Manuals

Passwords and Security: Latitude LM

About Passwords | Primary Password | Administrator Password | Backing Up Your Password | Retrieving a Password From a Diskette | Physically Securing the Computer | Disabling the Serial and Parallel Ports

About Passwords

When you receive the computer, the password features are disabled to let you assign passwords. You can assign two types of passwords:

• A primary password, intended to be used by the individual computer user
• An administrator password, which overrides the primary password

CAUTION: Dell strongly recommends that you back up your password onto a diskette. If you forget the password and do not have it on diskette, you cannot access the computer. In that case, you must return the computer to Dell at your expense. Technicians will disable the password feature and send the computer back to you at your expense.

If a password has been assigned, you must enter the password to access the Setup program. You can also enable the Password On Boot option in the Security menu of the Setup program to protect the computer from being started from a bootable diskette that bypasses programs that normally run.

When prompted for a password, type either the primary or administrator password. However, you must type the administrator password to change the Admin Password option in the Security menu of the Setup program.

CAUTION: The password features provide a high level of data security. However, they are not foolproof. If your data requires more security, it is your responsibility to obtain and use additional forms of protection, such as data encryption programs or PC Cards with encryption features.

Primary Password

To assign a primary password:

1. Boot the computer. When prompted, press <F2> to enter the Setup program.
2. Open the Security menu.
3. Select the Admin Password option and press <Enter>.
4. Type a password of at least 3 characters, and press <Enter>. You can use up to 7 characters (including spaces) in your password. The computer makes no distinction between lowercase or uppercase letters. As you enter each character of your password, a placeholder appears in the field. To erase a character when typing your password, press <Backspace>. After you enter your password, a dialog box appears prompting you to reenter your password to confirm it.
5. Type your password again and press <Enter>.
6. Select the Primary Password option and press <Enter>.
7. Type a password of at least 3 characters, and press <Enter>. For individual users, Dell recommends that the primary password and the administrator password be the same.
8. Select the Backup Password option to back up both passwords.
9. To protect the computer from being started from a bootable diskette that bypasses programs that normally run, enable the Password On Boot option.
10. Press <Right Arrow> twice to open the Exit menu. Select Save Changes And Exit, and press <Enter> twice to reboot the computer.

To change or disable a primary password:

1. Boot the computer. When prompted, press <F2> to enter the Setup program.
2. Press <Enter> twice to open the Security menu.
3. Select the Primary Password option and press <Enter>.
   To change a primary password: Type in the new password and press <Enter>.
   When prompted, type the new password again to confirm it and press <Enter>.
   To disable a primary password: Press <Enter>.
   When asked to confirm, press <Enter> twice more.
4. If you want to assign a new password, type in the password and press <Enter>. When prompted, verify the password and press <Enter>.
5. If you changed the password, select the Backup Password option to store the password on a diskette.
6. Press <Enter> twice to open the Exit Menu. Select Save Changes and Exit, and press <Enter> twice to reboot the computer.

Administrator Password

The administrator password is designed to give system administrators or service technicians in large companies access to computers for repair or reconfiguration. These administrators or technicians can assign identical administrator passwords to groups of computers as they are unpacked and configured, leaving the primary password to be assigned by the user.

The administrator password overrides the primary password. To assign an administrator password:

1. Boot the computer. When prompted, press <F2> to enter the Setup program.
2. Press the right-arrow key twice to open the Security menu.
3. Select the Admin Password option and press <Enter>.
4. Type a password of at least 3 characters and press <Enter>. You can use up to 7 characters (including spaces) in your password. The computer makes no distinction between lowercase or uppercase letters. As you enter each character of your password, a placeholder appears in the field. To erase a character when typing your password, press <Enter>. After you enter your password, a dialog box appears prompting you to reenter your password to confirm it.
5. Type your password again and press <Enter>.
6. Select the Backup Password option to store the password on diskette.
7. Press the right-arrow key twice to open the Exit Menu. Select Save Changes and Exit, and press <Enter> twice to reboot the computer.

Disabling the administrator password also disables the primary password. To change or disable the administrator password:

1. Boot the computer. When prompted, enter the administrator password to enter the Setup program. If you enter the user password, the Admin Password option does not appear on the Security menu.
2. Open the Security menu.
3. Select the Admin Password option and press <Enter>.
   To change an administrator password: Type in the new password and press <Enter>.
   When prompted, type the new password again to confirm it and press <Enter>.
   To disable an administrator password: Press <Enter>.
   When prompted, type the new password again to confirm it and press <Enter>.
4. If you changed the password, select the Backup Password option to store the password on a diskette.
5. Press the right-arrow key twice to open the Exit Menu. Select Save Changes and Exit, and press <Enter> twice to reboot the computer.

Backing Up Your Password

If your password is backed up on a diskette, you can use the diskette to retrieve a forgotten password.

To back up a password:

1. Make sure there is a diskette drive in the options bay or connected to the parallel port.
2. Boot the computer. When prompted, enter the administrator password to enter the Setup program.
3. Open the Security menu.
4. Insert a blank, formatted diskette into the diskette drive.
5. Select the Backup Password option and press <Enter>. When the password has been backed up, the computer beeps once. A message on the display notifies you that the password has been saved.
6. Remove the diskette and store it in a safe place. If you forget your password, use the diskette to access the computer.
7. Press the right-arrow key twice to open the Exit Menu. Select Save Changes and Exit, and press <Enter> twice to reboot the computer.

Retrieving a Password From a Diskette

To retrieve a password from a diskette:

1. Make sure there is a diskette drive in the options bay or attached to the parallel port.
2. Boot the computer.
3. When prompted for a password, insert the backup diskette into the diskette drive.
4. Type floppy and press <Enter>.

If you assign new passwords, back them up to a diskette.

Physically Securing the Computer

Security Cable Slot

To prevent unauthorized removal of the computer, use a security cable to attach the computer to an immovable object.

The security cable slot lets you attach a commercially available antitheft device to the computer. Antitheft devices for portable computers usually include a segment of metal-stranded cable with an attached locking device and associated key. Complete instructions for installing this kind of antitheft device are usually included with the device.

To prevent unauthorized removal of the computer, loop the cable around an immovable object, insert the locking device into the security cable slot, and lock the device.

NOTE: Antitheft devices are of differing designs. Before purchasing such a device, make sure it will work with the security cable slot in the computer.

Disabling the Serial and Parallel Ports

You can disable the serial port to prevent unauthorized access to the computer through an external serial device. To disable the serial port, set the Serial Port option to Disabled in the Peripherals menu of the Setup program.

You can disable the parallel port to prevent unauthorized access to the computer through an external parallel device. To disable the parallel port, set the Parallel Mode option to Disabled in the Peripherals menu of the Setup program.

Disabling either port also prevents the unauthorized download of data from that port.