Saturday 9 February 2013



BIOS passwords can add an extra layer of security for desktop and laptop computers. They are used to either prevent a user from changing the BIOS settings or to prevent the PC from booting without a password. Unfortunately, BIOS passwords can also be a liability if a user forgets their password, or changes the password to intentionally lock out the corporate IT department. Sending the unit back to the manufacturer to have the BIOS reset can be expensive and is usually not covered in the warranty. Never fear, all is not lost. There are a few known backdoors and other tricks of the trade that can be used to bypass or reset the BIOS

DISCLAIMER
This article is intended for IT Professionals and systems administrators with experience servicing computer hardware. It is not intended for home users, hackers, or computer thieves attempting to crack the password on a stolen PC. Please do not attempt any of these procedures if you are unfamiliar with computer hardware, and please use this information responsibly. LabMice.net is not responsible for the use or misuse of this material, including loss of data, damage to hardware, or personal injury.


Before attempting to bypass the BIOS password on a computer, please take a minute to contact the hardware manufacturer support staff directly and ask for their recommended methods of bypassing the BIOS security. In the event the manufacturer cannot (or will not) help you, there are a number of methods that can be used to bypass or reset the BIOS password yourself. They include:

Using a manufacturers backdoor password to access the BIOS

Use password cracking software

Reset the CMOS using the jumpers or solder beads.

Removing the CMOS battery for at least 10 minutes

Overloading the keyboard buffer

Using a professional service

Please remember that most BIOS passwords do not protect the hard drive, so if you need to recover the data, simply remove the hard drive and install it in an identical system, or configure it as a slave drive in an existing system. The exception to this are laptops, especially IBM Thinkpads, which silently lock the hard drive if the supervisor password is enabled. If the supervisor password is reset without resetting the and hard drive as well, you will be unable to access the data on the drive.


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Backdoor passwords

Many BIOS manufacturers have provided backdoor passwords that can be used to access the BIOS setup in the event you have lost your password. These passwords are case sensitive, so you may wish to try a variety of combinations. Keep in mind that the key associated to "_" in the US keyboard corresponds to "?" in some European keyboards. Laptops typically have better BIOS security than desktop systems, and we are not aware of any backdoor passwords that will work with name brand laptops.

WARNING: Some BIOS configurations will lock you out of the system completely if you type in an incorrect password more than 3 times. Read your manufacturers documentation for the BIOS setting before you begin typing in passwords

Award BIOS backdoor passwords:

ALFAROME ALLy aLLy aLLY ALLY aPAf _award AWARD_SW AWARD?SW AWARD SW AWARD PW AWKWARD awkward BIOSTAR CONCAT CONDO Condo d8on djonet HLT J64 J256 J262 j332 j322 KDD Lkwpeter LKWPETER PINT pint SER SKY_FOX SYXZ syxz shift + syxz TTPTHA ZAAADA ZBAAACA ZJAAADC 01322222
589589 589721 595595 598598

AMI BIOS backdoor passwords:

AMI AAAMMMIII BIOS PASSWORD HEWITT RAND AMI?SW AMI_SW LKWPETER A.M.I. CONDO

PHOENIX BIOS backdoor passwords:

phoenix, PHOENIX, CMOS, BIOS

MISC. COMMON PASSWORDS

ALFAROME BIOSTAR biostar biosstar CMOS cmos LKWPETER lkwpeter setup SETUP Syxz Wodj

OTHER BIOS PASSWORDS BY MANUFACTURER

Manufacturer Password
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
TMC BIGO
Toshiba Toshiba

TOSHIBA BIOS

Most Toshiba laptops and some desktop systems will bypass the BIOS password if the left shift key is held down during boot

IBM APTIVA BIOS

Press both mouse buttons repeatedly during the boot

http://www.bcot1.com/bios09.jpg
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Password cracking software

The following software can be used to either crack or reset the BIOS on many chipsets. If your PC is locked with a BIOS administrator password that will not allow access to the floppy drive, these utilities may not work. Also, since these utilities do not come from the manufacturer, use them cautiously and at your own risk.

