Question

HP BIOS/CMOS Backdoor Password

Asked by: jhartlov

Is there a backdoor CMOS/BIOS password for HP laptops (specifically the TC4400)?  I have one that has an unknown bios password, and I really don't feel like taking this thing apart.

This Question has been solved and asker verified All Experts Exchange premium technology solutions are available to subscription members.

Subscribe now for full access to Experts Exchange and get

Instant Access to this Solution

  • Plus...
  • 30 Day FREE access, no risk, no obligation
  • Collaborate with the world's top tech experts
  • Unlimited access to our exclusive solution database
  • Never be left without tech help again

Subscribe Now

Asked On
2007-10-01 at 18:49:52ID22865417
Tags

hp

,

bios

,

password

,

backdoor

Topic

PC Laptops

Participating Experts
7
Points
350
Comments
27

Trusted by hundreds of thousands everyday for fast, accurate and reliable tech support.

  • "The time we save is the biggest benefit of Experts Exchange to Warner Bros. What could take multiple guys 2 hours or more each to find is accessed in around 15 minutes on Experts Exchange." Mike Kapnisakis, Warner Bros.
  • "Our team likes having a resource that is more secure than just using Google and most experts using this service really know their stuff. It's nice to look here first versus using Google." Dayna Sellner, Lockheed Martin
  • "Anytime that I've been stumped with a problem, 9 out of 10 times Experts Exchange has either the accepted solution or an open discussion of the potential solution to the problem." Kenny Red, eBay Inc.

See what Experts Exchange can do for you.

Got a question?

We've got the answer.

Experts Exchange has been collecting answers to technology questions since 1996…3 million and counting! If you have a question, chances are we already have your answer.

Screenshot of Experts Exchange Knowledgebase

Need individual assistance?

Our experts are ready to help.

If you can't find the exact answer you're looking for, ask our exclusive community of 50,000 experts. You’ll get a personalized answer from a trusted professional.

Screenshot of Experts Exchange Knowledgebase

Want to learn from the best?

Read articles from industry experts.

Thousands of free tech tips, tricks, how-to’s and tutorials are available in our peer reviewed articles section. See for yourself how smart our experts are, no login required.

Screenshot of an Article

Working on a long term project?

Store your work and research.

Save solutions to your questions, answers you’ve discovered through searching plus helpful articles in your personal knowledgebase for easy future access.

Screenshot of Experts Exchange Knowledgebase

Access the answers to your technology questions today.

Subscribe Now

30-day free trial. Register in 60 seconds.

What Makes Experts Exchange Unique?

Members of the expert community talk about why the experience at Experts Exchange is different than what you will find anywhere else.

Trusted by the world's most respected brands.

image of each brand's logo

Faithfully serving IT professionals since 1996.

Experts Exchange Logo

Try it out and discover for yourself.

Subscribe Now

30-day free trial. Register in 60 seconds.

Related Solutions

  1. CMOS
    IS THERE A WAY TO UPGRADE CMOS SETUP FOR 386/25 EVEREX TEMPO TO INCLUDE A AUTO DETECT C:DRIVE?
  2. disable cmos password
    gigabyte socket 7,GA-586hx rev1.55, how do i disable cmos password, i took out battery, password is also on bootup,i left real time btry out for two days and password is still there
  3. Removing CMOS Battery / Bypass BIOS Pwd / Clear CM…
    I've got a Type: Digital (DEC) HiNote VP500 laptop. BIOS: Phoenix NoteBIOS 4.0 OS: Corel Linux (version unknown) I need to bypass the BIOS pwassword i don't know how...I`ve tried all the "backdoor passwords" for Phoenix, but none of them work (Big suprise). I`ve...
  4. CMOS
    I set a password for CMOS, and I dont remember it, what do I do
  5. CMOS/BIOS password access
    I've just purchased a used PII Toshiba Satellite 4015CDT laptop for a niece's birthday off ebay. Serial number is ....Z8289512A. Model is ................PAB401U-T6CW8 It seems to be in perfect working order. However, it appears to be only booting to a cmos/bios setup prom...

