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BIOS Password Locked/SOLVED For Dell Inspiron 15
I changed my bios admin password with help from Dell. I have an Inspiron 15 3537 Laptop and had restart problems, so went searching, found bios info, called Dell Tech. They tried to help me, but would not give me the bios admin password.
Yesterday, I found this link, read the info about not giving passwords out in the forum and scrolled down and found the option to email, so I did.
I told the gal who helped me my problem, she asked for my Service Code number and other verification info, then she asked for my error numbers. One of the error numbers was my service code number, (find it on the bottom of the Inspiron, white sticker), which was in the bottom rectangle of the popup error box. The other number was 16 digits and was listed above the service code number. Note...I found the error code numbers a few weeks ago, and thankfully wrote them down from one of my bios errors while trying to set a new password.
She told me Dell would email me my Password to unlock my BIOS within 24 hours. I received it this morning.
To reset the password, shut down the Inspiron 15, to restart in bios, press and hold F2 until it loads in the long rectangle box.
The InsydeH20 Setup utility will open.
The InsydeH20 Setup utility will open.
Arrow down to Locked Setup.
Press enter key and popup box will appear.
Type in the box the password you received from Dell.
Holy Mackeral...........It Worked!!!
Now you will see: Set Admin Password.
Press enter key, new box will open where you enter your new password.
Press enter, verify password, press enter.
Press enter, verify password, press enter.
Setup Notice box will appear exclaiming changes have been saved after you save and exit.
Press enter and it will ask Exit Saving Changes.
Please select YES
Computer will restart.
On restart, I received error message and selected RESTART.
It restarted properly..
There you go.
I hope I have helped someone with my instructions.
I was at the point that this was a no-fix problem. I learned more about the bios than I think I needed to know, but guess I could say it was quite a learning experience at my age of 69. Love computers, internet, technology and was born too soon!
robert p
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May 27th, 2015 09:00
Hi Alwaysearching7,
Thanks for your informative post on the Dell Community. Hopefully others will be able to learn from your example.
Regards,
Robert
alwaysearching7
2 Posts
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May 27th, 2015 15:00
Wow! Thank you!
raosaab
1 Message
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July 22nd, 2015 15:00
The BIOS is locked and password protected so I cannot change anything in the BIOS because I do not know the password. How can I reset the password?
ejn63
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July 22nd, 2015 16:00
See above. Call Dell and be prepared to verify your ownership of the system.
jonny.butler66
8 Posts
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February 18th, 2016 15:00
I also have a BIOS that is locked after downloading and installing the latest version of BIOS. It is also an Inspiron 3537.
I went to the new version of BIOS after seeing that the Dell Support website "recommended" that I upgrade to the newest version.
I did not have a password in BIOS prior to this upgrade. As a matter of fact, my hard drive failed and I replaced it about two weeks before I upgraded the BIOS and during that process I had to make changes in the BIOS setup.
I tried your suggestion about emailing after reading the previous post that you tagged in your post. I also tried the interactive comments on the Dell support website, and I also called Dell support.
All three times I was told that since I purchased my laptop a couple of years ago and it was no longer under warranty, that the only way they can give me the password is to extend my warranty.
So let me get this straight, because I downloaded a recommended update after my original warranty had expired and this update came with a password that I didn't know was going to be included with the update, then I must purchase a warranty in order to access the BIOS setup on my laptop.
How is this different than a virus or malware program that infects your laptop without your knowledge and then when discovered you are demanded to pay a ransom to get full access to your own laptop.
Would one of the Dell employees that monitors these forums explain to me how this is a fair practice.
Jon Butler
P.S. All I want is the password to unlock my BIOS. I am not looking for warranty support. I just want to be able to access the BIOS on my laptop that Dell has locked without my consent.
ejn63
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February 18th, 2016 16:00
You do not need to purchase a warranty -- you DO need to purchase a "support incident" . The US number to call is 1-800-288-4410.
However, if you are 100% certain no one set the password on the system, there is a very high probability you have a bad mainboard -- the BIOS update by itself would not set a password. So -- the warranty extension might not be a bad idea. If the paid call doesn't solve the problem, and you wind up needing a mainboard, the warranty extension would cover that.
jonny.butler66
8 Posts
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February 18th, 2016 16:00
Your answer about a possible bad mainboard is exactly the same answer
provided by a Dell employee to another person who posted to the Dell forum
regarding the same issue.
