Hi

I have got a DELL Inspiron 600m Windows XP laptop. When I first configured/ started it, I was not asked to put a password. (Maybe I sidestepped it, I do not remember it exactly). The only password I have is for McAfee security to access internet. Now, is it possible for me to protect my laptop with password?

When a system is booted, a couple of function keys are presented as options for something but I am not sure. So, could anyone help me? Any other security advice would be much appreciated.

Thanks in advance.

If you can, post EXACTLY what your error messages are-- write them down if you must. That will help us further in figuring out your issue.

There is no error and hence, no error message. I can use my laptop without any problem. I wanted to know how to go about protecting it with a password. What's the way to do it? If you have further questions, please let me know. Thanks.

Are you wanting to add a password to your Windows login so that Windows asks you for a password or are you wanting to add a password to your BIOS so that your system won't even startup without the password?

I am looking to add BIOS password.
How's Windows password useful? Maybe you can tell me about that as well. Thanks.

Since you have a Dell, it may not be the best thing to set a BIOS password. If you ever lose that password, you have to have either replace the chip that handles passwords or have it professionally repaired. In other words, I suggest that you just put a password on all the user accounts on your system and force a log in each time Windows is started or comes out of a standby state.

In order to set a user password, click Start, select Control Panel, and select User Accounts. From there you can select a current account and change the password. If your system automatically logs you in each time the computer starts, simply click Start, select Log Off, and click Log Off from the pop-up. From that point forward, you will need to use your password to access the system.

The Windows password will completely prevent someone from gaining access into your system but will deter people who do not want to use special tools and some time to gain that access. It will also give you the ability to reinstall Windows or use special tools to reset your password if you ever have problems accessing Windows.

If you simply must set a BIOS password, know that if you lose it, you lose access to your machine until you drop $50-$200 to fix it. In order to set a BIOS password, you must first load your BIOS configuration. You load the configuration by pressing a key or combination of keys during the POST (Power-On Self-Test). The key you press varies but is usually Del, F2, or F8. If you look at the information displayed during the POST, you will see that it tells you what key to use (if you only see a power-on splash screen, press escape to remove that screen and show the POST information). Once you access the BIOS configuration, it is fairly easy to figure out how to set the password.