Method and system for specified loading of an operating system

• US 6,357,000 B1
• Filed: 11/13/1995
• Issued: 03/12/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 01/29/1993
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Jain, Naveen K.
• Primary Examiner(s): Banankhah, Majid A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): LAO, SUE X
• Application Number:
  US08/558,045
• Time in Patent Office: 2,311 Days
• Field of Search: 713/1, 713/2, 713/100, 709/332
• US Class Current: 713/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/4406 Loading of operating system

Abstract

A computer method and system for user-specified loading of an operating system. Operating system load modules, composed of permanent load modules and variable load modules, are stored on a storage device. The permanent load modules and variable load modules each comprise operating system instructions. Although all of the permanent load modules are included in the operating system, only variable load modules that are specified by the user are included in the operating system. A user identification is initially obtained of variable load modules to be included as user-specified load modules in the operating system. Upon computer startup, the user-specified load modules and the permanent load modules are loaded into memory. The operating system instructions comprised by the user-specified load modules and permanent load modules thus comprise the loaded operating system.

Claims

1. A computer system for loading an operating system in accordance with input from a user, the computer system comprising:

(a) a storage device storing at least one permanent load module comprising essential operating system instructions, and at least one variable load module comprising additional operating system instructions, the permanent load module and the variable load module comprising operating system instructions; and

(b) a computer, connected to the storage device, and comprising;

(i) a memory;

(ii) means for obtaining from the user an indication of whether the variable load module is to be included in the operating system to be loaded as a user-specified variable load modules;

(iii) means for loading the permanent load module into the memory;

(iv) means for loading the user-specified variable load module according to the user indication before loading the permanent load module into the memory, the operating system instructions in the user-specified variable load module and permanent load module comprising the loaded operating system; and

(v) a central processing unit executing the operating system instructions comprised by the user-specified variable load module and the permanent load module.

2. The computer system of claim 1 wherein the variable load module is a system security routine and the computer system further comprises:

means for executing the loaded system security routine before the permanent load module is loaded so as to prevent an unauthorized user from accessing the computer.

3. The computer system of claim 1 wherein the permanent load module is stored in a compressed format and the variable load module is a data decompression routine, the computer system further comprising:

means for executing the loaded data decompression routine before the permanent load module is loaded so as to decompress the compressed operating system instructions in the permanent load module.

4. The computer system of claim 1 wherein the variable load module is a storage device driver routine and the means for loading the permanent load module comprises:

means for executing the loaded storage device driver routine to enable the computer to communicate with the storage device.

5. The computer system of claim 1 wherein the variable load module is computer hardware dependent and operating system independent.

10. The computer system according to claim 1, wherein the additional operating system instructions contained in the first variable load module include a routine that controls the manner of loading the permanent load module and the computer system further comprises means for executing the routine before the permanent load module is loaded so as to control the manner of loading the permanent load module.

6. A computer system for loading an operating system in accordance with input from a user, the computer system comprising:

(a) a storage device storing a permanent load module comprising essential operating system instructions, and at least one variable load module comprising additional operating system instructions, the permanent load module and the variable load module comprising operating system instructions;

(b) a processor;

(c) a memory;

(d) an input device connected to the processor, the input device for obtaining from the user an indication of whether the variable load module is to be loaded into the memory as a user-specified variable load module; and

(e) a loader for loading the user-specified variable load module into the memory and for loading the permanent load module into the memory after the user-specified variable load module is loaded into the memory, the operating system instructions in the user-specified variable load module and the permanent load module comprising the operating system, wherein the processor executes the loaded operating system.

7. A computer-readable storage medium storing an operating system that controls operation of a computer, the operating system comprising:

(a) a permanent load module comprising essential operating system instructions, to be loaded into a computer memory; and

(b) at least one variable load module comprising additional operating system instructions, to be loaded into the computer memory according to user input before the permanent load module is loaded, the variable load module and the permanent load module comprising operating system instructions.

