Screwing With RadioShack & Compaq

by Informagnet

Well, RadioShack's firmly in bed with Compaq.

This ends, for at least a while, their selling computers I have some respect for.  This article should clarify why I say this.

While RadioShack was selling IBM computers, there were actual working IBM Aptivas out there on the counter for the customer to play with.  These were password protected to prevent mischief, and the protection was at least good enough to keep the machines safe from types like myself.  I couldn't even get to the desktop with a hit-the-power-switch cold boot; the machine would just go straight to its demo with no "side trips" allowed.  The only way I could see anything but IBM's excellent demo was to social engineer the password, (default was merlin) and when I abused this trust by changing the password, I was greeted the next day by the amusing sight of the manager preparing to take the cover off of the machine so that he could pull jumpers.  If there was a "backdoor," even he didn't know it, and Tom's pretty computer savvy.  IBM had set these machines up with pretty decent security, and having bought one, I am still very happy with the "seamlessness" of the software.

With the invasion of RadioShack by Compaq, things have changed to a hilarious degree.  My local Shack has three Compaq models on "display."  Actually what one encounters is three empty cases with the keyboard, monitor, and mouse connected to an actually operating computer locked inside the podium the display dummies sit on.  This arrangement is for security.  There is a "hard and fast" policy against letting even favorite customers know the password, so this has got to be much more secure, right?

Well, after 15 minutes or so of simply trying random stuff, I found a backdoor that even the most paranoid manager can't shut by changing the password.  Compaq is going to be overjoyed to have this become common knowledge!  I found that there's a flaw in the demo that makes it possible to get to the Taskbar, and from there do anything you want.

It seems that the computer is responsive to keystrokes for a very small time window while it changes from one demo subprogram to another, especially when you are several steps in and then click on Home.  The procedure I found to consistently work was to click on Click to Learn, then on one of the computer models (I always use the highest one), then going to the surround sound demo, then the game, then as the game starts, clicking on Home.

During this time, hit Ctrl+Esc and you'll get the Taskbar for just a moment.  It's sort of a flaky process, sometimes you'll see the Taskbar and the game screen both, each sort of transparent!  You have to move quickly and if you miss it, just try again.

It's a matter of getting the machine busy and then "getting in a command edgewise."  But it works.  I was hanging out "helping" close up the local store one evening and was able to shut down all three machines in a few minutes, impressing the guy there enough to tell me the password: RS2C98

Remember, when trying this, those caps are important, and don't hit Enter after typing this in, as this is counted as an extra "character," just click on the action you want to do on the menu.  I think this is a nationwide default password, at least for the Shack.

How does this "side door" work?  My theory is promising - these new Compaqs are all Pentium II machines.  As flaky as the programming of these may be, basically they can eat multitasking for breakfast.  When I am getting into the Taskbar and DOS prompt, the machine is multitasking, running the demo also.

In fact, if you don't keep inputting keystrokes, the machine will go back to the demo!  This can actually be useful when you are getting glowered at.  What makes this "promising?"  Well, this points out a strength of the new generation of computers coming out now and a weakness in people administering them, who tend to have cut their teeth on DOS machines that were much weaker in their multitasking abilities if they had them at all.  There's a good chance that a lot of things will be possible to get into before admins really learn how to secure a PC system with multiprocessing capabilities rivaling super-minis of just a few years ago.

So, what do you do with this knowledge?  Well, not all RadioShacks are staffed by cool people like my local one.  Some of then are full of real jerks.  Jerks, especially jerks with no sense of humor, are the enemy, remember?  Keep in mind that humor is the weapon of choice.  There are HTML training files in there that clearly benefit from a little creative spelling like "antinnuh" for "antenna" and so on.  Or, you may want to experiment with effects.  Of course, you can run two demo program processes at once.  You will hear the audio of them both, and they will not be in sync.  Wowwwwww, weird ech00000...  Now that's an effect!  I must admit, the top-end model's sound is impressive, and this makes it sound like my favorite band, EBN.

Imagine how some grumpy old RadioShack manager's attitude will improve after this type of musical enlightenment!  I didn't get around to trying more than two demo programs running at once, but I'm sure you can run several...  Between the flaws in the demo software and what I see as a general flakiness of the machines themselves, much entertainment and experimentation is possible.  Even after Compaq gets the idea there's something wrong with the demo and gets something more secure out into the field, there's the basic instability of these budget-built machines.

I have noticed that Costco has these Compaqs too, but wasn't able to get any experimentation in the last time I was there because the one there was locked up solid, and I mean catatonic.

Some general tips on RadioShack...  Trashing there can yield store number and employee numbers.  These of course can easily factor into passwords, as with any large corporation.  There are employee training and testing files on whatever is the favorite Compaq - they are fun to look at.

The Shack is a good source of batteries, being able to get you just about any battery, and they are worth being on good terms with.  Their latest 65-721 programmable tone dialer is the most experimenter-friendly one I've seen (remember, Red Boxers, the crystal is the little yellow thing that looks like a capacitor).

In general, I think the quality of RadioShack products has improved a lot, and it's a letdown to see them take a step backward in the computers they offer.