Computer security system having a password recovery function which

Abstract

A password recovery method to be used in a computer system including a BIOS ROM having a BIOS setup program and a CMOS memory for storing the BIOS setup information. The BIOS setup program provides a USER PASSWORD SETUP which allows users to set or change his or her own password. Further, the USER PASSWORD SETUP includes an input of at least one identification number before entering the first password. The identification number may include one of a users' resident registration number, system's registration number or serial number assigned to each computer by the manufacturer. If the user forgets or lose the password and incorrect passwords are repeatedly entered for a predetermined number of times, the BIOS program asks the user to enter the identification number. If the entered identification number is identical with the stored identification number, the program starts to encrypt the password stored in the CMOS memory. The resultant password encryption is displayed on a display monitor in an alphanumeric form. The encrypted password is referred to the manufacturer's service center, preferably by a telephone call. There, the encrypted password can be decoded and the password recovery performed. The recovered password is then referred back to the user.