Access BIOS and Reset Password VIA Motherboard

How do I access my system BIOS?

There are hundreds of computer manufacturers out there and each seem to have their own idea when it comes to designating a keyboard command to enter BIOS. There are often even huge differences in BIOS access methods between different models made by the same company!

Here is a list of commonly used keys to access your BIOS setup utility during start up. If you see some keys that are not listed here please let me know!

F1, F2, F3, F4, F10, F11, F12, Del, Ins, Esc, Tab, Ctrl+Alt+Esc, Ctrl+Alt+Enter, Ctrl+Alt+F3, Ctrl+Alt+Ins, Fn+Esc, Fn+F1, Ctrl+Shift+Esc

Now that I provided you with the possible keys to press, this is how you access your BIOS.

Turn on your PC or restart it if it’s already on.

Watch for a “entering setup” message in the first few seconds after turning on your computer. This message varies greatly from computer to computer and also includes the key or keys you need to press to enter BIOS.

If you don’t have any special screens during your start up, just press the keys repeatedly after powering on your PC.

How do I Reset a BIOS Password?

I’m going to teach you two ways to reset a BIOS password:

Using a Backdoor BIOS Password and Resetting the BIOS Password using Hardware.

Using a Backdoor BIOS Password

Some BIOS manufacturers implement a backdoor password. The backdoor password is a BIOS password that works, no matter what the user sets the BIOS password to. These passwords are typically used for testing and maintenance. Manufacturers typically change the backdoor BIOS passwords from time to time.

AMI Backdoor BIOS Passwords

Reported AMI backdoor BIOS passwords include A.M.I., AAAMMMIII, AMI?SW , AMI_SW, BIOS, CONDO, HEWITT RAND, LKWPETER, MI, and PASSWORD.

Award Backdoor BIOS Passwords

One reported Award backdoor BIOS password is eight spaces. Other reported Award backdoor BIOS passwords include 01322222, 589589, 589721, 595595, 598598 , ALFAROME, ALLY, ALLy, aLLY, aLLy, aPAf, award, AWARD PW, AWARD SW, AWARD?SW, AWARD_PW, AWARD_SW, AWKWARD, awkward, BIOSTAR, CONCAT, CONDO, Condo, condo, d8on, djonet, HLT, J256, J262, j262, j322, j332, J64, KDD, LKWPETER, Lkwpeter, PINT, pint, SER, SKY_FOX, SYXZ, syxz, TTPTHA, ZAAAADA, ZAAADA, ZBAAACA, and ZJAAADC.

Phoenix Backdoor BIOS Passwords

Reported Phoenix BIOS backdoor passwords include BIOS, CMOS, phoenix, and PHOENIX.

Backdoor BIOS Passwords from Other Manufacturers

Reported BIOS backdoor passwords for other manufacturers include:

Manufacturer	BIOS 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
SOYO	SY_MB
TMC	BIGO
Toshiba	Toshiba

Resetting the BIOS Password using Hardware

If you cannot access the machine after if has been powered up, it is still possible to get past the BIOS password. The BIOS password is stored in CMOS memory that is maintained while the PC is powered off by a small battery, which is attached to the motherboard. If you remove this battery, all CMOS information (including the BIOS password) will be lost. You will need to re-enter the correct CMOS setup information to use the machine. The machines owner or user will most likely be alarmed when it is discovered that the BIOS password has been deleted.

On some motherboards, the battery is soldered to the motherboard, making it difficult to remove. If this is the case, you have another alternative. Somewhere on the motherboard you should find a jumper that will clear the BIOS password. If you have the motherboard documentation, you will know where that jumper is. If not, the jumper may be labeled on the motherboard. If you are not fortunate enough for either of these to be the case, you may be able to guess which jumper is the correct jumper. This jumper is usually standing alone near the battery. If you cannot locate this jumper, you might short both of the points where the battery connects to the motherboard.

If all else fails, you may have to clear the BIOS password by resetting the RTC (Real Time Clock) IC (Integrated Circuit) on your motherboard.

Many RTC’s require an external battery. If your RTC is one of this type, you can clear the BIOS password just by unsocketing the RTC and reseating it.

Sources:
http://www.tech-faq.com/reset-bios-password.shtml
http://pcsupport.about.com/od/fixtheproblem/ht/accessbios.htm
http://pcsupport.about.com/od/fixtheproblem/a/biosaccess_pc.htm