how create hard drive password

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Guest

I have a laptop and want to setup a password for the hard drive, in addition
to the password for getting into windows xp.

Does anyone know how that's done. I'm wondering if it's something that's
setup in the bios????
 
Cowtoon said:
I have a laptop and want to setup a password for the hard drive, in
addition to the password for getting into windows xp.

Does anyone know how that's done. I'm wondering if it's something
that's setup in the bios?
Click to expand...


I'm not sure what you mean by "a password for the hard drive," but yes, you
can set a password in the BIOS that won't let you boot without it.

However it's important to realize that you can get around the password by
changing a jumper setting or removing the battery. That's why I always say
that a BIOS password is a useful tool to keep out small children and the
casual curious passer-by, but it's really useless against a determined
invader. It's much too easy to get around. If your concern is protecting the
data against someone who has stolen your laptop, it's useless.
 
Cowtoon said:
I have a laptop and want to setup a password for the hard drive, in
addition
to the password for getting into windows xp.

Does anyone know how that's done. I'm wondering if it's something
that's
setup in the bios????
Click to expand...


Since no operating system is running at that point (where you want
some password prompt to have access to the hard drive), just WHAT
software do *you* want to be loaded before the OS loads to then
execute those commands to present you with the prompt? Some software
must run to provide you with that prompt and obviously the OS hasn't
even loaded yet.

You could set a password in the BIOS. Alternatively, there are
programs that usurp the bootstrap program in the MBR (master boot
record, which is the first sector on the first BIOS-detected hard
drive) to run their program to provide a password to decrypt your
encrypted hard drive, but decrypting incurs overhead for the time to
do the decryption so there will be a performance penalty. There are
some laptops (IBM models, I think) that provide this same level of
drive encryption along with a password for decryption within its BIOS.

Of course, it is highly unlikely that you have any real need despite
your perception of such a need to encrypt or hide the operating system
or the commercial applications since anyone could buy or steal a copy
to get that code. So it is your data that you are trying to hide.
You could use TrueCrypt for that to create encrypt container in which
you keep your data files, and when you want to access that data you
then open the container and get a password prompt to gain access.
 
Consider not having any proprietary information on your hard drive. Consider
instead to store your vitals on a password protected server. Logon, download
a sensitive file, work with it, save it back to the server, with something
like BC Wipe delete the file from your laptop. BC Wipe will perform a wiping
procedure that meets the Department of Defense standards.
 
there are USB drives on the market that come with a "security Program"
If you are not in possesion of the USB drive you cannot start the
computer...is that what you had in mind??

do a google
peter
 
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