help finding sure start disable methods

[abcdefghijklmnz]

my hp laptop booted to the sure start menu, last time i used it was in 2020 and I dont remember the password, is there anyway to recover the data including my photos from the last decade or so on there? the laptop has some version of windows 10

[Max3Aj]

@abcdefghijklmnz, Welcome to the HP Support Community – it’s great to have you here!

I appreciate you taking the time to share your question. I'm more than happy to assist with this and provide a solution that works for you.

I understand you're trying to recover data from your HP laptop that booted into the HP Sure Start Recovery screen, and you no longer remember the password. Here's how you can proceed:

Understand HP Sure Start

HP Sure Start is a BIOS-level security feature that protects the system BIOS from tampering. If your system boots into the Sure Start recovery screen, it may have detected a BIOS corruption or unauthorized change.

This screen does not require a password unless your BIOS is configured with a power-on password or BIOS administrator password. If you're seeing a password prompt before Windows loads, it's likely a BIOS password.

If You Forgot the BIOS Password

HP cannot reset BIOS passwords for consumer notebooks due to security policies. However, you can try the following:

• Check for a password hint on the screen.

If HP cannot reset it, you may need to replace the system board to regain access.

Recover Your Data

If you can't bypass the BIOS password, you can still recover your data:

Option A: Remove the Hard Drive

1. Power off the laptop and remove the battery (if removable).
2. Open the back panel and carefully remove the hard drive.
3. Connect the hard drive to another PC using a SATA-to-USB adapter or external enclosure.
4. Browse and copy your files (photos, documents, etc.) to a safe location.

If the drive is encrypted with BitLocker, you’ll need the recovery key to access the data.

Option B: Use HP Cloud Recovery (if password is bypassed)

If you regain access to the laptop, you can reinstall Windows using HP Cloud Recovery: HP Consumer PCs - Using the HP Cloud Recovery Tool in Windows 11 and 10 | HP® Support

Disable HP Sure Start (Optional)

If you regain access and want to disable HP Sure Start:

1. Restart the laptop and press Esc or F10 to enter BIOS Setup.
2. Navigate to Security > Sure Start Configuration.
3. Disable Sure Start and save changes.

Note: Disabling Sure Start is not recommended unless you have a specific reason, as it protects your BIOS from attacks.

I hope your issue is now resolved. If not, feel free to reply and we’ll continue helping until everything’s sorted!

If the post helped, please click “Accepted Solution” to help other users easily find it. And if you’d like to say thanks, just tap the “Yes” button!

Cheers,

Max3Aj

HP Support