System and method to enable a legacy BIOS system to boot from a disk that includes EFI GPT partitions
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A system to enable a legacy BIOS based system to boot from a disk that includes EFI GPT partitions, comprising:
- a master boot record including a GPT-aware boot strap code within the master boot record, wherein the GPT-aware boot strap code is loadable by the legacy BIOS, based system the master boot record further including a legacy partition table;
a boot program area including at least one GPT boot program, wherein the at least one GPT program is executed prior to booting the legacy BIOS based system; and
a main partition that includes at least one legacy boot program,wherein the GPT-aware boot strap code initially checks the boot program area for existence of the at least one GPT boot program, and transfers control to the at least one GPT boot program in a case where at least one GPT boot program exists in the boot program area, andwherein the GPT-aware boot strap code then checks the legacy partition table to transfer control to the legacy BIOS based system in a case where there does not exist at least one GPT boot program in the boot program area.
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Abstract
A system and a method to boot from a modified GPT partitioned disk with a legacy BIOS based system. The system and method allows for backward compatibility with the new GPT standard. A GPT-aware bootstrap code may be loaded by the legacy BIOS upon system start up.
20 Citations
20 Claims
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1. A system to enable a legacy BIOS based system to boot from a disk that includes EFI GPT partitions, comprising:
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a master boot record including a GPT-aware boot strap code within the master boot record, wherein the GPT-aware boot strap code is loadable by the legacy BIOS, based system the master boot record further including a legacy partition table; a boot program area including at least one GPT boot program, wherein the at least one GPT program is executed prior to booting the legacy BIOS based system; and a main partition that includes at least one legacy boot program, wherein the GPT-aware boot strap code initially checks the boot program area for existence of the at least one GPT boot program, and transfers control to the at least one GPT boot program in a case where at least one GPT boot program exists in the boot program area, and wherein the GPT-aware boot strap code then checks the legacy partition table to transfer control to the legacy BIOS based system in a case where there does not exist at least one GPT boot program in the boot program area. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 19, 20)
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13. A method to enable a legacy BIOS based system to boot from a disk that includes modified EFI GPT partitions, comprising:
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determining, by GPT-aware boot strap code existent in a master boot record of the disk, whether at least one GPT boot program exists in an end-of-track region of the disk; verifying, by the GPT-aware boot strap code, a validity of the at least one GPT boot program in response to the determining step providing a positive result; executing the at least one GPT boot program in response to the verifying step providing a positive result; creating a boot menu of available systems; and loading a selected systems, wherein, in a case where the determining step provides a negative result or in a case where the verifying step determines that the at least one GPT boot program is invalid, the GPT-aware boot strap code transfers boot control to a legacy BIOS boot strap program stored in either a legacy protected partition or in a main partition of the disk. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16)
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17. A system to enable a legacy based BIOS based system to boot from a disk that includes EFI GPT partitions, comprising:
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means for determining, by GPT-aware boot strap code existent in a master boot record of the disk, whether at least one GPT boot program exists in an end-of-track region of the disk; means for verifying, by the GPT-aware boot strap code, a validity of the at least one GPT boot program in response to the determining step providing a positive result; means for executing the at least one GPT boot program in response to the verifying step providing a positive result; means for creating a boot menu of available systems; and
means for loading a selected systems,wherein, in a case where the determining step provides a negative result or in a case where the verifying step determines that the at least one GPT boot program is invalid, the GPT-aware boot strap code transfers boot control to a legacy BIOS boot strap program stored in either a legacy protected partition or in a main partition of the disk. - View Dependent Claims (18)
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Specification