System and method for altering an operating system start-up sequence prior to operating system loading

• US 6,785,808 B2
• Filed: 02/02/2001
• Issued: 08/31/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 02/04/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Clean Slate Limited
• Original Assignee: Insyde Software Corp
• Inventors: Flynn, Rex A., Huntington, Keith J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Browne, Lynne H.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Patel, Nitin C
• Application Number:
  US09/775,473
• Publication Number:
  US 20010047472A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,306 Days
• Field of Search: 713/1, 713/2, 713/100, 710/8, 710/10, 710/104
• US Class Current: 713/2
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/4406 Loading of operating system

Abstract

A method for altering the start-up sequence of an operating system prior to loading the operating system is disclosed. The method allows changes to be made to the start-up sequence of processes and applications initiated by the operating system based upon the occurrence of a designated event during the BIOS boot sequence. In this manner, events occurring prior to operating system loading affect the operating system start-up sequence. Similarly, the illustrative embodiment of the present invention may, during the period of time the operating system is operating, write instructions which control the sequence of events taking place during the subsequent BIOS boot sequence.

Claims

1. In a computer system, said system including an operating system and a Basic Input Output System (BIOS) that provides a boot sequence for the computer system, a method for altering a start-up sequence of applications and processes initiated by the operating system, said method comprising the steps of:

providing a first application and second application stored in persistent storage mediums, said first application and said second application being separate from said BIOS, wherein said first application is initiated by the BIOS and said second application is initiated by said operating system;

providing a first and second storage area in persistent storage mediums for storing computer-executable instructions, said computer-executable instructions being written to said first storage area by said first application during the boot sequence provided by the BIOS upon the detection of the occurrence of an event specified by computer-executable instructions retrieved from said second storage area by said first application, said occurrence of an event to be detected during said boot sequence;

retrieving said computer-executable instructions from said first storage area using said second application;

executing the computer-executable instructions retrieved from said first storage area using said second application, said executing of the instructions being retrieved from the first storage area using the second application taking place following completion of said boot sequence, said computer-executable instructions altering the start-up sequence of applications and processes initiated by said operating system; and

writing said computer-executable instructions to said second storage area using said second application, said computer-executable instructions specifying the occurrence of an event to be detected during a subsequently performed boot sequence.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein said first and second storage areas are in an Extended BIOS Data Area (EBDA).

3. The method of claim 1 wherein said first and second storage areas are in unused sectors of a partitioned hard drive.

4. The method of claim 1 comprising the further step of:

locating said first and second storage areas within the location used for the file system managed by the Operating System.

5. The method of claim 1 comprising the further step of:

locating said first application within the location used for the file system managed by the Operating System.

6. The method of claim 1 comprising the further step of:

locating at least a portion of said first application within ROM and the remaining portion in a separate non-volatile storage medium.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein said first storage area is in EEPROM.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein said first storage area is in CMOS.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein said first storage area is in ECMOS.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein said first and second applications are not stored in the same persistent storage medium as said first and second storage areas.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein said first and second storage areas are located in different persistent storage mediums.

12. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of:

altering the start-up sequence by initiating an application or process that was not previously part of the start-up sequence in response to said second application executing said computer-executable instructions retrieved from said first storage area.

13. The method of claim 1 wherein the altering of the start-up sequence is accomplished by rearranging the order in which processes and applications that are already included in the start-up sequence are initiated.

14. The method of claim 1 wherein said specified event is a user entering specific input.

15. The method of claim 1 wherein said specified event is the occurrence of said boot sequence.

16. In an electronic device, said electronic device including an operating system and a Basic Input Output System (BIOS) that provides a boot sequence for the electronic device, a method for altering a start-up sequence of applications and processes initiated by said operating system, said method comprising the steps of:

providing a first application and second application stored in persistent storage mediums, said first application and said second application being separate from said BIOS, wherein said first application is initiated by the BIOS and said second application is initiated by said operating system;

providing a first and second storage area in persistent storage mediums for storing computer-executable instructions, said computer-executable instructions being written to said first storage area by said first application during the boot sequence provided by the BIOS upon the detection of the occurrence of an event specified by computer-executable instructions retrieved from said second storage area by said first application, said occurrence of an event to be detected during said boot sequence;

retrieving said computer-executable instructions from said first storage area using said second application;

executing the computer-executable instructions retrieved from said first storage area using said second application, said executing of the instructions being retrieved from the first storage area using the second application taking place following completion of said boot sequence, said computer-executable instructions altering the start-up sequence of applications and processes initiated by said operating system; and

writing said computer-executable instructions to said second storage area using said second application, said computer-executable instructions specifying the occurrence of an event to be detected during a subsequently performed boot sequence.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein said first and second storage areas are in the Extended BIOS Data Area (EBDA).

18. The method of claim 16 wherein said first and second storage areas are in unused sectors of a partitioned hard drive.

19. The method of claim 16 comprising the further step of:

locating said first and second storage areas within the location used for the file system managed by the Operating System.

20. The method of claim 16 comprising the further step of:

locating said first application within the location used for the file system managed by the Operating System.