# Cmos password recovery tools 3.1
  #!BIOS
 #RemPass
 #KILLCMOS

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Using the Motherboard "Clear CMOS" Jumper or Dipswitch settings


Many motherboards feature a set of jumpers or dipswitches that will clear the CMOS and wipe all of the custom settings including BIOS passwords. The locations of these jumpers / dipswitches will vary depending on the motherboard manufacturer and ideally you should always refer to the motherboard or computer manufacturers documentation. If the documentation is unavailable, the jumpers/dipswitches can sometimes be found along the edge of the motherboard, next to the CMOS battery, or near the processor. Some manufacturers may label the jumper / dipswitch CLEAR - CLEAR CMOS - CLR - CLRPWD - PASSWD - PASSWORD - PWD. On laptop computers, the dipswitches are usually found under the keyboard or within a compartment at the bottom of the laptop.
Please remember to unplug your PC and use a grounding strip before reaching into your PC and touching the motherboard. Once you locate and rest the jumper switches, turn the computer on and check if the password has been cleared. If it has, turn the computer off and return the jumpers or dipswitches to its original position.


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Removing the CMOS Battery


The CMOS settings on most systems are buffered by a small battery that is attached to the motherboard. (It looks like a small watch battery). If you unplug the PC and remove the battery for 10-15 minutes, the CMOS may reset itself and the password should be blank. (Along with any other machine specific settings, so be sure you are familiar with manually reconfiguring the BIOS settings before you do this.) Some manufacturers backup the power to the CMOS chipset by using a capacitor, so if your first attempt fails, leave the battery out (with the system unplugged) for at least 24 hours. Some batteries are actually soldered onto the motherboard making this task more difficult. Unsoldering the battery incorrectly may damage your motherboard and other components, so please don't attempt this if you are inexperienced. Another option may be to remove the CMOS chip from the motherboard for a period of time.
Note: Removing the battery to reset the CMOS will not work for all PC's, and almost all of the newer laptops store their BIOS passwords in a manner which does not require continuous power, so removing the CMOS battery may not work at all. IBM Thinkpad laptops lock the hard drive as well as the BIOS when the supervisor password is set. If you reset the BIOS password, but cannot reset the hard drive password, you may not be able to access the drive and it will remain locked, even if you place it in a new laptop. IBM Thinkpads have special jumper switches on the motherboard, and these should be used to reset the system.


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Overloading the KeyBoard Buffer

On some older computer systems, you can force the CMOS to enter its setup screen on boot by overloading the keyboard buffer. This can be done by booting with the keyboard or mouse unattached to the systems, or on some systems by hitting the ESC key over 100 times in rapid succession.


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Jumping the Solder Beads on the CMOS

It is also possible to reset the CMOS by connecting or "jumping" specific solder beads on the chipset. There are too many chipsets to do a breakdown of which points to jump on individual chipsets, and the location of these solder beads can vary by manufacturer, so please check your computer and motherboard documentation for details. This technique is not recommended for the inexperienced and should be only be used as a "last ditch" effort.


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Using a professional service

If the manufacturer of the laptop or desktop PC can't or won't reset the BIOS password, you still have the option of using a professional service. Password Crackers, Inc., offers a variety of services for desktop and laptop computers for between $100 and $400. For most of these services, you'll need to provide some type of legitimate proof of ownership. This may be difficult if you've acquired the computer second hand or from an online auction.
puyol getafeFollowing a week of international friendlies Barça return to action with a league game against Getafe at Camp Nou which will kick off at the unusual time of 12 o’clock midday. The kick off time means a new routine for the players who will stay in a hotel tonight instead of with their families. There will be an 8.00 am wake-up call followed by breakfast at 8.30 before the team makes the short trip to Camp Nou at around 10.30.
International breaks are inevitable but irritating all the same. However, I decided to watch Spain play Uruguay because of the seven La Masia products starting for La Roja and also for Carles Puyol’s 100th international appearance. Puyol’s 45 minutes were not his best but there were good performances from Fabregas and Valdés while Pedro continues to find the net more easily in internationals.
Later, I watched the England-Brazil game from which I can only say how disappointing Brazil were. Okay, it’s just a friendly but I was hoping to see a bit more from the Brazilians. I have no idea whether we will eventually sign Neymar or not but we seem to have a pre-agreement in place. From this showing it would be a definite no in my opinion as he looked pretty lightweight. The saddest thing was to see an off-the-pace Ronaldinho who must surely only have been picked due to some particular appearance money agreement.
I didn’t get to see the Messi-Ibrahimovic showdown but there was excellent news this week with Messi signing a new contract extension to 2018 when he’ll be 31. Messi has often said he would like to finish his career in Argentina but we will have to hope we can keep him a few more years after 2018. How good Messi will be at 34, 35 or 36 remains to be seen but I feel certain he will still be an exceptional player.
In other news this week we had the rather cheeky announcement from Sandro Rosell that there is one Real Madrid player who he likes very much. Now, of course, Rosell may simply have been talking about an admiration for a certain player but the idea that perhaps he has already made contact with someone with a possibility of a transfer has got the Spanish press into a fervour of speculation. All the main sports papers ran polls asking who the player might be, with Iker Casillas and Mesut Ozil receiving most votes. With Valdés on his way out the idea of ‘stealing’ Casillas is very attractive but I have my doubts about whether Casillas would ‘do the dirty’ on the club where he grew up.
For tomorrow’s game we are without Xavi, out for two weeks after injuring a thigh muscle in the 1-1 draw at Valencia last week. Xavi’s injury brought into question the decision not to make more rotations at Valencia. With players like Thiago and Villa available it might have been more sensible to leave a couple of the usual starters on the bench with Xavi being one of the main contenders to benefit from a rest.
messi getafe
However, given that next week we have no midweek game it seems likely we will play our strongest eleven tomorrow. The only doubts would appear to be whether to play Puyol or Mascherano in defence, and how to substitute Xavi. We could give David Villa, Alexis Sanchez or even Cristian Tello a chance in attack with Iniesta moving back into midfield or we could take the option of a straight swap with Thiago taking Xavi’s role. I know there are many fans clamouring for Villa to get more starts, however, I won’t be at all surprised to see him on the bench again. The Alba-Fabregas-Iniesta connection on the left has been very effective and it seems Vilanova and Roura are reluctant to break it.
barcelona 4-0 getafe alexis goal
Our opponents Getafe looked like a possible contender for a place in Europe next season after a good start to the season which saw them as high as sixth place after Jornada 14. However, they have since taken only seven points from their last eight games which has seen them drop down to twelfth in the table and they will need to pick up if they do not want to see themselves involved in the relegation battle. Their defence has been leaking too many goals this season which has seen coach Luis Garcia Plaza take action in the winter transfer window bringing in two defenders on loan, the Argentinian international Fede Fernandez from Napoli and Sergio Escudero from Schalke 04. Getafe’s task tomorrow won’t be helped by having six players out including injured right back Juan Valera and goalkeeper Moya who is suspended. However, they have Pedro Leon fit again as an option for the right wing while Medhi Lacen and the dangerous Abdelaziz Barrada have returned from the African Cup and could both start.
The midday kick-off is sure to be a bit strange for many of us, but for the players who are used to training in the morning there should be no problems. Last season we won the corresponding fixture 4-0 with a brace from Alexis. I predict another high-scoring victory tomorrow to take us another step closer to our 22nd Liga. If the kick-off time means an early start for you then don’t forget to set your alarm clock and go easy on the partying tonight!
Barça’s 20-man squad: Valdés, Pinto, Alves, Montoya, Piqué, Bartrá, Mascherano, Puyol, Adriano, Alba, Song, Busquets, Thiago, Fabregas, Iniesta, Pedro, Alexis, Messi, Villa, Tello.
Possible teams:
Barça: Valdés; Alves, Piqué, Puyol, Alba; Thiago, Busquets, Fabregas; Pedro, Messi, Iniesta.
Getafe: Codina; Miguel Torres, Fernandez, Alexis Delgado, Escudero; Lacen, Xavi Torres; Diego Castro, Barrada, Gavilan; Colunga.
Prediction: Barça 5 Getafe 0
Date: Sunday 10 February 2013. Kick off: 12 o’clock midday (local time)IST (16:00)