I had to replace the motherboard in my L702X XPS after a little DIY project went amiss. I purchased a refurb on ebay. Replaced the board and everything works fine, except I have one pretty big problem. The BIOS has a setup password enabled. I am able to boot and use the computer fine, but I'm not able to enter the BIOS, which is an issue for me. The BIOS gives me 3 tries to enter the password, showing a HEX number as an 'unlock key hint number'. After 3 attempts, I get a message that the system is locked and a new hex password 'unlock key hint number' is shown, which later appears if I try to enter the BIOS next time. I reached out to the ebay seller and they told me they had no idea what the password was. They were nice about it and offered to exchange the board, but I really don't feel like spending 2 hours to take apart / re-assemble this laptop yet again. I've seen the other postings here that you can generate a key using the Service Tag, but it seems like the service tag actually assigned to the motherboard is blank based on Dell's diagnostics.
How can I reset / remove the password? My understanding is that with the new uefi bios, removing the CMOS battery will not clear the password. Is there anything I can do short of replacing the motherboard again, given the blank / empty service tag? I have no issues taking the machine apart, but from the looks of the service manual, there is no jumper or anything that I can reset.
Thanks!
How can I reset / remove the password? My understanding is that with the new uefi bios, removing the CMOS battery will not clear the password. Is there anything I can do short of replacing the motherboard again, given the blank / empty service tag? I have no issues taking the machine apart, but from the looks of the service manual, there is no jumper or anything that I can reset.
Thanks!
