intel
Tyan Chaintech

DISCLAIMER
This article is intended for IT Professionals and systems administrators with
experience servicing computer hardware. It is not intended for home users,
hackers, or computer thieves attempting to crack the password on a stolen PC.
Please do not attempt any of these procedures if you are unfamiliar with
computer hardware, and please use this information responsibly. LabMice.net
and SearchEnterpriseDesktop.com is not responsible for the use or misuse of
this material, including loss of data, damage to hardware, or personal injury.

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