21. The method of claim 16 comprising the further step of:

locating at least a portion of said first application within ROM and the remaining portion in a separate non-volatile storage medium.

22. The method of claim 16 wherein said first storage area is in EEPROM.

23. The method of claim 16 wherein said first storage area is in CMOS.

24. The method of claim 16 wherein said first storage area is in ECMOS.

25. The method of claim 16 wherein said first and second applications are not stored in the same persistent storage medium as said first and second storage areas.

26. The method of claim 16 wherein said first and second storage areas are located in different persistent storage mediums.

27. The method of claim 16 further comprising the step of:

altering said start-up sequence by initiating an application or process that was not previously part of said start-up sequence in response to said second application executing said computer-executable instructions retrieved from said first storage area.

28. The method of claim 16 wherein the altering of said start-up sequence is accomplished by rearranging the order in which processes and applications that are already included in the start-up sequence are initiated.

29. The method of claim 16 wherein said specified event is a user entering specific input.

30. The method of claim 16 wherein said specified event is the occurrence of said boot sequence.

31. A medium for use with a computer system, said system including an operating system and a Basic Input Output System (BIOS), said medium holding computer-executable instructions for a method, said method comprising the steps of:

providing a first application and second application stored in persistent storage mediums, said first application and said second application being separate from said BIOS, wherein said first application is initiated by the BIOS and said second application is initiated by said operating system;

providing a first and second storage area in persistent storage mediums for storing computer-executable instructions, said computer-executable instructions being written to said first storage area by said first application during the boot sequence provided by the BIOS upon the detection of the occurrence of an event specified by computer-executable instructions retrieved from said second storage area by said first application, said occurrence of an event to be detected during said boot sequence;

retrieving said computer-executable instructions from said first storage area using said second application;

executing said the computer-executable instructions retrieved from said first storage area using said second application, said executing of the instructions being retrieved from the first storage area using the second application taking place following completion of said boot sequence, said computer-executable instructions altering the start-up sequence of applications and processes initiated by said operating system; and

writing said computer-executable instructions to said second storage area using said second application, said computer-executable instructions specifying the occurrence of an event to be detected during a subsequently performed boot sequence.

32. The medium of claim 31, said method further comprising the step of:

altering said start-up sequence by initiating an application or process that was not previously part of said start-up sequence in response to said second application executing said computer-executable instructions retrieved from said first storage area.

33. The medium of claim 31, said method further comprising the step of:

altering said start-up sequence by rearranging the order in which processes and applications that are already included in the start-up sequence are initiated.

34. A medium for use with an electronic device, said electronic device including an operating system and a Basic Input Output System (BIOS), said medium holding computer-executable instructions for a method, said method comprising the steps of:

providing a first application and second application stored in persistent storage mediums, said first application and said second application being separate from said BIOS, wherein said first application is initiated by the BIOS and said second application is initiated by said operating system;

providing a first and second storage area in persistent storage mediums for storing computer-executable instructions, said computer-executable instructions being written to said first storage area by said first application during the boot sequence provided by the BIOS upon the detection of the occurrence of an event specified by computer-executable instructions retrieved from said second storage area by said first application, said occurrence of an event to be detected during said boot sequence;

retrieving said computer-executable instructions from said first storage area using said second application;

executing the computer-executable instructions retrieved from said first storage area using said second application, said executing of the instructions being retrieved from the first storage area using the second application taking place following completion of said boot sequence, said computer-executable instructions altering the start-up sequence of applications and processes initiated by said operating system; and

writing said computer-executable instructions to said second storage area using said second application, said computer-executable instructions specifying the occurrence of an event to be detected during a subsequently performed boot sequence.

35. The medium of claim 34, said method further comprising the step of:

altering said start-up sequence by initiating an application or process that was not previously part of said start-up sequence in response to said second application executing said computer-executable instructions retrieved from said first storage area.

36. The medium of claim 34, said method further comprising the step of:

altering said start-up sequence by rearranging the order in which processes and applications that are already included in the start-up sequence are initiated.

37. In an electronic device having an operating system and a Basic Input Output System (BIOS) that provides a boot sequence for the computer system, a system, comprising:

at least one persistent storage medium, holding a first and second storage area for holding computer-executable instructions;

a first application which is separate from said BIOS and is initiated by said BIOS, said first application writing instructions to said first storage area upon the occurrence of an event specified by computer-executable instructions retrieved by said first application from said second storage area, said event occurrence detected during said boot sequence; and

a second application which is separate from said BIOS and which is initiated by said operating system, said second application retrieving and executing computer-executable instructions from said first storage area, said executing of the instructions retrieved from the first storage area taking place following completion of said boot sequence, said computer-executable instructions altering the start-up sequence of applications and processes initiated by said operating system.

38. The system of claim 37 wherein said second application writes computer-executable instructions to said second storage area, said computer-executable instructions identifying the occurrence of an event during a subsequently performed boot sequence.

39. The system of claim 37 wherein the altering of the start up sequence performed by the operating system includes the initiating of one of an application and process not previously part of the operating system start up sequence.