CF-H1 - Input data before windows loads, without dock?

We have a dozen H1 tablets we're getting ready to deploy with windows 7 enterprise. We use bitlocker drive encryption on all of our mobile computers. With bitlocker enabled, it comes up before windows starts and prompts for a pin to be entered, in a text mode 'dos' style screen. Once the pin is entered, bitlocker can decrypt the data on the rest of the hard drive and boot windows.

The problem is, I can't see any way to enter a PIN at that point without the tablet being in a dock and having an external keyboard connected. Am I missing something?

The CF-H1 has no USB ports on the tablet itself. The windows 7 on screen keyboard isn't available in text mode before windows loads. I don't see anything in the bios about an on screen keyboard. Is there any way to make this work without having to dock the laptop to enter a pin?

 

I have an H1 without a dock and I don't know if there is a way to do it. You might look at how other tablet pcs handle that but it might just not be compatible or require special software to be installed and run a virtual keyboard you can access via the bootup process. If you find a solution, please let us know.

 

I think you will have to disable that password.

 

Which model CF-H1, the silver FIELD model or the white Healthcare model? Is it a MK 1, MK 1.5, or MK 2? My assumption is that it is a MK 2 if you are putting Windows 7 on it.

I believe you will need the Dock with an external Keyboard.

 

It's a white one, healthcare. It's a mk 1.5, the H1b. Shipped with Vista license, downgraded to XP.

For now, I've gone ahead and disabled the password for bitlocker, so it only requires the TPM. I'm only deploying a half dozen of these right now, for usability testing against a couple of other tablets, so I don't want to make it more difficult for them to sign in right now. Long term, if they decide on the toughbook and order these for everyone, requiring the tablet to be in the dock at boot might not be a bad thing.

As a side note, if anyone was wondering, the ram in these is not upgradeable. Not just "You can't get to it without cracking the case and voiding warranty", but actually no slot to upgrade, existing 1gb ram is soldered to the board.

 

Directly from the CF-H1 Reference Manual:

You can set a start-up password to protect your computer from unauthorized use.
1 Set the password (�� page 19), and select [Enabled] in [Password on Boot] in the [Security]
menu of the Setup Utility (�� page 63).
NOTE
�� To enter the password, you need to set the computer to the Cradle and connect an external keyboard to the Cradle.�� If the Supervisor Password or User Password has been set, the password input screen will be displayed on starting-up
of the Setup Utility even though [Password on Boot] is set to [Disabled].

 

Wow... that is six kinds of lame. I mean, a simple soft keyboard should be bundled in the BIOS. It's not that large a chunk of code.

mnem
Not just oversight... STUPID.

 

Almost as stupid as Apple leaving a USB port out of the iPad2 after all the kluge workarounds that popped up for the iPad.
CAP

 

Naaah, Cap'n... I understand THAT. Not including the USB port means they don't have to provide free support for every cheap-@ss POS USB gewgaw that comes out of China. You KNOW some idiot would call up complaining about poor battery life, only turns out they've had a USB coffee mug warmer plugged into it all day.

With the wireless connectivity built into an iPad, it doesn't NEED a USB port; it's not intended to be a REPLACEMENT for your regular computer, it's supposed to be an accessory to it. You have access to ANYTHING you can plug into your PC.

If you look at the original model for the device (A PADD from Star Trek) you'll see that it is EXACTLY what it was meant to be; it is only the throwback Windows mentality that says a computing device HAS TO BE EVERYTHING TO ALL PEOPLE.

mnem
USB? The newest legacy format.

 

I take your point but, it seems that there is no point to ANY computer being unable to accept data as a stand alone unit. Case in point: Last year Mrs Dogfish, in the midst of a tour of Coos Bay, Oregon, announced that she had forgotten to down load any pictures for a couple of days and her memory card was full. This could have lead to a day or two of misery for the Cap. Fortunately I had a brainstorm, plugged the card into the CF-18 mounted on the dash as a GPS, loaded all her pictures into a folder, and continued on with a happy bride. Got credit for being a genius as well! I think the lack of USB on the iPad has more to do with Stevo's arrogance than any practical reason. My cell phone has a USB port and 32GB of memory for Dog's sake.
CAP

 

Yeah, but then it wouldn't be an iPad, it would be an HP Slate. Twice as thick, twice as heavy, twice as slow, half the battery life. You wouldn't expect a Kindle to have a USB port, would you?

We used to spend a fortune on Viewsonic remote displays and things like the CF-VDW07; nobody expects them to be a full function computer, just a more portable extension of your real computer's abilities. If it were intended to be, it would run a streamlined version of OSX, not iOS.

mnem
The wrong tool for the job.