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May 31, 2008

How do I reset a BIOS password?

  • Written by Owen under tips, tools |
  • 1 comment so far |

Help! I have no idea what my BIOS password is and need to log into change my boot settings. What can I do?


I got this question from a friend of mine who needed to change the BIOS settings on his machine, but had absolutely no idea what it was. Luckily there are a couple of options he could go with, one using a software solution and the other using a possible backdoor to the BIOS.

The software option involes one of a couple of packages (depending on the BIOS manufacturer). One of these is called CmosPwd and works with the following BIOSes:

  • ACER/IBM BIOS
  • AMI BIOS
  • AMI WinBIOS 2.5
  • Award 4.5x/4.6x/6.0
  • Compaq (1992)
  • Compaq (New version)
  • IBM (PS/2, Activa, Thinkpad)
  • Packard Bell
  • Phoenix 1.00.09.AC0 (1994), a486 1.03, 1.04, 1.10 A03, 4.05 rev 1.02.943, 4.06 rev 1.13.1107
  • Phoenix 4 release 6 (User)
  • Gateway Solo – Phoenix 4.0 release 6
  • Toshiba
  • Zenith AMI

The other option is !BIOS which can decrypt the passwords used in some most common BIOS (including various bioses/versions by IBM, American Megatrends Inc, Award and Phoenix).

The option option available is to try and find a backdoor for the BIOS that you’re using. A backdoor is a spare login left in the BIOS to enable testers and engineers to be able to get in. Using these is a matter of luck and trial and error and may vary depending on the BIOS your computer uses. Here are some options:

AMI Backdoor BIOS Passwords

Try one of the following: A.M.I., AAAMMMIII, AMI?SW , AMI_SW, BIOS, CONDO, HEWITT RAND, LKWPETER, MI, and PASSWORD.

Award Backdoor BIOS Passwords

Try eight spaces. You can also try 01322222, 589589, 589721, 595595, 598598 , ALFAROME, ALLY, ALLy, aLLY, aLLy, aPAf, award, AWARD PW, AWARD SW, AWARD?SW, AWARD_PW, AWARD_SW, AWKWARD, awkward, BIOSTAR, CONCAT, CONDO, Condo, condo, d8on, djonet, HLT, J256, J262, j262, j322, j332, J64, KDD, LKWPETER, Lkwpeter, PINT, pint, SER, SKY_FOX, SYXZ, syxz, TTPTHA, ZAAAADA, ZAAADA, ZBAAACA, and ZJAAADC.

Phoenix Backdoor BIOS Passwords

Try BIOS, CMOS, phoenix, and PHOENIX.

Here are some other backdoor password you can try for the following BIOS manufacturers

  • VOBIS & IBM - merlin
  • Dell - Dell
  • Biostar - Biostar
  • Compaq - Compaq
  • Enox - xo11nE
  • Epox - central
  • Freetech - Posterie
  • IWill - iwill
  • Jetway - spooml
  • Packard Bell - bell9
  • QDI - QDI
  • Siemens - SKY_FOX
  • SOYO - SY_MB
  • TMC - BIGO
  • Toshiba - Toshiba

As you can see there are quite a few options, but there is a certain amount of luck. It’s like using exercise equipment at a gym. It doesn’t matter which you use first, eventually you may have to try them all!

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1 comment so far

  1. ben on 08.14.2008 at 11:36 am | permalink
  2. i have a sony vaio PCG 663m note book laptop, and my lili bro locked the bios and for the password. i have tried removing the cmos and other backdoor passwords and it didnt work. please can someone help me by sending any reset or backdoor pass word to me . my emaial is benluxmi@yahoo.com or benluxmi@gmail.com. thanks

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