Aspire Vero AV15-51-7940 Does BIOS use QWERTY layout instead of AZERTY?

guy13

Hi all,
Last month I got myself an Acer Aspire Vero AV15-51-7940 with an AZERTY (Belgian) keyboard. When trying to set a BIOS password I use the numeric keypad for numbers once and the numbers at the top of the regular keyboard the second time. The system then says the two passwords don't match. (I tried multiple times with the same result, even resorting to two finger typing to be really really sure of not making typos.)
Can it be that the BIOS for some reason always uses a QWERTY layout? It's the only explanation I can imagine but there seems to be no way to actually display what you type anywhere in the BIOS pages.

Thanks in advance for any enlightenment,

(Thread was edited to add model name to the title)

JackE

>>>That's odd cause I often vary between the two options when typing numbers in pwd's and never really noticed any problems.>>>

That's because the pwd's are probably being entered within a Windows or Linux environment with refined keyboard drivers. The BIOS environment is more rudimentary with only a basic keyboard and numpad input functionality. The top row numeric keys and numpad numeric keys are not equivalent when trying to enter a pwd outside of an operating system environment. For example, symbols such as @ and # should be avoided in BIOS passwords which require uppercase use of top row numeric keys. Mixing upper and lower case can sometimes be hazardous. BIOS sometimes react differently to this kind of input.  However, BIOS are becoming more advanced and some newer ones may permit what you're trying to do.

BTW, setting a BIOS password should generally be avoided if possible just because it's a much more rudimentary environment. And mixing keyboard with numpad input --- or upper case with lower case --- or symbols with characters --- just to be clever or have a more secure password is always hazardous. When things go wrong inside the BIOS, you can get easily locked out with usually no way back in except by a $100-250usd Acer authorized BIOS recovery service.

JackE

>>>When trying to set a BIOS password I use the numeric keypad for numbers once and the numbers at the top of the regular keyboard the second time. >>>

The numeric keypad keys and top row numeric keys usually are NOT functionally equivalent in QWERTY, AZERTY or any other keyboard configuration.

 

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Mapel205

Hi .@guy13
I have the same problem 

guy13

Thanks @JackE,

Does that mean that if I were dumb enough to set the old time favourite "1234" as pwd with the numeric keypad I wouldn't be able to log in next time when using the top row keys? That's odd cause I often vary between the two options when typing numbers in pwd's and never really noticed any problems.

JackE

>>>That's odd cause I often vary between the two options when typing numbers in pwd's and never really noticed any problems.>>>

That's because the pwd's are probably being entered within a Windows or Linux environment with refined keyboard drivers. The BIOS environment is more rudimentary with only a basic keyboard and numpad input functionality. The top row numeric keys and numpad numeric keys are not equivalent when trying to enter a pwd outside of an operating system environment. For example, symbols such as @ and # should be avoided in BIOS passwords which require uppercase use of top row numeric keys. Mixing upper and lower case can sometimes be hazardous. BIOS sometimes react differently to this kind of input.  However, BIOS are becoming more advanced and some newer ones may permit what you're trying to do.

BTW, setting a BIOS password should generally be avoided if possible just because it's a much more rudimentary environment. And mixing keyboard with numpad input --- or upper case with lower case --- or symbols with characters --- just to be clever or have a more secure password is always hazardous. When things go wrong inside the BIOS, you can get easily locked out with usually no way back in except by a $100-250usd Acer authorized BIOS recovery service.

guy13

Thanks again @JackE,

Come to think of it, I can't remember ever needing a BIOS pwd on my previous laptops for changing boot priorities or similar actions. I only need it now in order to deactivate Secure Boot so I can partition the hard drive and install a dual boot with Linux.

JackE

FYI, some distros, like Mint, you don't even have to disable secure boot to install it alongside Windows. The only preparation you need is to shrink the Windows partition with diskmgmt.msc to make enough unallocated space for the distro. The distro installatio and bootloader takes care of everything without ever touching the BIOS.