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How to protect x230 from unwanted booting
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How to protect x230 from unwanted booting
Hi, I researched this forum and others, and would like to ask about two things.
1. How can I prevent simple windows password hacks?
2. How can I use the bios passwords, to prevent simple booting of my PC from other media, and reading te files? I would like to keep the option of booting form rescue usb sticks when I am doing it, maybe with a password.
I have win 7 so I think I do not have bitlocker, and I do not want to encrypt the entire system. I was told that then recovery is almost impossible after a crash.
I looked at the bios, but there are many passwords there and I do not want to lock myself out of the computer...thanks all for advice.
My kid had my pc, wanted to avoid parental control, and his friend very easily found out my own accounts password, and got rid of the entire parental control...got me thinking. Thanks
1. How can I prevent simple windows password hacks?
2. How can I use the bios passwords, to prevent simple booting of my PC from other media, and reading te files? I would like to keep the option of booting form rescue usb sticks when I am doing it, maybe with a password.
I have win 7 so I think I do not have bitlocker, and I do not want to encrypt the entire system. I was told that then recovery is almost impossible after a crash.
I looked at the bios, but there are many passwords there and I do not want to lock myself out of the computer...thanks all for advice.
My kid had my pc, wanted to avoid parental control, and his friend very easily found out my own accounts password, and got rid of the entire parental control...got me thinking. Thanks
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- Junior Member
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- Joined: Tue Nov 17, 2009 6:12 pm
- Location: Prague, Czech Republic
security features, Trusted module, HDD password
Hi everybody...no one interested in the security features? will be glad if anybody pointed me to some thread where Trusted Platform, security chip and other security features are discussed. Thanks to all.
I managed to activate power on password and HDD password.
I took out my system disc and connected to another PC... it does work. The other PC did not even register there was a HDD around.
I managed to activate power on password and HDD password.
I took out my system disc and connected to another PC... it does work. The other PC did not even register there was a HDD around.
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Re: How to protect x230 from unwanted booting
I don't bother with security on my everyday work laptop and a lot of my other machines. No password, none, nada, nill. Even my Linux machines have the bare minimum security (i.e. automatic login, no password required).
I have 1 desktop and 1 laptop that is in a physically secure (within reason) room and limited connection to the internet. These 2 and only these 2 machines are my critical, important, financial, need to be secure stuff done. These machines don't have any games, crap or non-essential garbage on them and no one have physical access to them unless I'm there with them. Beyond that everything else is open. Kids and sibling get their own machines in which they can do whatever they want with them.
Instead of putting on the biggest lock maybe don't let the kids have access to the steps leading to the house.
I have 1 desktop and 1 laptop that is in a physically secure (within reason) room and limited connection to the internet. These 2 and only these 2 machines are my critical, important, financial, need to be secure stuff done. These machines don't have any games, crap or non-essential garbage on them and no one have physical access to them unless I'm there with them. Beyond that everything else is open. Kids and sibling get their own machines in which they can do whatever they want with them.
Instead of putting on the biggest lock maybe don't let the kids have access to the steps leading to the house.
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Re: How to protect x230 from unwanted booting
Lock that laptop away when you leave the house/room, and teach your kid manners.
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PS: the old Boardroom website is still available on the Wayback Machine.
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Re: How to protect x230 from unwanted booting
If someone wants to hack into your machine and has physical access to the machine, you are going to get hacked. Likewise if they have access to your wifi router. Approach the problem like a parent, and not like a system administrator.
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Re: How to protect x230 from unwanted booting
Can't you protect your laptop from booting from removable media? If it was me, I would add an admin password onto the bios and prompt it if it were needing to boot from USB/CD.
I don't know what that kid did, but hiren's boot CD or WIndows Password removal probably did it, but those require F12 to be pressed during boot.
Unsure if there is some magic that can be done to remove parental features from the locked down user, havent done that stuff.
I don't know what that kid did, but hiren's boot CD or WIndows Password removal probably did it, but those require F12 to be pressed during boot.
Unsure if there is some magic that can be done to remove parental features from the locked down user, havent done that stuff.
Coffee, ThinkPads & Nikon Fan.
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Current: PixelBook & Precision 7730
Old Favorites: A31p, T43p, T430s
Re: How to protect x230 from unwanted booting
As a point of reference if someone else is searching around, you can lock down access to your bios by requiring a password. Then you can change the boot order and remove all entries from the boot menu except your main boot drive. ( ! is the key to remove a selected entry in the boot order menu) Hard drive encryption "never hurts" in my opinion. I'd also turn on secure boot as a "just in case" thing. Windows should play nice with it easily. Linux requires more work but I use it.
T540p ( Work | i7 | 16GB RAM | 256GB 850 PRO & 512GB 850 EVO | 7260NGW & GOBI 5000 | Trackpad Swap | Ultradock ), x230 ( Personal | i7 | 8GB RAM | 256GB 840 EVO | Ultrabase )
Re: How to protect x230 from unwanted booting
If you set a password on your main boot drive, you still cannot boot from rescue media, and even if you do, you cannot access the data on the drive without unlocking it with the password first.
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