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Dell Command | PowerShell Provider Version 2.8.0 User's Guide

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Using the BIOS password feature

This feature allows you to set, change, or clear Admin password and System password.

Verifying the status of Admin or System passwords

To verify the status whether the Admin or System passwords are set on the system, use the following attributes:

  • IsAdminPasswordSet—Displays if admin password is set on the system.
  • IsSystemPasswordSet—Displays if system password is set on the system.

Setting Admin or System passwords

To set the password, run the command in the following format:

Example: To set the Admin password: 
Set-Item -Path DellSmbios:\Security\AdminPassword <new Admin password>
Example: To set the System password: 
Set-Item -Path DellSmbios:\Security\SystemPassword <new System password>

Changing Admin or System passwords

To change the existing password, run the command in the following format:

Example: To change the Admin password: 
Set-Item -Path DellSmbios:\Security\AdminPassword <new Admin password> -Password <existing Admin password>
Example: To change the System password: 
Set-Item -Path DellSmbios:\Security\SystemPassword <new Admin password> -Password <existing System password>
NOTE:If both Admin and System passwords exist, then to change the system password, provide either Admin or System password.

Clearing Admin and System passwords

To clear the Admin or System passwords, run the command in the following format:

Example: To clear the Admin password: 
Set-Item -Path DellSmbios:\Security\AdminPassword “” -Password <existing Admin password>
Example: To clear the System password: 
Set-Item -Path DellSmbios:\Security\SystemPassword “” -Password <existing System password>
NOTE:
  • To clear the system password where both Admin and System passwords exist, you must provide either the Admin or System password.
  • If the System password and/or HDD password are set, the Admin password cannot be set.
  • If the Admin password is set in the system, and you want to configure BIOS tokens/features, you must provide the Admin password.
  • If the Admin and system passwords are set in the system, and you want to configure BIOS tokens/features, you must provide the Admin password.
  • If the Admin and system passwords are set in the system, and if you want to configure BIOS tokens/features as well as change system password, you must provide either the System or the Admin password.

Generic disclaimer

Powershell PSReadline module saves every console command that you enter to a text file. So it is recommended to use "Get-Credential" commandlet to handle the password securely.

  1. $cred = Get-Credential
  2. Enter your username and password, for example, AdminPWD and Dell_123$, when the dialog box is displayed.
  3. $BSTR = [System.Runtime.InteropServices.Marshal]::SecureStringToBSTR($cred.Password)
  4. $plainpwd=[System.Runtime.InteropServices.Marshal]::PtrToStringAuto($BSTR)
  5. Get-CimInstance -Namespace root\dcim\sysman -ClassName DCIM_BIOSService | Invoke-CimMethod MethodName SetBIOSAttributes -Arguments @{AttributeName=@("AdminPwd");AttributeValue=@(" $plainpwd ")}
  6. si .\NumLockLed disabled -password $plainpwd

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