Deleting Bios password

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Anonymous
Deleting Bios password 2016-01-01 07:22:08 Post No. 22228
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Deleting Bios password Anonymous 2016-01-01 07:22:08 Post No. 22228 [Report]

(1/2)

So, I've got this tablet, acer w3-810, and I dun fucked up and forgot my uefi( / bios) password. Been trying to crack it for a few days now.
For specs, this page works: http://www.engadget.com/products/acer/iconia/w3/specs/
Note that this thing is running faildows 10.
For the curious on why I even need to muck around in such a limited bios, I want to get the system to boot linux, and need to get to some specific boot options.
The system is 32bit, and runs a 32bit uefi, so it's going to be an uphill battle to get anything aside from winfails to boot on the thing.

Anyways, what I've tried to remove the password:
Taking it apart to remove the CMOS battery. --> No apparent battery on the motherboard. Suspicion of no CMOS battery furthered by the fact that the battery was drained for a few months, and the time and date was wrong.

Trying the acer esettings program. --> Doesn't work because its dated as fuck and doesn't even recognize my system as an acer.

Entering the BIOS password until given a code / using a master password. --> No code is given, just goes to halting the system. There could be a key combo to get one, but I haven't found it, same thing for a master password that works.

Reflashing the BIOS. --> Not sure if the BIOS program by acer actually flashes if the versions are the same. It just goes straight to rebooting after executing. Either way, doesn't help.

Pressing the reset button on the tablet. --> Seems to re-calibrate the battery (Which was needed anyways), but doesn't seem to purge the OS to factory, like it did on windows 8.

Tried a program which attempts to invalidate the CMOS checksum. --> No effect, at all.

Tried using the debug command, and entering an arbitrary string. --> Probably some effect, but nothing I noticed. (inb4 introduced backdoor).

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Anonymous 2016-01-01 07:22:27 Post No.22229
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Anonymous 2016-01-01 07:22:27 Post No.22229 [Report]

>>22228
(2/2)

So, what have I also looked at?
The bios file, (found at: http://us.acer.com/ac/en/US/content/drivers/4788;-;W3-810) is apparently a "Ceetah_BIOS". Further analysis of this file leads me to find that it is a heavily skinned insyde h20 BIOS. The internals of the executable contains: Insyde Capsule Update tool, a .bin file, a .efi file, and a digital signature file. The .bin and .efi file can be further opened to find similarly named files, which seem to be configuration files of some sort. Running either the eif, or bin file files through bios identifiers do result in them saying it is an intel bios, however, they do not seem to extract any actual bios files.

As alluded to earlier, I've also looked into master passwords, or at least getting a code for re-generating the password I have. I've tried spamming the f keys at various parts of entering the password, but I'm still open to suggestion there. I've also failed to find a master password through analysis of the file through a demo of IDA. (Although I'm a complete n00b, and lack almost any understanding of most of the program too).

What else hasn't been stated?:
I didn't completely disassemble the tablet, so I could've missed a CMOS battery.
There are no teardown guides for the machine.
The files were opened using 7zip.
The password is likely stored on NAND, rather than CMOS RAM. (Speculation).
Yes, I legally own the machine. Bought it off ebay refurbished 9 months ago, and still have the box, and an emailed receipt.
I have not contacted acer about a password reset, but from what I understand they charge around $100, which is more than what I got the tablet for.
The tablet is the 64gb variant.

Any help or pointers would be massively appreciated. (^_^)

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Anonymous 2016-01-01 07:24:25 Post No.22231
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Anonymous 2016-01-01 07:24:25 Post No.22231 [Report]

>>22228
>>22229
Give that tablet back Tyrone.