HOW TO BYPASS BIOS PASSWORDS

Accessing information on the hard disk

When you turn on the host machine,

Ø enter the CMOS setup menu (usually you have to press F2, or DEL, or CTRL+ALT+S during the boot sequence) and

Ø go to STANDARD CMOS SETUP

Ø set the channel to which you have put the hard disk as TYPE=Auto, MODE=AUTO,

Ø Then SAVE & EXIT SETUP.

Ø Now you have access to the hard disk.


Standard BIOS backdoor passwords

The first, less invasive, attempt to bypass a BIOS password is to try on of these standard manufacturer’s backdoor passwords:

AWARD BIOS
AWARD SW, AWARD_SW, Award SW, AWARD PW, _award, awkward, J64, j256, j262, j332, j322, 01322222, 589589, 589721, 595595, 598598, HLT, SER, SKY_FOX,

aLLy, aLLY, Condo, CONCAT, TTPTHA, aPAf, HLT, KDD, ZBAAACA, ZAAADA, ZJAAADC, djonet,

AMI BIOS
AMI, A.M.I., AMI SW, AMI_SW, BIOS, PASSWORD, HEWITT RAND, Oder

Other passwords you may try (for AMI/AWARD or other BIOSes)
LKWPETER, lkwpeter, BIOSTAR, biostar, BIOSSTAR, biosstar, ALFAROME, Syxz, Wodj


Flashing BIOS via hardware

If you can’t Access the Computer when it’s on, and the standard backdoor passwords didn’t work, you’ll have to flash the BIOS via hardware. Please read the important notes at the end of this section before to try any of these methods.

Using the jumpers

1. The canonical way to flash the BIOS via hardware is to plug, unplug, or switch a jumper on the motherboard (for “switching a jumper” I mean that

2. you find a jumper that joins the central pin and a side pin of a group of three pins,

3. you should then unplug the jumper

4. and then plug it to the central pin and to the pin on the opposite side,

5. so if the jumper is normally on position 1-2,

6. You have to put it on position 2-3 or viceversa).

7. This jumper is not always located near to the BIOS, but could be anywhere on the motherboard.

8. While the computer is turned OFF.

9. Wait a couple of seconds then put the jumper back to its original position.

10. In some motherboards it may happen that the computer will automatically turn itself on,

11. After flashing the BIOS. In this case,

12. turn it off, and put the jumper back to its original position,

13. Then turn it on again. Other motherboards require you turn the computer on for a few seconds to flash the BIOS.

Removing the battery

Ø If you can’t find the jumper to flash the BIOS or if such jumper doesn’t exist,

Ø You can remove the battery that keeps the BIOS memory alive.

Ø It’s a button-size battery somewhere on the motherboard (on elder computers the battery could be a small, typically blue, cylinder soldered to the motherboard,

Ø but usually has a jumper on its side to disconnect it,

Ø Otherwise you’ll have to unsolder it and then solder it back).

Ø Take it away for 15-30 minutes or more,

Ø then put it back and the data contained into the BIOS memory should be volatilized

Ø I’d suggest you to remove it for about one hour to be sure,

Ø Because if you put it back when the data aren’t erased yet you’ll have to wait more time, as you’ve never removed it.

Ø If at first it doesn’t work, try to remove the battery overnight.

Ø Important note: in laptop and notebooks you don’t have to remove the Computer’s power batteries (which would be useless),

Ø But you should open your computer and remove the CMOS battery from the motherboard.

Short-circuiting the chip

Ø Another way to clear the CMOS RAM is to reset it by short circuiting two pins of the BIOS chip for a few seconds.

Ø You can do that with a small piece of electric wire or with a bended paper clip.

Ø Always make sure that the Computer is Turned OFF before to try this operation.
Similar chips with different names if they are compatible chips made by another brand.

Ø If you find the BIOS chip you are working on matches with one of the following you can try to short-circuit the appropriate pins.

Ø Be careful, because this operation may damage the chip.

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