Like an idiot I set the power on password for my HP 15-f305dx laptop (Win 10) and forgot to write down or remember the password. I've tried taking out the cmos battery for twenty minutes (no AC or battery either) and all that happens is the screen comes up and says the cmos checksum is wrong and then after ten seconds it prompts for the power on password again. Anyone? Thanks in advance!
login as guest or local account then login to your ms account, select lost password, follow instructions to create new, then i think you get a mail notification or phone call with some code number.
Is that prompt on a Windows screen? There can be 2 passwords assigned in the BIOS [on the CMOS], one for making changes and the other for booting the computer. Then comes the one for Windows. For the BIOS, usually removing all power for a period of time, I use several minutes, will remove the passwords and any user settings such as time, date, etc. If it's the Windows password it may require obtaining a software made for the purpose of removing that password.
This appears to be a BIOS password. With most laptops built in the last 10 years such passwords are not stored in the CMOS and are by design difficult to remove. You will likely have to contact HP and be prepared to prove ownership.
Thank you! That's the impression I was getting. I'm assuming there's a USB hack of some kind, maybe a thumb drive firmware hack which is beyond me, but I'm thinking that's going to be a tall order to find. I'm spending time just sitting at the keyboard and letting my mind float around what I was doing at the time, and most of it has come back. Is the password stored in an EEPROM chip then? Thanks again!
I don't think I would care to provide any more information of where the password is stored or how it might be reset. The problem is that this is a popular public forum where all posts will be accessible to anyone with an Internet connection for years to come. I don't wish to provide any help to someone with dishonest intentions.
I know Dell has a program that you can generate a master unlock password with, using the service ID. Don't know if HP has a similar thing, but I have to assume they do.
There must be a master password to unlock it. Ask the service to unlock it for you. Next time avoid using passwords in BIOS. You can lock Windows to prevent others using your computer. Unlocking Windows can be done with the appropriate tools, but unlocking BIOS if the power trick fails, is not so easy.
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