# A "universal computer key" **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [June 18, 2008, 10:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-universal-computer-key/453411 "2008-06-18T22:42:49Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Love\_Rhombus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/love_rhombus/32/10694_2.png) [@Love\_Rhombus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Love_Rhombus)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2008, 10:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-universal-computer-key/453411/1 "2008-06-18T22:42:49Z")
My friend Paul built me a computer. Unnoticed by me, he put a lock in the side which I only discovered when I was trying to put in a better graphics card. Can I just go buy another key, or must I call him? We’ve fallen out of touch (he has…issues) and I’d like to eliminate other options first. The keyhole is round. I got the “universal key” thing from a tech at Best buy, he made it sound like something I could just buy somewhere. ---
**Author:** ![Frylock](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ce7236/32.png) [@Frylock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frylock)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2008, 10:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-universal-computer-key/453411/2 "2008-06-18T22:51:34Z")
I’m having reading comprehension issues. [QUOTE=Love Rhombus] I got the “universal key” thing [/quote] You got _what_ “universal key” thing? > [@](#): > > from a tech at Best buy, he made it sound like something I could just buy somewhere. He made _what_ sound like something you could just buy somewhere? -FrL- ---
**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2008, 10:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-universal-computer-key/453411/3 "2008-06-18T22:58:31Z")
[QUOTE=Frylock] I’m having reading comprehension issues. [/QUOTE] Clearly. The “tech” at Best Buy told him he ought to be able to pick up a “universal key” at some vague “somewhere.” Which is bullshit, of course. Me, I’d just drill it out. It’s not worth paying a locksmith for–why he felt it necessary to install a lock on _your_ computer is a mystery to me, though. But, you did say he has issues… ---
**Author:** ![Love\_Rhombus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/love_rhombus/32/10694_2.png) [@Love\_Rhombus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Love_Rhombus)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2008, 10:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-universal-computer-key/453411/4 "2008-06-18T22:59:07Z")
I got the name/concept “universal key” from a guy at Best Buy. He said that they didn’t have one, so couldn’t open my lock. From that I assumed that it was something that I could buy in a store for my own use. ---
**Author:** ![beowulff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beowulff/32/542_2.png) [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2008, 11:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-universal-computer-key/453411/5 "2008-06-18T23:02:12Z")
Gahh! We used to have Zillions of these lying around - they came with every computer we’d buy. Do you have an office? If so, ask people to look through their desk drawers. Or, drill it out. ---
**Author:** ![Rhythmdvl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/85f322/32.png) [@Rhythmdvl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhythmdvl)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2008, 11:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-universal-computer-key/453411/6 "2008-06-18T23:04:03Z")
I think [this](http://enet.smithequipment.com/public/docs/BLCatalogue.asp?Catalog=Torches&Reload=1&Country=&Show=0&Account=&Assortment=138) is what you’re looking for. You may also want to check your BIOS settings to see if the case alarm is on. I’ve never set it so I don’t know if it does anything more than beep, but finding out after the fact may be a bit inconvenient (poison darts?). Can you upload a picture of the lock? There are many different types/brands available, so it’s hard to tell what may work. ---
**Author:** ![Frylock](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ce7236/32.png) [@Frylock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frylock)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2008, 11:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-universal-computer-key/453411/7 "2008-06-18T23:05:01Z")
[QUOTE=Q.E.D.] Clearly. The “tech” at Best Buy told him he ought to be able to pick up a “universal key” at some vague “somewhere.” [/quote] But the OP says he _got_ “the ‘universal key’ thing” from that tech. That’s why I am confused. He says he got the universal key from the tech, then says the tech told him he can find “it” somewhere else. What is “it?” The universal key? But why would the tech tell him where he can find the universal key if he just sold him one? So if “it” isn’t the universal key, what is it? -FrL- ---
**Author:** ![Frylock](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ce7236/32.png) [@Frylock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frylock)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2008, 11:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-universal-computer-key/453411/8 "2008-06-18T23:06:31Z")
Ah, okay, I get it now. You got _the idea_ of a “universal key” from the guy at Best Buy. I thought you were saying you got the key itself from him. That’s different. Never mind. -FrL- ---
