Must we trash an excellent laptop?

[Guest]

Archived from groups: comp.sys.laptops (More info?)

Barry, one question;

If a thief wasn't interested in your data, however, you STILL had a pw on
the hd, could he magnetically/electrically wipe the drive clean, thus
removing the pw/data and make the hd useable??? Is there some other
software that would erase/format/low level etc/ the drive so, again, it
could at LEAST be used?

Thanks
Don

"Barry Watzman" <WatzmanNOSPAM@neo.rr.com> wrote in message
news:410FADED.9040804@neo.rr.com...

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: comp.sys.laptops (More info?)

> M-Techwrote:
If a thief wasn't interested in your data, however, you STILL had a
pw on the hd, could he magnetically/electrically wipe the drive
clean, thus removing the pw/data and make the hd useable??? Is there
some other software that would erase/format/low level etc/ the drive
so, again, it could at LEAST be used?
No, the PW is not stored on the HD media, it's written to an EEPROM on
the drive's circuit board and without it the HD is toast.

The security is good enough to prevent a casual thief from accessing
the data on the HD, although certainly a tech could access it with a
few hours of sweat and some specialized equipment.

Same goes for the supervisor level of PW (NOT the power on PW), it can
also be circumvented. But it's beyond the capabilities of a casual
thief.

The fact remains that the three levels of PW on my Thinkpads (power
on, supervisor, HD) ensure that if they are lost or stolen they will
be of little more use to a casual thief than a paperweight.

==============
Posted through www.HowToFixComputers.com/bb - free access to hardware troubleshooting newsgroups.

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: comp.sys.laptops (More info?)

M-Tech wrote:
>
> You think a laptop thief can't access your data if he/she wants??? I'll bet
> any "pro" can circumvent the bios pw in about 3 minutes and pull data off
> your hd in about 5. The only "protection" you have with ANY pw is when it's
> viewed by unauthorized people while it's in your proper. If it leaves your
> domain, the data is history.

If the harddrive password's been set, it'll take more than even the
above-average
user's knowledge to get data from the disk.

Notan

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: comp.sys.laptops (More info?)

Could be. But what laptop thief would want "data"? I mean if someone
steals your laptop for the data only, I'll bet they are in that
"above-average" group you're talking about.

Now what WOULD work in laptop stealing protection is a picture of Whoopie
Goldberg on the cover of each unit

Don

"Notan" <notan@ddress.com> wrote in message
news:41118BA1.FF7B0E8B@ddress.com...
> M-Tech wrote:
> >
> > You think a laptop thief can't access your data if he/she wants??? I'll
bet
> > any "pro" can circumvent the bios pw in about 3 minutes and pull data
off
> > your hd in about 5. The only "protection" you have with ANY pw is when
it's
> > viewed by unauthorized people while it's in your proper. If it leaves
your
> > domain, the data is history.
>
> If the harddrive password's been set, it'll take more than even the
> above-average
> user's knowledge to get data from the disk.
>
> Notan

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: comp.sys.laptops (More info?)

Re: "You think a laptop thief can't access your data if he/she wants???"

The whole point is, they don't want to. What they want is to sell the
laptop for the $300 to $1,200 that it will fetch. The thief normally
could care less about the data.

However, if the hard drive has a password, the data is unlikely to ever
be seen by anyone, or to ever be used again. It's virtually a "self
destruct" mechanism. You clearly don't understand how the hard drive
passwords work. They make the hard drive inaccessible completely, even
on another machine. They are not even detected by the BIOS.

Also, your view of the ease of defeating bios passwords is overly
simplistic, in my opinion. While the difficulty varies, it will stop
more than 90% of people who are not specifically trained in the
particular model of laptop under consideration.


M-Tech wrote:

