Restricting access to your computer

When a computer boots up, it goes through several steps. The first is hardware initialization through the BIOS (Basic Input/Output System), when the computer receives basic instructions about how its hardware should function and where the Operating System is located.

During this step, you can also set up a user password that can be used to prevent the computer from loading the OS until the correct password is supplied. The procedure for creating a user password varies from vendor to vendor, but generally one of the following keys will enable you to access the BIOS menu: Del, F2, or F12. Consult your computer’s user manual for how to access the BIOS and change the user password.

Protecting your computer at the BIOS level is a great idea for laptop users – it prevents unauthorized use of the machine when it is left unattended. BIOS passwords can be overridden with relative ease, but it will give a potential data thief pause for thought. Anything that makes theft more difficult may be a sufficient deterrent.