Dell 510D, User Manual

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administrator password.
Using an Administrator Password
The administrator password is designed to give system administrators or service technicians access to computers for repair or reconfiguration. The
administrators or technicians can assign identical administrator passwords to groups of computers, allowing you to assign the primary password.
When you set an administrator password, the Configure Setup option becomes available in system setup. The Configure Setup option allows you to restrict
access to system setup in the same way that a primary password restricts access to the computer.
The administrator password can be used instead of the primary password. Whenever you are prompted to enter the primary password, you can enter the
administrator password.
If you forget the primary password and do not have an administrator password assigned, or if you have both a primary and an administrator password
assigned but forget them both, contact your system administrator or
contact Dell .
Using a Hard Drive Password
The hard drive password helps protect the data on your hard drive from unauthorized access. You can also assign a password for an external hard drive (if
one is being used) that can be the same as or different from the password for the primary hard drive.
After assigning a hard drive password, you must enter it each time you turn on the computer and each time you restore the computer to normal operation
from standby
mode.
If the hard drive password is enabled, the following message appears each time you turn on the computer:
Please type in the hard-disk drive password and press <Enter>.
To continue, enter your password (with no more than eight characters). Press <Esc> to return the computer to its previous operating state.
If you do not enter a password within 2 minutes, the computer returns to its previous operating state.
If you enter the wrong password, the following message appears:
Invalid password
[Press Enter to retry]
If you do not enter the correct password in three attempts, the computer tries to start from another bootable device if the Boot First Device option in system
setup is set to allow start-up from another device. If the Boot First Device option is not set to allow the computer to start from another device, the computer
returns to the operating state it was in when you turned it on.
If the hard drive password, the external hard-drive password, and the primary password are the same, the computer prompts you only for the primary
password. If the hard drive password is different from the primary password, the computer prompts you for both. Two different passwords provide greater
security.
Assigning an Asset Tag
NOTICE: If you disable the administrator password, the primary password is also disabled.
NOTE: The administrator password provides access to the computer, but it does not provide access to the hard drive when a hard drive password is
assigned.
NOTE: The administrator password provides access to the computer, but it does not provide access to a hard drive that is protected by a hard drive
password.