Free Tech Articles

  1. WARNING: 5 Reasons why you should NEVER fix a computer for free.
    It is in our nature to love the puzzle. We are obsessed. The lot of us. We love puzzles. We love the challenge. We thrive on finding the answer. We hate disarray. It bothers us deep in our soul. W...
  2. SCCM OSD Basic troubleshooting
    SCCM 2007 OSD is a fantastic way to deploy operating systems, however, like most things SCCM issues can sometimes be difficult to resolve due to the sheer volume of logs to sift through and the dispe...
  3. Migrate Small Business Server 2003 to Exchange 2010 and Windows 2008 R2
    This guide is intended to provide step by step instructions on how to migrate from Small Business Server 2003 to Windows 2008 R2 with Exchange 2010. For this migration to work you will need the fo...
  4. Create a Win7 Gadget
    This article shows you how to create a simple "Gadget" -- a sort of mini-application supported by Windows 7 and Vista. Gadgets can be dropped anywhere on the desktop to provide instant information, ...
  5. Outlook continually prompting for username and password
    There have been a lot of questions recently regarding Outlook prompting for a username and password whilst using Exchange 2007. There are a few reasons why this would happen and I will try to cover t...
  6. Backup Exchange 2010 Information Store using Windows Backup
    There seems to be quite a lot of confusion around the ability to backup Exchange 2010 using the built in Windows Backup feature. This stems from the omission of this feature prior to Exchange 2007 s...

Cloud Class Webinars

  1. Avoiding Bugs in Microsoft Access
    Alison Balter takes and in-depth look at avoiding bugs in Access. In this webinar you will learn about using the immediate window to debug your applications, invoking the debugger, using breakpoints to troubleshoot, stepping through code, setting the next statement to execute, ...
  2. Top 10 Best New Features in Visio 2010
    Scott Helmers gives live demonstrations of the top 10 new features in Visio 2010. This webinar will teach you how to create compelling diagrams by adding shapes to the page with a single click, linking the shapes in a diagram to data in Excel (or SQL Server, or SharePoint), ...
  3. IT Consultant Business Secrets Revealed
    Michael Munger, Experts Exchange tech pro and IT consultant, pulls back the curtain on his very successful businesses and answers question on every IT consultant and business owner should know about. He shares secrets on what he did to solve the 5 most common problems in IT, ...
  4. Disaster Recovery and Business Continuity
    Quest CTO, Mike Billon, gives an overview of the steps involved in building a dunamic disaster recovery plan. Through case studies and an examination of software/hardware tooles for monitoring and testing, you'll gain a better understandin of where you are, where you want ...
  5. Organize Your Visio Diagrams with Containers and Lists
    Scott Helmers uses cross functional flowcharts, wireframe diagrams, data graphic legends and seating charts to teach you: how to ustilize all three new structured diagram components in Visio 2010, the best practices for organizeing shapes in previous version of Visio, how to organize ...
  6. How to Us Objects, Properties, Events and Methods in Microsoft Access
    Alison Dalter gives an in-depbth look at objects, properties, events and methods in Microsoft Access. In this webinar you will learn about using the object browser, referring to objects, working with properties and methods, working with object variables, understanding the ...

Join the Community

Give a Little. Get a Lot.

Join the community of experts here and help other tech pros by answering question in your area of expertise. You can earn FREE access to all Experts Exchange's premium features and resources.

Join the Community

Answers

 

by: PUNKYPosted on 2007-10-01 at 19:47:19ID: 19995920

You could get support from HP though. Call them and prove your ownership, they might charge a little fee.

 

by: jhartlovPosted on 2007-10-01 at 19:48:50ID: 19995926

Thanks....but that wasn't my question.

 

by: jhartlovPosted on 2007-10-01 at 19:49:44ID: 19995929

I went to HP support....they told me to take it apart, and remove the RTC battery.  that is what I am trying to avoid.

 

by: MeretePosted on 2007-10-01 at 19:55:35ID: 19995942

Most bios should not have a password I usually just hit enter at the blank to bypass it. But some techs do add one why I dont know just to make life hard for other techs.
Check here see if you can get some keys
Backdoor and default passwords
http://www.freelabs.com/~whitis/security/backdoor.html

 

by: JjcampNRPosted on 2007-10-01 at 20:14:25ID: 19996005

Why go through all the trouble of trying to find a backdoor into the machine when you could really easily just pop out the RTC battery or sometimes even just move a jumper for a second?

Some options besides taking the battery out are:
Utility:  http://www.softpedia.com/get/Security/Decrypting-Decoding/CmosPwd.shtml
Backdoor Passwords:  http://www.tech-faq.com/reset-bios-password.shtml

Good luck.

