Word – How to reset Aspire E5-571G Insyde BIOS supervisor password

acer-aspirebioslaptoppassword-recovery

Problem: BIOS supervisor password that is forgotten.

Manufacturer: Acer
Model: Aspire E5-571G
Architecture: 64 bit
OS: Win 10
Motherboard: Acer EA50_HB(U3E1)

BIOS.ver: Insyde Corp.V1.32, 15.09.2015(latest)
SKU: Aspire E5-571G_0867_V1.32
SMBIOS.ver: 2.8
BIOS Mode: UEFI

Experience with BIOS: Close to zero, and I also don't happen to have handy hardware programmer tools for this purpose at hand.

What I have done so far:

  1. Entered a wrong password three times, getting a code and putting it into online generators
    (50648485 → 45720401)
  2. Downloaded Acer Empowering Technology+Acer eSettings Management for password drop
    (Deprecated software last developed for win XP that obviously didn’t work on win 10)
  3. Tried to boot USB with clnpnwd (boot menu on F12 or del is disabled in BIOS it seems), also tried to remove the HDD to force USB boot but ended up with “No boot device”
  4. Disassembled the whole device to see a soldered CMOS battery at the very bottom knowing that:
    a) I don’t have much experience soldering (though I do have a knowledgeable neighbor)
    b) a reset might not work in this particular case because of EEPROM (from what I have read).
  5. Flashed latest BIOS from Acer website modifying platform.ini [Force Flash] part "Password=0" to "Password=1"
    (Nothing changed)

Things to try from my head:

  1. Acer seems to refuse to assist customers with BIOS password issues(backdoor key) unless you send the laptop to them and pay a $100 fee (I live in a squat eating freegan stuff with zero dollars in my pocket).
  2. Swap HDD to another one with clnpnwd on it (no spare HDD atm)
  3. Flash some custom BIOS (pure blind black magic), but according to my limited research it doesn’t exist for this model and I don’t even know if it would help.
  4. BIOS recovery as stated on BIOS mods website in the “Insyde BIOS Recovery” but
    a) tools from “paragraph 3” mentioned there do not exist
    b) I have BDW.fd and HSW.fd in my BIOS folder from acer (extracted from temp folder) and it seems only 1 is needed
    c) I am not sure it is in any way related to the password issue
  5. Reserved for suggestions because so far I am out of ideas but I truly believe it is possible to accomplish without working as a coitus-slave to pay acer.

I would be incredibly grateful for any help provided.

P.S If there is documentation/book/manual/whatever to read and it contains something you don't want to explain [but is useful] in solving the problem feel free to link/post the name of the literature/etc. and I will do my best to acquire new knowledge to increase my competence.

Best Answer

I found one more method that you have not tried in the article How to Reset an Acer BIOS Password.

I list it below (but without any guarantee):

  1. Disconnect the power cord

  2. For a desktop, remove the cabinet cover.
    For a laptop, turn it upside-down and remove the battery. Open the hard drive compartment by sliding the cover out and unscrew and pull out the hard drive.

  3. Several possibilities:

    • Locate a coin-shaped clock battery (also known as CMOS Lithium battery) and remove it. Keep it aside for at least an hour.
    • For a laptop, disconnect the tiny power lead that connects the clock battery to the motherboard. Keep it disconnected for at least an hour.
    • Otherwise, search for a BIOS reset jumper marked CLRP1 and move to Clear position. Leave it in this condition for at least an hour.

  4. After about an hour, replace the battery in the socket or move the jumper back to the Run position.

  5. Fit the cabinet cover and start your computer.

Related Question