m6400 fingerprint reader/ gen security ?s

This is my first laptop with a fingerprint reader. I dont know much about them but would like to start using it. I cant find much documentation about it other than the Embassy Security Center software but there is a lot to that software (at least thats new to me).

Is this what I need to use for using the fingerprint or password for logging on my computer? What all are you people doing with yours?
My old xp laptop had a password for windows log on but that was much simpler to set.

Any advice would be great!

 

As far as security goes, fingerprint readers are mostly just for convenience I think. I've heard that a determined data thief can lift a fingerprint off of a key or off of the fingerprint reader area itself and use the lifted print to swipe. But it involves a few hours of work, and things like hot wax and saran wrap... (so not your typical "oh a coworker wants to change my desktop background to something embarrassing" situation.)

I'm using the fingerprints on my Covet. Here's what it does for me:

When you first set them up, you do it by registering fingerprints in its database. To register fingerprints, mine made me also register fingerprints AND a password for the BIOS screen. This is kind of a big deal and might make or break things for you... The registration process is to click on fingers on a picture of a hand, and then swipe your finger four times to get a good read. You do that for any number of fingers you like. I did it for the index, middle and little fingers on both hands, so that I can still log in if say I'm holding a slice of pizza in my right hand. (which I of course would never ever do with the Covet... )

After registration, this is what happens. When you turn on the computer from any off or sleep state, you get the BIOS authentication screen. If it detects that the fingerprint reader is present, it asks for you to "authenticate using biometric". Sometimes the fingerprint reader doesn't wake up correctly, or wakes up slowly, and you have to type the password anyway. It takes about 4-6 seconds after reaching that screen for my Covet to be ready to accept a fingerprint, so it introduces a delay even if your finger is poised to swipe. If you really do not want to swipe your fingers, like say they are covered with peanut butter and honey, you can get the bios screen to accept a password instead by banging randomly on the keyboard for 30 seconds. (maybe there is a hotkey... It was not obvious)

So after you're past the BIOS screen you get to Vista. Vista takes the fingerprint for both your login and your password, so all you have to do is swipe the finger and you get let in. UNLESS the laptop has gone to sleep, or you've locked the screen, in which case it likes to not use the fingerprint reader. It says "device closed" and you have to enter your password. In that case you can hit "switch user" and get the normal login screen though, and then you can swipe your finger again.

In the Vista login screen you always have the option of entering your username and password manually. The Dell version of fingerprint management does not seem to do anything as far as storing passwords within windows, it's just for login and boot. (I think the HP system did more, but I ended up not liking it... It was always asking if I wanted to record some website's password in the biometric system.)

There might be a way to disable the bios biometric screen but I haven't looked into it. So far I've been just swiping finger twice, which is only annoying when I was rebooting to install updates or something because I couldn't just leave the thing and come back... I had to be there to swipe for the bios or it wouldn't get to the updates.

Now that I've figured out the switch user button for vista login I don't have to enter my password much, but it's kind of annoying for login to not work the same every time. I've no idea why it locks the biometric when the screen is locked. Maybe it's to prevent a user-run program from intercepting biometrics.

EDIT:
BTW, since you can always enter a password instead of swiping, it means you are NOT locked out of your computer if both hands get chopped off.

 

I got round the two swipe problem by reinstalling everything. The security chip still has my bios fingerprints, but Windows isn't set to read fingerprints.

Also, check whether battery exentsion features are on - They turn off the fingerprint scanner I believe, which may be why the scan doesn't take. I did notice if you type rubbish in as the password the scanner comes alive again.

Finally, the bios fingerprint check can be turned off in the bios itself.

 

you dont even need to turn it off in the bios, you can turn off the pre boot authentication in the wave software itself.

i only swipe at the welcome screen.

 

Ah, good spot.

I only wanted authentication at boot. However, the annoying thing about this software is it requires a Windows password (it won't accept an empty string). So, I created a password, but this changed the windows login behaviour (I HAD to login every time) Even deleting the password resulted in a login screen, which required me to hit return to get back in, which is somewhat annoying. I tried to get XP to autologin, but I complained the msgina.dll or suchlike had been changed, and I couldn't autologin, so I had to hit return every time.

Do you know of a way I can use the wave software to only check at boot, and not have me authenticate at windows level?

 

Assuming you already have Wave up and running (accepting fingerprint logons at BIOS and Windows prompts) simply remove the Wave software altogether, this seems to leave the fingerprints stored somewhere in the Broadcom USH hardware and the BIOS still authenticates fingerprints fine, Windows uses the normal GINA and asks for a fingerprint.

 

wow, this is all WAY more complicated than I could have guessed. I guess I have some reading to do on all this.

 

Hi, I don't know what is wrong. I downgraded to XP and I tried to install drivers but I failed. What should be a problem? Works finger reader under XP generally?

 

Hi,
Can anyone please tell step by step to how to disable pre-boot authentication.