With all the attention currently being paid to hackers, viruses, and other forms of Internet intrusion, it's easy to overlook more-immediate threats to your PC's data: coworkers, family members, and anyone else who has physical access to your system when you're not around.

Windows and screen-saver passwords offer little protection from determined snoops. And anyone who uses your PC, even without malicious intent, can inadvertently erase or damage key files. Follow these steps to keep your data private and your PC safe while you're not around.

Use a CMOS password: With the exception of Windows 2000, the Windows password only prevents people from logging on as you. (For more on password-protection within Windows, check out last month's Answer Line.) If you want real security, enable the password feature built into your system's CMOS setup program. Every time your system starts up, it will prompt you for a password: No password, no boot-up.

To activate your CMOS password, enter your PC's CMOS setup program by pressing the appropriate key as your system boots up. (This is often the <Delete> or <F1> key. Watch the monitor during boot-up; it usually announces the proper key.) Scan the menu choices for 'Security', 'User Password', or something similar. When prompted, enter your password of choice.

If you lose your password, check your system or motherboard manual for instructions on how to reset it. The motherboard may have a password-reset jumper directly on the board. If not, look for a CMOS-reset jumper, which will clear all of your CMOS settings, including the password. Write down your current settings on a piece of paper first so you'll be able to reenter them easily.

Your CMOS setup program's 'Restore Default Settings' function may not return your PC to its original state, since manufacturers sometimes make their own adjustments to the CMOS. If your PC has no CMOS-reset jumpers--or if you can't find any documentation that identifies them--try clearing the CMOS settings by removing the small battery on the motherboard that powers your CMOS. You may have to keep the battery disconnected for more than an hour to erase the settings. If the battery is soldered on, take your system to a repair shop.

Keep your case closed: To keep unwelcome hands off the innards of your PC, invest in a locking mechanism for your case, such as Secure-It's CoverLock ($30 without a cable and $40 with a cable; see Figure 1). Of course, your PC case may be lockable with only a simple padlock or cable lock, which would preclude the need for a more expensive solution.

SUMMARY

Secure-It CoverLock $30 without cable, $40 with cable

See our How-To section for additional hardware tips. Send your tips and questions to Kirk Steers at PCWorld.com. We pay $50 for published items. Kirk Steers is a PC World contributing editor.

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