HP Touchsmart 600 BIOS Reset
I have a second-hand HP Touchsmart 600 and need to get into the BIOS, but a password has been reset, so I can't get in to change the settings.
I've opened the back compartment which exposes the memory modules and from there I managed to removed the CMOS battery, but that doesn't seem to make any difference - it still remembers (so is this stored on the hard drive?).
I need to be able to reset it, but I can't find any manuals which shows how to open the workstation fully to reset it using the jumpers.
Does anyone know how to open it or preferably is there any utility that you can run to reset the BIOS from within Windows. I already tried !BIOS, but that's only 32-bit and I have Windows 7 64-bit installed so it won't run.
I've opened the back compartment which exposes the memory modules and from there I managed to removed the CMOS battery, but that doesn't seem to make any difference - it still remembers (so is this stored on the hard drive?).
I need to be able to reset it, but I can't find any manuals which shows how to open the workstation fully to reset it using the jumpers.
Does anyone know how to open it or preferably is there any utility that you can run to reset the BIOS from within Windows. I already tried !BIOS, but that's only 32-bit and I have Windows 7 64-bit installed so it won't run.
ASKER CERTIFIED SOLUTION
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The best and cheapest option to reset the password would be to ask the person you bought the laptop from for the password. Once you have that you will be able to get into the BIOS and disable it, or better, change it to your own.
If he doesn't want to part with the password he has sold you a non functional device, and that to me is fraud. You'd then at least be entitled for a refund, or you could prosecute him.
If he doesn't want to part with the password he has sold you a non functional device, and that to me is fraud. You'd then at least be entitled for a refund, or you could prosecute him.
ASKER
I might be missing something here, but can't you simply use the recovery CD?
The Recovery CD fixes the operating system (Windows) but not the BIOS.
Unless what your talking about is resetting the password for the Windows user.
Unless what your talking about is resetting the password for the Windows user.
ASKER
OK, fair enough. It's just a bit odd that there's no way to reset the BIOS password without having to go back to the manufacturer.
It's pretty much a security feature. If you don't know the password you're not coming in, no ifs or buts. Increasingly PC manufacturers have to prove that they are taking theft and PC security seriously. Five years ago there may have been three or four ways to break this, now your choices are limited to contact manufacturer or try resoldering BIOS chips (and even then the addition of TPM means you'll have to replace the whole motherboard if you try that!).
You're lucky access to the system wasn't password protected in the BIOS as well!
At least you can currently use the system even if you can't change the settings.
You're lucky access to the system wasn't password protected in the BIOS as well!
At least you can currently use the system even if you can't change the settings.
If a new non-HP BIOS is installed, and a power-on password is used, and you cannot remember the password to start the computer, see the motherboard specification support document for your computer model to find password reset instructions to clear BIOS passwords.
Do you know what specific motherboard your PC has?