> You think a laptop thief can't access your data if he/she wants??? I'll bet
> any "pro" can circumvent the bios pw in about 3 minutes and pull data off
> your hd in about 5. The only "protection" you have with ANY pw is when it's
> viewed by unauthorized people while it's in your proper. If it leaves your
> domain, the data is history.
>
> The ONLY protection is removing the hd and taking it with you if it's your
> data you're worried about. As far as "making a doorstop" out of it just
> because you have a bios pw enabled, that's bunk.
>
> Thats like saying no will will write a new virus after MS does a new
> security patch.
>
> Don
>
> "JHEM" <James@ESAD_SPAMMERS.thinkpads.com> wrote in message
> news:%OsPc.14476$UN2.3599@nwrddc02.gnilink.net...
>
>>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.
>>
>>Only if you're not concerned with protecting your data!
>>
>>If _YOU_ haven't set power on and BIOS (supervisor) passwords on your
>>laptop, then _anyone_ who has access to it can do so without your
>
> knowledge.
>
>>Plus, if you are so unlucky as to have your laptop stolen, you can at
>
> least
>
>>take some measure of comfort from the fact that it will be little more
>
> than
>
>>a doorstop to the thief!
>>
>>--
>>Regards,
>>
>>James
>>
>>Checkout the NEW Thinkpad Forums: http/forum.thinkpads.com
>>
>>
>>
>
>
>

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: comp.sys.laptops (More info?)

Understood. That's why I said, "if he/she WANTS(the data)". I FULLY
realize that 90% of laptop thiefs don't even CARE about your data. That was
the point I was making.

No doubt, I know NOTHING about hd pw protection on laptops. In fact, until
reading YOUR post, I now understand that ONLY ibm offers it???? I wonder
what precentage of users of laptops actually have that option? Do you
think, as the option gets offered in more and more laptops, that some "way "
of stealing the data may emerge?

And "my way" of defeating the bios protection, while simplistic, in THIS
example worked

My ONLY point is, pws will never be an effective measure to prevent or deter
laptop theft. Even if it is used as doorstop...it's still stolen. They may
prevent data theft, but to my point, laptop thieves don't care about data.

Don


"Barry Watzman" <WatzmanNOSPAM@neo.rr.com> wrote in message
news:41119525.60708@neo.rr.com...
> Re: "You think a laptop thief can't access your data if he/she wants???"
>
> The whole point is, they don't want to. What they want is to sell the
> laptop for the $300 to $1,200 that it will fetch. The thief normally
> could care less about the data.
>
> However, if the hard drive has a password, the data is unlikely to ever
> be seen by anyone, or to ever be used again. It's virtually a "self
> destruct" mechanism. You clearly don't understand how the hard drive
> passwords work. They make the hard drive inaccessible completely, even
> on another machine. They are not even detected by the BIOS.
>
> Also, your view of the ease of defeating bios passwords is overly
> simplistic, in my opinion. While the difficulty varies, it will stop
> more than 90% of people who are not specifically trained in the
> particular model of laptop under consideration.
>
>
> M-Tech wrote:
>
> > You think a laptop thief can't access your data if he/she wants??? I'll
bet
> > any "pro" can circumvent the bios pw in about 3 minutes and pull data
off
> > your hd in about 5. The only "protection" you have with ANY pw is when
it's
> > viewed by unauthorized people while it's in your proper. If it leaves
your
> > domain, the data is history.
> >
> > The ONLY protection is removing the hd and taking it with you if it's
your
> > data you're worried about. As far as "making a doorstop" out of it just
> > because you have a bios pw enabled, that's bunk.
> >
> > Thats like saying no will will write a new virus after MS does a new
> > security patch.
> >
> > Don
> >
> > "JHEM" <James@ESAD_SPAMMERS.thinkpads.com> wrote in message
> > news:%OsPc.14476$UN2.3599@nwrddc02.gnilink.net...
> >
> >>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.
> >>
> >>Only if you're not concerned with protecting your data!
> >>
> >>If _YOU_ haven't set power on and BIOS (supervisor) passwords on your
> >>laptop, then _anyone_ who has access to it can do so without your
> >
> > knowledge.
> >
> >>Plus, if you are so unlucky as to have your laptop stolen, you can at
> >
> > least
> >
> >>take some measure of comfort from the fact that it will be little more
> >
> > than
> >
> >>a doorstop to the thief!
> >>
> >>--
> >>Regards,
> >>
> >>James
> >>
> >>Checkout the NEW Thinkpad Forums: http/forum.thinkpads.com
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >
> >
> >
>

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: comp.sys.laptops (More info?)

M-Tech wrote:
>
> Understood. That's why I said, "if he/she WANTS(the data)". I FULLY
> realize that 90% of laptop thiefs don't even CARE about your data. That was
> the point I was making.
>
> No doubt, I know NOTHING about hd pw protection on laptops. In fact, until
> reading YOUR post, I now understand that ONLY ibm offers it????
>
> <snip>

Nope. Got it on my Dells.

