UEFI BIOS passwords

You can set passwords in UEFI (Unified Extensible Firmware Interface) BIOS (Basic Input/Output System) to strengthen the security of your computer.

Password types

You can set a power-on password, supervisor password, system management password, or NVMe password in UEFI BIOS to prevent unauthorized access to your computer.

However, you are not prompted to enter any UEFI BIOS password when your computer resumes from sleep mode.

Power-on password

If you set a power-on password, a window is displayed on the screen when you turn on the computer. Enter the correct password to use the computer.

Supervisor password

The supervisor password protects the system information stored in UEFI BIOS. When entering the UEFI BIOS menu, enter the correct supervisor password in the window prompted. You also can press Enter to skip the password prompt. However, you cannot change most of the system configuration options in UEFI BIOS.

If you have set both the supervisor password and power-on password, you can use the supervisor password to access your computer when you turn it on. The supervisor password overrides the power-on password.

NVMe passwords

The NVMe password prevents unauthorized access to the data on the storage drive. When an NVMe password is set, you are prompted to type a correct password each time you try to access the storage drive.

Single Password
When a Single NVMe password is set, the user must enter the user NVMe password to access files and applications on the storage drive.
Dual Password (User+Admin)
The admin NVMe password is set and used by a system administrator. It enables the administrator to access any storage drive in a system or any computer connected in the same network. The administrator can also assign a user NVMe password for each computer in the network. The user of the computer can change the user NVMe password as desired, but only the administrator can remove the user NVMe password.

When prompted to enter an NVMe password, press F1 to switch between the admin NVMe password and user NVMe password.

Notes: The NVMe password is not available in the following situations:

A Trusted Computing Group (TCG) Opal-compliant storage drive and a TCG Opal management software program are installed in the computer, and the TCG Opal management software program is activated.
An eDrive storage drive is installed in the computer preinstalled with the Windows operating system.

System management password

The system management password can also protect the system information stored in UEFI BIOS like a supervisor password, but it has lower authority by default. The system management password can be set through the UEFI BIOS menu or through Windows Management Instrumentation (WMI) with the Lenovo client-management interface.

You can enable the system management password to have the same authority as the supervisor password to control security-related features. To customize the authority of the system management password through the UEFI BIOS menu:

Step 1

Restart the computer. When the logo screen is displayed, press F1 to enter the UEFI BIOS menu.

Step 2

Select Security ➙ Password ➙ System Management Password Access Control.

Step 3

Follow the on-screen instructions.

If you have set both the supervisor password and the system management password, the supervisor password overrides the system management password. If you have set both the system management password and the power-on password, the system management password overrides the power-on password.

Set, change, or remove a password

Follow the instructions to set, change or remove a password.

Before you start, print these instructions.

Step 1

Restart the computer. When the logo screen is displayed, press F1 to enter the UEFI BIOS menu.

Step 2

Select Security ➙ Password by using the arrow keys.

Step 3

Select the password type. Then, follow the on-screen instructions to set, change, or remove a password.

You should record all your passwords and store them in a safe place. If you forget any of your passwords, any potential repair actions required are not covered under warranty.

What to do if you forget your power-on password

Follow the instructions to remove the power-on password if you forget your power-on password.

If you have set a supervisor password or a system management password and remember it:

Step 1

Restart the computer. When the logo screen is displayed, immediately press F1.

Step 2

Type the supervisor password or the system management password to enter the UEFI BIOS menu.

Step 3

Select Security ➙ Password ➙ Power-On Password by using the arrow keys.

Step 4

Type the current supervisor password or the system management password in the Enter Current Password field. Then, leave the Enter New Password field blank, and press Enter twice.

Step 5

In the Changes have been saved window, press Enter.

Step 6

Press F10 to save changes and exit the UEFI BIOS menu.

If you have not set a supervisor password or a system management password, contact a Lenovo-authorized service provider to have the power-on password removed.

What to do if you forget your system management password

Follow the instructions to remove the system management password if you forget your system management password.

If you have set a supervisor password and remember it:

Step 1

Restart the computer. When the logo screen is displayed, immediately press F1.

Step 2

Type the supervisor password to enter the UEFI BIOS menu.

Step 3

Select Security ➙ Password ➙ System Management Password by using the arrow keys.

Step 4

Type the current supervisor password in the Enter Current Password field. Then, leave the Enter New Password field blank, and press Enter twice.

Step 5

In the Changes have been saved window, press Enter.

Step 6

Press F10 to save changes and exit the UEFI BIOS menu.

If you have not set a supervisor password, contact a Lenovo-authorized service provider to have the system management password removed.

What to do if you forget your NVMe password

Follow the instructions to remove the NVMe password if you forget your NVMe password.

If you forget your NVMe password (Single password) or both user and admin NVMe passwords (Dual password), Lenovo cannot reset your passwords or recover data from the storage drive. You can contact a Lenovo-authorized service provider to have the storage drive replaced. A fee will be charged for parts and service. If the storage drive is a CRU (Customer Replaceable Unit), you can also contact Lenovo to purchase a new storage drive to replace the old one by yourself. To check whether the storage drive is a CRU and the relevant replacement procedure, see CRU list.

What to do if you forget your supervisor password

Follow the instructions to remove the supervisor password if you forget your supervisor password.

There is no service procedure to remove the password. You can contact a Lenovo-authorized service provider to have the system board replaced. A fee will be charged for parts and service.

Associate your fingerprints with passwords

You can associate the fingerprints with passwords to get quick access to the computer and the data on the storage drive without entering the power-on password or NVMe password.

Do the following to associate your fingerprints with the power-on password and NVMe password:

Step 1

Turn off and then turn on the computer.

Step 2

When prompted, scan your finger on the fingerprint reader.

Step 3

Enter your power-on password, NVMe password, or both as required. The association is established.

When you start the computer again, you can use your fingerprints to log in to the computer without entering your Windows password, power-on password, or NVMe password. To change settings, press F1 to enter the UEFI BIOS menu, and then select Security ➙ Fingerprint.

Attention: If you always use your fingerprint to log in to the computer, you might forget your passwords. Write down your passwords, and keep them in a safe place.

Previous Next