Dell W32C Owner's Manual page 163

Table 36. System setup options—Passwords menu (continued)
Passwords
System Password
Hard Drive Password
Owner Password
● The administrator password can be used in place of the system and/or
internal hard drive passwords.
● When set, the administrator password must be provided during a firmware
update.
● Clearing the administrator password also clears the system password (if set).
Dell Technologies recommends using an administrator password to prevent
unauthorized changes to BIOS setup options.
The System Password prevents the system from booting to an operating system
without entering the correct password.
The following rules and dependencies apply when the System Password is used -
● The computer shuts down when idle for approximately 10 minutes at the
system password prompt.
● The computer shuts down after three incorrect attempts to enter the system
password.
● The computer shuts down when the Esc key is pressed at the System
Password prompt.
● The system password is not prompted when the computer resumes from
standby mode.
Dell Technologies recommends using the system password in situations where it
is likely that a system may be lost or stolen.
The Hard Drive Password can be set to prevent unauthorized access of the data
stored on the hard drive. The computer prompts for the hard drive password
during boot in order to unlock the drive. A password secured hard drive stays
locked even when removed from the computer or placed into another computer.
It prevents an attacker from accessing data on the drive without authorization.
The following rules and dependencies apply when the Hard Drive Password is
used -
● The hard drive password option cannot be accessed when a hard drive is
disabled in the BIOS setup.
● The computer shuts down when idle for approximately 10 minutes at the hard
drive password prompt.
● The computer shuts down after three incorrect attempts to enter the hard
drive password and treats the hard drive as not available.
● The hard drive does not accept password unlock attempts after five incorrect
attempts to enter the hard drive password from the BIOS Setup. The hard
drive password must be reset for the new password unlock attempts.
● The computer treats the hard drive as not available when the Esc key is
pressed at the hard drive password prompt.
● The hard drive password is not prompted when the computer resumes from
standby mode. When the hard drive is unlocked by the user before the
computer goes into standby mode, it remains unlocked after the computer
resumes from standby mode.
● If the system and hard drive passwords are set to the same value, the hard
drive unlocks after the correct system password is entered.
Dell Technologies recommends using a hard drive password to protect
unauthorized data access.
The Owner Password is typically used when a system is loaned or leased, and the
end user sets their own system or hard drive password. The Owner Password
can provide override access to unlock the system when it is returned. The Owner
Password cannot be set via BIOS Setup. System lessors are given a tool which
enables them to configure the Owner Password.
The following rules and dependencies apply when the Owner Password is used -
BIOS setup 163