HP EliteBook 820 G3 - BIOS Password Reset

[SB_999]

I have received an SMC file from HP Support and tried the process that was in the email a number of times but with no success.  I tried chatting to HP again but had to give up after one hour.  What I was trying to establish was what screen I would see if the process was working correctly and what I would see if it failed.  Also any error messages that I might get.  I am not convinced that the process I followed was correct.  It was exactly as described in the email but always ended up with me at the BIOS Administrator Password screen.  So if someone who has been through the process could help then I would be very grateful.

[REO51ST]

@SB_999

The only thing I can think of is did you try removing the RTC/BIOS battery???

REO

[SB_999]

Thanks for the suggestion.  I have an SMC.BIN file sent from HP though, that it should be possible to apply, but the process described by HP did not work.  I am wondering if I am missing something.  A grey SMC commands window should be displayed as part of the boot process I believe but I am not getting this so trying to work out why.  The process states that I should hold down <Windows><Up Arrow> and <Down Arrow> when I power up the laptop and that should trigger the boot process to look for an SMC.BIN file and apply the commands in it to allow access to the BIOS settings without knowing the BIOS Administrator Password screen.  The agents I have chatted with on the HP Support Chat app all repeat the same set of instructions and none of them seem to know the process in any depth.  So was hoping someone on the forum has been through the process and shed some light on what I might be doing wrong.

[REO51ST]

@SB_999

Thanks for your informative reply.

But you did not answer my question did you try removeing the RTC/BIOS battery???

It will not remove the password, but it will reset the clock - as SMC files are time coded, a large disparity between the system clock and the time encoded in the SMC will cause it to fail.

REO

[SB_999]

Thanks for getting back to me. I really appreciate the help.

No I haven't tried the battery removal step.  How large a discrepancy does there need to be between the time on the laptop and the current time?  I thought the only dependency is that the SMC file is only valid for 7 days.  Isn't that why the clock needs to be set reasonably close to the correct date and time?  But am happy to try it if you think it will help.  What I don't want to happen though is for the BIOS time to be reset to 01/01/1970 for arguments sake and then not to be able to update it because the BIOS is locked with an Admin password.  So I am trying to do the minimum possible to solve the problem without any unnecessary steps on the basis that this is less risky.  Hope that makes sense. 

If I knew that the SMC file was being read then that would be reassuring.  But I don't know that so would be good to know if the grey screen I mentioned in my previous post is something I would always see if the file is being read.