Elitebook 6930p BIOS locked, help anyone?

[TryingLinux]

Hi! I have gotten an used Elitebook 6930p laptop and i'm trying to install Linux to it via USB. Tried to go to BIOS and/or change boot sequence order, with no success. BIOS is locked behind password and no one knows it. Searched web for info for breaking or circling around it, no help. Anyone have tips for this?

[erico]

Take a look at the following post in the HAK5 forum.

https://forums.hak5.org/index.php?/topic/31526-hp-probookelitebook-bios-password-reset-utility/

[REO51ST · Accepted solution]

@TryingLinux

Contact HP and they should be able to send you a customized SMC.bin file which you can use at boot to reset the password.

 http://welcome.hp.com/country/w1/en/contact_us.html

When talking to the HP rep ask them to escalate your service request.

Or download these files.

https://www.dropbox.com/sh/zu4kdgxm052l87d/AAAMi-kfX4AVH8oTCbsOM4X9a?dl=0

Insert clean USB flash drive.

Then run USB Image tool.

Choose the flash drive then click on RESTORE.

After restore remove flash drive.

Insert flash drive into locked laptop and boot. ”If an HDD is installed remove before booting.”

At C:\OUTPUT   type CD..   “Then hit enter”

Type HPBR   “Then hit enter”

First thing is to save your settings.

Select #3 re-program.

Press “S” to save system information.

Type HPBR and hit enter.

Select   “FIRST RUN”

Then select model.

After reboot repeat same as above but this time SELECT, “SECOND RUN”

If you cannot boot from USB flash drive use Options in the Image tool to build a HDD.

Then use the drive to boot the program on the locked laptop.

REO

I must inform you that these services are not endorsed by HP, and that HP is not responsible for any damage that may arise to your system by using these services. Please be aware that you do this at your own risk.

[TryingLinux]

Yeah so i have to get another HDD for trying this because in my case BIOS is bootlocked? I don't need to save any files from HDD because im aiming for fresh install of Linux. Also those downloading links for the tool wont work 😛

[TryingLinux]

Contacting HP for password would be easiest thing to do but seems i can't get that from them because my warrantytime is finished. I would have to buy more warrantytime or something like that and it isn't a solution to me 😛

[TryingLinux]

REO about that secondary option you mentioned..
Do you have any information is it worked for 6930p models?..

[TryingLinux]

@REO51ST

Downloaded your files, did everything you told to do, it was looking good but then when tried FIRST RUN and/or SECOND RUN options, program tells that passwords are reseted and everything is good, but underneath that it tells that BIOS is not supported or something like that and asks me to reboot now.

I noticed that Image tool is 32bit version and my Windows is 64bit version, is this causing the error?

**bleep** I was such excited when laptop booted from USB and did not tilt there 😄

[erico]

@REO51ST Nice utility!

@TryingLinux

The BIOS is a coded file on an EEPROM chip located on the system board of the notebook.

Replacing the hard disk will not change a thing. So don't waste your money.

The BIOS will still have a password even if there is no hard disk present. 

If the password is not reset, you will have only the options that were given to the non-admin user by the previous admin.

You can edit your posts. It is not necessary to make a new post every time you think of something additional to say regarding your issue..

I suggest that you take a look at the thread in the Hak5 forum that I suggested since you have no desire to be out of pocket on this.

HP business or Enterprise notebook as notoriously hardened against the casual password cracker. I think you know that by now.  You can also choose to use the services of a local shop or a BIOS mod forum to help resolve your issue.  

The problem you are having is why I always make the following recommendation to my friends and acquaintances. 

If you are considering the purchase of a second-hand business notebook make sure that the BIOS is not passworded before parting with any cash. If it is passworded, and they are unable to remove the password, it is time to source a notebook somewhere else, no matter how much they drop the price.

[REO51ST]

@TryingLinux

After first run reboot.

When rebooting it may say things have change, accept and continue till the program reboots.

Then choose Second Run.

Reboot.

REO

[TryingLinux]

Thanks for your help guys!

I managed to get things working with a help of googling some more. Ericos h4ks thread was a good start and REOs advices would have worked straight but my BIOS did not accept the changes that your program tried to do.

So i did have stock v1.0 BIOS and had to update it (by forcing it). It was not easy task because password protected BIOS cannot be updated if you don't know the actual password and you can not make example BIOSrecovery-usb because your system wants that password for doing that ( need this for that forceupdate method ).

So I was able to make with googles help my own recoveryUSB. By formatting the USBstick to fat32 and placing there 2 files that i got from HP's BIOS update files to my model, .bin and .sig. They have to be named by your BIOS model, example 68PCU.bin and 68PCU.sig. This doesn't work if the files are not named correctly. And you have to make are folder tree in your USB where to put these files,
HP_TOOLS / BIOS / CURRENT / and here you put the files.

Then shutdown computer, press windows-key and B, hold them down, press power, you get some kind of signal that something not normal is happening, release all keys. Now you are doing 'emergency-recovery' for your BIOS from the USBstick (forcing it).

With updated BIOS, tried REOs advices again and IT WORKED FLAWLESSLY \o/

Long story short, now i have running Linux in my Elitebook, thanks to you guys! Keep on rockin'!