The use of a password is intended to protect the data, so the only way which is supposed to work there is really wiping the hard drive content and installing some fresh OS.

The fact sometimes it is possible to go around the password even when the password is set just shows, how cr**py that OS is (if it is supposed to not provide any security, then why any password things are there at all)...

It depends: if you have enabled hard drive encryption, this is true.
Otherwise, all data are accessible to anyone.

@Ash:
First you should be able to boot from an external device. If that is possible, the protection is just a joke and not any security.
And even when you boot, your power as the "lord of the system" ends up on the encrypted hard drive content. Again, without that the system offers no security, so then should not fool the users with the password mess or so.

I did never say the PC's "bios" password is any real security measure, nor the Windows being a reasonable system and most users really set it correctly...

Drive encryption is not needed for computers where physical access is allready secure - which is the case with most desktop computers

And for the average computer, better for it to not have drive encryption - Without it, computers are more straightforward to troubleshoot, especially everything related to data recovery in case of failure of the installed OS, user forgetting password, user accidentally deleted file, drive getting bad blocks, and many other cases that i (having worked as IT) seen every day

This is most of a problem with users that dont do backups, but even when they do, very often the most important data to rescue is the one that changed after the last backup...

If there is physical access, then drive encryption won't help either - The attacker may install a hardware keylogger to get your key. Unless you check every day behind the computer that there is nothing new added on the keyboard cable, but then the thing could be planted inside the PC as well (messy, but not harder than some PCB track cutting and soldering). Cards and Biometrics are far from perfect either



BIOS password is good means of preventing a user booting external devices. But it must be backed by physical security, otherwise the user can get to the jumper or battery. And test the battery once in a while - i seen some "not so good" batteries that failed well before the typical 10 years...

The windows for some  reason will expire so I have to upgrade to Windows 10 now LOL

You don't need to upgrade. Are you have the key of it?

You don't need to upgrade. Are you have the key of it?

I ended up reactivating it instead of upgrading to Windows 10

If you don't want Windows 10 forced down onto you, download this program called GWX Control Panel.

BIOS password is good means of preventing a user booting external devices. But it must be backed by physical security, otherwise the user can get to the jumper or battery. And test the battery once in a while - i seen some "not so good" batteries that failed well before the typical 10 years...

not anymore: producers began to save bios settings in non volatile storage a lot of years ago.

Seen that done in some brand name desktops. In "standard" boards for custom built computers (Gigabyte etc) they kept doing it the old way atleast up to the end of socket 775 era, as i have such boards and they do start losing BIOS settings when the batteries die at the ~5..7 year age point