BIOS passwords

[SARGE]

What's the difference between Supervisor and User password in BIOS? I know one secures access to the BIOS (if not both). I'm looking for a way to require a password (besides the Windows easily defeated one). I've installed a password for both above but Windows still loads.

[glc]

User password requires a password to boot the computer. Supervisor password requires a password to enter the bios setup.

I know you don't want to switch, but Win2K and XP windows passwords are very difficult to get around.

[SARGE]

I tried the User password and it still boots straight to desktop w/o asking for password. I found the below and seems to meet the needs. Bugs me though that User password doesn't work.

http://www.pc-shareware.com/sentry.htm It's an "evaluation copy".

http://www.bootlocker.com/bl/

[pillainp]

Sarge, my old 440LX mobo had a jumper to specifically clear CMOS passwords. Why don't you check to see if your mobo has a similar feature and if yes, whether it is set to clear CMOS pw at startup?

[Statica]

Sarge:
Some BIOS' have a setting to prompt for password either System or Setup. If you set the password level to System, then it will ask you for a user/supervisor pwd to boot; if you set password level to setup then the password query is invoked only to get to the BIOS settings.

[Statica]

Just found an old mobo manual (AMI BIOS - for MSI MS-6380 mobo) and in Advanced BIOS Features there is a setting for: <b>Password check</b> : Setup (default) / Always

HTH

[SARGE]

Upon the new build I set the "user password". Now, as soon as it POSTS it asks for the password before booting up. Great. :)