Gigabyte Motherboard Password of Doom

DrBombcrater

DrBombcrater

DrBombcrater

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Hi All,

Just thought I'd throw out this warning after a recent bad experience. If you've got a Gigabyte motherboard that has a 'Power-on Password' option in the BIOS, do not set it if there is any chance you'll forget the password. If anyone who might set a password by accident (kids, for example) has access to a PC with a GBT board, warn them never to do it on pain of terrible retribution.

Reason I'm saying this is that a while ago a friend brought me a PC with just this problem, her kids had set a power-on password and couldn't remember it. This basically bricks the board. You cannot boot, cannot access the BIOS, cannot do anything at all. Clearing the CMOS didn't work, nor does any of the usual tricks. Even soldering on a jumper wire to disable the main BIOS and force boot from the secondary didn't work either. Gigabyte were no help at all, suggesting all the stuff I'd tried.

After some investigation it seems that the power-on password is saved directly to the BIOS flash chip, not the CMOS. And it affects both BIOS chips on dual-BIOS boards. The only way to un-brick the board is to desolder the main BIOS, erase it and reflash in a compatible external flash programmer, and solder it back - I've done this and can verify it works, but it's obviously beyond the reach of most people without the required equipment and skills.

(if any Gigabyte reps are reading this, I'd love a comment on why the heck this function even exists as it doesn't protect user data or do anything particularly useful)

/rant off
 
I suppose, yes. If its job is to render the motherboard unusable. I'm not complaining that Gigabyte have put in a password option, but that they've put in one with no recovery mechanism.

Laptop manufacturers do power-on passwords the right way. Get the password wrong enough times and it'll display a code that you can give to the manufacturer, who, if you can show them proof the laptop is yours, will use the code to generate a unique password that unlocks the laptop.
 
DrBombcrater said:
I suppose, yes. If its job is to render the motherboard unusable. I'm not complaining that Gigabyte have put in a password option, but that they've put in one with no recovery mechanism.

Laptop manufacturers do power-on passwords the right way. Get the password wrong enough times and it'll display a code that you can give to the manufacturer, who, if you can show them proof the laptop is yours, will use the code to generate a unique password that unlocks the laptop.
Click to expand...

Good point, Have to admit. always thought that passwords that can be bypassed by a simple clear CMOS are a waist to be frank.

What board is it?
 
pete910 said:
So in other words, it's done its job ?
Click to expand...

I'd say the job of power on password is to protect data not to render the board useless? I see you conceded a lighter point but... it's one thing to protect power on and quite another to physically brick a board if the password is forgotten.
 
Hello all,

There is a BIOS password and power password, if you set the power on password then the system will halt until that password is entered. A simple CMOS clear wont clear this, if you have forgotten the password the only thing to do is RMA the board with us for us to fix it.

Sorry but if it was that easy to get round it would be a bit of a pointless password system, if you wish to RMA the board we can get that done for you.
 
Can you buy a chip programmer that sits over the chip while it's in place? There are generally adaptors for all standard sizes and pin arrangements.

Also, shock horror as security feature is quite secure :p
 
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