trying to access boot order to read from a USB asked for administrator psswrd ...not accepted?
 

Greetings from Portugal @10:37hrs,

Hardware: Hp Pavilion desktop 590-poxxx, 8Gib DDR4, i5-8400 CPU @2.8GHz x6, UHD Graphics 630 (CFL GT2)
I'm running with Pop!_OS 22.04 LTS, 64-bit, Gnome 42.9
Windowing x11

To open Pop OS my psswrd is still being accepted

However, when trying to access boot menu (F9 @start up) I'm asked to enter administrator psswrd?

I use the same psswrd resulting in a symbol I assume to mean You are locked out/cannot access the boot menu

Surfing tinternet over the weekend I encountered someone with a similar problem. However, I didn't take to much heed at the time... duh The gist of said conversation was 'groups' in the terminal had been changed... which means nada to me! I'm a GUI dude the terminal is where a train arrives at :-)

Now, I have embarked on a self help journey...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZtqBQ68cfJc & https://www.freecodecamp.org/news/th...ands-handbook/

However, I'd appreciate a 'shove' in the right direction re. my psswrd problem as the 2 links are for me a very large rabbit hole

TIA, ini

The F9/F12 boot menu has nothing to do with Linux; it's provided by your firmware. Can you remember setting a password for accessing it? Or did you carry out a BIOS update recently?

re. The F9/F12 boot menu has nothing to do with Linux; it's provided by your firmware. Can you remember setting a password for accessing it? Or did you carry out a BIOS update recently?

Hullo Hazel, As far as I'm aware i did not set a psswrd for accessing the boot menu & did not do a BIOS update recently

ps

I just had a look at system firmware in settings and found... UEFI dbx 77 with an update 'signal

changelog
371 Insecure versions of the Microsoft Windows boot manager affected by Black Locus were added to the list of forbidden...

So should I update?

Hi!

You don't say what sort of HP Pavilion you have, a model No. would help. Normally there is a small shorting link (Called a shunt) on the motherboard which needs to be removed to reset the BIOS Admin password. The link may be marked "PWD" if you're lucky. Check this link to see how to reset a Pavilion All-in-One BIOS.

Hope this helps. :D

Play Bonny!

:hattip:

I'm not familiar with recent versions of Windows. Does that signal indicate that the firmware has actually been updated or simply that there's an update waiting? If the former, that might have something to do with your problem. Can you even stop a Windows update from running these days?

On a point of forum protocol: If you want to quote from someone else's post, use Quote rather than Reply. It gives a more legible result.

These may help you, if a BIOS password has actually been set...

https://duckduckgo.com/?t=ftsa&q=cle...villion&ia=web

Morning Soadyheid,

Model number of ma 'Pavilion is 590-pOxx or 590-p0xx Please excuse the vagueness I'm a bit eyesight impaired yasee

I had a look at the Pavilion All-inOne link & it scared the bejesus out of me but thanks for the help from somewhere near Auld Reekie

As I mentioned to Hazel:

'' Hullo Hazel, As far as I'm aware i did not set a psswrd for accessing the boot menu & did not do a BIOS update recently

ps

I just had a look at system firmware in settings and found... UEFI dbx 77 with an update 'signal

changelog
371 Insecure versions of the Microsoft Windows boot manager affected by Black Locus were added to the list of forbidden...

So should I update? ''

Your thoughts?

ps have a Deuchers IPA on me ...the one thing I truly miss from Lothian! :-)

Thx Hazel,

forum protocol noted re the firmware update I figure it's a press this button to update & not it has been updated

On the subject of groups: this obviously isn't your problem currently but you might as well know about them since you seem to have stumbled across the concept.

In Unix systems like Linux, every file, directory or resource belongs to some user and also to a user group. In early Unix systems, the groups corresponded to real-life departments like R&D or Finance or a university department. This system allowed people to give close colleagues limited access to some of their files while screening out the rest of the world. Nowadays groups aren't used that way any more but they are still allowed to control access to hardware resources. For example, to get seamless access to plug-in storage devices, you need to be a member of the plugdev group.

