Password considerations
A password can be any combination of up to 16 (1 to 16) alphabetic and numeric
characters. For security reasons, it is recommended to use a strong password that
cannot be easily compromised. To set a strong password,use the following
guidelines:
Note: The Setup Utility program passwords are not case sensitive.
vHave at least eight characters in length
vContain at least one alphabetic character and one numeric character
vNot be your name or your user name
vNot be a common word or a common name
vBe significantly different from your previous passwords
Power-on password
After you have set a power-on password using the Set Power-On Password
option, a password prompt is displayed each time you turn on the computer. You
cannot use the computer until a valid password is typed in. For more information
about how to set a password, see “Setting, changing, or deleting a password.”
Administrator password
The Set Administrator Password option enables you to set an administrator
password, which deters unauthorized users from changing configuration settings.
If you are responsible for maintaining the settings of several computers, you might
want to set an administrator password. For more information about how to set a
password, see “Setting, changing, or deleting a password.”
After you have set an administrator password, a password prompt is displayed
each time you try to access the Setup Utility program. You cannot access the Setup
Utility program until a valid password is typed in.
If you have set both a power-on password and an administrator password, you
can type either password to use your computer. However,to change any
configuration settings, you must use your administrator password.
Setting, changing, or deleting a password
This section provides instructions on how to set, change, or delete a password.
To set, change, or delete a password, do the following:
1. Start the Setup Utility program. See “Starting the Setup Utility program” on
page 51.
2. From the Setup Utility program main menu, select Security →Set Power-On
Password or Set Administrator Password.
3. Follow the instructions on the screen to set, change, or delete a password.
Note: A password can be any combination of up to 16 (1 to 16) alphabetic and
numeric characters. For more information, see “Password
considerations.”
52 User Guide