 

by: nobusPosted on 2007-10-02 at 01:29:23ID: 19996907

 

by: sparkmakerPosted on 2007-10-02 at 06:06:30ID: 19998150

The RTC battery is on the underside of the system board, and you will need to totally disassemble the laptop to get at it.
Here is a video guide from HP showing you the steps to do this.
Click on the -->Real Time Clock Battery<-- 3rd from  the bottom of the left side column.

http://h20181.www2.hp.com/plmcontent/NACSC/SML/results.htm?SID=1847962&MEID=E047A8D8-290E-4D17-A637-B9C05EC4CB28

 

by: jhartlovPosted on 2007-10-02 at 06:09:07ID: 19998171

Sparkmaster....I think you are missing the point.  I know how to take it apart.  I am trying to avoid it.

 

by: sparkmakerPosted on 2007-10-02 at 06:15:39ID: 19998248

One other thing to know. If the  STRINGENT SECURITY OPTION has been enabled in the bios, you will need to replace the system board as the RTC battery removal will not clear a password if this has been enabled.
Here is an excerpt from the service manual
http://h20000.www2.hp.com/bizsupport/TechSupport/CoreRedirect.jsp?redirectReason=DocIndexPDF&prodSeriesId=1847962&targetPage=http%3A%2F%2Fh20000.www2.hp.com%2Fbc%2Fdocs%2Fsupport%2FSupportManual%2Fc00692629%2Fc00692629.pdf
for the TC4400, on how to accomplish the RTC removal and explaining the Stringent security option.
1.2    Resetting the Tablet PC
If the tablet PC you are servicing has an unknown password, follow the steps below to clear the password. These steps also clearCMOS.
The following steps will not clear an unknown password if the
stringent security option has been enabled in the BIOS. If
stringent security is enabled, the system board must be replaced
to reset an unknown password. Refer to Section 5.21, System
Board, for more information on replacing the system board.
Before replacing the system board, perform the steps below to
make sure stringent security has been properly enabled.
Enabling stringent security provides enhanced prtotection for the
power-on password and administrator password and other forms
of power-on authorization. Stringent security is enabled/disabled
by accessing the Password Options menu in the Computer Setup
utility. Refer to Section 2.1, Computer Setup, for more
information.

1.Prepare the tablet PC for disassembly (refer to Section 5.3,
Preparing the Tablet PC for Disassembly, for more
information).

2.Remove the real-time clock (RTC) battery (refer toSection 5.23, RTC Battery, for more information on removing and replacing the RTC battery).

3.Wait approximately 5 minutes.

4.Replace the RTC battery and reassemble the tablet PC.

5.Connect AC power to the tablet PC. Do not reinsert any batteries at this time.

6.Turn on the tablet PC.
All passwords and all CMOS settings have been cleared.

 

by: jhartlovPosted on 2007-10-02 at 06:18:17ID: 19998266

sparkmaster.....thanks for the hard work, but you are still MISSING THE POINT.  I am looking to see if there is any way out there that I can clear this password WITHOUT TAKING THE SYSTEM APART.

 

by: sparkmakerPosted on 2007-10-02 at 06:20:50ID: 19998288

There is no avoiding it. HP would give you a backdoor if you have proven ownership.

 

by: jhartlovPosted on 2007-10-02 at 06:23:02ID: 19998320

So there is a backdoor!  Cool...I am looking for someone that has it.

 

by: sparkmakerPosted on 2007-10-02 at 06:27:27ID: 19998364

Sorry meant to say IF they had it

 

by: sparkmakerPosted on 2007-10-02 at 06:28:39ID: 19998376

Do you know if the Stringent security setting was enabled??

 

by: jhartlovPosted on 2007-10-02 at 06:29:35ID: 19998389

haven't a clue.

 

by: MeretePosted on 2007-10-02 at 15:54:00ID: 20002899

Why do you need to access the bios? is there a problem accessing the hdd?
You can remove the hard drive without pulling system apart, then slave the HDD using a laptop to desktop ide cable.
Take a look here
http://www.instructables.com/id/Bypass-BIOS-Boot-or-OS-Login-to-%22most%22-any-compute/?relatedLink




 

by: JjcampNRPosted on 2007-10-02 at 20:01:56ID: 20003755

So none of the utilities listed so far worked?  You haven't given us an update on that....

Merete - there's no problem with the hard drive, there's a BIOS password set that needs to be cleared.

 

by: MeretePosted on 2007-10-03 at 00:11:02ID: 20004490

ok thank you

 

by: jhartlovPosted on 2007-10-03 at 02:45:45ID: 20005023

No...the utility did not work, nor did the listed BIOS backboor passwords.  

