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From: c37189h@saha.hut.fi (Harri "Haba" Suomalainen)
Newsgroups: comp.os.msdos.programmer
Subject: Re: Power on passwords
Message-ID: <1990Nov1.095550.20235@santra.uucp>
Date: 1 Nov 90 09:55:50 GMT
References: <1990Oct29.143729.20757@cck.cov.ac.uk>
Sender: news@santra.uucp (Cnews - USENET news system)
Reply-To: c37189h@saha.hut.fi (Harri "Haba" Suomalainen)
Organization: Helsinki University of Technology, FINLAND
Lines: 21

In comp.os.msdos.programmer csd072@cck.cov.ac.uk (Alice) writes:
>I'm trying to write a password program for PC's/PS/2's under MS-/PC-DOS that 
>can be used throughout a company having both separate passwords on each
> machine this is: How can I cause such a program to be executed at power-on

If you really gotta write the program you could make it as a part of boot
by locating it in boot sector, autoexec.bat etc. This program should check
the valid password and then eg. decrypt your FAT (the part of it not needed
in boot-up). It sure is hard to do!

There is a more practical way to do this. You could add your own program as
a part of boot sequence by making a ROM extention. You'll find one in hard
disks etc. There was an article in Radio Electroncs of how to do it. It
shouldn't be too hard if you're familiar with electronics. You could as well
add one in an empty ROM socket in case your machine has one.

-haba

--

Harri Suomalainen    c37189h@saha.hut.fi    haba@otax.tky.hut.fi