Personal Computer User Manual
•AdministratorPassword
•HardDiskPassword
Youdonothavetosetanypasswordstouseyourcomputer.However,usingpasswordsimproves
computingsecurity.Ifyoudecidetosetanypasswords,readthefollowingsections.
Passwordconsiderations
Apasswordcanbeanycombinationofupto64alphabeticandnumericcharacters.Forsecurityreasons,it
isrecommendedtouseastrongpasswordthatcannotbeeasilycompromised.Tosetastrongpassword,
usethefollowingguidelines:
•Haveatleasteightcharactersinlength
•Containatleastonealphabeticcharacterandonenumericcharacter
•SetupUtilityprogramandharddiskpasswordsarenotcasesensitive
•Notbeyournameoryourusername
•Notbeacommonwordoracommonname
•Besignicantlydifferentfromyourpreviouspasswords
Power-onpassword
Whenapower-onpasswordisset,youarepromptedtotypeavalidpasswordeachtimethecomputeris
turnedon.Thecomputercannotbeuseduntilthevalidpasswordistypedin.
Administratorpassword
Settinganadministratorpassworddetersunauthorizedusersfromchangingcongurationsettings.Ifyou
areresponsibleformaintainingthecongurationsettingsofseveralcomputers,youmightwanttosetan
AdministratorPassword.
Whenanadministratorpasswordisset,youarepromptedtotypeavalidpasswordeachtimeyoutryto
accesstheSetupUtilityprogram.TheSetupUtilityprogramcannotbeaccesseduntilavalidpassword
istypedin.
Ifboththepower-onpasswordandadministratorpasswordareset,youcantypeeitherpassword.However,
youmustuseyouradministratorpasswordtochangeanycongurationsettings.
Setting,changing,anddeletingapassword
Toset,change,ordeleteapassword,dothefollowing:
1.StarttheSetupUtilityprogram.See“StartingtheSetupUtilityprogram”onpage55.
2.FromtheSetupUtilityprogrammainmenu,selectSecurity.
3.Dependingonthepasswordtype,selectSetPower-OnPassword,SetAdministratorPassword,or
HardDiskPassword.
4.Followtheinstructionsontherightsideofthescreentoset,change,ordeleteapassword.
Note:Apasswordcanbeanycombinationofupto64alphabeticandnumericcharacters.Formore
information,see“Passwordconsiderations”onpage56.
Erasinglostorforgottenpasswords(clearingCMOS)
Thissectionprovidesinstructionsonhowtoeraselostorforgottenpasswords,suchasauserpassword.
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