Since the system is requesting a password that is "not configured," you must set one to satisfy the security requirement.
This is the most effective solution for the "password not configured" error. We need to trick the BIOS into resetting its security flags.
For Laptops (e.g., Latitude, XPS, Precision):
For Desktops (OptiPlex, Precision Tower): bios update failed as password is not configured dell hot
If none of the above works and you see error codes like:
…and you cannot set/remove BIOS password due to unknown existing password, contact Dell ProSupport or visit the Dell Community forums with your Service Tag.
Let me know your Dell model (e.g., Latitude 5420, OptiPlex 7070) and current BIOS version — I can give more precise steps. Since the system is requesting a password that
You can set a temporary BIOS password, run the update, then remove it (if desired).
Steps:
After the BIOS is successfully updated, you can remove the password if it is not required by your organization's security policy. For Desktops (OptiPlex, Precision Tower): If none of
The bug started appearing after 2022 BIOS updates for Intel 11th/12th Gen and AMD Ryzen 5000 series Dells. Dell's BIOS capsule update mechanism (UEFI) checks for an AuthVariable called SystemPasswordHash. If that variable doesn't exist (because no password was ever set), certain UEFI capsules reject the update, throwing the "Password Not Configured" error.
Dell has acknowledged this in internal KB articles (e.g., SLN347895). The permanent fix is to flash the BIOS using F12 → BIOS Flash Update with the .exe file on a USB (Fix 3 above), which bypasses the variable check altogether.
If the update still fails:
This paper investigates a specific failure scenario encountered during Dell system firmware updates: the update aborts with a message indicating a failure because a "password is not configured" or an administrator password is required but missing. This issue often arises when attempting to update the BIOS using Windows executables (often referred to as "hot" updates performed within the OS environment) or via Dell Command Update. The analysis suggests that this error is typically caused by BIOS security settings that require administrative authentication for firmware changes, or a corruption in the BIOS settings that flags a non-existent password as active.