Compaq 1610 Reference Manual page 77

For maximum security, you can set three different kinds of
passwords on your C-Series. All passwords are set through the
Control Panel. The login password and password reminder are set
in the Passwords application. The administrator password is set in
the Flash Memory Manager application.
The passwords are not case-sensitive; however, any
punctuation used when setting the passwords must also be used
when subsequently entering the passwords in order for the
passwords to be recognized.
To set your login password, follow these steps:
1. On your handheld device, tap Start Settings Control
Panel. Double-tap the Password icon.
2. In the Password box, type your login password (up to forty
characters). Asterisks will appear as you type.
3. Tap the Check Password box to verify the password and gain
access to the other password fields.
4. Enable the login password by checking the Enable Power On
Security box. This causes a password prompt to appear each
time you turn on the device.
5. Save your new settings by tapping OK.
Your login password is now set. The login password screen will
appear each time your turn on your device, provided you have not
enabled the password delay feature. For more on this, see "Setting
the Password Delay Feature" at the end of this section.