Notan

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: comp.sys.laptops (More info?)

Well then Barry is right. There is a lot of bull being thrown around

Progress I guess. Maybe he meant IBM HD'S???

Barry wrote;
" Note, not all hard drives even support this feature, and most laptops
don't support it (the noteable exception is that it is supported on IBM
laptops).

One thing is for sure. If the hd pw becomes standard on all laptops,
SOMEONE will find a cheap way around it

Don

"Notan" <notan@ddress.com> wrote in message
news:4111989D.8E440DE4@ddress.com...
> M-Tech wrote:
> >
> > Understood. That's why I said, "if he/she WANTS(the data)". I FULLY
> > realize that 90% of laptop thiefs don't even CARE about your data. That
was
> > the point I was making.
> >
> > No doubt, I know NOTHING about hd pw protection on laptops. In fact,
until
> > reading YOUR post, I now understand that ONLY ibm offers it????
> >
> > <snip>
>
> Nope. Got it on my Dells.
>
> Notan

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: comp.sys.laptops (More info?)

It's not true that only IBM offers the hard drive password, but it is
true that the option is not present on most other major brands (it's not
present on any of the Toshiba Satellite models that I often work with,
as far as I know). Even on IBM, you must explicitly turn it on,
separate and distinct from the BIOS or even setup password.

I believe that it's not widely offered because, if the password is
forgotten (it's not a separate password, from what I've seen), it's
essentially a "hard drive self-destruct mechanism". The BIOS password
can be reset, but the hard drive password is all but un-circumventable.
Most people don't turn it on (fortunately). But IBM is a big part of
the laptop market, so even by themselves, it's significant. And they
are not the only ones who offer it. [Interestingly, since IBM uses
non-IBM hard drives, and a variety of them, I do believe that the
password feature exists in almost all 2.5" IDE hard drives, but that
most laptop BIOS' and setup programs don't have the ability to actually
use it.]




M-Tech wrote:

> Understood. That's why I said, "if he/she WANTS(the data)". I FULLY
> realize that 90% of laptop thiefs don't even CARE about your data. That was
> the point I was making.
>
> No doubt, I know NOTHING about hd pw protection on laptops. In fact, until
> reading YOUR post, I now understand that ONLY ibm offers it???? I wonder
> what precentage of users of laptops actually have that option? Do you
> think, as the option gets offered in more and more laptops, that some "way "
> of stealing the data may emerge?
>
> And "my way" of defeating the bios protection, while simplistic, in THIS
> example worked
>
> My ONLY point is, pws will never be an effective measure to prevent or deter
> laptop theft. Even if it is used as doorstop...it's still stolen. They may
> prevent data theft, but to my point, laptop thieves don't care about data.
>
> Don
>
>
> "Barry Watzman" <WatzmanNOSPAM@neo.rr.com> wrote in message
> news:41119525.60708@neo.rr.com...
>
>>Re: "You think a laptop thief can't access your data if he/she wants???"
>>
>>The whole point is, they don't want to. What they want is to sell the
>>laptop for the $300 to $1,200 that it will fetch. The thief normally
>>could care less about the data.
>>
>>However, if the hard drive has a password, the data is unlikely to ever
>>be seen by anyone, or to ever be used again. It's virtually a "self
>>destruct" mechanism. You clearly don't understand how the hard drive
>>passwords work. They make the hard drive inaccessible completely, even
>>on another machine. They are not even detected by the BIOS.
>>
>>Also, your view of the ease of defeating bios passwords is overly
>>simplistic, in my opinion. While the difficulty varies, it will stop
>>more than 90% of people who are not specifically trained in the
>>particular model of laptop under consideration.
>>
>>
>>M-Tech wrote:
>>
>>
>>>You think a laptop thief can't access your data if he/she wants??? I'll
>
> bet
>
>>>any "pro" can circumvent the bios pw in about 3 minutes and pull data
>
> off
>
>>>your hd in about 5. The only "protection" you have with ANY pw is when
>
> it's
>
>>>viewed by unauthorized people while it's in your proper. If it leaves
>
> your
>
>>>domain, the data is history.
>>>
>>>The ONLY protection is removing the hd and taking it with you if it's
>
> your
>
>>>data you're worried about. As far as "making a doorstop" out of it just
>>>because you have a bios pw enabled, that's bunk.
>>>
>>>Thats like saying no will will write a new virus after MS does a new
>>>security patch.
>>>
>>>Don
>>>
>>>"JHEM" <James@ESAD_SPAMMERS.thinkpads.com> wrote in message
>>>news:%OsPc.14476$UN2.3599@nwrddc02.gnilink.net...
>>>
>>>
>>>>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.
>>>>
>>>>Only if you're not concerned with protecting your data!
>>>>
>>>>If _YOU_ haven't set power on and BIOS (supervisor) passwords on your
>>>>laptop, then _anyone_ who has access to it can do so without your
>>>
>>>knowledge.
>>>
>>>
>>>>Plus, if you are so unlucky as to have your laptop stolen, you can at
>>>
>>>least
>>>
>>>
>>>>take some measure of comfort from the fact that it will be little more
>>>
>>>than
>>>
>>>
>>>>a doorstop to the thief!
>>>>
>>>>--
>>>>Regards,
>>>>
>>>>James
>>>>
>>>>Checkout the NEW Thinkpad Forums: http/forum.thinkpads.com
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>
>

