Some implementations might involve software running on the device, generating challenges, and verifying responses.

You turn on a Toshiba laptop that has been inactive for years, or you try to access the service menu on a Toshiba e‑STUDIO multifunction printer. Instead of a standard startup, a window appears on the screen. It presents you with a – a long, alphanumeric string that might look like 4NHP8-8XNT8-UL652-HGL9Y-6TPBL or 77UYW-FD9DA-PQBTQ-C5YK9-ADBLX – and demands a Response Code to proceed. A lock icon or a message stating "System Locked" or "Enter Password" stares back at you.