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Securing Your Computer 75
NOTICE: If you disable the administrator password, the primary password is also disabled.
To add or change passwords, access
User Accounts
from the
Control Panel
.
If you have assigned an administrator password, you can use it instead of the primary password. The
computer does not specifically prompt you for the administrator password.
Using an Administrator Password
The administrator password is designed to give system administrators or service technicians access
to computers for repair or reconfiguration. The administrators or technicians can assign identical
administrator passwords to groups of computers, allowing you to assign a unique primary password.
To set or change administrator passwords, access
User Accounts
from the Control Panel.
When you set an administrator password, the
Configure Setup
option becomes available in system
setup. The
Configure Setup
option allows you to restrict access to system setup in the same way
that a primary password restricts access to the computer.
The administrator password can be used instead of the primary password. Whenever you are
prompted to enter the primary password, you can enter the administrator password.
NOTICE: If you disable the administrator password, the primary password is also disabled.
NOTE: The administrator password provides access to the computer, but it does not provide access to
the hard drive when a hard drive password is assigned.
If you forget the primary password and do not have an administrator password assigned, or if you
have both a primary and an administrator password assigned but forget them both, contact your
system administrator or contact Dell (see "Obtaining Assistance" on page 159).
Using a Hard Drive Password
The hard drive password helps protect the data on your hard drive from unauthorized access.
To assign or change a hard drive password, enter system setup (see "System Setup Program" on
page 111).
After assigning a hard drive password, you must enter it each time you turn on the computer and
each time you restore the computer to normal operation from standby
mode.
If the hard drive password is enabled, you must enter it each time you turn on the computer: A
message appears asking for the hard drive password.
To continue, enter your password (with no more than eight characters) and press <Enter>.
If you do not enter a password within two minutes, the computer returns to its previous operating
state.
If you enter the wrong password, a message tells you that the password is invalid. Press <Enter> to
try again.