Well that's a bit weird....

[humphreybc]

Hi guys,

I was fiddling with my Toshiba laptop last night and I was looking at the BIOS settings. Anyway, decided to enable a BIOS password on boot for my hard drive. I rebooted and it prompted me to swipe my finger or enter password, so, I swiped my finger and somehow it worked, even though I haven't registered any fingerprints!

Back in Windows Vista last year I had registered fingerprints with the software that came with the computer, but since then I have removed Windows Vista and re-formatted my hard drive at least twice.

Could the fingerprint software be storing my fingerprints in the BIOS memory or something?

I'm just curious as to how this works!

[witeshark17]

I really don't think so...

[pastalavista]

Hi guys,

I was fiddling with my Toshiba laptop last night and I was looking at the BIOS settings. Anyway, decided to enable a BIOS password on boot for my hard drive. I rebooted and it prompted me to swipe my finger or enter password, so, I swiped my finger and somehow it worked, even though I haven't registered any fingerprints!

Back in Windows Vista last year I had registered fingerprints with the software that came with the computer, but since then I have removed Windows Vista and re-formatted my hard drive at least twice.

Could the fingerprint software be storing my fingerprints in the BIOS memory or something?

I'm just curious as to how this works!

If the "it" you refer to is the BIOS boot screen, then you are probably right. The fingerprint reader comes with it's own firmware (probably Linux) and it either remembered you from before or registered the first fingerprint as the new user.

[humphreybc]

Yeah the "it" was the BIOS, definitely nothing to do with an OS as it all happens before GRUB.

Hmm that's pretty cool, so it must store the information in the BIOS memory. Fancy!

[jmore9]

Maybe it just likes you !

[kemra]

If you wanted to test for sure it's working properly (i.e. recognising that you are you as it where) then you could always get a relative/friend etc to try booting your laptop.

[ukripper]

If you wanted to test for sure it's working properly (i.e. recognising that you are you as it where) then you could always get a relative/friend etc to try booting your laptop.

or try your different finger!

[__p1n__]

There's a reason that fingerprint scanners haven't really taken off and it has everything to do with the fact that the source fingers are trivially detachable from their owners in the face of a determined thief.

[witeshark17]

If you wanted to test for sure it's working properly (i.e. recognising that you are you as it where) then you could always get a relative/friend etc to try booting your laptop. I like this idea...

[phillw]

There's a reason that fingerprint scanners haven't really taken off and it has everything to do with the fact that the source fingers are trivially detachable from their owners in the face of a determined thief.


LOL....

I recall something similar in Judge Dred with retinal scanning ;-)

Phill.

[humphreybc]

Haha yep it only works with three of my fingers on my right hand, which, If I recall correctly, are the three fingers I enrolled way back at the start of last year on Windows Vista. My flatmates aren't granted access with their fingers!!

Haha @ __p1n__ yes, true! But I'm sure it would be easier just to remove the hard drive from the laptop to get past the BIOS fingerprint prompt! Good thing I have a password for GRUB and boot as well :P