How secure is XP password screen?

[Batman]

Hi,

I have a Dell notebook, Inspiron 1500, which contains sensitive data.
I tried setting up the HDD password in BIOS but after forgetting it, I
spent a week speaking to Dell UK support, (based in India), before
they were able to obtain my master password. I don't want to mess with
the BIOS again, so should I get some type of DOS based password
protection or is XP password screen secure enough? If I should get
other software, could you recommend any progs?

TIA

 

[Wislu Plethora]

-----Original Message-----
Hi,

I have a Dell notebook, Inspiron 1500, which contains sensitive data.
I tried setting up the HDD password in BIOS but after forgetting it, I
spent a week speaking to Dell UK support, (based in India), before
they were able to obtain my master password. I don't want to mess with
the BIOS again, so should I get some type of DOS based password
protection or is XP password screen secure enough? If I should get
other software, could you recommend any progs?

TIA


--

Batman

Ice-cream is a dish best served cold
.

Hi everyone, I have important data that I need to keep
secure, but I'm way too stupid to remember or otherwise
save a password. Can you help?

Answer: Probably not. Every time something is made idiot-
proof, the idiots get dumber.

 

[Jason Haynes]

Invest in a book on improving memory.

Hi everyone, I have important data that I need to keep
secure, but I'm way too stupid to remember or otherwise
save a password. Can you help?

Answer: Probably not. Every time something is made idiot-
proof, the idiots get dumber.

 

[Batman]

Invest in a book on improving memory.

Thank you for your useful, comprehensive reply. J take it your sole
function around here is to attack newbies to XP? I can see you
salivating now.

Now could someone address the issue of XP security at login?

Btw, seems like a friendly environment here.

 

[Wislu Plethora]

-----Original Message-----


A lot of idiots wouldn't even know what the BIOS is. And your
sarcastic, idiotic reply shows *you* are an idiot.


--

Batman

Ice-cream is a dish best served cold
.

I see--you're proud of yourself because you are an idiot
who read page 1 of the manual. Remember, Jacky, I'm not
the one who password-protected my computer and then had
to spend a week trying to fix my stupid blunder. You might
also take a moment to consider just how dumb your original
post really was. The BIOS password is *too* secure, but
you have data you need to protect, so you want to know if
the login password is "secure enough." Secure enough for
what? To keep your data secure, but allow you to crack the
password when you forget it again? And because about 98%
of humanity is smarter than you, all of them will
also be able to crack the password too. Did you think
about this AT ALL before you posted it?

 

[Scott M.]

Hey Batman,

We're not all as inconsiderate as the other people who replied to your
message.

Are you using WindowsXP home or Pro? Pro's CTRL+ALT+DELETE system is very
secure as long as you don't give out the password. And don't forget it
either, because you'll have a VERY difficult time getting to your data if
you do.

 

[Batman]

Hey Batman,

We're not all as inconsiderate as the other people who replied to your
message.

Thank you The only reason I forgot the BIOS password was because I
was under quite a lot of stress due to the illness of a family member.
I usually have no problems with passwords - I have to remember quite a
few at work, not to mention daily life - bank accounts etc. I don't
want to touch the BIOS again because of my experience with Dell. Once
you're locked out of the HDD, you have to send proof of ownership to
Dell and then they send you an unlocking password, whether you
remember the original password or not. You're locked out - period.

Are you using WindowsXP home or Pro? Pro's CTRL+ALT+DELETE system is very
secure as long as you don't give out the password. And don't forget it
either, because you'll have a VERY difficult time getting to your data if
you do.

I'm using the home version. And with the password hint etc. there is
no way I'll forget it Is the home login screen secure then? Or
should I get a DOS based program?

 

[CZ]

I have a Dell notebook, Inspiron 1500, which contains sensitive data.
I tried setting up the HDD password in BIOS but after forgetting it, I
spent a week speaking to Dell UK support, (based in India), before
they were able to obtain my master password. I don't want to mess with
the BIOS again, so should I get some type of DOS based password
protection or is XP password screen secure enough? If I should get
other software, could you recommend any progs?

Batman:

Use a system password on your Dell notebook that is the same as your Win XP
logon password.
Now, you will have to enter the same password twice every time you turn the
portable on:
Once at bootup.
Again at the Win logon screen.
(this is what I do on my Dell C400 portable)

IMO, be careful about using third party password schemes. If MS changes
something in the op system, you might encounter problems with the third
party scheme.
Much better than Win9x wherein all you had to do was press Esc key to bypass
the logon screen.
You cannot do that with an NT based op system such as Win XP. If all user
accts in XP have passwords, then you should not be able to get in without
knowing a password.
Alos, you should give Guest a password and leave it disabled.

Note that for good password security you need to control physical access to
your portable. A cracker can run code on a floppy to reset the
Administrators password to blank, and then login. I have done it as a test,
and it does work.
However, your system password should prevent use of the floppy (something a
BIOS password would not normally do).

 

[Alex Nichol]

Thank you The only reason I forgot the BIOS password was because I
was under quite a lot of stress due to the illness of a family member.
I usually have no problems with passwords - I have to remember quite a
few at work, not to mention daily life - bank accounts etc. I don't
want to touch the BIOS again because of my experience with Dell. Once
you're locked out of the HDD, you have to send proof of ownership to
Dell and then they send you an unlocking password, whether you
remember the original password or not. You're locked out - period.

Windows and BIOS passwords give very similar basic security, difficult
to unscramble and easy to forget. The difference is that if the BIOS
one is open then it is possible for people to boot some other system
from floppy - and from that find a way around the windows one, possibly
even removing it so they can then log on. So BIOS is better. Either
way you need to remember the password - and I would have it written down
and locked away somewhere secure where only you could get at it, in case
you forget it again.