Security Chip Password

[masterballer]

I forgot the embedded security chip password...i heard there is a bios method of resetting it...what is it?

[egibbs]

I believe if you go into BIOS there is an option to reset the chip. You may need to go into BIOS starting from a cold (Power Off) state in order for the option to appear.

Ed Gibbs

[baovu]

Thanks for the tip! It works for me.

[dkkim]

Just had this same problem myself. Took me quite a bit of searching, finally found the same answer here as well:
http://forums.hardwarezone.com/showthread.php?t=1659404

My initial symptom was being unable to uninstall CSS 5 (from an old disk image I brought back for system reinstall). For some reason, none of the passwords or passphrases I'd recorded served as a CSS administrator password. I'd had the MB replaced once under warranty due to HW problems. Not sure what the exact cause of the problem was, but I did know I wanted to start fresh.

** The key was beginning from a cold start (I also pulled the battery for a few minutes after shutdown). Otherwise the option to reset the security chip *is never shown* on the BIOS screen.

Found some web references to remove the motherboard battery, but I think that's for clearing BIOS passphrases, rather than the embedded security chip.

What a convoluted system... If you don't look at it often, you forget the various levels of passwords, keys, etc. I guess function has a price in complexity.

Just posting to hopefully make it easier for someone else to find the same solution.

Best,
Dave