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: comp.sys.laptops (More info?)

No, I never said that it was only on IBM laptops. That's where I've
seen it most commonly, but it's not an IBM-exclusive feature. I didn't
know that Dell had it, I've not seen it on the Dell models that I've
worked on. But those were consumer models, and this is a feature that
is clearly aimed at corporate and governement markets, and not at the
consumer or retail market.


M-Tech wrote:

> Well then Barry is right. There is a lot of bull being thrown around
>
> Progress I guess. Maybe he meant IBM HD'S???
>
> Barry wrote;
> " Note, not all hard drives even support this feature, and most laptops
> don't support it (the noteable exception is that it is supported on IBM
> laptops).
>
> One thing is for sure. If the hd pw becomes standard on all laptops,
> SOMEONE will find a cheap way around it
>
> Don
>
> "Notan" <notan@ddress.com> wrote in message
> news:4111989D.8E440DE4@ddress.com...
>
>>M-Tech wrote:
>>
>>>Understood. That's why I said, "if he/she WANTS(the data)". I FULLY
>>>realize that 90% of laptop thiefs don't even CARE about your data. That
>
> was
>
>>>the point I was making.
>>>
>>>No doubt, I know NOTHING about hd pw protection on laptops. In fact,
>
> until
>
>>>reading YOUR post, I now understand that ONLY ibm offers it????
>>>
>>><snip>
>>
>>Nope. Got it on my Dells.
>>
>>Notan
>
>
>

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: comp.sys.laptops (More info?)

Barry Watzman wrote:
>
> No, I never said that it was only on IBM laptops. That's where I've
> seen it most commonly, but it's not an IBM-exclusive feature. I didn't
> know that Dell had it, I've not seen it on the Dell models that I've
> worked on. But those were consumer models, and this is a feature that
> is clearly aimed at corporate and governement markets, and not at the
> consumer or retail market.

Latitudes.

Notan

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: comp.sys.laptops (More info?)

The folks I know with really sensitive data use a form of PGP encryption to
encrpyt specfic folders or disk partitions. This is definitely not a theft
deterant, but is pretty good prevention for anyone except a VERY serious
hacker/snoop from ever seeing your data.



