System and method for restoring a master boot record in association with accessing a hidden partition

• US 20080155242A1
• Filed: 10/31/2006
• Published: 06/26/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 10/31/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dell Products LP (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Dell Products LP (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Inventors: Dandekar, Shree A., Tolliver, Reva L., Beelitz, Alan E., Maia, Paul J.
• Granted Patent: US 7,765,394 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 713/2
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/575 Secure boot
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/441 Multiboot arrangements, i.e. selecting an operating system to be loaded

Abstract

A system and method for restoring a master boot record in association with accessing a hidden partition is disclosed. According to one aspect, a method of restoring a master boot record for a storage device is disclosed. The method can include initiating access to a hidden partition stored within a storage device. The method can also include disassociating a visible partition descriptor from a visible partition of the storage device. The method can also include associating the visible partition descriptor with the hidden partition and accessing the hidden partition using the visible partition descriptor. The method can also include reassociating the visible partition descriptor with the visible partition while accessing the hidden partition.

Claims

1. An information handling system comprising:

a storage device including a visible partition operably associated with an operating system and a hidden partition including contents accessible external to the operating system;

a processor operable to initiate access to the hidden partition using a visible partition descriptor of the visible partition; and

a restore utility associated with the hidden partition and operable to be initiated upon providing access to the hidden partition during a boot sequence.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the restore utility is further operable to store a copy of the visible partition descriptor.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the storage device further comprises a master boot record including the visible partition descriptor.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the restore utility is further operable to access the stored copy of the visible partition descriptor.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the restore utility is further operable to restore the master reboot record using the stored copy of the visible partition descriptor upon providing access to the hidden partition.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the hidden partition includes a media application.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the visible partition comprises a system restore partition.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the restore utility is further operable to disassociate the visible partition descriptor from the hidden partition and reassociate the visible partition descriptor with the system restore partition.

9. The system of claim 1, further comprising an application loader operably associated with a master boot record of the storage device, the application loader operable to initiate access to the hidden partition using the visible partition descriptor.

10. A method of restoring a master boot record for a storage device, the method comprising the steps of:

initiating access to a hidden partition stored within a storage device;

disassociating a visible partition descriptor from a visible partition of the storage device;

associating the visible partition descriptor with the hidden partition;

accessing the hidden partition using the visible partition descriptor; and

reassociating the visible partition descriptor with the visible partition while accessing the hidden partition.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

initiating a restore utility upon accessing the hidden partition; and

storing a copy of the visible partition descriptor.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

accessing the stored copy of the visible partition descriptor using the restore utility;

updating a master boot record to include the stored copy of the visible partition descriptor; and

maintaining access to the hidden partition upon updating the master boot record.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

detecting a request to initiate a boot sequence after updating the master boot record;

initiating the boot sequence using the storage device;

enabling access to the visible partition using the master boot record; and

disabling access to the hidden partition.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

accessing the master boot record to determine an associated visible partition descriptor for the visible partition; and

loading the visible partition into a memory during the boot sequence.

15. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

modifying a master boot record of the storage device to associate the visible partition descriptor with the hidden partition; and

updating the master boot record to reassociate the visible partition descriptor with the visible partition upon accessing the hidden partition.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

accessing the master boot record to identify a system restore partition descriptor;

determining an operating state of a utility partition of the storage device;

determining an availability of a system restore partition associated with the system restore partition descriptor based on the operating state of the utility partition;

disassociating the system restore partition descriptor from the system restore partition within the master boot record if the operating state is inactive;

associating the system restore partition descriptor with the hidden partition;

initiating access to the hidden partition using the system restore partition descriptor; and

updating the master boot record to reassociate the system restore partition descriptor with the system restore partition.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising maintaining access to the hidden partition upon updating the master boot record to reassociate the system restore descriptor with the system restore partition.

18. A method of restoring a master boot record of a storage device, the method comprising the steps of:

initiating access to a hidden partition of a storage device;

detecting whether a visible partition of the storage device is available;

accessing a master boot record of the storage device to determine a descriptor for the available visible partition;

storing a copy of the descriptor;

disassociating the descriptor for the available visible partition from the available visible partition within the master boot record;

associating the descriptor with the hidden partition of the storage device;

initiating access to the hidden partition using the descriptor;

verifying access to the hidden partition;

accessing the stored copy of the descriptor; and

modifying the master boot record to reassociate the stored copy of the descriptor with the available visible partition while accessing the hidden partition.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

detecting a new association to a second available visible partition;

updating the stored copy of the descriptor based on the new association; and

accessing the master boot record to include the new association.

20. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

determining an availability of a system restore partition;

disassociating a system restore partition descriptor of the system restore partition from the system restore partition within the master boot record;

storing a copy of the system restore partition descriptor;

associating the system restore partition descriptor with the hidden partition;

accessing the hidden partition using the system restore partition descriptor; and

restoring the system restore partition descriptor of the system restore partition within the maser boot record upon accessing the hidden partition.