Modern Linux distros use a login program that automatically adds personal users to certain groups at login time and that is probably what the posts you found were talking about. If you are curious to know which groups you belong to, open a terminal and type groups.

thx the for the reply Will dive into the link after I've cooked lunch for 'she who thinks she should be obeyed'

ini

Groups explanation appreciated & will explore in terminal after I sort out the lunch and then sort out my boot into BIOS problem

ini,

With regard to UEFI dbx 77, please tread carefully.

I would not recommend doing the update unless advised to do so by somebody on LQ forums who is fully conversant with this.

These 2 links may be of use:

https://askubuntu.com/questions/1491...1-ubuntu-23-10

https://askubuntu.com/questions/1429...pdate-uefi-dbx

I selected this from the duckduckgo link you suggested https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wEW08_C15ZI

I tried repeating the instructions... However, as soon as I type in the psswrd the third time I'm shown a code A {447247A4} {this is not the actual code displayed it's the one from the aforementioned YaChoob vid] because it disappears (faster than the blink of an eye} & I'm taken to the pop! os log in screen
I figured that I could simply power off and repeat the process trying to copy down the code a digit at a time... LOL too simple! The code changes each time Grrr

So, can you, or anyone else reading this, suggest a way of freezing the screen so as I can write it down & proceed to https://bios-pw.org/

thx pal, I am wary of doing the update till prompted! I will now have a look at the links you gave

OK I've had a look at the ubuntu links
Unfortunately, being a linux noobie with no terminal know-how it's a bit like telling a blind man to look further off in the distance

thx anyway

ini,

I fully appreciate that you are not a command line junkie.

I posted those links for the benefit of others on LQ forums who may be more conversant with this problem and who can assist you further.

OK
apologies for my misunderstanding

In your initial post, you indicate that you are able to use and log in to Pop OS. If you can use the machine, not much point in doing an udate you don't understand. Too many unknown variables for anyone here to really give detailed help.
Is Pos OS the only OS installed?
Did you purchase this computer new?
Was/is there any other OS installed? If so, what exactly.
If you have another OS installed like some version of windows, did you do an update from windows lately?
If you know how to open a terminal, run this command and look at the output. It won't solve anything or change anything but give information which you could post here: sudo ls /boot/efi/EFI/
Do you have a directory named PopOs or probably ubuntu. What's in it?

Good morning, yancek

performing update you don't understand... agreed

PopOS is the only OS currently installed

Computer was a second-hand buy from ebay & came installed with Windows 10...

I then installed MINT wiping out 'Win10' in the process... exact version of MINT no idea!

Then I began a distro hopping adventure (always full install to wipe out the previous distro I was not comfortable with)
list & versions of said distros.. no idea as I did not keep a list of said installs... duh!

Ran in terminal sudo ls /boot/efi/EFI/

BOOT Pop_OS-62a814a0-c2d5-415f-9678-4ce70f0c5d91 systemd
Linux Recovery-F184-E7B1

Dirctory of Pop_OS / ubunto ???
Is there a command for the terminal I could run?

Hope my reply is easy to understand

In my post above I suggested you check to see if there was an ubuntu directory on your EFI partition. That is because many of the Ubuntu derivatives (Mint for one) use a directory named ubuntu for their EFI files. Since PopOS does not do that, it is not relevant.

If you are asked for an administrator password when accessing the BIOS to make changes including the F9 key for a one time change in the boot order, that is because the previous owner set it and did not give you that information. You need to do an online search for how to reset the BIOS password on your specific model of HP.

The above is a quote from your post (post 3). You don't have windows installed so it is irrelevant. From your output of the ls /boot/efi/EFI command, it doesn't appear you even have a Microsoft directory on the EFI partition. If you run the following command, do you see a reference to windows: sudo efibootmgr -v

Do you have Secure Boot on? Have you tried to access the BIOS, probably with the F10 key? Do you get asked for an administrator password?