 

by: nobusPosted on 2007-10-03 at 08:49:03ID: 20007605

i support punky's advise

 

by: jhartlovPosted on 2007-10-03 at 09:11:54ID: 20007806

nobus....thanks for the tip.  I already called HP support.  They told me to take it apart.  I am trying to avoid that.  I think that I am going to ship the computer out, have them fix it, and close this case with no resolution.  No one has provided the desired result.

 

by: nobusPosted on 2007-10-03 at 09:35:22ID: 20008002

o thought punky was spot on ....

 

by: jhartlovPosted on 2007-10-03 at 17:15:38ID: 20011026

me too....tried that.  

 

by: fastzcarPosted on 2010-08-25 at 00:11:31ID: 33518667

I have to say how FREAKING DISAPPOINTED I was with all the 'Experts" responses here.  Been in the IT business since 1994 and have shunned this site since I have always been able to find what i needed on other FREE Forums.  Since I have the same issue as the poster I decided to do the free trial.

My issue is the same in that there is a BIOS password set and I too do not want to go through taking the ENTIRE FREAKING THING APART to get to the RTC battery to clear the PW (this is why I have always bought DELL's - HELLO HP???  You couldn't put an access panel in to get to this???).  I can only boot to the internal hard drive or a network boot since everything else is locked out in the BIOS.  I want to be able to boot to an external CD or a FLASH drive when needed plus enable the fingerprint reader.  For other people who come to this post there is a program called UNLOCK6 that you can download but it only works with a HP BIOS not the COMPAQ BIOS'es (RANT AGAIN - AND who freaking puts a proprietary BIOS chip in???  HELLO?).  However if you have 'other' HP laptops this will work for some of them.  Basically if you get a code when entering the wrong pw three times then UNLOCK6 should work for you.  You must run the app on another system if you cannot boot your HP or if you can boot and use it then you run it in the COMMAND SHELL, put the code in and it will give you the backdoor pw.

I am going to stay on my free trail for another 28 days but really as for the great fabled 'Experts Exchange' site you all should be ashamed with your non-answers.  However if there really are any REAL experts that happen to see this and have more knowledge then I would humbly accept the information.  I DO LOVE that I got my ID (fastzcar) here and it same as it's is at gmail!  Saving grace...

 

by: fastzcarPosted on 2010-08-25 at 00:23:59ID: 33518707

ALSO - Regarding the Stringent Security issue...  If you have the HP ProtectTools Software installed you can see the BIOS settings (in the Control Panel - enter the wrong pw 3 times and it lets you view it in Read Only mode) and you can tell whether stringent security is on or off....mine is off thankfully so its just a total teardown to get to the RTC battery....however I though some folks might be interested in knowing this....of course if your issue is not being able to boot then i guess this doesn't help either.  However none of the 'Experts here seemed to even bring this up which I thought was odd...maybe what the site needs is to exchange its 'experts' for some real ones?

 

by: nobusPosted on 2010-08-25 at 03:34:33ID: 33519703

i would suggest - if you have a question -  to open a different thread.
and insulting EE and the experts won't help much i'm afraid...

 

by: dad5Posted on 2011-09-21 at 16:21:42ID: 36577493

There is a chip that needs removal.  

20120131-EE-VQP-002

3 Ways to Join

30-Day Free Trial

The Experts

98% positive feedback on 31,087 answers since March 2000. angeliii is a Microsoft Most Valuable Professional for his work with MS SQL Server & Develoment.

He has also proven his knowledge of Visual Basic Programming, PHP Scripting and Oracle Databases.

The Experts

97% positive feedback on 10,752 answers since July 2000. lrmoore has more than 18 years experience in the networking industry.

The six-time Mircosoft MVPs specialties include firewalls, virtual private networking, and network management.

Testimonials

"...and excellent source for support... Kind of like having your very own IT dept." Electriciansnet

Testimonials

"I was apprehensive at signing up at first. However... it has already made my life as an IT administrator much easier." JaCrews

Testimonials

"WOW! You guys have great, active, and knowledgeable people on here." moore50

Business Clients

Business Clients

In the Press

"If you’ve got a question... Experts Exchange can supply an answer.”

In the Press

"...an invaluable aid for both IT professionals and those who require tech support."

In the Press

"where IT professionals provide quick answers on just about any topic"

Business Account Plans

Loading Advertisement...