Youdonothavetosetanypasswordstouseyourcomputer.However,usingpasswordsimproves
computingsecurity.Ifyoudecidetosetanypasswords,readthefollowingsections.
Passwordconsiderations
Apasswordcanbeanycombinationofupto64alphabeticandnumericcharacters.Forsecurityreasons,it
isrecommendedtouseastrongpasswordthatcannotbeeasilycompromised.Tosetastrongpassword,
usethefollowingguidelines:
•Haveatleasteightcharactersinlength
•Containatleastonealphabeticcharacterandonenumericcharacter
•SetupUtilityprogramandharddiskdrivepasswordsarenotcasesensitive
•Notbeyournameoryourusername
•Notbeacommonwordoracommonname
•Besignificantlydifferentfromyourpreviouspasswords
Power-OnPassword
WhenaPower-OnPasswordisset,youarepromptedtotypeavalidpasswordeachtimethecomputeris
turnedon.Thecomputercannotbeuseduntilthevalidpasswordistypedin.
AdministratorPassword
SettinganAdministratorPassworddetersunauthorizedusersfromchangingconfigurationsettings.Ifyou
areresponsibleformaintainingtheconfigurationsettingsofseveralcomputers,youmightwanttosetan
AdministratorPassword.
WhenanAdministratorPasswordisset,youarepromptedtotypeavalidpasswordeachtimeyoutryto
accesstheSetupUtilityprogram.TheSetupUtilityprogramcannotbeaccesseduntilavalidpassword
istypedin.
IfboththePower-OnPasswordandAdministratorPasswordareset,youcantypeeitherpassword.However,
youmustuseyourAdministratorPasswordtochangeanyconfigurationsettings.
HardDiskPassword
SettingaHardDiskPasswordpreventsunauthorizedaccesstothedataontheharddiskdrive.Whena
HardDiskPasswordisset,youarepromptedtotypeavalidpasswordeachtimeyoutrytoaccessthe
harddiskdrive.
Notes:
•AfteryousetaHardDiskPassword,yourdataontheharddiskdriveisprotectedeveniftheharddisk
driveisremovedfromonecomputerandinstalledinanother.
•IftheHardDiskPasswordisforgotten,thereisnowaytoresetthepasswordorrecoverdatafromthe
harddiskdrive.
Setting,changing,anddeletingapassword
Toset,change,ordeleteapassword,dothefollowing:
1.StarttheSetupUtilityprogram.See“StartingtheSetupUtilityprogram”onpage93.
2.FromtheSetupUtilityprogrammainmenu,selectSecurity.
3.Dependingonthepasswordtype,selectSetPower-OnPassword,SetAdministratorPassword,or
HardDiskPassword.
94ThinkCentreM73UserGuide