Isn't BOOT the Microsoft boot directory? It certainly was on my old hard drive (the one I had to dump because it was failing). It contained a couple of files including BOOT64.efi, which I assume was the Windows bootloader itself.

sudo efibootmgr -v
[sudo] password for ini:
BootCurrent: 0001
Timeout: 0 seconds
BootOrder: 0001,0002,0003,0004,0005
Boot0001* Pop!_OS 22.04 LTS HD(1,GPT,b2ba9adf-71e4-412d-9799-0678ff74f9b3,0x1000,0xf8fff)/File(\EFI\SYSTEMD\SYSTEMD-BOOTX64.EFI)
Boot0002* UEFI OS HD(1,GPT,b2ba9adf-71e4-412d-9799-0678ff74f9b3,0x1000,0xf8fff)/File(\EFI\BOOT\BOOTX64.EFI)
Boot0003 UEFI:CD/DVD Drive BBS(129,,0x0)
Boot0004 UEFI:Removable Device BBS(130,,0x0)
Boot0005 UEFI:Network Device BBS(131,,0x0)

• Boot Device Options (F9): this menu provides UEFI Boot Sources (like Windows Boot Manager and network card) and Legacy Boot Sources (like hard drive, USB flash drive, and CD/DVD drive) for you to choose from.

This F9 is what I've been using at start up to change the boot order to boot from a USB to try another distro However I get asked for an administrator password and the psswrd I use to enter Pop_OS does nada???

will now log off and try the F10 key

• BIOS Setup (F10): you can exit UEFI & enter BIOS by selecting this option. There are 5 tabs in the BIOS Setup to help you change PC BIOS Settings.

Your last question re secure boot ON or OFF No idea!

F10 key
 

f10 key at start up same gives the sane result as the f9 key enter administration psswrd??? Will check back in a wee while as I've got some farming to do

I think I can identify these!

0001 is the systemd-boot Linux bootloader, which has been set up to load Pop!_OS. I assume it could be used to load other Linux systems as well, in the same way that GRUB can.
0002: your old Windows bootloader. Since you no longer have Windows on your machine, this one can safely be deleted.
0003: Self-explanatory. Boot from an optical disc.
0004: This is probably your USB boot
0005: Network boot

You've got me all excited Hazel
Now here's the noobie/the terminal is where the train arrives at question...
a. Do I delete in the terminal?
b. If yes how? Whats the command for deleting 0002: ?

Do I simply repeat the command which gave me 0001: to 0005:

If YES? What do I do then?
I promise I'll devote my time & attention to the Linux Command Handbook after said delete if it sorts out my f9 administration psswrd quandry

Yes, it's efibootmgr again but with a couple of extra arguments:
But get the OK from someone else around here before you do it. I don't want to be responsible for kiboshing your boot!

I've no Idea why everybody is advising on BIOS updates and software solutions when the problem just needs a jumper/shunt removed from the motherboard. :scratch:

Check out this video where the guy is resetting the CMOS which should also reset the BIOS password. Note the jumper marked "PSWD", just removing this should also work. The CMOS one will require to be replaced as stated in the video plus the system clock will require to be reset.

I'd try removing the PSWD jumper first. Unless you want to set a BIOS password you don't really need to put it back. (I'm currently helping to recycle about 500 HP 800 G3 and G4 All_in_one computers and need to clear out previous owner splash screen data. I've now got a box of the little blue jumpers!)

I'm not sure exactly what the motherboard looks like but check this out for a rough idea of what you're looking for:




Play Bonny!

:hattip:

Probably windows files there from the factory but the EFI files to boot recent windows are in a directory named Microsoft on the EFI partition and generally the file pointed to booting windows is bootmgfw.efi which is in EFI/Microsoft/Boot.

You have an administrator password required on the used computer you purchased and you don't know what it is. Neither does any one here so find out from the person you bought it from if possible or reset the BIOS password. Try the suggestion in the post above by Soadyheid.

