29Sep Reset the BIOS Password

Whenever you boot your system,the computer goes through a process called Power On Self Test, popularly known as POST. In some Motherboards, there is a provision in which a person has to enter a password before performing the post or entering in the BIOS. BIOS is an abbreviation which stands for Basic Input Output System.

The original IBM-PC (1981) did not provide any security measures or a BIOS setup program; all it had was a P.O.S.T. If you needed to configure a PC, you did it with switches and jumpers. A program to set up the system BIOS and configuration did not come along until the IBM-PC/AT (1984), and it had to be run from a special boot-up diskette. The idea of providing a user interface and access to the system configuration settings within the BIOS did not come along until about 1986. Today no PC system is made without this valuable built-in setup feature. Eventually, the security feature of password-protecting access to the system came along.

The goal is to get the system to forget that it needs a password and forget what the password was. The password data is stored with the rest of the system configuration data in a small amount of memory that is kept alive using a small battery or internal power cell. To clear out the data, you need to remove the power from this memory element. This means the system will also lose any system configuration that was saved. You’ll need to later reconfigure the system parameters so you can boot your operating system.

The below hack is also very effective for putting the system board back into Default mode where it knows nothing about your system components and forgets all of your parameter tweaks. This is very useful if you’ve performed a hack that renders the system unbootable or unstable.

Perform the following tasks:-

1. Turn the PC off (this means a total shutdown, not merely standby or hibernate mode) and disconnect the AC power cord.

2. Remove the cover from your system (this step may require tools, undoing a thumbscrew, or flipping a latch or two).

3. Refer to the user manual for the motherboard to find out how to “reset CMOS” memory. You may also find a label for specific jumper or switch settings marked on the system board.

4. Change the switch setting or jumper position to a specific position or remove the jumper entirely as prescribed in the manual to clear or reset the CMOS memory.

5. Wait 20-30 seconds for the memory to clear out from lack of power.

6. After 20-30 seconds put the switch or jumper the way it was before for normal use.

7. Reconnect the power cord and start up the system to see if the settings have changed to defaults.

8. Shut the PC down, disconnect the power cord, replace the cover, reconnect the power, and power up the PC.

9. Enter the BIOS setup program to configure the system as needed. This may include setting the date and time, selecting disk drive parameters, and selecting which devices the system uses to boot up with first.