need help with' passwording' the pc

[Marcy]

Hi, I need to have a pc set up on our family pc. That way our kids can NOT
turn on the pc when they are not allowed to . We have 4 user accounts (1
for each) -
2 adminstrators and 2 limited (kids)
This is what I want:
When one turns on the pc for the first time during the day, I want it to
prompt for a password. I know that there is a way to do this but dont
remember. WHat are the instructions to do so. AND most importantly, how can
I go back to NOT having a PW if I choose to later.

 

[Jerry]

To control turning on the PC you will need to go into the BIOS and set a
password there. Your manual should tell you how to get to the BIOS, usually
accomplished by hitting the DEL key during system start, but it could vary.

 

[Ken Blake]

In

To control turning on the PC you will need to go into the BIOS
and
set a password there. Your manual should tell you how to get to
the
BIOS, usually accomplished by hitting the DEL key during system
start, but it could vary.

Be aware that getting around a BIOS password is very easy. It's a
good technique for keeping out the casual intruder--the curious
passerby--but it's useless against a determined invader. If
Matcy's kids are young, it's probably good enough. But if they
are teenagers, it's probably useless.


Read here: http://labmice.techtarget.com/articles/BIOS_hack.htm

 

[Andrew Murray]

If you want to lock them out of the computer at times, then

1) Set the BIOS password (press DEL to enter BIOS or whatever your m/board
equivalent is, and choose the "set password" option) to something only you
know that way the computer basically won't even boot into Windows. But
becareful not to lose that password - the reset process is not easy.

2) install a hard disk lock on the pc (older machines used to have them,
some how tied into the power button...don't know if that's possible
nowadays.

Then, using either method above, you can lock the kids out as necessary.

To undo the BIOS password, start the computer, enter the password, press DEL
to enter BIOS and cancel the setting from there, save the BIOS changes,
restart the PC and it should start as normal.