Removing an entry (your useless windows entry) is not complicated and is explained at the link below as well as any number of other sites.

https://www.tecporto.pt/wiki/index.p...st_%28Linux%29

Thx yancek,

re administrator psswrd: ask the person you bought the 'puter from Hmmm?

This'puter was purchased b4 2020

If indeed the previous owner set an admin psswrd... Can you explain to me how I've been distro hopping, by, accessing boot order at start up by tapping f9 and selecting the USB with new distro file & proceeding to do a full install which wipes out the existing operating system for circa 4 years?

In 4 yrs I've full installed a number of Linux OS, wiping out windows10, linux mint, mxlinux, linux lite...

I landed on Pop_OS & stuck with it simply because of the 'out-of-the box' tiling feature LOL
Now I figure you can set up said tiling feature on any??? distro & so i attempted to test cachy_OS: tiling out-of-the-box? Don't know/don't care
Did my usual f9 to access the Boot order, &, I'm only now seeing the admin psswrd request

...had a look at removing files in terminal last night https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=joMMHpjQayQ

OK Seems straight forward enough i'll go for it... Ooooops, cool your jets/wait a mo: I'll log in 2 LQ & lay out my proposed rm strategy & get a Y/N from more experienced peeps before proceeding Saw the replies from Hazel, soadyheid and yourself. Now I'm second guessing/questioning... not to be awkward, simply to understand 'why'

Morning soadyheid,
Yup, had already seen this Day b4 yesterday. I spent about 4-5hrs on 'YaChoob' searching renove BIOS psswrd & various other BIOS conbos
OK that will be plan b. Lets go with the LQ gurus etc, then evaluate all the info: what 'feels' right? & then 'steam in'

Ya got me thinking about Edinburgh last night not visited Scotland since leaving in 2002
So can I add a miss to the IPA? 'rowies' or as you peeps in the sooth call them 'Aberdeen Rolls'

LQ forum... etiquette/protocol/forum SOP's? Which button do I hit to a. find out more b. ask questions

Play Bonny :doh:

You're confusing software that you install yourself on your disk drive with firmware that is permanently installed on system ROM/RAM. One of those permanent firmware programs is the UEFI (the successor to good ol' BIOS). The UEFI allows you to access an internal boot menu by pressing a particular key (usually F9 or F12) and that allows you to boot just about anything.

Otherwise the boot normally defaults to a secondary bootloader like GRUB, which is stored on your hard drive's EFI system partition, which can then boot various Linux distros. But to establish that default boot, you need to edit the UEFI's RAM cache using some program like efibootmgr. Or else you can go into the UEFI at boot time by pressing a special key (usually F2 or del) and make your changes that way. But you can't do that on your system because the previous owner set an admin password.

You have already been told several times how to remove the password by removing a jumper on the motherboard. I don't blame you if you are leary of trying that because I would be too. But it would be the best solution to your problem.

Reading through your posts again I believe I misread the problem so let me clarify. You've been using this computer for several years and using the F9 key to set the one time boot option to boot from a USB to install a new system and only had one system installed at a time. Is that correct? Now when you use the F9 key you are asked for a supervisor password to set the one time boot option to usb which you were not asked for before, is that correct? The most likely reasons I can think of for this to happen are a user changing this (deliberately or accidentally) or hardware failure but if you are indeed now being asked for a supervisor password, making the change in the manner above to reset may work. Others may have more suggestions.

As far as deleting an entry in the BIOS, I'm not sure that will work as efibootmgr doesn't work with many command on HP computers (don't know why but I have HP's) and there really isn't any need to delete it as it doesn't take up much space on the computer.

