386/20 password lockup.

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2 total messages Started by Spike Mon, 06 May 1991 15:56

#615

Author: Spike
Date: Mon, 06 May 1991 15:56

15 lines
1122 bytes

  I have uncovered an interesting problem. This particular
  problem has surfaced on the only two 386/20's I know that
  have the passwords engaged. Does anybody have a clue?

  The problem:  Sometimes when the machine boots up it will
  not stop at the password prompt, it will go through the 
  config.sys and autoexec.bat, then, sit and look at you.
  The keyboard will be locked out, the only move is to switch
  it off and hope that it doesn't happen again. On the same 
  machines if I disable the password there are no problems.
  
  Has anybody out there had a similar exp????

  Ken Gage, caretaker of Zenith Heaven, University of Florida.

Re: 386/20 password lockup.

#617

Author: Mark Urban-Lurain
Date: Tue, 07 May 1991 13:39

34 lines
2263 bytes

In article <1991May6.155629.20025@eng.ufl.edu>, spike@wasp.eng.ufl.edu
(Spike) writes:
|> 
|>   I have uncovered an interesting problem. This particular
|>   problem has surfaced on the only two 386/20's I know that
|>   have the passwords engaged. Does anybody have a clue?
|> 
|>   The problem:  Sometimes when the machine boots up it will
|>   not stop at the password prompt, it will go through the 
|>   config.sys and autoexec.bat, then, sit and look at you.
|>   The keyboard will be locked out, the only move is to switch
|>   it off and hope that it doesn't happen again. On the same 
|>   machines if I disable the password there are no problems.
|>   

Yes. We received a 386/33E (EISA) machine with a 150 meg HD and 4 MEG of
ram.  During setup and RTFMing, we discovered the password.  Since the
machine was in an area where we wanted to restrict access (and were going
to use the key to do so) we thought this would be very handy.  

We set the PW and the next time we powered the computer up, it ran
the autoexec which started windows.  We could use the mouse, but the
keyboard was dead.  We finally mashed on enough keys (how's that for
a diagnostic technique?) during power up that we were able to get to
the monitor and disable the PW.  Needless to say, we haven't had the
nerve to try it on that machine or the other 2 we've recieved since then.

We'd appreciate any hints.

Mark Urban-Lurain                        urban@cpswh.cps.msu.edu
Computer Science Dept.                   urbanluraimg@clvax1.cl.msu.edu
Michigan State University
A-714 Wells Hall                         (517) 353-0682   office
East Lansing, MI     48824               (517) 355-5210   department

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