Getting Ready For Windows 11

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hlewton
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Getting Ready For Windows 11

Post by hlewton »

On one computer, that I am pretty sure will take Windows 11, I ran Microsoft’s PC Health Check. It said The PC must support Secure Boot. I have a link that tells me what do to activate the Secure Boot. I ran msinfo32 on my Windows 11 machine and saw that Secure Boot was there and turned off. So, my question is once I activate Secure Boot on this other Windows 10 machine should I set it to Off too?

Second question is since Secure Boot is on my Windows 11 machine but is Off, if I go into the BIOS to enable it so it is on, will I have to supply a password? If I do what will that password be used for and when would I be asked to supply it?

Thanks
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hlewton

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StuartR
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Re: Getting Ready For Windows 11

Post by StuartR »

Secure boot is nothing to do with you or your passwords. It is a mechanism to ensure that the drivers and operating system are digitally signed, to make it harder for malicious rootkit software to take over your computer.

See https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/window ... ecure-boot
StuartR


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hlewton
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Re: Getting Ready For Windows 11

Post by hlewton »

StuartR wrote:
10 Jun 2022, 14:40
Secure boot is nothing to do with you or your passwords. It is a mechanism to ensure that the drivers and operating system are digitally signed, to make it harder for malicious rootkit software to take over your computer.

See https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/window ... ecure-boot
Thank you. Would you please look at this link, https://beebom.com/how-enable-secure-boot-windows-11/, because it shows that to enable Secure Boot I have to supply an Administrator password. I do not have an Administrator password and that is what concerns me if I were to try to enable the Secure Boot on the Windows 11 machine.

Also once I activate Secure Boot on the Windows 10 machine can I leave it set to Off as it is that way now on the Windows 11 machine?
Regards,
hlewton

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stuck
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Re: Getting Ready For Windows 11

Post by stuck »

I think you need to reread that article.

As I read it, in order to setup Secure Boot, which is a BIOS / UEFI feature, you must set an admin password on the BIOS / UEFI. This is logical since without a password to control access to the BIOS / UEFI anyone with access to the machine could go into the BIOS /UEFI and disable Secure Boot (or any other settings therein).

Does this help?

Ken

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hlewton
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Re: Getting Ready For Windows 11

Post by hlewton »

stuck wrote:
10 Jun 2022, 15:27
I think you need to reread that article.

As I read it, in order to setup Secure Boot, which is a BIOS / UEFI feature, you must set an admin password on the BIOS / UEFI. This is logical since without a password to control access to the BIOS / UEFI anyone with access to the machine could go into the BIOS /UEFI and disable Secure Boot (or any other settings therein).

Does this help?

Ken
Thank you. I believe we are reading it the same as far as me needing a password. If I am following you correctly, though, the only place this password would be needed is if there were to be more BIOS/UEFI changes in the future? It would not come into play when I turn my computers on or rebooting.
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hlewton

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hlewton
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Re: Getting Ready For Windows 11

Post by hlewton »

As a follow up to the above post this quote from the Internet has me confused:
"People also ask
Do you need BIOS password?

Most people shouldn't need to set a BIOS or UEFI password. If you'd like to protect your sensitive files, encrypting your hard drive is a better solution. BIOS and UEFI passwords are particularly ideal for public or workplace computers."


So I am not at all certain if I can make changes to the BIOS/UEFI without a password. I'd prefer to not have a password and in the past when I used to change the Boot Up sequence or make any other changes to the BIOS I never needed a password. However, I have never dealt with the UEFI and don't really know what that is. I am assuming it must be similar to the BIOS once I get into it.
Regards,
hlewton

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StuartR
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Re: Getting Ready For Windows 11

Post by StuartR »

You can make changes to BIOS/EFI without setting an administrator password.

If you do set an administrator password then you will need to enter this password anytime you make changes to BIOS/UEFI, but not just when you boot your computer.

I wasn't aware that you need an administrator password to enable secure boot, I suspect this may depend on the particular BIOS/UEFI that is installed on your computer.
StuartR


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hlewton
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Re: Getting Ready For Windows 11

Post by hlewton »

Thanks for your reply. I didn't know you had done that. I didn't get a notification or I would have been here sooner.
Regards,
hlewton