"Barry Watzman" <WatzmanNOSPAM@neo.rr.com> wrote in message
news:41119A87.8070502@neo.rr.com...
> It's not true that only IBM offers the hard drive password, but it is
> true that the option is not present on most other major brands (it's not
> present on any of the Toshiba Satellite models that I often work with,
> as far as I know). Even on IBM, you must explicitly turn it on,
> separate and distinct from the BIOS or even setup password.
>
> I believe that it's not widely offered because, if the password is
> forgotten (it's not a separate password, from what I've seen), it's
> essentially a "hard drive self-destruct mechanism". The BIOS password
> can be reset, but the hard drive password is all but un-circumventable.
> Most people don't turn it on (fortunately). But IBM is a big part of
> the laptop market, so even by themselves, it's significant. And they
> are not the only ones who offer it. [Interestingly, since IBM uses
> non-IBM hard drives, and a variety of them, I do believe that the
> password feature exists in almost all 2.5" IDE hard drives, but that
> most laptop BIOS' and setup programs don't have the ability to actually
> use it.]
>
>
>
>
> M-Tech wrote:
>
> > Understood. That's why I said, "if he/she WANTS(the data)". I FULLY
> > realize that 90% of laptop thiefs don't even CARE about your data. That
was
> > the point I was making.
> >
> > No doubt, I know NOTHING about hd pw protection on laptops. In fact,
until
> > reading YOUR post, I now understand that ONLY ibm offers it???? I
wonder
> > what precentage of users of laptops actually have that option? Do you
> > think, as the option gets offered in more and more laptops, that some
"way "
> > of stealing the data may emerge?
> >
> > And "my way" of defeating the bios protection, while simplistic, in THIS
> > example worked
> >
> > My ONLY point is, pws will never be an effective measure to prevent or
deter
> > laptop theft. Even if it is used as doorstop...it's still stolen. They
may
> > prevent data theft, but to my point, laptop thieves don't care about
data.
> >
> > Don
> >
> >
> > "Barry Watzman" <WatzmanNOSPAM@neo.rr.com> wrote in message
> > news:41119525.60708@neo.rr.com...
> >
> >>Re: "You think a laptop thief can't access your data if he/she wants???"
> >>
> >>The whole point is, they don't want to. What they want is to sell the
> >>laptop for the $300 to $1,200 that it will fetch. The thief normally
> >>could care less about the data.
> >>
> >>However, if the hard drive has a password, the data is unlikely to ever
> >>be seen by anyone, or to ever be used again. It's virtually a "self
> >>destruct" mechanism. You clearly don't understand how the hard drive
> >>passwords work. They make the hard drive inaccessible completely, even
> >>on another machine. They are not even detected by the BIOS.
> >>
> >>Also, your view of the ease of defeating bios passwords is overly
> >>simplistic, in my opinion. While the difficulty varies, it will stop
> >>more than 90% of people who are not specifically trained in the
> >>particular model of laptop under consideration.
> >>
> >>
> >>M-Tech wrote:
> >>
> >>
> >>>You think a laptop thief can't access your data if he/she wants???
I'll
> >
> > bet
> >
> >>>any "pro" can circumvent the bios pw in about 3 minutes and pull data
> >
> > off
> >
> >>>your hd in about 5. The only "protection" you have with ANY pw is when
> >
> > it's
> >
> >>>viewed by unauthorized people while it's in your proper. If it leaves
> >
> > your
> >
> >>>domain, the data is history.
> >>>
> >>>The ONLY protection is removing the hd and taking it with you if it's
> >
> > your
> >
> >>>data you're worried about. As far as "making a doorstop" out of it
just
> >>>because you have a bios pw enabled, that's bunk.
> >>>
> >>>Thats like saying no will will write a new virus after MS does a new
> >>>security patch.
> >>>
> >>>Don
> >>>
> >>>"JHEM" <James@ESAD_SPAMMERS.thinkpads.com> wrote in message
> >>>news:%OsPc.14476$UN2.3599@nwrddc02.gnilink.net...
> >>>
> >>>
> >>>>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.
> >>>>
> >>>>Only if you're not concerned with protecting your data!
> >>>>
> >>>>If _YOU_ haven't set power on and BIOS (supervisor) passwords on your
> >>>>laptop, then _anyone_ who has access to it can do so without your
> >>>
> >>>knowledge.
> >>>
> >>>
> >>>>Plus, if you are so unlucky as to have your laptop stolen, you can at
> >>>
> >>>least
> >>>
> >>>
> >>>>take some measure of comfort from the fact that it will be little more
> >>>
> >>>than
> >>>
> >>>
> >>>>a doorstop to the thief!
> >>>>
> >>>>--
> >>>>Regards,
> >>>>
> >>>>James
> >>>>
> >>>>Checkout the NEW Thinkpad Forums: http/forum.thinkpads.com
> >>>>
> >>>>
> >>>>
> >>>
> >>>
> >>>
> >
> >
>

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: comp.sys.laptops (More info?)

Joe Davis wrote:
>
> The folks I know with really sensitive data use a form of PGP encryption to
> encrpyt specfic folders or disk partitions. This is definitely not a theft
> deterant, but is pretty good prevention for anyone except a VERY serious
> hacker/snoop from ever seeing your data.

There are encryption schemes, out there, that are supposedly *unbreakable.*

Notan

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: comp.sys.laptops (More info?)

JHEM wrote:

> No, the PW is not stored on the HD media, it's written to an EEPROM on
> the drive's circuit board and without it the HD is toast.

Q1: Wouldn't swapping the board with one from another *IDENTICAL* drive
defeat the pwd?

