There are a number of reasons why we might set a password to protect
our BIOS from changes. The problem is that we only need to go in there
once in a blue moon, making the password easy to forget,
locking everyone out.
I had a situation many years ago where a colleague suggested the
purchase of a new motherboard because they couldn’t remember the
password. I got that little bit more frustrated with my job that day.
There are various options you can use to get back into your BIOS.
All of them reset the BIOS back to default values, so make sure you’ve
tried all of your regular passwords before attempting these methods. I
have tried to keep it brief…
Newer Computers: Most newer motherboards have a
jumper on them, which you can change the position of to reset the BIOS.
Find your motherboard manual or search for the motherboards model
number in Google. You want to find a diagram showing what and
where various components and jumpers are on the motherboard. The manual
should tell you which jumper needs to be changed.
Once you have changed the jumper, return the jumper back to its
original position while the machine is off. You don’t want it to keep
resetting itself. Turn on the machine and go into the BIOS. All options
will be open to you.
Older Computers: The quickest way to get into the
BIOS of an older computer that has been password protected is to remove
the battery. The battery keeps the system clock going. Once you remove
it, you can put it back in and start the computer.
When you start your computer, you will find your BIOS has been reset
to its default values. You are now able to change any settings you want.
General: Some motherboard manufacturers have a
secret password that will work, overwriting the password already
locking the computer. These are readily available online with a bit of
a search. I think this is becoming less common with time.
For more information on the methods above,
tech-faq has a great article which goes more in depth.
