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12-02-2020 09:47 AM - edited 12-02-2020 09:51 AM
My laptop ( HP EliteBook 8460p ) uses only 3GB ram out of 8GB (2x4GB)
I was told to update my BIOS so that windows 10 x64 could use all 8GB of RAM.
However, I cannot do so, because I have set a password to the bios a few years back and I have forgotten that password.
I tried the following but nothing worked:
1- Shut down then Startup while holding (START button + B key) = Black screen + super noisy fan
2- Shut down then Startup while holding (START button + V key) = Nothing happens (normal boot)
3- HP Sparekey Recovery ( F7 ) - ERR = ( not enrolled )
4- Installed the following:
a- SP110939.exe = HP Support Assistant
b- SP101995.exe = System Software Manager
c- SP107705.exe = BiosConfigUtility
d- SP85528.exe = HPQFlash
Tried different times the option to create a USB flash drive to update BIOS on another HP pc.
ERR = Required HP UEFI BIOS Update utilities are not available in source or destination folder
5- Cannot find any BIOS, FIRMWARE, etc.... in the Device Manager to update
*** I have tried many other solutions, but most of them seem unrelated or not worth mentioning here.
Short description:
- I need to reset my BIOS password in order to update the BIOS.
OR
- Make my laptop use all the RAM installed and keep the old BIOS.
12-02-2020 11:35 AM
You are no longer going to be able to reset the BIOS password on your own. HP used to distribute files you could use to do that, but they have stopped doing that. In addition, HP does not do BIOS password resets.
For BIOS or power-on password resets, because the password is encoded onto a chip on the motherboard, replacement of that motherboard is required. HP does not reset the BIOS password on the current motherboard.
If you are not prepared to spend the money to get HP to replace the motherboard, you would have to take the PC to a local repair facility to see if they can do it for you -- but we can not assist in that in any way.
I am a volunteer and I do not work for, nor represent, HP