8. A computer-readable storage medium storing an operating system that controls operation of a computer, the operating system comprising:

at least one variable load module comprising additional operating system instructions, to be loaded into a computer memory according to user input before a permanent load module comprising essential operating system instructions, is loaded into the computer memory, the variable load module and the permanent load module comprising operating system instructions.

11. The computer-readable storage medium according to claim 8, wherein the additional operating system instructions contained in the first variable load module include a routine that controls the manner of loading the permanent load module.

9. A method, performed by a component connected to a computer, of transmitting a variable load module of an operating system to the computer in accordance with input from a user, the method comprising the steps of:

(a) storing in the component at least one variable load module comprising additional operating system instructions, to be loaded into a memory of the computer before a permanent load module comprising essential operating system instructions, is loaded;

(b) receiving a request from the computer for at least one variable load module identified by the user; and

(c) transmitting the user-identified variable load module to the computer for loading into the computer memory before the permanent load module is loaded.

12. In a computer system having a memory and a storage device storing at least one permanent load module, wherein the permanent load module comprises essential operating system instructions, and at least one variable load module, wherein the variable load module comprises additional operating system instructions, the permanent load module and the variable load module comprising operating system instructions, a method of loading an operating system from the storage device into the memory, the method comprising:

obtaining an identification of a first variable load module to be loaded into the memory from a master boot record;

loading the operating system instructions contained in the first variable load module; and

obtaining an identification of a permanent load module to be loaded into memory; and

loading the operating system instructions contained in the permanent load module after the operating system instructions contained in the first variable load modules are loaded in the memory.

13. The method as recited in claim 12, wherein obtaining an identification of a first variable load module includes obtaining the identification of the first variable load module from a user.

14. The method as recited in claim 12, wherein the storage device stores a plurality of variable load modules.

15. The method as recited in claim 14, further comprising:

obtaining an identification of one or more of the plurality of variable load modules to be loaded into the memory; and

loading the operating system instructions contained in the one or more identified variable load modules prior to loading the operating instructions contained in the permanent load module.

16. The method as recited in claim 15, wherein obtaining an identification of one or more of the plurality of variable modules includes obtaining a user identification of one or more of the plurality of valuable modules to be loaded into the memory.

17. The method as recited in claim 16, wherein obtaining a user identification of one or more of the plurality of variable modules to be loaded into the memory includes obtaining an identification from a user of all of the plurality of variable modules.

18. The method as recited in claim 12, wherein the variable load module is a system security routine, and wherein the method further comprises:

executing the loaded system security routine prior to loading the operating system instructions in the permanent load module;

determining by the executing system security routine whether the user is authorized or unauthorized; and

preventing the user from accessing the computer when the user is determined to be unauthorized.

19. The method as recited in claim 12, wherein the permanent load module is stored in a compressed format and the variable load module is a data decompression routine, and wherein the method further comprises executing the loaded data decompression routine to decompress the compressed operating system instructions in the storage device prior to loading the operating system instructions in the permanent load module.

20. The method as recited in claim 12, wherein the variable load module is a storage device driver routine and wherein loading the operating system instructions in the permanent load module includes executing the loaded storage driver routine.

21. The method as recited in claim 12, wherein the variable load module is computer hardware dependent and operating system independent.

22. The method as recited in claim 12, wherein the additional operating system instructions contained in the first variable load module include a routine that controls the manner of loading the permanent load module.

23. The method as recited in claim 22, wherein the routine is a data decompression routine and the permanent load module is stored in a compressed format, and wherein the routine controls the loading of the permanent load module by decompressing the compressed format of the permanent load module upon loading of the permanent load module.

24. The method as recited in claim 22, wherein the routine is a system security routine and wherein the routine controls the loading of the permanent load module by:

determining whether a user of the computer is authorized to load the permanent load module; and

if the user is authorized, the system security routine allows the loading of the permanent load module else the system security routine prevents the loading of the permanent load module.

25. The method as recited in claim 22, wherein the routine further controls the manner of loading the other variable load module.

26. A computer-readable medium having computer-implementable instructions for performing the method recited in any one of claims 12-25.

27. A computer system having a processor, a memory, and an operating system, the computer system operable to perform the method recited in any one of claims 12-25.