Need help to reset Supermicro motherboard that is password protected

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jang430

Active Member
Mar 16, 2017
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Hi. I bought a M/B from ebay. I turned on this motherboard. It asks for password. I shorted the cmos contacts while power supply is disconnected. Still, the request for password appears. I connected the BMA port to my firewall, and let the hoping the dhcp server will assign it an ip address, but the BMA's mac address is nowhere to be found. I assigned it permanently, still, it doesn't work. The motherboard reaches EFI shell though. Nothing else can be done. Any ideas?
 

Rand__

Well-Known Member
Mar 6, 2014
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Tried reflashing the bios from efi (assuming its the bios which is pw protected)?
 

jang430

Active Member
Mar 16, 2017
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Tried reflashing the bios from efi (assuming its the bios which is pw protected)?
I see there is the help command under EFI. Which command allows reflashing? Not familiar with the syntax though.
 

jang430

Active Member
Mar 16, 2017
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If it's the bios that's password protected, am I not supposed to be able to proceed and boot from USB if I'm not going to change anything in the Bios?
 

RageBone

Active Member
Jul 11, 2017
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the procedure to update the bios from the efishell is quet easy

create a FAT formated USB stick.
Download the Bios-files from Supermicro.
unpack and search for a UEFI / EFI folder in the package.
If there isn't one, go grabb it from the files of the X10DRi

Transfer that UEFI folder and the correct bios file to the usb stick.

put them in an boot to efishell.

Changing the Root folder in efishell is like in windows.
Devices are listet up top, your stick should be something like FS0 or so.

so "fs0:"
should get you to the usb stick
now ls and cd work

you can now go into the uefi folder and launch the tool inside with the right parameters and the bios file.
I think the README also contains examples and everything you need to know.

Good luck and you can't hold me accountable for anything!
 

jang430

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Mar 16, 2017
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Good luck and you can't hold me accountable for anything![/QUOTE said:
OH! I can't? :)

Just kidding. Your instructions are very clear. Am I supposed to try this as a good valid option? Or should this be my last resort? Or my first option? Though I don't see any other :)
 
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nephri

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Sep 23, 2015
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Paris, France

jang430

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Mar 16, 2017
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@RageBone, can you help check the picture above if it still has hope? Is it the same efi shell as you were talking about?
 

jang430

Active Member
Mar 16, 2017
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@acquacow , it doesn't respond to F11 . I end up in the 2 scenarios where it either asks for password, or enter EFI shell.

@RageBone , thanks for confirmation. Will try tonight
 

jang430

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Mar 16, 2017
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@RageBone , What should I be updating with EFI Shell? Motherboard bios? Or BMC Firmware?

For motherboard bios, there's no EFI/ UEFI Folder. Upon extraction, there are only 4 files, afudosu.smc, ami.bat, readme, x10slmp9.531

Intructions in the readme are:

1. Save this file to your computer.
2. extract the files to a DOS bootable device (such as a bootable USB stick, or CD).
3. Boot to a DOS prompt and type AMI.BAT BIOSname.###.
4. Do not interrupt the process until the flashing is complete.
5. After you see the message of BIOS has completed the update, unplug the AC, clear the CMOS and plug in the AC and power on the system.
6. Go to the BIOS setup screen and press F9 to load the default and press F10 to save and exit.

No such file folders for BMC firmware as well.

I did find UEFI folder in Bios of X10DRI. Are they interchangeable? Is UEFI the same as EFI Shell?
 
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RageBone

Active Member
Jul 11, 2017
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Yes, in my experience, the UEFI folder from the X10 is interchangeable. Did flash multiple X9 boards with it that did not have that folder.

UEFI in this case is the same as EFI.

BIOS is the one you want to flash since that is password protected.

But you may want to update the BMC first to get that as a recovery option.
 

jang430

Active Member
Mar 16, 2017
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So... Did as instructed, unfortunately, after checking, it says something about incompatibility, and ended back in EFI Shell prompt.

How do I update the BMC instead? Will give it a try.

I also heard Supermicro guys are super helpful. I'll try send them an email, see if I can get any bios from them.
 

RageBone

Active Member
Jul 11, 2017
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excuse me, what board is that?

As far as i know, the update process for the BMC is basically identical.
 

jang430

Active Member
Mar 16, 2017
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Si far, I have tried to update the bios for my X10SLM+-LN4F. That's when it says it's incompatible. Now, how do I update the bios for BMC? So far, no access to BMC.
 

RageBone

Active Member
Jul 11, 2017
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indeed, there is no uefi tool for the BMC FW.... well that is an issue.

That board should work with the efi bios update, can you maybe stop feeding us breadcrums and give us actual detail about what you did, where things went wrong etc?

Did you read the manual for the board? There is a jumper for BIOS Recovery. JBR1.
There also are instructions for how to do that in there.

That might otherwhise be an option.
 

i386

Well-Known Member
Mar 18, 2016
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So... Did as instructed, unfortunately, after checking, it says something about incompatibility, and ended back in EFI Shell prompt.

How do I update the BMC instead? Will give it a try.

I also heard Supermicro guys are super helpful. I'll try send them an email, see if I can get any bios from them.
Did you try sum? Ist's Part of superdoctor5 and can be Used with a "force"/"Override" Parameter to flash bios