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willyjwebb
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hp bios password help

Thu Sep 13, 2012 6:28 pm

hey all, i just bought a used hp elitebook, and i love it, yet i didnt happen to check out the bios when i got it, and i now see it has a password set. Ive tried to contact the seller but to no avail as i bought on kijiji (craigslist canada lol). just wondering if anyone knows how to remove the password or reset it.
I7-860, 2x4 gig crucial ballistix ram,64 gb kingston ssdnow, 2tb wd fyps2002, ihas rev b burner, radeon 5850, rocketfish 900 watt, coolermaster elite
 
just brew it!
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Re: hp bios password help

Thu Sep 13, 2012 6:34 pm

Clearing the password on a laptop BIOS is typically done the same way you would do it for a desktop: manually clear the CMOS. Unfortunately, this will likely involve at least partial disassembly of the laptop to get at the CMOS battery. See if you can find a service manual for it; that ought to tell you what's involved.
Nostalgia isn't what it used to be.
 
willyjwebb
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Re: hp bios password help

Thu Sep 13, 2012 6:36 pm

from all the searching ive done online, the password is saved in the eeprom and not the cmos, hp experts have answered customers questions saying that clearing the cmos does not help with the password, i am stumped, just wanted to see if anyone knows of any programs or anything like that that will work to remove a password in the eeprom
I7-860, 2x4 gig crucial ballistix ram,64 gb kingston ssdnow, 2tb wd fyps2002, ihas rev b burner, radeon 5850, rocketfish 900 watt, coolermaster elite
 
Captain Ned
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Re: hp bios password help

Thu Sep 13, 2012 6:36 pm

Google the "disassembly instructions" for the exact model of laptop you have. Follow them. Once you find the thin/flat/wide battery (same type as in most modern car key fobs), yank it and wait an hour or so (yes. it's supposed to be a couple of minutes but can't a man enjoy a beer and a wee dram?). That should fox everything.
What we have today is way too much pluribus and not enough unum.
 
Captain Ned
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Re: hp bios password help

Thu Sep 13, 2012 6:38 pm

I still think a battery pull with a long off-battery time will fix your problem.
What we have today is way too much pluribus and not enough unum.
 
just brew it!
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Re: hp bios password help

Thu Sep 13, 2012 6:41 pm

If it is truly saved in EEPROM you may be screwed unless you're willing to mess around with a motherboard swap.
Nostalgia isn't what it used to be.
 
willyjwebb
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Re: hp bios password help

Thu Sep 13, 2012 6:42 pm

i will give that a shot when i get home, its a little dis concerning that hp says if you didnt sign up for their password recovery thing when you set the password, replacing the motherboard is the only option. i highly doubt this is true, but people seem to be having the same trouble as me
I7-860, 2x4 gig crucial ballistix ram,64 gb kingston ssdnow, 2tb wd fyps2002, ihas rev b burner, radeon 5850, rocketfish 900 watt, coolermaster elite
 
willyjwebb
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Re: hp bios password help

Thu Sep 13, 2012 6:44 pm

i can choose boot options and what not without entering bios, so not a big deal if i cant get in, my main reason is everywhere i read about my model, it says it has discreet radeon graphics, yet mine only shows onboard intel 3000 graphics, im not sure if there is a way to swap to dedicated, or maybe i just dont have dedicated on my model.
I7-860, 2x4 gig crucial ballistix ram,64 gb kingston ssdnow, 2tb wd fyps2002, ihas rev b burner, radeon 5850, rocketfish 900 watt, coolermaster elite
 
asafley
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Re: hp bios password help

Thu Sep 13, 2012 7:54 pm

Willy, I have two things for you to try. It is a bugger to get the password out on the HP Elitebooks. Here is a couple of things that I have tried with some success.

Next power the machine to boot into windows. If your drivers are in for the wireless or Lan card open internet explorer and navigate to HP.com and select suppport, select downloads and enter 6530b. it will take to to page to select the Operating system your using. Select your Operating system and on the driver page you need download the fingerprint reader driver, HP ProtectTools Security Manager 4.10 and HP ProtectTools BIOS Configuration. Install the fingerprint driver (if needed) HP Protect Tools software and HP ProtectTools BIOS Configuration . After reboot run HP ProtectTools Security Manager For Administrators and choose Bios configuration. You will see at the top a place for you to enter a password for the BIOS however BIOS will not give you this option alone so set your new BIOS Password and when you restart the machine press F10 to get bios setup, enter your password and choose "User Management" delete the user under Protect tools User. select reset fingerprint reader and under TPM select "reset to factory defaults".

http://h30434.www3.hp.com/t5/Other-Note ... d-p/118937

DESCRIPTION:
If the BIOS administrator password is not set, and HP ProtectTools security is enabled in Security Manager, then you may not be able to enter the Computer Setup utility at startup as a BIOS administrator. You will only be allowed to enter the setup as a ProtectTools user with limited access.

SCOPE:
The specific notebook PCs affected by this issue are listed in the Hardware Platforms Affected section at the bottom of this advisory.

RESOLUTION:
To resolve this issue, create a BIOS administrator password and delete previous ProtectTools user logs by following this procedure:

1. Download and install the latest SSM utility (HP System Software ManagerVERSION: 2.10 Rev.A SP42536

2. Navigate to c:\Program Files\Hewlett Packard\SSM .

3. Access biosconfigutility.exe to reset the BIOS administrator password.
a. From a command prompt, navigate to the SSM folder.
b. Type biosconfigutility.exe to start the utility. A list of commands displays.
c. Type /newsetuppassword:"password" to create a new BIOS administrator password.
d. Close the command window.

4. Restart the notebook PC and press F10 at startup.

5. Log in using the new BIOS administrator password.

6. Choose User Management and delete any previous ProtectTools users.

7. Save the new settings and exit startup.

http://h20000.www2.hp.com/bizsupport/Te ... R1002_USEN
 
notfred
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Re: hp bios password help

Fri Sep 14, 2012 7:28 am

I suspect the discrete graphics plugs in, popping the case open should tell you if you have a little card missing.
 
qao
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Re: hp bios password help

Fri Sep 14, 2012 9:35 am

Before you enter the password does it show a code if you press f2 or f12?
 
willyjwebb
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Re: hp bios password help

Fri Sep 14, 2012 4:45 pm

ok, so asafley, ive tried both with no success, as the security manager is read only mode unless you know the bios password, and using command prompt says invalid syntax yada yada, and to answer qao, no, no code pressing f2 or f12. as for discreet graphics, there is no spare slot or anything on the board, the whole bottom comes off at once, and i dont see anything out of the ordinary.
I7-860, 2x4 gig crucial ballistix ram,64 gb kingston ssdnow, 2tb wd fyps2002, ihas rev b burner, radeon 5850, rocketfish 900 watt, coolermaster elite
 
mysoulishome
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Re: hp bios password help

Thu Aug 29, 2013 12:32 pm

SOLUTION: This is what I did and worked like a dream. Contacted HP, told them the problem. They "escalated the case," took my info. The next day I was emailed a file called SMC.bin. It is formatted specifically for my machine, has to match the UUID. Copied file to FAT 32 formatted jump drive, booted it as per the email instructions, reset bios password.


I did this via chat on HP's website.

Screwing with the bios battery will not work on Elitebook...
 
Scrotos
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Re: hp bios password help

Thu Aug 29, 2013 12:40 pm

Thanks fer postin'. Hopefully it will help some future Googler.

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