If you forget the system password and do not have an administrator password assigned, or if you have both a system and an administrator passwordassigned but forget them both, contact your system administrator or contact Dell.Using a Hard Drive PasswordThe 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 (ifone 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 operationfrom 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 .To continue, enter your password (with no more than eight characters). Press 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 systemsetup 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 computerreturns to the operating state it was in when you turned it on.If the hard drive password, the external hard-drive password, and the system password are the same, the computer prompts you only for the systempassword. If the hard drive password is different from the system password, the computer prompts you for both. Two different passwords provide greatersecurity.Enabling Trusted Platform Module (TPM)TPM is a hardware-based security feature that can be used to create and manage computer-generated encryption keys. When combined with securitysoftware, the TPM enhances existing network and computer security by enabling features such as file protection capabilities and protected e-mail. The TPMfeature is enabled through a system setup option.Enabling the TPM FeatureThe TPM software is factory-installed in the C:\Dell\TPM directory. You can also download it from support.dell.com.1. To install the TPM software, run the setup.exe file:Follow the instructions to install the Broadcom Secure Foundation software.2. To enable the TPM software:a. Restart the computer and press during the Power On Self Test to enter the system setup program.b. Open the Security menu in system setup.c. Select the TPM Security menu option and press .d. Set the TPM security option to On.e. Press to exit the setup program.f. If prompted, click Save/Exit.g. If the TPM on this computer is being used for the first time, proceed to step 3. If the TPM on this computer has been used before, skip step 3 andgo to step 4.3. Activate the TPM setup program:a. Boot your computer to the Microsoft® Windows® operating system.NOTE: The administrator password provides access to the computer, but it does not provide access to the hard drive when a hard drive password isassigned.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 drivepassword.NOTE: The TPM feature supports encryption only if the operating system supports TPM. For more information, see the TPM software documentation andthe help files that came with the software.NOTICE: To secure your TPM data and encryption keys, follow the backup procedures documented in the Broadcom Secure Foundation Getting StartedGuide. In the event of these backups being incomplete, lost, or damaged, Dell will be unable to assist in the recovery of encrypted data.
