1. A computer system, comprising: a CPU executing an operating system; and an input device coupled to said CPU; and a read only memory containing an encoded password andencoded configuration data accessible by a user only upon entering a valid password via said input device; wherein said password and said encoded configuration data is modified by system management interrupt (SMI) code executed by said CPU withoutinvolvement by said operating system; and wherein a password entered via the input device is verified by the SMI code without involvement of said operating system.
2. The computer system of claim 1 wherein said password comprises a power-on password usable to change the operating state of the computer system.
3. The computer system of claim 1 wherein said password comprises an administrator password usable to change the encoded configuration data.
4. The computer system of claim 1 wherein said read only memory contains two passwords.
5. The computer system of claim 4 wherein said passwords comprise a power-on password usable to change the operating state of the computer system and an administrator password usable to change the encoded configuration data.
6. The computer system of claim 1 wherein said password is encoded using an encryption process.
7. The computer system of claim 1 wherein said password is encoded using a hash process.
8. The computer system of claim 1 wherein said configuration data is encoded using an encryption process.
9. A read only memory device, comprising: a boot block portion; system BIOS; and an encoded password changeable only by system management interrupt ("SMI") based code executed by a processor; wherein a password entered by a user is comparedto the encoded password for verification by the SMI-based code without involvement of an operating system.
10. The read only memory device of claim 9 wherein said password is encoded by an encryption process.
11. The read only memory device of claim 9 wherein said password is encoded by a hash process.
12. The read only memory device of claim 9 wherein said password comprises a power-on password usable to change an operating state of a computer system.
13. The read only memory device of claim 9 further comprising encoded configuration data.
14. The read only memory device of claim 13 wherein said password comprises an administrator password usable to change the state of said encoded configuration data.
15. The read only memory device of claim 13 wherein said configuration data is encoded by an encryption process.
16. A read only memory device, comprising: a boot block portion; system BIOS; and encoded configuration data and an encoded password, both of said configuration data and password changeable only by system management interrupt (SMI) code thatexecutes without involvement from an operating system; wherein a password entered by a user is compared to the encoded password for verification by the SMI code without involvement of said operating system.
17. The read only memory device of claim 16 wherein said configuration data is encoded by an encryption process.
18. The read only memory device of claim 16 wherein said configuration data is encoded by a hash process.
19. The read only memory device of claim 16 wherein said configuration data includes configuration bits pertaining to a hood lock for a computer system.
20. The read only memory device of claim 16 wherein said password is encoded by an encryption process.
21. The read only memory device of claim 16 wherein said password is encoded by hash process.
22. The read only memory device of claim 16 wherein said password comprises an administrator password usable to change the state of said encoded configuration data.
23. The read only memory device of claim 16 wherein said password comprises a power-on password usable to change an operating state of a computer system.
24. A method of changing a password in a computer system, comprising: (a) receiving an original password entered by a user; (b) receiving a new password entered by a user; (c) generating an SMI; (d) encoding said user-entered originalpassword; (e) retrieving an encoded password from a read only memory device previously stored therein; (f) comparing said user-entered original and encoded password from (d) with the retrieved encoded password from (e); and (g) changing said passwordretrieved in (e) with the new password if said encoded passwords match in (f) wherein (d)-(g) are performed by system management interrupt (SMI) code.
25. The method of claim 24 further comprising precluding changing of said password retrieved in (e) if said encoded passwords do not match in (f).
26. The method of claim 24 wherein (g) includes encoding the new password and flashing a read only memory device with the new password.
27. The method of claim 24 further comprising using the SMI code to verify a user-entered password.
2. The computer system of claim 1 wherein said password comprises a power-on password usable to change the operating state of the computer system.
3. The computer system of claim 1 wherein said password comprises an administrator password usable to change the encoded configuration data.
4. The computer system of claim 1 wherein said read only memory contains two passwords.
5. The computer system of claim 4 wherein said passwords comprise a power-on password usable to change the operating state of the computer system and an administrator password usable to change the encoded configuration data.
6. The computer system of claim 1 wherein said password is encoded using an encryption process.
7. The computer system of claim 1 wherein said password is encoded using a hash process.
8. The computer system of claim 1 wherein said configuration data is encoded using an encryption process.
9. A read only memory device, comprising: a boot block portion; system BIOS; and an encoded password changeable only by system management interrupt ("SMI") based code executed by a processor; wherein a password entered by a user is comparedto the encoded password for verification by the SMI-based code without involvement of an operating system.
10. The read only memory device of claim 9 wherein said password is encoded by an encryption process.
11. The read only memory device of claim 9 wherein said password is encoded by a hash process.
12. The read only memory device of claim 9 wherein said password comprises a power-on password usable to change an operating state of a computer system.
13. The read only memory device of claim 9 further comprising encoded configuration data.
14. The read only memory device of claim 13 wherein said password comprises an administrator password usable to change the state of said encoded configuration data.
15. The read only memory device of claim 13 wherein said configuration data is encoded by an encryption process.
16. A read only memory device, comprising: a boot block portion; system BIOS; and encoded configuration data and an encoded password, both of said configuration data and password changeable only by system management interrupt (SMI) code thatexecutes without involvement from an operating system; wherein a password entered by a user is compared to the encoded password for verification by the SMI code without involvement of said operating system.
17. The read only memory device of claim 16 wherein said configuration data is encoded by an encryption process.
18. The read only memory device of claim 16 wherein said configuration data is encoded by a hash process.
19. The read only memory device of claim 16 wherein said configuration data includes configuration bits pertaining to a hood lock for a computer system.
20. The read only memory device of claim 16 wherein said password is encoded by an encryption process.
21. The read only memory device of claim 16 wherein said password is encoded by hash process.
22. The read only memory device of claim 16 wherein said password comprises an administrator password usable to change the state of said encoded configuration data.
23. The read only memory device of claim 16 wherein said password comprises a power-on password usable to change an operating state of a computer system.
24. A method of changing a password in a computer system, comprising: (a) receiving an original password entered by a user; (b) receiving a new password entered by a user; (c) generating an SMI; (d) encoding said user-entered originalpassword; (e) retrieving an encoded password from a read only memory device previously stored therein; (f) comparing said user-entered original and encoded password from (d) with the retrieved encoded password from (e); and (g) changing said passwordretrieved in (e) with the new password if said encoded passwords match in (f) wherein (d)-(g) are performed by system management interrupt (SMI) code.
25. The method of claim 24 further comprising precluding changing of said password retrieved in (e) if said encoded passwords do not match in (f).
26. The method of claim 24 wherein (g) includes encoding the new password and flashing a read only memory device with the new password.
27. The method of claim 24 further comprising using the SMI code to verify a user-entered password.
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