Authentication before Operating System (Pre-boot)

These actions define if users must authenticate in the Pre-boot before the operating system loads. Configure the Pre-boot authentication method and other settings related to user authentication in the User Authentication (OneCheck) rules.

	Note - Password Synchronization only works if Pre-boot authentication is enabled.
Action		Description
Authenticate user before OS loads (Pre-boot)		Users must authenticate to their computers in the Pre-boot before the operating system loads.
Do not authenticate user before OS loads (disable Pre-boot)		Users authenticate to their computers only at the operating system level. Note: This is less secure. To reduce security issues, configure settings in Require Pre-boot if one or more of these conditions are met.

Double-click an action to edit the properties.

If you choose Authenticate user before OS loads, you can choose to bypass Pre-boot in specified situations:

• Bypass Pre-boot when connected to LAN - On computers that are connected to an Endpoint Security server through ethernet, Pre-boot is not necessary. The client automatically authenticates securely through the network without Pre-boot. If automatic network authentication is not possible, manual Pre-boot authentication is required. This option is supported on UEFI and Mac computers. See Unlock on LAN Requirements in the Release Notes.
  • Unlock Pre-boot user on successful OS login - If users are away from the LAN and get locked out of Pre-boot (because of incorrect logons), they can log on the next time they are on the LAN. When they log on to the operating system, the Pre-boot lock is unlocked.
• Temporary Pre-boot Bypass (Wake on LAN) settings - For scenarios when you want to temporarily bypass the Pre-boot, for example, for maintenance, see Temporary Pre-boot Bypass. Temporary Pre-boot Bypass reduces security.

If you choose Do not authenticate user before OS loads (disable Pre-boot), the user experience is simpler, but it is less secure. As an alternative to Pre-boot Bypass, you can use Single Sign-On (SSO) together with Pre-boot Authentication.

If you do choose Do not authenticate user before OS loads (disable Pre-boot) we recommend that you require Pre-boot authentication in some scenarios. See Temporarily Require Pre-boot.

Related Topics Temporary Pre-boot Bypass Temporarily Require Pre-boot Advanced Pre-boot Settings