How to get BIOS recovery key code for Acer SPIN 1 SP111-32N
We use laptops to admin servers (unix/linux). As such, we bought the SPIN 1 last year and put Linux on the machines (out of warranty now). It worked well for most of this year, but somehow the bios password got set on one to an unknown value. I read a suggestion here to use the windows recovery USB to see if that would clear the password. It did restore the Windows environment, deleting the Linux partition, but did not clear the bios password, virtually creating a useless brick, as we cannot use Windows in our environment and can no longer reinstall Linux.
Acer Spin 1 SP111-32N-PC6V
Model N17H2
Recovery Key Code 1497518938
I did call support when this initially happened and got an odd response that I would have to send them the laptop and they would unlock the bios for "some amount in excess of $100.00." It was unclear about freight, but if we assume $100.00 + some mystery amount + freight to and from, it seems more cost effective to just buy another computer. I find this odd in that apparently what is needed is a simple programmatic decode of the Recovery Key Code.
Please help save an Acer Customer. If there is a remote fix for this, I promise to set a new bios password and use an engraving tool to etch it into the case.
I have read the warning about not providing guidance on circumventing Acer security on this open forum. And, I also know Acer doesn't support Linux, though this issue is not limited to Linux. Perhaps you could point me to a regional sales manager for the Atlanta area's contact information without causing a violation. I don't seem to find anything like that on the Acer site.
