Bypass Drive Lock Password?

[carmen617]

I have a client who left her job, and they told her to keep her work laptop (I know it's perfectly legit). It's an HP ProBook and is pretty locked down, with a drive lock password and then a domain log in to get through. She wants me to just set it up as a home computer for her, with no additional security.

I have her passwords, and can get into the BIOS with her credentials, but all the security options are grayed out and I have no control over them. The system asks me if I want to log into the BIOS as a guest, as my client, or as another name,which I would assume has all the administrative rights to make changes. I don't have, and she doesn't have, the password for the other user.

I do mostly residential work and haven't come across this situation before. I don't want to brick the system, or get locked out, and I'm willing to tell her it just can't be done with the access we have, but I figured there are plenty of folks here with more experience with this situation than I have. I have the option to reset the BIOS to defaults, will that do it? Or if i swap the drive, will I have to go through a Drive Lock password to access a new drive? Just looking for some advice on how to proceed, or what's a reasonable answer to give the client in terms of what she wants and what's possible.

Thanks!

 

[Markverhyden]

Those type computers have real security. So you'll actually need to have her former employer get you access. There's probably a master password which unlocks the BIOS. I'm not sure but I'd bet swapping in a new drive won't work. The idea is to not only protect the data on the drive but make it so the laptop itself has no value if stolen. Kind of like what Apple started doing several years ago with iOS devices.

 

[carmen617]

Those type computers have real security. So you'll actually need to have her former employer get you access. There's probably a master password which unlocks the BIOS. I'm not sure but I'd bet swapping in a new drive won't work. The idea is to not only protect the data on the drive but make it so the laptop itself has no value if stolen. Kind of like what Apple started doing several years ago with iOS devices.

Thanks Mark, that's what I was afraid of. I'll give her a buzz and see if she can get the master password. If not, she'll just have to live with the extra security on her "home" system.

 

[Markverhyden]

Thanks Mark, that's what I was afraid of. I'll give her a buzz and see if she can get the master password. If not, she'll just have to live with the extra security on her "home" system.

She might have to hand it over for them to do that. Most real IT people don't give out passwords for things like that.

 

[nerd2u]

Surprised they wouldn't have unlocked it and pulled the drive when she left this is what most companies would do.

Leaves you with a working shell with no data loss risk

Sent from my SM-G870W using Tapatalk

 

[Philippe]

Those type computers have real security. So you'll actually need to have her former employer get you access. There's probably a master password which unlocks the BIOS. I'm not sure but I'd bet swapping in a new drive won't work.

Back in the day there was software to wipe CMOS / BIOS password. Maybe they're still working?
(The HDD password is set into the HDD itself).

 

[GreyWolf]

I'd plug in another hdd to see if you can boot with it ... if you can then it's a hdd lock and just changing it will be fine.

@Philippe There still is you can see on YouTube some links on where to get the tools to even generate the reset pass code with the error number.

@nerd2u I'm with you on that one they should of kept the HDD that's just pure negligence.

I've had a banker (No joke) ask me to unlock one of those HDD I said to him go see your IT support I'm in no mood to have the RCMP at my door for laundering charges.

 

[nlinecomputers]

I call BS on her being the legitimate owner. A place concerned enough to lock down the system would have a procedure in place to nuke the device and unlock everything before letting someone just take the unit. If it still has the domain login then company data is still on the device.

 

[carmen617]

I call BS on her being the legitimate owner. A place concerned enough to lock down the system would have a procedure in place to nuke the device and unlock everything before letting someone just take the unit. If it still has the domain login then company data is still on the device.

Nah, I see plenty of systems given away like this - just never with this tight a lockdown. You'd be surprised, at least around here, what companies will hand to ex employees in the high rent suburbs of Boston.

I'm half working this weekend, but am gonna try and plunk a new drive in there later on and see what happens. Worth a shot anyway.

 

[Diggs]

Nah, I see plenty of systems given away like this

Yep - Same here.

 

[nlinecomputers]

I do to but they nuke them before they hand them away or at least remove the lockdowns. Plenty of employees around here are let go and still work with the old company under a 1099 status. So yes they get to take stuff with them. But it still gets set up properly. Now plenty of places don't have any kind of lockdowns and yes that gets taken all the time without changes. Complete with basically pirating the software that was on the unit. But usually, if they are locked like that they are with it enough to NOT allow that. Else why the lockdown to begin with?

 

[carmen617]

Well, just to follow up - putting in a blank drive worked fine, I was able to install Windows and boot into it with no problem. However, if I go into the BIOS the two users/guest user options are still there, and I have to use her log in info and password to access any settings. Many setting are available but all security settings are grayed out.

I just have a bench drive in there right now, so I'll upgrade her to an SSD and give it back to her as "new". It's a nice computer, actually. The system is perfectly usable like this, and meets her goal of working as a fine home system with no passwords, etc. And how many clients do we ever have who need BIOS access? I'll tell her about the security lockdown and suggest she keep her original password in a safe place, but I doubt she will understand what I am talking about or ever need to access the BIOS again. Thanks for all the suggestions and comments!

 

[Markverhyden]

Great to hear. The usual catch is they've locked down the machine, such as disabling external boot devices. You all can live with the locked down BIOS.

Yep, those are pretty nice machines. Microcenter carries refurbs of those models and my customers love them. Awesome price/performance ratio.