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!
