Apparatus and method for loading BIOS from a diskette in a personal computer system
First Claim
1. An apparatus for loading an operational interface from diskette media included in a diskette drive for a personal computer system normally connected to a hardfile, the personal computer system having a system processor, a read only memory, a random access memory and the diskette drive, said apparatus comprising:
- means for initializing the system with a first portion of the operational interface resident in the read only memory;
means for loading a master boot record saved on the diskette media, said master boot record including an executable code segment;
means for producing a signal, said signal being representative of loading the operational interface from the diskette drive;
signal responding means being responsive to said signal, said signal responding means determining if the operational interface is to be loaded from the diskette drive or hardfile, wherein if the operational interface is to be loaded from the diskette media, said first portion of the operational interface initializes the diskette drive to effect the loading of said master boot record into the random access memory;
a remaining portion of the operational interface being included in the diskette media, wherein said first portion of the operational interface transfers control to the executable code segment of the master boot record in order to effect the loading of the remaining portion of the operational interface into the random access memory.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An apparatus and method for loading BIOS from a diskette drive into a personal computer system normally connected to a hardfile, such as a fixed disk. The personal computer system further includes a system processor, a random access main memory, a read only memory and a switching means. The switching means generates a signal to indicate a mode for whether BIOS loads from either diskette or disk. In a priority mode, BIOS loads immediately from diskette. In a recovery mode, BIOS loads from diskette after testing the disk subsystem.
82 Citations
32 Claims
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1. An apparatus for loading an operational interface from diskette media included in a diskette drive for a personal computer system normally connected to a hardfile, the personal computer system having a system processor, a read only memory, a random access memory and the diskette drive, said apparatus comprising:
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means for initializing the system with a first portion of the operational interface resident in the read only memory; means for loading a master boot record saved on the diskette media, said master boot record including an executable code segment; means for producing a signal, said signal being representative of loading the operational interface from the diskette drive; signal responding means being responsive to said signal, said signal responding means determining if the operational interface is to be loaded from the diskette drive or hardfile, wherein if the operational interface is to be loaded from the diskette media, said first portion of the operational interface initializes the diskette drive to effect the loading of said master boot record into the random access memory; a remaining portion of the operational interface being included in the diskette media, wherein said first portion of the operational interface transfers control to the executable code segment of the master boot record in order to effect the loading of the remaining portion of the operational interface into the random access memory. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. An apparatus for loading an operational interface from diskette media included in a diskette drive for a personal computer system normally connected to a hardfile, the personal computer system further having a system processor electrically coupled to a read only memory, random access memory and nonvolatile memory, said apparatus comprising:
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a first portion of the operational interface resident in the read only memory, said first portion of the operational interface initializing the system and determining if the hardfile is operational; a master boot record included in the diskette media, said master boot record including an executable code segment; a password normally included in the nonvolatile memory, wherein upon determining if the hardfile is non-operational and said password is not detected, said first portion of the operational interface initializes the diskette drive to read in said master boot record; and a remaining portion of the operational interface being included in the diskette media, wherein the first portion of the operational interface transfers control to the executable code segment of the master boot record in order to effect the loading of the remaining portion of the operational interface into the random access memory. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25)
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26. A personal computer system comprising:
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a system processor; a random access memory being the main memory and electrically coupled to the system processor; a diskette drive being electrically coupled to the system processor, the diskette drive capable of storing a plurality of data records; a master boot record included in the diskette drive, the master boot record having a data segment and an executable code segment, the data segment representing a hardware configuration of the personal computer system which is compatible with said master boot record; a read only memory being electrically coupled to the system processor, the read only memory having data representing a hardware configuration of the system; a first portion of an operational interface being included in the read only memory, said first portion of the operational interface initializing the system and the diskette drive to load in said master boot record and transferring control to said executable code segment, said executable code segment further comparing the hardware configuration data from the master boot record to the hardware configuration data of the read only memory to verify the compatibility of the master boot record with the system processor; a remaining portion of the operational interface being included in the diskette drive, wherein, after verifying the compatibility of the master boot record with the system processor, executable code segment loads the remaining portion of the operational interface into the random access memory. - View Dependent Claims (27, 28, 29)
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30. A method for loading an operational interface from a diskette drive in a personal computer system normally connected to a hardfile, the personal computer system having a system processor electrically coupled to a system planar, the planar further being electrically coupled to a read only memory, random access memory and nonvolatile memory, said method comprising the steps of:
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(a) initializing the system with a first portion of the operational interface resident in the read only memory; (b) determining if the hardfile is present; (c) in the absence of the hardfile, searching the nonvolatile memory for a password; (d) upon detecting the absence of the password, initializing with the first portion of the operational interface the diskette drive having a master boot record a remaining operational interface; (c) loading with the first portion of the operational interface the master boot record into random access memory, the master boot record including a data segment and an executable code segment, the data segment having data representing the hardware configuration of the system for which the remaining operational interface is compatible; (d) verifying the compatibility of the master boot record with the system hardware by comparing from the data segment the data representing the hardware configuration record to corresponding data stored in read only memory; (e) executing the code segment of the master boot record to load the remaining operational interface code into main memory; and (f) passing control to the remaining operational interface code once it is loaded into main memory. - View Dependent Claims (31, 32)
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Specification