Get to know UEFI/BIOS

Change Settings

Set Passwords

Change settings in UEFI/BIOS setup utility

This section introduces what is UEFI/BIOS and the operations you can perform in its setup utility.

What is UEFI/BIOS setup utility

UEFI/BIOS is the first program that runs when a computer starts. UEFI/BIOS initializes hardware components and loads the operating system and other programs. Your computer may include a setup program (setup utility) with which you can change certain UEFI/BIOS settings.

Use Windows advanced startup to open the PC’s firmware setup utility

From the Windows operating system, you can use the advanced startup to restart your PC and open the firmware setup utility.

Step 1
Select Settings ➙ System ➙ Recovery.
Step 2
Under Advanced startup, select Restart now.
Your PC will restart.
Step 3
Select Troubleshoot on the Choose an option page.
Step 4
Select Advanced options on the Troubleshoot page.
Step 5
Select UEFI firmware settings on the Advanced options page.
Step 6
Click Restart.

Your PC will restart to open the firmware setup utility.

Open the PC’s firmware setup utility from the Novo button menu

For Lenovo PCs with a Novo button, you can open the PC’s firmware setup utility from the Novo button menu.

Step 1
Shut down your PC.
Step 2
Press the Novo button.
Step 3
From the Novo button menu, select BIOS setup.

Set passwords in UEFI/BIOS setup utility

This section introduces the types of passwords that you can set in the UEFI (Unified Extensible Firmware Interface) or BIOS (Basic Input/Output System) setup utility.

Password types

You can set various types of passwords in the UEFI/BIOS setup utility.

Password type Pre-requisite Usage
Administrator password No You must enter it to start the setup utility.
User password The administrator password must be set. You can use the user password to start the setup utility.
Master hard disk password No You must enter it to start the operating system.
User hard disk password The master hard disk password must be set. You can use the user hard disk password to start the operating system.
  • All passwords set in the setup utility consist of alphanumeric characters only.
  • If you start the setup utility using the user password, you can only change a few settings.
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Set administrator password

You set the administrator password to prevent unauthorized access to the UEFI/BIOS setup utility.

If you forget the administrator password, a Lenovo authorized service personnel cannot reset your password. You must take your computer to a Lenovo authorized service personnel to have the system board replaced. Proof of purchase is required and a fee will be charged for parts and service.
Step 1
Open the UEFI/BIOS setup utility.
Step 2
Select Security ➙ Set Administrator Password and press Enter.
Step 3
Enter a password string that contains only letters and numbers and then press Enter.
Step 4
Enter the password again and press Enter.
Step 5
Select Exit ➙ Exit Saving Changes.

Next time you start the computer, you must enter the administrator password to open the setup utility. If Power on Password is enabled, you must enter the administrator password or the user password to start the computer.

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Change or remove administrator password

Only the administrator can change or remove the administrator password.

Step 1
Open the UEFI/BIOS setup utility using the administrator password.
Step 2
Select Security ➙ Set Administrator Password and press Enter.
Step 3
Enter the current password.
Step 4
In the Enter New Password text box, enter the new password.
Step 5
In the Confirm New Password text box, enter the new password again.
Note: If you want to remove the password, press Enter in both text boxes without entering any character.
Step 6
Select Exit ➙ Exit Saving Changes.

If you remove the administrator password, the user password is also removed.

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Set user password

You must set the administrator password before you can set the user password.

The administrator of the setup utility might need to set a user password for use by others.

Step 1
Open the UEFI/BIOS setup utility using the administrator password.
Step 2
Select Security ➙ Set User Password and press Enter.
Step 3
Enter a password string that contains only letters and numbers and then press Enter. The user password must be different from the administrator password.
Step 4
Enter the password again and press Enter.
Step 5
Select Exit ➙ Exit Saving Changes.
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Enable power-on password

If the administrator password has been set, you can enable power-on password to enforce greater security.

Step 1
Open the UEFI/BIOS setup utility.
Step 2
Select Security ➙ Power on Password and press Enter.
Note: The administrator password must be set in advance.
Step 3
Change the setting to Enabled.
Step 4
Select Exit ➙ Exit Saving Changes.

If power-on password is enabled, a prompt appears on the screen every time you turn on the computer. You must enter the administrator or user password to start the computer.

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Set hard disk password

You can set a hard disk password in the setup utility to prevent unauthorized access to your data.

Be extremely careful when setting a hard disk password. If you forget the hard disk password, a Lenovo authorized service personnel cannot reset your password or recover data from the hard disk. You must take your computer to a Lenovo authorized service personnel to have the hard disk drive replaced. Proof of purchase is required and a fee will be charged for parts and service.
Step 1
Open the UEFI/BIOS setup utility.
Step 2
Select Security ➙ Set Hard Disk Password and press Enter.
Note: If you start the setup utility using the user password, you cannot set hard disk password.
Step 3
Follow on-screen instructions to set both master and user passwords.
Note: The master and user hard disk passwords must be set at the same time.
Step 4
Select Exit ➙ Exit Saving Changes.

If the hard disk password is set, you must provide the correct password to start the operating system.

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Change or remove hard disk password

Step 1
Open the UEFI/BIOS setup utility.
Step 2
Select Security.
Step 3
Change or remove the hard disk password.
To change or remove master password, select Change Master Password and press Enter.
Note: If you remove the master hard disk password, the user hard disk password is also removed.
To change user password, select Change User Password and press Enter.
Note: The user hard disk password cannot be removed separately.
Step 4
Select Exit ➙ Exit Saving Changes.
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