Bios reset

[Hunter288]

A few months ago I enabled administrator privileges (to Windows) on my laptop, but didn't set a password. I just wanted to delete a few things, but didn't disable it right away. I had no idea what a dumb mistake that was. Someone hacked me, and deleted my regular user name, and set an administrator password! They must have gotten into the BIOS, because now that requires an administrator password! I can wipe the hard drive and reinstall Windows, but that won't fix the bios issue. I can't find the CMOS battery on the motherboard. I just wiped the hd with killdisk 3 pass, and was thinking of downloading bios flash on a different PC, and flashing before reinstalling Windows. Would that work? Killdisk gives the option to load drivers after a wipe, so it might work. Any advice? I'm actually going they a new laptop on black Friday, but this will be a learning experience!

[A_Gayathri]

Hi @Hunter288,

Welcome to The HP Support Community.  

Thank you for posting your query, I will be glad to help you.

I understand that you are trying to flash the BIOS from a USB is a good approach, and you might be able to reset the BIOS without needing to access a CMOS battery.

Here’s a guide to help you try this out:
 

Create a BIOS Recovery USB Drive: Download the latest BIOS for your model from HP’s support site on a different computer and create a BIOS recovery USB. HP typically provides a BIOS utility to create a bootable USB for this purpose.
 

Attempt a BIOS Recovery via Key Combinations:

• Plug in the BIOS recovery USB.
• With the laptop off, press and hold the Windows + B keys (or Windows + V on some models), then press the power button for about 2-3 seconds before releasing it while continuing to hold the other keys. If successful, the laptop should power up in BIOS recovery mode and start the update from the USB.

Try the HP Support “Backdoor” Code:

• Enter the wrong BIOS password several times until a “System Disabled” or error code appears. You may be able to contact HP Support with this code, and they can provide a master reset code based on it. However, this requires that HP support can verify ownership, so make sure you have your device information ready.

Clear NVRAM/EEPROM (if above steps fail):

• If you are comfortable disassembling laptops, you could look for a jumper or a way to temporarily clear the BIOS. Since CMOS batteries are often hard-wired, this method can be tricky and may void warranties if they are intact.

Flashing the BIOS Without Windows: After the successful BIOS recovery flash, you should be able to wipe the system and reinstall Windows without lingering issues.
 

Refer to this document: How to Reset BIOS Settings on Windows PCs - HP.com 
HP Notebook PCs - Recovering the BIOS (Basic Input Output System)

HP Notebook - 14-dq0005cl- User manual

I hope this helps. 

Take care and have a good day.

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