The password specified in the official docs doesn’t work, seller (this is a used board) doesn’t know the password either and BIOS reset with both jumper and pulling battery out didn’t seem to affect the BMC password.
I contacted Gigabyte, waited for a number of days and got a standard useless response as I usually get from their support that I can reset BMC password from web GUI or UEFI, but I have access to neither if they actually read what I asked them.
Is there another way to try to reset BMC password with some jumper I do not know about or something?
I only have one motherboard, one CPU (7302P) and 8 sticks of the same RAM (HMA42GR7AFR4N, not on QVL list unfortunately), so not much hardware to debug why the board is not booting.
OK, first things first: are all power connectors properly inserted? Did you try with 2 sticks RAM? (sure they are RDIMM’s?) Perhaps try a different memory brand (I have Samsung RDIMM’s, work perfectly). More things to try: remove the CPU, the BMC should work even w/o a CPU installed as it’s a self-contained system. As you’re removing stuff anyway, try powering the board away from the chassis, even with an alternative PSU. Check for misplaced standoffs, easy to overlook if you’re doing it all day Also note it might be configured with a static IP address. (which for a server makes sense)
You can use IPMItool from a different machine, just add the IP address range as arguments on the CLI. I’m aware there’s a rudimentary BMC password reset tool (on the Gigabyte website, but you really need to look for it) that uses IPMItool to reset the password, but for legal reasons I’m not posting it here (sorry!). Supermicro has a similar tool, better documented IMO, which does basically the same. Again, it’s on the SM FTP server but for legal reasons etc etc.
(almost forgot: I did put the link to the SM password reset tool in a message in an earlier thread. Search my messages and you should find it, as I can’t recall from the top of my head which thread that was, sorry)
I was testing with a board on its box (covered with anti-static bag it came in), I did not yet install it into a case. I tried 8 sticks and 1 stick in slots recommended in motherboard manual. I might try to get a stick of memory from QVL list just to verify it is not memory.
BMC boots and I can open it in a browser (it got IP address via DHCP just fine), I just can’t log in because I don’t know the right username and password combo, it says password is incorrect.
I tried remote IPMI connection, it still asks for the password I do not know, which makes sense, it’d be funny if it allowed control via CLI, but not via GUI.
I suspect any non-local IPMI reset tool would require knowledge of existing password that I don’t have.
I don’t really want to risk it, but looks like if I get my hands on bmc_restore_default_password.py for Gigabyte I might be able to reset to original password. But I can’t seem to find it in public access, so apparently will have to wait for Gigabyte support. Unfortunately they reply once a week only and typically with not useful answers.
Well, I tried SM’s tool. Its output is confusing, but the gist of it is that it didn’t work:
LIST OF ALL IP ADDRESSES FOUND
192.168.1.216 redacted
192.168.1.216 in progress
Error: Unable to establish IPMI v2 / RMCP+ session
192.168.1.216 success
SUCCESSFUL PASSWORD RESET
192.168.1.216
FINISHED
Found the file! It is on support page of the motherboard called “BMC Restore Default Setting utility”, there is bmc_restore_default_password.py in there with instructions, unfortunately result is similar:
Find 192.168.1.216 >>> found
System Checking ...
Found list:
192.168.1.216 redacted
Activate Session error: Invalid data field in request
Error: Unable to establish LAN session
Error: Unable to establish IPMI v1.5 / RMCP session
192.168.1.216 fail
Restore NG
192.168.1.216
Restore Done
And it is using a different raw command than SM’s script.
UPD: I think that according to docs there exists a special pre-programmed password for BMC that can be used to change the password and support can give it to me. Well, will wait another week to even ask them about it since they don’t allow to send another message until they post a response to a previous one. Though that document is from way before password policy change in BMCs so who knows if it is still relevant
Turned out board was booting just fine, but VGA->HDMI adapter I was using wasn’t compatible with the board, so I didn’t see any picture because of that.
Got my hands on old VGA monitor, booted from live USB and changed IPMI password using ipmitool without any issues.
How to reset BMC / MegaRAC SP-X / IPMI passwords / login details on Gigabyte Motherboards
I can confirm IPMI tool works like a dream.
For the ones who still wonder how to use it and need an idiot-proof guide:
download ipmicfg for UEFI from supermicro’s website
put it on a FAT32 formatted USB drive
start your machine and boot via UEFI shell
connect your USB drive
once u r in the shell, type “map -r” to see which name your drive has (usually “FS0:” or “FS1:”)
enter your drive by typing the drive name, in my case, it was “FS0:”
navigate to the impicfg folder containing the IPMICFG.efi file
now you can list all users by using the command “user list”, together with the file name: “IPMICFG.efi -user list”
take note of the user ID
set a new password with the command “user setpwd < user ID > < password >” together with the file name “IPMICFG.efi -user setpwd < user ID > < password >”
and voilá, you changed the password now and access your accoint. enjoy your new access to the GIGABYTE Server Management Platform!
And there is a dip switch on the board between the mezzanine and the ram that will allow you to reset the supervisory password and/or enter bios recovery. The clear cmos jumper is also shown here (pg 27)
Oh wow, never seen this before. Activating Pin 3 of J2 is supposed to rest the PW. The screen even shows that the password reset jumper has been activated after booting the system. But, the BMC login still fails — neither “password” nor the serial number of the MB works.
However, for the curious ones, here is where you can find the switch:
Pin 3 does not reset the bmc password. Pin 3 resets the bios password, as shown in the final image in my last comment. If it has a bios password, then it can be reset with that pin to be able to boot into and reset the bmc password using ipmitool.
Also note it might be configured with a static IP address. (which for a server makes sense)