It's not just HP's. Most of efibootmgr doesn't work with Lenovos either if my experience is anything to go by. But the efibootmgr delete argument does work, so that is what I would advise if the default UEFI boot option is a dud. Even if an option doesn't occupy much space in nvram, it can still snarl up your boot if it has been given top priority.

re Both your questions Yes, &, Yes again
re your comment: but, if you are indeed now being asked for a supervisor password, making the change in the manner above to reset may work.
making the change in the manner above: are you talking about accessing the motherboard and taking out the jumper IOW 'tinkering under the bonnet/hood' as Hazel put it Yes?

morning Hazel I misquoted you in my reply to yanek You made no tinkering under the bonnet remark
You did in fact say you'd be lary? of doing it
Sorry, if all else suggested fails I will go looking for a screwdriver & 'hammer' :eek:

If you can still boot, I would not change anything and just understand you cannot do what you have done before but still use the installed OS, until you can get another computer.

Fit like Loon?

Post #1

Thats the password for the BIOS, not any software login.

Post #2 hazel

Spot on hazel!

Post #30

Removing the link...

LQ gurus? No me Chiefy, ahm engines!. Take aff the jumper! This should be Plan A!

Post #24

Aye! Take aff the bliddy jumper! Gie it a go, yi'll no be but a couple o' menutes in gettin' the side aff the boax an' keekin' at the mitherboard fur the wee blue linky thing.

Gaun Yersel'

Ahm away fur a fish supper and a pint o' best noo while yous guys keep oan bletherin' aboot ither stuff.

Play Bonny!

:hattip:

:banghead: Aetin a Fish supper? A recht denner... Wae salt n SAUCE? Sauce of course ya 'Reekie' tink LOL

Taccin oot the 'shunter' gonna be it ... Fit wiy? The gurus are fair ferfochtin bonnie loonie, n, aa ower the back ;-)

Onywys, TY for the blither n ahl see yae through the roon windae, :cool:

May I remind you gentlemen that this is an English language forum.

Greetings to one (especially) and all

After a few days of some very 'interesting' messages/replies to my f9 at start up & being asked for an admin psswrd dilema
I'm very glad to report that the dilema has been resolved

Take a bow soadyheid You're a top geeza! I believe his post was the third answer for anyone interested

His solution was simple & on point...
Power off your 'puter
take off the case of the tower to access the motherboard
Look for a little blue plastic chip: It is small & has psswrd written at the side

soadyheid calls it a 'shunt' , but he's from somewhere near Edinburgh SCO, So, like me, English is a foreign language!!!

It is also known as a jumper & comes in yellow & green apparently

From now on I'll be calling it a 'shunter'

Remove said blue chip & toss it away
Replace power cable & boot into your 'puter (What I did was 'smash' repeatedly the f9 key to access the boot loader... e voila (sorry Hazel) no more admin pswwrd asked for

I learned a lot in the past few days about LQ forum etiquette/form/protocol/jargon/ & funnily enough the inability for some people to read what I've written asking for advice However, the top message has to be... Just live with the 'puter the way it is till you can buy a new one This is me paraphrasing but heyho

Again, take a bow soaryheid ...I'm gonnae hae a FISH SUPPER (nae sauce) tae celebrate ;-)

Alba gu brath, outtie

@ini

Glad you managed to resolve the problem. :D

Er... can I just say... (My final Scots exclamation. Sorry Hazel.)


"Goany no dae that!"


Just hold the f9 key down while booting, the keyboard is scanned to see if any key is held down so all you're doing is knackering the actual key mechanism. No "Smash" needed.

Spent today refurbing about 20 HP EliteOne 800 G3 and G4s All-in-Ones so spent quite a while with a finger on the f9 key, take the back off, remove the PSWD jumper and bin it! Every one a coconut! No BIOS Admin password required.


Play Bonny!

:hattip:

OK Soadyheid, no repeated smashing/tapping of the f9 key 5x5

??? How can we get in touch outwith the LQ forum ? ...Simply to converse in general Jock2Jock

Play bonny/Have a good one :doh:

ini,

Why not click on My LQ (top right) > Private Messages and then send Soadyheid a private message?

You can then swap personal email addresses if you wish.