Setting Up a BIOS Supervisor Password on Windows XP

Setting Up a BIOS Supervisor Password on Windows XP

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Setting Up a BIOS Supervisor Password on Windows XP By: BlackAce227

When I first started to experiment with Windows XP security, mainly extracting the SAM file and cracking it etc. I was appalled. I already knew that Windows XP security was lacking, but I didn\'t realize how bad it actually was.  The only way to get by this is by having a really good password or switch to Linux. Mine would take 1 year to crack, I tried it.  But for the most part, users of XP make their passwords their favorite food, some obscene gesture, their name, etc. but this does not protect them from, lets say, a 306,382 word list that comes bundled with Cain and Abel.  This is why I am going to teach you how to make an extra line of defense that will make your system a little harder to be exploited.  Not to mention it looks kinda  cool.  Note: Like all passwords, they can be found, their hash cracked, and used without your knowledge.  This article only makes an attacker have to find and crack yet another password and hopefully discourage a hacker and make him want to go for an easier target.  But lets be honest, if someone wants to get into your computer and there good, they WILL get in.  This just makes it take a little longer.  

For newbies to computers in general, the BIOS of your computer is the Basic Input Output System. Anyway first things first.  We want to get to the BIOS setup.  For all of you knew to computers, this means you are going to have to restart your computer.  I suggest if you can\'t remember all of this to print out this guide for your personal reference.  Once you have restarted your computer, immediately press F2. It\'s F2 on my computer, and many others I imagine, but experience tells me it is not the same for all computers.  Just keep restarting your computer and keep pressing different F keys until you find the one that gets you to the BIOS setup.  Once you get to the BIOS screen go to the Security section.  Then you will see the Change supervisor password.  Hit enter and you will get to enter a password and confirm it.  After you have set a password scroll down.  You should see User Access.  Set the user access to No Access.  Then Scroll down and it should say Password Check.  Set the Password check to Always.  Then, if you have it, you can enable the Boot Sector Virus Protection under that if you wish too even though it has no impact on this article.  Now every time you start your computer, you will have to enter the password you just made on top of the password you may set for Windows XP.

This should help give you a little bit more security than by just having your Windows XP password alone.  If you forget your BIOS password, there are programs for recovering them.  This is what a hacker uses as well to recover your program so make sure you set a good password.  I hope this article helped you in at least some of your security needs.    

THANKS FOR READING!! BLACKACE227