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The Password Protection Available to You Includes:
BIOS Password Protection: You can set this password to restrict access
to your hard drive at bootup or at entry into the BIOS Setup program. This
aggressive form of password protection can be used to limit access to
your system and files. If this password is enabled at boot, it will restrict the
computer from booting unless your password is provided. It will not, how-
ever, protect your data if the drive is removed and placed into another
machine. See above for information about setting this password.
Windows Me Passwords: These are designed primarily to distinguish
between multiple users of a machine and to load that user’s preferences. It
does not offer any significant protection of your data. The password screen
can be bypassed by pressing the [Esc] key when loading Windows, which
can allow access to all of your files.
Windows 2000 Passwords: Windows 2000 comes equipped with an array
of security features that allow an administrator (or the user designated as
one) to limit access by specific users. Warning: If you forget or lose your
Windows 2000 password, you will have to reformat your hard drive and
restore Windows 2000 from your Restore CD. This can result in loss of
data. Be sure to store your password in a safe place and keep a backup
version of your data files.
Screen Saver Password: If you use a screen saver in Windows, you can
set the system to require a password to resume normal functioning. This
can be used to protect your current session from a casual observer, but it
does not provide any substantial security.
Network/ISP Passwords: These passwords are used to restrict use of
your network or modem connection. Since many programs, including
Windows’s Dial-up Networking, allow you to store these passwords so
that you will not have to enter them every time you connect, you should
consider how secure your environment is before storing such passwords.
If you work in a sensitive environment, you might want to clear lists of
Chapter 7: Configuring & Maintaining Your System
7.19
If you are in an insecure
environment, you might
consider disconnecting
your USB Floppy Disk Drive
(if you have one) to help protect
your system from viruses.
The System File Protection
in Windows Me will help
prevent the overwriting of
critical Windows files, but this is
not an effective protection from
viruses. You should obtain virus
software as additional protection
for your system.
X Manual WinME w/photos 2/01/01 3/19/01 4:24 PM Page 131