Method and apparatus for restoration of a computer system hard drive

• US 6,519,762 B1
• Filed: 12/15/1998
• Issued: 02/11/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 12/15/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Dell USA LP (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Dell USA LP (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Inventors: Ellis, Jonathan, Robertson, Hunter, Colligan, Tom
• Primary Examiner(s): Powell, Mark R.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Holmes, Michael B.
• Application Number:
  US09/211,943
• Time in Patent Office: 1,519 Days
• Field of Search: 717/2, 717/11
• US Class Current: 717/170
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1417 Boot up procedures
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/80 in storage media based on magnetic or optical technology, e.g. disks with sectors preventing unauthorised reproduction or copying of disc-type recordable media G11B20/00

Abstract

A computer system having capability for restoration of a hard disk drive includes at least one processor and at least one hard disk drive. A software image is stored on the at least one hard disk drive, the software image including a factory downloaded image which is subject to corruption. A protected software restoration image not prone to a typical corruption is stored on the at least one hard disk drive and available for use by the at least one processor in executing the restoration of the software image on the at by least one hard disk drive to a like new factory downloaded image condition.

Claims

1. A computer system having capability for restoration of a hard disk drive, said computer system comprising:

at least one processor;

at least one hard disk drive;

a software image stored on said at least one hard disk drive, said software image including a factory downloaded image which is subject to corruption; and

a protected software restoration image not prone to a typical corruption, said protected software restoration image being stored on said at least one hard disk drive and available for use by said at least one processor in executing the restoration of said software image on said at least one hard disk drive to a like new factory downloaded image condition.

2. The computer system of claim 1, wherein said protected software restoration image is deeply hidden on said at least one hard disk drive.

3. The computer system of claim 1, wherein said protected software restoration image is stored on an unpartitioned area of said at least one hard disk drive.

4. The computer system of claim 1, wherein said protected software restoration image is stored on a partitioned area of said at least one hard disk drive, further wherein pointer information relating to a location of said protected software restoration image is stored in a master block boot record of said at least one hard disk drive with the use of non-standard encoding codes.

5. The computer system of claim 1, wherein said protected software restoration image is stored as a contiguous image.

6. The computer system of claim 1, wherein said protected software restoration image is stored as a non-contiguous image.

7. The computer system of claim 1, further comprising:

a software transport mechanism having a restoration program disposed thereon, the restoration program including instructions for causing said at least one processor to execute the restoration of said software image on said at least one hard disk drive to the like new factory downloaded image condition with said protected software restoration image.

8. The computer system of claim 7, wherein said software transport mechanism includes said at least one hard disk drive, further wherein the restoration program is included in the factory downloaded software image.

9. The computer system of claim 7, wherein said software transport mechanism includes a bootable diagnostics diskette.

10. A computer system having capability for restoration of a hard disk drive, said computer system comprising:

at least one processor;

at least one hard disk drive;

a software image stored on said at least one hard disk drive, said software image including a factory downloaded image which is subject to corruption;

a protected software restoration image not prone to a typical corruption, said protected software restoration image being stored on said at least one hard disk drive and available for use by said at least one processor in executing the restoration of said software image on said at least one hard disk drive to a like new factory downloaded image condition; and

a software transport mechanism having a restoration program disposed thereon, the restoration program including instructions for causing said at least one processor to execute the restoration of said software image on said at least one hard disk drive to the like new factory downloaded image condition with said protected software restoration image.

11. The computer system of claim 10, wherein said protected software restoration image is deeply hidden on said at least one hard disk drive.

12. The computer system of claim 10, wherein said protected software restoration image is stored on an unpartitioned area of said at least one hard disk drive.

13. The computer system of claim 10, wherein said protected software restoration image is stored on a partitioned area of said at least one hard disk drive, further wherein pointer information relating to a location of said protected software restoration image is stored in a master block boot record of said at least one hard disk drive with the use of non-standard encoding codes.

14. The computer system of claim 10, wherein said protected software restoration image is stored as a contiguous image.

15. The computer system of claim 10, wherein said protected software restoration image is stored as a non-contiguous image.

16. The computer system of claim 10, wherein said software transport mechanism includes said at least one hard disk drive, further wherein the restoration program is included in the factory downloaded software image.

17. The computer system of claim 10, wherein said software transport mechanism includes a bootable diagnostics diskette.

18. A method for implementing restoration of a hard disk drive in a computer system, said method comprising:

providing at least one processor;

providing at least one hard disk drive;

storing a software image on said at least one hard disk drive, the software image including a factory downloaded image which is subject to corruption; and

storing a protected software restoration image on the at least one hard disk drive, the protected software restoration image not prone to a typical corruption and being available for use by the at least one processor in executing the restoration of the software image on the at least one hard disk drive to a like new factory downloaded image condition.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the protected software restoration image is stored as a deeply hidden image on the at least one hard disk drive.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein the protected software restoration image is stored on an unpartitioned area of the at least one hard disk drive.

21. The method of claim 18, wherein the protected software restoration image is stored on a partitioned area of the at least one hard disk drive, said method further comprising the step of:

storing pointer information relating to a location of the protected software restoration image in a master block boot record of the at least one hard disk drive with the use of non-standard encoding codes.

22. The method of claim 18, wherein the protected software restoration image is stored as a contiguous image.

23. The method of claim 18, wherein the protected software restoration image is stored as a non-contiguous image.

24. The method of claim 18, further comprising the step of:

providing a software transport mechanism having a restoration program disposed thereon, the restoration program including instructions for causing the at least one processor to execute the restoration of the software image on the at least one hard disk drive to the like new factory downloaded image condition with the protected software restoration image.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein the software transport mechanism includes the at least one hard disk drive, further wherein the restoration program is included in the factory downloaded software image.

26. The method of claim 24, wherein the software transport mechanism includes a bootable diagnostics diskette.

27. A method for implementing restoration of a hard disk drive in a computer system, said method comprising:

providing at least one processor;

providing at least one hard disk drive;

storing a software image on said at least one hard disk drive, the software image including a factory downloaded image which is subject to corruption;

storing a protected software restoration image on the at least one hard disk drive, the protected software restoration image not prone to a typical corruption and being available for use by the at least one processor in executing the restoration of the software image on the at least one hard disk drive to a like new factory downloaded image condition; and

providing a software transport mechanism having a restoration program disposed thereon, the restoration program including instructions for causing the at least one processor to execute the restoration of the software image on the at least one hard disk drive to the like new factory downloaded image condition with the protected software restoration image.

28. The method of claim 27, wherein the protected software restoration image is stored as a deeply hidden image on the at least one hard disk drive.

29. The method of claim 27, wherein the protected software restoration image is stored on an unpartitioned area of the at least one hard disk drive.

30. The method of claim 27, wherein the protected software restoration image is stored on a partitioned area of the at least one hard disk drive, said method further comprising the step of:

storing pointer information relating to a location of the protected software restoration image in a master block boot record of the at least one hard disk drive with the use of non-standard encoding codes.

31. The method of claim 27, wherein the protected software restoration image is stored as a contiguous image.

32. The method of claim 27, wherein the protected software restoration image is stored as a non-contiguous image.

33. The method of claim 27, wherein the software transport mechanism includes the at least one hard disk drive, further wherein the restoration program is included in the factory downloaded software image.

34. The method of claim 27, wherein the software transport mechanism includes a bootable diagnostics diskette.