**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2008, 11:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-universal-computer-key/453411/9 "2008-06-18T23:06:54Z")
[QUOTE=Frylock] But the OP says he _got_ “the ‘universal key’ thing” from that tech. [/QUOTE] The “universal key thing” isn’t the key itself, it’s the song-and-dance routine about the key. ---
**Author:** ![beowulff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beowulff/32/542_2.png) [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2008, 11:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-universal-computer-key/453411/10 "2008-06-18T23:10:58Z")
[$3](http://cgi.ebay.com/COMPUTER-CASE-LOCK-BLACK-KEY_W0QQitemZ260084759963QQihZ016QQcategoryZ11170QQrdZ1QQssPageNameZWD1VQQcmdZViewItemQQ_trksidZp1638Q2em118Q2el1247) ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2008, 11:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-universal-computer-key/453411/11 "2008-06-18T23:18:33Z")
Last time I saw a lock like that on a computer, it wasn’t physically preventing the case from opening - it was a switch that either disabled the keyboard and mouse, or determined whether or not the computer could be powered up - the keyhole looked like this: [http://www.gatedepot.com/prod\_accessory\_locks/broc/ace\_keyswitch.htm](http://www.gatedepot.com/prod_accessory_locks/broc/ace_keyswitch.htm) The keys for these types of lock all look quite similar, but they’re not the same - in the one depicted, the serrations on the end of the tube are cut to specific depths. On other, cheaper types, there is more than one lug and they are offset from each other at different angles for different locks - so one key won’t necessarily fit another lock. But… you’re sure the lock is physically preventing the case from being opened? ---
**Author:** ![SweetHomeColorado](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d26b3c/32.png) [@SweetHomeColorado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SweetHomeColorado)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2008, 11:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-universal-computer-key/453411/12 "2008-06-18T23:24:03Z")
[http://www.southord.com/catalog.asp?cat=tubular](http://www.southord.com/catalog.asp?cat=tubular) I think thats what you mean… I just started another thread about these locks a bit earlier… ha! ---
**Author:** ![Love\_Rhombus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/love_rhombus/32/10694_2.png) [@Love\_Rhombus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Love_Rhombus)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2008, 11:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-universal-computer-key/453411/13 "2008-06-18T23:47:43Z")
[QUOTE=Mangetout] Last time I saw a lock like that on a computer, it wasn’t physically preventing the case from opening - it was a switch that either disabled the keyboard and mouse, or determined whether or not the computer could be powered up - the keyhole looked like this: [http://www.gatedepot.com/prod\_accessory\_locks/broc/ace\_keyswitch.htm](http://www.gatedepot.com/prod_accessory_locks/broc/ace_keyswitch.htm) The keys for these types of lock all look quite similar, but they’re not the same - in the one depicted, the serrations on the end of the tube are cut to specific depths. On other, cheaper types, there is more than one lug and they are offset from each other at different angles for different locks - so one key won’t necessarily fit another lock. But… you’re sure the lock is physically preventing the case from being opened? [/QUOTE] That’s what the Geek Squad guy told me. Paul ALSO put a lock on the front of the computer where the power button is located. Thankfully I’ve never accidentally locked it. And **Frylock** , why couldn’t you understand what I was saying? It made perfect sense to me :D. Until I wrote it. ---
**Author:** ![crowmanyclouds](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crowmanyclouds/32/19884_2.png) [@crowmanyclouds](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/crowmanyclouds)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2008, 12:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-universal-computer-key/453411/14 "2008-06-19T00:32:04Z")
[QUOTE=SweetHomeColorado] [http://www.southord.com/catalog.asp?cat=tubular](http://www.southord.com/catalog.asp?cat=tubular) I think thats what you mean… I just started another thread about these locks a bit earlier… ha! [/QUOTE] HEY, that’s my … alright it’s pop not soda. 😉 CMC +fnord! You could have pointed him to the cheap [one](http://1stlinesecurity.com/tulopi.html) at least! ---
**Author:** ![crowmanyclouds](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crowmanyclouds/32/19884_2.png) [@crowmanyclouds](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/crowmanyclouds)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2008, 12:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-universal-computer-key/453411/15 "2008-06-19T00:42:02Z")
ETA You might be able to pick it with the [right pen](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kryptonite_lock) (scroll down). ---
**Author:** ![yoyodyne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/a9a28c/32.png) [@yoyodyne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yoyodyne)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2008, 2:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-universal-computer-key/453411/16 "2008-06-19T02:09:28Z")
Can you post a link to or picture of the case?