HP OmniBook 5500 User Manual

The password descramble programs for the HP OmniBook PCs are protected as HP
Company Private information. They may not be copied, backed-up, printed or
distributed. There are only six official copies of each program.
In addition to protecting the program itself, it's use is also controlled.
Hewlett-Packard and authorized support providers must ensure with written evidence
that the OmniBook that is being "descrambled" is actually in the hands of the unit's
actual and current owner. This requires a sales receipt showing the unit serial
number and owner's name, or a written statement from the owner attesting that they
are the owner of the unit. The statement can be a FAX copy of the document. The
fact that the unit is in the hands of an HP representative on the behalf of the
customer is not evidence of ownership. In addition, HP will not descramble a unit for
any non-owner, even if it involves law enforcement agencies. If you receive such a
request, you should notify management and HP Corporate Legal immediately.
(These requests may require a court order prior to our participation.)
Further, you must log the name, serial number and date of the running of the
descramble program, and file the written backup with the log. The log and backup is
subject to standard record's retention process and review.
The final issue relating to descramble of passwords is that HP cannot provide
information to users that would assist them in improperly descrambling a password
and opening a unit.
Password Decode
Policy
If the user forgets the system password, there is a master password that will unlock
the OmniBook. The user calls Technical Support to determine this master password
as follows:
1. Support will tell the user the keys to type at the password entry screen ?
2. The OmniBook generates and displays an encoded master password. This is
displayed under the normal password entry area. At this point, this is the only
password that will unlock the OmniBook unless the user presses [ESC] to remove the
encoded master from the password entry screen. Then the user's stored password
can be entered.
3. The user reads the encoded master password to Support.
4. Support runs a program that decodes the encoded password, and reads the
decoded password (alphanumeric) to the user.
5. The user types in the decoded password.
6. OmniBook decodes the encoded master password it generated and compares it to
the decoded password typed in by the user.
7. If the two passwords match, the OmniBook is unlocked. The forgotten password is
automatically erased. Support can then guide the user through the process of
entering a new password.
8. If the two passwords do not match, the previous sequence must be repeated until
the user correctly enters a master password.
The encoded master password is an eight-character alphanumeric sequence that the
OmniBook generates at random every time the appropriate keys are pressed in the
password entry screen. Because it is generated randomly, a master password can
only be used to unlock the OmniBook once. If the user forgets the password at
another time, it will require another call to Support. (If the user presses the
appropriate keys by mistake, pressing [ESC] will allow entering the stored password.)
Password Decode
17

HP OmniBook 5500 Specifications

General

Brand	HP
Model	OmniBook 5500
Category	Laptop
Language	English