Many computers give you the option to set a “hard disk password” along with operating system passwords and BIOS passwords. This is different from encryption — a hard disk password doesn’t actually encrypt your files.
Hard disk passwords fall into a weird middle ground. On the one hand, they can disable access to your drive and be inconvenient if you lose them. On the other hand, they don’t protect your files like full-disk encryption would thus are not fully recommended if you realy want to protect your files.
if your computer supports this option you likely find it in the BIOS option,look in the security or password option.
the harddisk password denies you the access to the harddisk just ater youve powered it on,while aBIOS password controls whether you can boot the computer at all. When you boot your computer, you’ll need to enter the hard disk password. If you don’t know the hard disk password, your hard disk will be “locked” and won’t function.
Unlike BIOS and operating system passwords, a hard disk password protects your data even if someone opens up your computer and removes the hard disk. The hard disk password is stored in the disk drive’s firmware itself. Using a hard disk password does help protect your files, unlike AN OPERATING SYSTEM PASSWORD or BIOS PASSWORD
NOW WHERE IT GOES ALL BIZZARE
A harddisk password cant withstand som extreme measures For example, there are a number of data forsenic tools that promise they can remove hard disk passwords. Some drives store the password unencrypted in their firmware, and this unencrypted password can simply be read from a firmware. The drive’s firmware settings area could be modified to set the “password on” flag to “password off.” In an extreme case, the drive could be opened up, its platters removed, and inserted into another drive without a password set.
SO SHOULD I SET THE DISK PASSWORD?NO!
the only secure way to protect those important files is by encrypting them.
considr it as whole-disk encryption as taking all the files on your hard drive and scrambling them with a code only you know. The files themselves are useless unless someone knows your secret code. There’s no getting around that by disabling or bypassing a lock. The files themselves are protected because they’re useless without the key.
in this you can use the true crypt on windows or enable file vault encryption on MAC OS
I there fore conclude by saying the choice is yours bt if you really want to protect your files,encrypt them.
