Administrator/User BIOS Password Settings on PXI/PXIe Controller

Updated Apr 3, 2023

Reported In

Hardware

  • PXI Controller

Issue Details

I still want to limit access into the BIOS with a password, but I do not want the controller to prompt the user for a BIOS password on startup.

Solution

The BIOS on the PXI or PXIe controller has the options to set either Administrator or User password. If you do not want a BIOS password to be prompted for on startup, set only an Administrator password. These settings can be set using the BIOS Setup Utility, which you can find more information about in the user manual of your PXI/PXIe controller.

Additional Information

  • By default, no BIOS password is specified.
  • If ONLY the Administrator's password is set, then this only limits access to Setup and is only asked for when entering Setup.
  • If ONLY the User's password is set, then this is a power on password and must be entered to boot or enter Setup. In Setup the User will have Administrator rights.

The BIOS password can be reset by removing the CMOS battery on the PXI or PXIe controller, so BIOS password should not be used as a primary security measure.