Q2: Do the latest Toshiba drives (mounted in a Thinkpad) support the
password feature?


>
> The security is good enough to prevent a casual thief from accessing
> the data on the HD, although certainly a tech could access it with a
> few hours of sweat and some specialized equipment.
>
> Same goes for the supervisor level of PW (NOT the power on PW), it can
> also be circumvented. But it's beyond the capabilities of a casual
> thief.
>
> The fact remains that the three levels of PW on my Thinkpads (power
> on, supervisor, HD) ensure that if they are lost or stolen they will
> be of little more use to a casual thief than a paperweight.
>
> ==============
> Posted through www.HowToFixComputers.com/bb - free access to hardware troubleshooting newsgroups.

 

[papa]

Archived from groups: comp.sys.laptops (More info?)

Barry, you and Nolan are dangerously naive (dangerous to the security of
your data). Any computer guru can crack ANY password. As I said before, lock
it up.

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: comp.sys.laptops (More info?)

Papa wrote:
>
> Barry, you and Nolan are dangerously naive (dangerous to the security of
> your data). Any computer guru can crack ANY password. As I said before, lock
> it up.

Did anyone say that I/we didn't lock them up?

And, no. "Any computer guru" cannot crack a HD password.

Notan

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: comp.sys.laptops (More info?)

Ah, got it. Thanks!!!

Don

"Barry Watzman" <WatzmanNOSPAM@neo.rr.com> wrote in message
news:41119B02.8040901@neo.rr.com...
> No, I never said that it was only on IBM laptops. That's where I've
> seen it most commonly, but it's not an IBM-exclusive feature. I didn't
> know that Dell had it, I've not seen it on the Dell models that I've
> worked on. But those were consumer models, and this is a feature that
> is clearly aimed at corporate and governement markets, and not at the
> consumer or retail market.
>
>
> M-Tech wrote:
>
> > Well then Barry is right. There is a lot of bull being thrown around
> >
> > Progress I guess. Maybe he meant IBM HD'S???
> >
> > Barry wrote;
> > " Note, not all hard drives even support this feature, and most laptops
> > don't support it (the noteable exception is that it is supported on IBM
> > laptops).
> >
> > One thing is for sure. If the hd pw becomes standard on all laptops,
> > SOMEONE will find a cheap way around it
> >
> > Don
> >
> > "Notan" <notan@ddress.com> wrote in message
> > news:4111989D.8E440DE4@ddress.com...
> >
> >>M-Tech wrote:
> >>
> >>>Understood. That's why I said, "if he/she WANTS(the data)". I FULLY
> >>>realize that 90% of laptop thiefs don't even CARE about your data.
That
> >
> > was
> >
> >>>the point I was making.
> >>>
> >>>No doubt, I know NOTHING about hd pw protection on laptops. In fact,
> >
> > until
> >
> >>>reading YOUR post, I now understand that ONLY ibm offers it????
> >>>
> >>><snip>
> >>
> >>Nope. Got it on my Dells.
> >>
> >>Notan
> >
> >
> >
>

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: comp.sys.laptops (More info?)

"***ANY*** computer guru can crack ANY password."

Not when the password is implemented in the hardware itself.

I'm not saying that it can't be cracked, but the passwords implemented
on hard drives are very secure (which doesn't mean absolutely or
totally, I won't argue that, but that is hardly what you said).


Papa wrote:
> Barry, you and Nolan are dangerously naive (dangerous to the security of
> your data). Any computer guru can crack ANY password. As I said before, lock
> it up.
>
>
>

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: comp.sys.laptops (More info?)

Papa <bikingis@my.fun> wrote:
> Barry, you and Nolan are dangerously naive (dangerous to the security of
> your data). Any computer guru can crack ANY password. As I said before, lock
> it up.

No they can't.

Trial and error is the only way. That and blackmail.

Peter

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: comp.sys.laptops (More info?)

>> Barry, you and Nolan are dangerously naive (dangerous to the security of
>> your data). Any computer guru can crack ANY password. As I said before, lock
>> it up.
>
>No they can't.
>
>Trial and error is the only way. That and blackmail.
>
>Peter

Or social engineering. A guy got a call "this is officer so and so, it
looks like we have your notebook here, to confirm you're really the
owner just tell me the password. When the gentleman went to the police
station the next day to get his notebook they said "what notebook?"