Archived from groups: comp.sys.laptops (
More info?)
> > "Papa" <bikingis@my.fun> wrote:
> > > Well, judging from the comments in this thread, looks like setting
> > > up a BIOS password is one of the worst ideas a user can come up with.
> dg1261 wrote:
> > I lean towards Papa's view here. I'm no expert in this area, but I
> > suspect thieves don't check whether they can get into the BIOS setup
> > before stealing your laptop. And I haven't heard of any thief who has
> > returned a laptop after finding out it was password-protected.
> >
> > It's a nice idea, but the wrong problem. BIOS passwords should not be
> > about theft prevention, but about making it a little harder for the
> > average klutz to mess up his own computer. Thus, there should be a
> > semi-easy method of recovery, such as the battery-removal or
> > reset-jumper techniques used on desktops. Eliminating these options
> > in the name of "security" is the wrong solution to the wrong problem.
> > BIOS passwords do not keep your laptop from being stolen.
Notan <notan@ddress.com> wrote:
> It's not necessarily about laptop theft, but data theft.
>
> If someone steals your laptop, you're right... The chances of getting
> it back are slim, whether a password has been set, or not.
>
> But if a password's been set, at least they're not able to access data
> (This assumes that passwords, other than BIOSs have been set, and that
> the passwords can't be cleared from within the BIOS setup.)
Like I said, wrong answer to the wrong problem. Data protection can
be accomplished by encryption, file passwords, "private" folders, or
even a blunt tool like setting a HDD password. And those don't
involve chucking the whole laptop just because you forgot the
password. Using a BIOS password for data protection is just the wrong
tool for the job.
I don't doubt some thieves and hackers visit this newsgroup, but
invariably responses to requests for information liked the original
post take the arrogant attitude of "guilty until proven innocent."
There are many legitimate owners of second-hand laptops, but I'd bet
the majority of ownership changes are not officially registered with
the manufacturer. That's a process a lot of users are unaware of,
especially if they come from desktop backgrounds where forgetting a
password isn't fatal to the machine.