Luckily for him someone provided him with a password that works.
I am absolutely positive that there was no password on BIOS prior to this
update. The reason I know this is two weeks prior to the BIOS upgrade my
hard drive failed and I had to replace it. During the process of replacing
the hard drive I had to make changes to the BIOS setup. I was able to make
these changes in BIOS without a password.
I have been reading quite a few posts on the Dell forum about people who
are having trouble with a password to get into BIOS. From I have read it
appears Dell is including passwords on BIOS updates and EXTORTING the
laptop owners into paying a fee to get the password.
All I want from dell is a password to unlock my BIOS. I did not agree to
have a password included with the BIOS upgrade. I am not asking for
warranty support or "incident" support. There was no incident, only a
foolish expectation by me that Dell would not try to rob me.
Search laptop BIOS password on the Dell forums and see for yourself that I
am not making this up. It is totally unfair of Dell to include BIOS
passwords on "Recommended" BIOS upgrades and then demanding payment from
laptop owners in order for the owner to be able to access and change BIOS
setup.
ejn63
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February 18th, 2016 17:00
There are no passwords in BIOS updates.
The facts: If you want to have the password cleared, call the support line, pay the charge for the support call (NO warranty extension needed), verify your ownership status and they'll solve the problem for you.
You WILL NOT get free support once the warranty ends.
jonny.butler66
8 Posts
3
February 18th, 2016 18:00
EJN63 you do realize that you just gave the game away right?
In your first sentence, you said there are no passwords in BIOS updates. In your second sentence you say if I want to have the password cleared, call the support line.
I am the owner of said laptop. I have proven to Dell that I am the owner of said laptop. I have interacted online, emailed, and had telephone conversations with Dell reps. I have been told in every instance to pay and we will fix your problem and that includes this conversation with you.
jonny.butler66
8 Posts
1
February 18th, 2016 19:00
I decided I needed to ask one last question of you EJN63, how do you know without a doubt that the BIOS update "DID NOT" put a password there.
jonny.butler66
8 Posts
2
February 18th, 2016 19:00
Did you bother to search the Dell forums to see if what I was saying is true about other Dell laptop owners getting locked out of their BIOS after a BIOS update?
I bet I can answer that question... no you did not.
You want to know what my agenda is... well here it is, I have been trying to resolve this issue for several weeks and from what I have discovered, this appears to be a marketing strategy by Dell to raise revenue.
Your over the top boast about representation only proves that Dell's legal team probably created some legal avenue for them to avoid their true obligations.
For one last time, there was no password in my BIOS prior to that update and now there is. No one else had access to my personal laptop.
And one final thing, here in the United States, we refer to the "mainboard" as the "motherboard". That word you used is how I identified you as not a US citizen.
So you see, I don't have an agenda, I'm just observant and your responses to me were condescending from the very start.
ejn63
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February 18th, 2016 19:00
You've clearly got an agenda I don't intend to foster.
The BIOS update DID NOT put the password there. If you did not and you're CERTAIN no one else had access to the system, the vast probability is that you have a bad mainboard.
As for the rest, before you go any further with "representation", read the terms of sale you agreed to when you purchased the system.
http://www.dell.com/learn/us/en/uscorp1/terms-of-sale-consumer?c=us&l=en&s=corp&cs=uscorp1
jonny.butler66
8 Posts
7
February 18th, 2016 20:00
Attention all Dell users,
If there is a recommended update on the Dell Support website to update your BIOS to a newer version... be careful.
I updated my BIOS to a newer version from the Dell support website and after it was installed, I discovered that the BIOS setup is now locked with a password which Dell will not provide me unless I pay for it.
To me this is little different than getting a virus that demands you pay a ransom in order to regain full access to your computer.
Nowhere are you notified that this is what will happen, but after reading multiple posts on the Dell forums, I have discovered that I am far from the first person that this has gotten caught in this trap.
I have contacted Dell via an interactive website, email, and telephone and in all cases I have been told pay the fee and we will provide the password.