UEFI BIOS is the first program that the computer runs. When the computer turns on, UEFI BIOS performs a self test to make sure that various devices in the computer are functioning.
Restart the computer. When the logo screen is displayed, press F1 to enter the UEFI BIOS menu.
You can navigate in the UEFI BIOS interface by pressing the following keys:
To change the startup sequence temporarily:
You can set passwords in UEFI (Unified Extensible Firmware Interface) BIOS (Basic Input/Output System) to strengthen the security of your computer.
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.
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:
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.
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.
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:
Before you start, print these instructions.
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
If you forget your power-on password, do the following to remove the power-on password:
What to do 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 replacement”.
What to do if you forget your supervisor password
If you forget your supervisor password, there is no service procedure to remove the password. You have to contact a Lenovo authorized service provider to have the system board replaced. A fee will be charged for parts and service.
What to do if you forget your system management password
If you forget your system management password, do the following to remove the system management password:
Do the following to associate your fingerprints with the power-on password and NVMe password:
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.
The UEFI BIOS Event log viewer provides the brief information about UEFI BIOS events. Do the following to view the logs:
The following UEFI BIOS Event logs might be listed on your screen depending on UEFI BIOS activities. Each log consists of a date, a time, and a description of the event.
This feature allows you to reset the UEFI BIOS to the factory default settings, including all UEFI BIOS settings and internal data. It helps you wipe user data in case that you want to dispose of or reuse your computer.
Your computer will restart immediately. It take several minutes to complete the initialization. Your computer screen might be blank during this process. This is normal and you should not interrupt it.
If the UEFI BIOS is corrupted or maliciously attacked, it can self-recover and restore your computer from the last uncorrupted and secure backup. This function protects your computer data.
During the UEFI BIOS self-recovery, the screen might be blank. You can check the progress based on blinking modes of the LED indicators on Esc, F1, and F4. For details, refer to the following table.
Note: Do not press the power button to interrupt the progress. Wait a few minutes until the logo screen is displayed.
Blinking modes | Self-recovery progress |
---|---|
LED indicator on Esc blinks | 0% to 32% |
LED indicators on Esc and F1 blink simultaneously | 33% to 65% |
LED indicators on Esc, F1 and F4 blink simultaneously | 66% to 100% |
When you install a new program, device driver, or hardware component, you might need to update UEFI BIOS.
Download and install the latest UEFI BIOS update package by one of the following methods:
To know more about UEFI BIOS, visit Knowledge Base of your computer at https://pcsupport.lenovo.com.
Your computer supports FIDO (Fast Identity Online) authentication feature. This feature works as an alternative to password-based authentication to achieve passwordless authentication. This feature only works when a power-on password is set in UEFI BIOS and the FIDO2 USB device is registered in ThinkShield™ Passwordless Power-On Device Manager. With this feature, you can input the power-on password or use the registered FIDO2 USB device to power on your computer.
Register your FIDO2 USB device in ThinkShield Passwordless Power-On Device Manager
Notes:
Log in to the System with Passwordless Power-On Authentication
Note: You should insert the FIDO2 USB device or enter power-on password within 60 seconds. Otherwise, your computer will shut down automatically.
This section provides instructions on installing a Windows operating system and device drivers.
Install a Windows operating system
Microsoft constantly makes updates to the Windows operating system. Before installing a particular Windows version, check the compatibility list for the Windows version. For details, go to Lenovo windows support.
Attention:
Install device drivers
You should download the latest driver for a component when you notice poor performance from that component or when you added a component. This action might eliminate the driver as the potential cause of a problem. Download and install the latest driver by one of the following methods: