16 Statement of memory volatility
The purpose of this chapter is to provide general information regarding nonvolatile memory in HP Business 
PCs. This chapter also provides general instructions for restoring nonvolatile memory that can contain 
personal data after the system has been powered o and the hard drive has been removed.
HP Business PC products that use Intel®-based or AMD®-based system boards contain volatile DDR memory. 
The amount of nonvolatile memory present in the system depends upon the system conguration. Intel-
based and AMD-based system boards contain nonvolatile memory subcomponents as originally shipped from 
HP, assuming that no subsequent modications have been made to the system and assuming that no 
applications, features, or functionality have been added to or installed on the system.
Following system shutdown and removal of all power sources from an HP Business PC system, personal data 
can remain on volatile system memory (DIMMs) for a nite period of time and will also remain in nonvolatile 
memory. Use the steps below to remove personal data from the PC, including the nonvolatile memory found 
in Intel-based and AMD-based system boards. 
1. Follow steps (a) through (j) below to restore the nonvolatile memory that can contain personal data. 
Restoring or reprogramming nonvolatile memory that does not store personal data is neither necessary 
nor recommended.
a. Turn on or restart the computer, and then press esc while the “Press the ESC key for Startup Menu” 
message is displayed at the bottom of the screen.
NOTE: If the system has a BIOS administrator password, enter the password at the prompt.
b. Select Main, select Restore Defaults, and then select Yes to load defaults.
c. Select the Security menu, select Restore Security Level Defaults, and then select Yes to restore 
security level defaults.
d. If an asset or ownership tag is set, select the Security menu and scroll down to the Utilities menu. 
Select System IDs, and then select Asset Tracking Number. Clear the tag, and then make the 
selection to return to the prior menu.
e. If a DriveLock password is set, select the Security menu, and scroll down to Hard Drive Tools 
under the Utilities menu. Select Hard Drive Tools, select DriveLock, then uncheck the checkbox 
for DriveLock password on restart. Select OK to proceed.
f. If an Automatic DriveLock password is set, select the Security menu, scroll down to Hard Drive 
Tools under the Utilities menu. Select Hard Drive Tools, scroll down to Automatic DriveLock, then 
select the desired hard drive and disable protection. At the automatic drive lock warning screen, 
select Yes to continue. Repeat this procedure if more than one hard drive has an Automatic 
DriveLock password.
g. Select the Main menu, and then select Reset BIOS Security to factory default. Click Yes at the 
warning message.
h. Select the Main menu, select Save Changes and Exit, select Yes to save changes and exit, and then 
select Shutdown.
102 Chapter 16   Statement of memory volatility