Ever had a laptop with a BIOS password that you don't know or can't remember?
If it's an Insydeflash* flash ROM then try this:
- Download the appropriate BIOS from the manufacturers website.
- With the powercord plugged in, remove the battery.
- Run the downloaded Flash exe file (it might be zipped)
- It (should) get to the point of saying that the battery is not at correct level. DO NOT press <ENTER> yet.
- While the above info window is showing, swap to a File Explorer window (or start File Explorer) and goto %TEMP% or C:\WINDOWS\TEMP
- There should be a Winflash folder in there. Copy it over to somewhere else (Downloads?).
- Then swap back to the Winflash info window and press <ENTER> to close the Winflash program.
- Back in the File Explorer window with the Winflash folder now copied to Downloads - open that folder.
- In that folder is a settings file - mine was called 'platform.ini'. Open this in Notepad.
- Find the section titled [ForceFlash]
- In that section is a Password=0. Change it to Password=1
- You might like to also find the BatteryCheck=1 (under section [AC_Adapter]) and change that to BatteryCheck=0. This will disable the Battery checking - N.B. make sure the power is stable though because you will be flashing the BIOS update.
- Save the settings file.
- Now manually run the Insydeflash.exe program (within the Winflash folder). And allow the program to update the BIOS.
- Once done the laptop will restart. You will then be able to get into the BIOS with no password.
This process may work with other flash programs as well. Sometimes the original flash exe can be extracted with something like 7zip, without having to run it initially.
* A number of Acer laptops have an Insydeflash flash ROM. And many other manufacturers too.