HP Spectre x360 - 15t-ch000 CTO BIOS personal info

[kronosjapan]

Hi,

I have a question about a HP Spectre x360 - 15t-ch000 CTO. It no longer works properly, so I removed the SSD (containing my personal data) in order to securely dispose of this laptop. I also do not have a battery and the laptop doesn't turn on with the power adapter plugged in alone.

Does this laptop have any important personal data stored in my BIOS that I should also reset/delete? If so, where is/how do I remove the CMOS/RTC battery to reset the BIOS? I cannot find the CMOS/RTC battery that powers the BIOS on the motherboard. Does this model have a CMOS/RTC battery at all?

Is there anything else I should do aside from removing the SSD to securely dispose of this laptop? Your help is greatly appreciated. Thank you!

[Paul_Tikkanen · Accepted solution]

Hi:

Your notebook does not have any personal information stored in the BIOS.

There is no CMOS battery.

The main battery also serves as the CMOS battery to maintain the BIOS and system clock settings.

Below is the link to the service manual:

NB_MSG_Baystars_1_0_L11173-001 (hp.com)

Chapter 3 has the list of parts.  You will find no CMOS/RTC battery part number listed.

Chapter 5 has no CMOS/RTC battery removal or replacement procedure.

[kronosjapan]

Thank you for your informative response - I greatly appreciate it.  I read the BIOS stores the Windows 10 license key. Is this accurate? Since there's no main battery installed/CMOS battery in my laptop, has this wiped/reset the BIOS to factory default? Thank you again.

[Paul_Tikkanen]

You're very welcome.

Yes, removing the battery has set the BIOS to its defaults.

The Windows OEM product key is encrypted in the BIOS and cannot be used on any other PC but the one it was originally installed in.