Re: Viewing and password protecting the default Windows XP Adminis

Tech-Archive recommends: Repair Windows Errors & Optimize Windows Performance

Terry,

That is a very good comment. If they can´t boot the machine, it is useless
to them. And few will know to open it up to disable internal power.

Jean-Pierre

"Terry R." wrote:

The date and time was Tuesday, August 18, 2009 9:47:04 AM , and on a
whim, Pegasus [MVP] pounded out on the keyboard:

"Malke" <malke@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:OYvExKCIKHA.3708@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
However, you should be aware that any computer running any operating
system
can be accessed by someone with 1) physical access; 2) time; 3) skill; 4)
tools. So if I'm sitting at your box anyway, it's mine even if you assign
a
password to the built-in Administrator. Here are a few things you can do
to
make it harder:

1. Set a password in the BIOS that must be entered before booting the
operating system. Also set the Supervisor password in the BIOS so BIOS
Setup
can't be entered without it.

2. From the BIOS, change the boot order to hard drive first.

Malke
--
MS-MVP
Elephant Boy Computers - Don't Panic!
http://www.elephantboycomputers.com/#FAQ

I agree with your reservations but setting BIOS passwords makes it only
marginally harder to break into a PC. Removing the motherboard battery for
10 minutes will usually reset these passwords. To really protect a PC
requires a disk encryption facility, which could cause a few different
problems for the inexperienced.



Marginally harder only for those that know what to do. I always set a
BIOS password on laptops (except for those using bluetooth keyboards
that don't initiate at that point).

On one network I admin, a few years ago we even had a laptop returned
about a month after it was stolen, and I attribute it to the thief
figuring the laptop was useless to them since they couldn't get past the
BIOS screen.


Terry R.
--
Anti-spam measures are included in my email address.
Delete NOSPAM from the email address after clicking Reply.

.

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