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    How do you stop someone from resetting your password

    Discussion in 'Apple and Mac OS X' started by xfiregrunt, Oct 18, 2011.

  1. xfiregrunt

    xfiregrunt Notebook Evangelist

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    If you have hard access to a MBP its pretty easy to hack into it: Reset your lost OS X password.

    I'm just wondering can I put in like a BIOS password or something like that to stop random people from getting root access to my computer? With random people being my prankster of a room mate?
     
    xfiregrunt, Oct 18, 2011
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  2. doh123

    doh123 Without ME its just AWESO

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    doh123, Oct 18, 2011
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  3. xfiregrunt

    xfiregrunt Notebook Evangelist

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    By bit longer would it take more then 1-2 hours for someone who understands basic C?

    Also my room mate wouldn't actually open up the computer (because that would be dangerous/problematic).
     
    xfiregrunt, Oct 18, 2011
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  4. diggy

    diggy Notebook Deity

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    How do you stop it? Well, what size shoe do you wear? If he messes with your machine, ask him how difficult he think it would be to extract your foot from his rear end
     
    diggy, Oct 18, 2011
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  5. xfiregrunt

    xfiregrunt Notebook Evangelist

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    Well I'm asking more for a general purpose question then as for a specific situation.

    Basically I'm just trying to make my computer more secure so it doesn't take less then an hour (or in the case of no root) less then 5 minutes to crack into it.
     
    xfiregrunt, Oct 18, 2011
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  6. doh123

    doh123 Without ME its just AWESO

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    on a MBP, to get around the password, you'd have to take the bottom cover off to get access to the ram slots if I remember right. On some machines, like the MBA, I don't know if there is any sure fire way to circumvent it, but I haven't played with firmware passwords much in a few years.
     
    doh123, Oct 19, 2011
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  7. xfiregrunt

    xfiregrunt Notebook Evangelist

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    That is the way I found from googling, and that is pretty complicated (requires a Torq X screwdriver set which a lot of people dont' even have) + its very unlikely unless someone is legitimately trying to steal your computer or information on the computer.

    I was just wondering if there is a software method that is possible in a few hours.

    I have an MBP, but I doubt most casual "hackers" would take off the bottom of my computer and take out the ram.
     
    xfiregrunt, Oct 19, 2011
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  8. doh123

    doh123 Without ME its just AWESO

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    it needs the password before it even tries to run any software or boot up... you have to circumvent it hardware wise, not software wise.... this means they cannot boot up off a disc to change your password without having the firmware password so they can do the boot.... or taking apart your machine to bypass the password.
     
    doh123, Oct 19, 2011
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  9. Bog

    Bog Losing it...

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    Account login passwords are easily cracked with the requisite knowledge/software. They're not meant to stop intrusions, just slow them down.
     
    Bog, Oct 19, 2011
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  10. blue68f100

    blue68f100 Notebook Virtuoso

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    If I recall if you reset the PW your password for Key chain is not changed and says in tact. You can encrypt a folder/file or even share. If they don't delete keychain you should be OK.
     
    blue68f100, Oct 20, 2011
    #10