Lock Your Computer CPU Cabinet With Handheld Key

Intro: Lock Your Computer CPU Cabinet With Handheld Key

Prevent unauthorized access to your Desktop PC Tower. Keep it locked at home or office with a handheld key.

Follow the simple steps,

Level: Beginner

Tools Required
'''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''
1.Key operated switch (50INR 1USD)
2. Jumper wires (From Scrap)
3. Terminal Connector (From Scrap)

STEP 1: Drilling and Connections

Open your Cabinet cover.
Take apart your FDD closure, make a hole with your drill machine of 12mm. Here I made a hole with my solder iron
Attach the Key operated switch with the wire hanging inside the CPU.
Put back the FDD closure.

As this closure is replaceable I drilled it here instead the whole cabinet

Find the pics attached

STEP 2: Making Connections

Connect one of your terminal CPU switch to one terminal of Key switch via a small jumper wire as shown

Solder the terminals as required

STEP 3: Connecting to Motherboard

Find the exact PowerSW terminal in the Motherboard and connect the rest two terminals to that corresponding MBD SW terminals.

STEP 4: BIOS Confiure to Keep in Stay OFF Mode

Configure BIOS by pressing DEL,F2 key (depends on ur PC)
Goto Power Options
Change After Power Failure to STAY OFF

This may vary from different BIOS to BIOS.

This is used to keep your PC switched off even when the electricity goes off.
Still key is required to switch the PC back ON.

STEP 5: Finish

Put your CPU Cabinet Cover back lock and screw it which cannot be opened.

Operate the Key-switch then the Power Button to turn PC on.

-Kumaran

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Comments

[CervezasE]

If they really wanted to, couldnt they open the case, (I assume the case itself only has the regular thumbscrews and no lock) break the connection behind the wires and touch them together? seems like a system that isnt quite finished..

[actionjksn]

Are you referring to the computer tower or the on-off switch as a CPU? Because a CPU - Central processing unit is a specific component that is about 1.25 inches and is underneath a heatsink and fan. It's sort of like referring to an engine as a car. Or the body of a car as the engine.

[JamesW33]

I've heard people refer to the whole box as the CPU. Using your car analogy, I think its along the same lines of people calling a car a "motor" (as in motor car). Also, as calling the computer a CPU is generally a marketing thing, it may originate from buyers assuming that a computer includes a monitor, keyboard, etc., and being miffed when they only receive the box and nothing else.

[actionjksn]

I'm 51 years old and have been all over the country and I have never heard a single person in my life call a car "a motor." I repair and build computers and read all the marketing stuff and I have never seen any company selling computers who refer to their computers in their marketing as a CPU. That doesn't even make any sense.

Any company who wants to get people to buy their computers would not want people to read or listen to their marketing and have people think that they don't know anything about their product. Because if they refer to their computer system as a CPU, then it would indicate that they really do not have any idea what they're writing about in their marketing. I'm not nitpicking here, the computer as in the whole tower containing the components is not called a CPU. And whoever refers to a car as a motor is saying something down right bazaar.

[DevTheHam]

nice idea. I'm thinking of doing that to my new computer I just built.

[rbennett8]

Ok im sorry but that's still not the cpu

and whats the power setting have to it ??

[thehdp]

Nice idea and very greate

[Dr Qui]

I notice you did not secure the switch plate to the case, which means you can pop the switch out strip the wires and just twist them together and your in.



You need to hot glue the switch plate in place or use screws so the place cant be puled out or pushed in.

[kumaran512]

yeah Qui great tat u ve noticed......but u see the pic, thr is a nut securing the key switch from inside so the switch cant be pulled out or pushed in.........

[Dr Qui]

yes your switch is secured to the plate but unless the plate is fixed to the case it will pop out in seconds and you have access to the wires.

[kumaran512]

hi Qui.....the plate is non return press fit type....see the pic of the place both ends.....so it fits firmly to the case.....u can't touch the wires unless u break the plate........or, instead using the plate u can also make a hole in the cabinet case itself fix the switch thr..........

[slack-man]

Good job. A hardware solution such as this is more secure than software for protecting an home or office PC from casual snooping. Someone determined enough would open the case.

It's ironic that this used to be common on the earlier generation PCs, but I havn't seen it for a number of years..

[Dr Qui]

Not bad, just about stop the casual user, but if I really wanted your info the hard drive would be gone in less than 5 minutes, unless you have it locked in a secure enclosure, at which point you just take case and all.



I was a PC tech from 95 -02 I only had a few PC's they user kept locked, It usually turned out that the guy with the locked computer had something grubby secret to hide.



I did use a lockable hard drive caddy from a Fujitsu machine as a hidden safe, my company removed to eliminate the change of some moron removing the drive, yes they where that dumb at times , I could tell some stories lol.

[kc0kfg]

I agree I guess it shows my age , one upon a time every pc came with keys, usually hanging on the back of the case never used LOL

[Tkdwn]

Nice Instructable, But it locks the PC power buton,not the CPU.
I would recommend using truecrypt to secure your data.

[pavlus85]

Good work. It's really an interesting idea!

[hcaz-301]

Great idea, but CPU isnt the word your looking for just a computer power lock

[Tanmay Das]

Nice idea, can't believe it didn't occurred to me.