Thinkpads Forum

I'd like to take advantage of some of my computer's security features. My security chip has not been been activated yet, and I'm using a simple Windows Welcome Screen password. I'm using an Administrator account with a password on XP, but I'm not sure if there is a separate factory-set administrator password for a different account.

Can the Lenovo hard disk, power on, and administrator passwords all be set simply by activating the security chip via CSS and setting all the features through CSS, or do they have to be set in the BIOS? Must the security chip be activated to use these passwords? If I later on decide to stop using these features, is that simple to do? I mean, can I simply deactivate the security chip (again, through CSS) and stop using them, or is the process more complicated than that?

I recently had a fan stop working, but I was able to get into Windows by pressing Esc immediately upon start up (during the "Fan Error" message) before the machine automatically shut itself down. If I'm using CSS, the security chip, and all these passwords, would I still be able to do that if the fan fails again, or would CSS, the security chip, and the passwords stop me from getting that far and being able to use my machine without, for example, changing the fan first?

Tõnis

Thanks for the informative link, RBS. From the topic and the Lenovo link therein, I learned that the HDD password and Power On password can be set/unset directly in the BIOS, but I'm still unsure if all of this can be done through CSS without entering the BIOS. Can it all be easily set (and unset if I change my mind about using any of it) through CSS? Also, if I set the password(s), and I have a problem like I had with my fan (the "Fan Error" problem), will I still be able to get into Windows by using the Esc key, as a temporary workaround? Or, will CSS and the passwords (even if set directly in the BIOS and not through CSS) prevent me from getting into Windows? I just don't want to activate something that might "lock me out" of my machine during an unrelated problem or something that I might not be able to get rid of so easily.

Okay, I want to set Supervisor, Power ON, and HDD passwords in my BIOS. I think I can handle that. What I won't be able to handle is if the computer screws me over by locking me out of my system, "forgetting" the password(s), or refusing to let me into Windows because of some stupid fan error, other minor hardware failure, or software error. Please ... does anyone have some experience with normal/daily use of these passwords failing, preventing access to the operating system, or otherwise rendering a machine useless? Are there any SNAFU's to be expected with the use of these passwords? I really should have started a simple poll for this. I'll try that ...

Tõnis

Please participate in my "Password Poll" -- http://forum.thinkpads.com/viewtopic.php?f=18&t=81832

Okay, so I've been using HDD and Supervisor passwords. I decided to give CSS a try and activated my security chip. I clicked "activate," entered my Supervisor password when prompted, and rebooted. One thing I noticed is that the machine no longer prompted for the HDD password on boot. It went straight to the Windows welcome screen (in which I entered my Windows password). Then, it asked for a password again with a CSS screen. I entered the same password as Windows password (same as my Supervisor password), and I was in Windows.

I became skittish and deactivated my security chip. I rebooted, but still there was no prompt for a HDD password, just the Windows Welcome Screen. I rebooted again into BIOS and changed/re-entered my HDD passwords. Upon the next boot, the machine went back to prompting for a HDD password.

Why didn't the machine ask for my HDD password on boot when I activated the security chip and CSS? Is it possible to continue using the HDD password when the security chip and CSS are activated? If so, how do I get the machine to prompt for it on boot?

Tõnis wrote:Okay, so I've been using HDD and Supervisor passwords. I decided to give CSS a try and activated my security chip. I clicked "activate," entered my Supervisor password when prompted, and rebooted. ?

The many security options can be daunting, for sure. Just set a hard drive password (including one for the drive in Ultra Bay if you have one in there) This is what I have done for years with no problems.

Nothing else is needed. The hard drive will be locked, even if removed from the machine.

A Windows password will give you some security coming out of Sleep, and switching Users, etc, if you wish.

Your Hard drive passwords will be required when powering up, and when coming out of Hibernate.

If thief takes your machine, he would need a new hard drive to make it operational. Your data would not be available to him. He could only use your locked hard drive as a paper weight, or hockey puck.

By keeping fresh daily or weekly backups on a separate USB drive in you car trunk, you have an effective off site backup.

There are also free services in the "cloud" for your data if you don't have "billions" of gigs of data...

mgo wrote:Your Hard drive passwords will be required when powering up, and when coming out of Hibernate.

Those are the operative words.
A warm-boot or warm-reboot (i.e. not a boot from having been switched OFF) doesn't require the HD-PW.

[quote="RealBlackStuff
A warm-boot or warm-reboot (i.e. not a boot from having been switched OFF) doesn't require the HD-PW.[/quote]

Very true, of course. That is not a problem for me. What is nice-I can put the machine to Sleep, and it is set to drop into Hibernate three or four hours later. That way, should I go shopping or something, the machine will fall into a secure state on its own.

Since I am the only one in the house, there is no real privacy concern on the short term.