公开(公告)号：IE81028B1

公开(公告)日：1999-10-20

申请号：IE256491

申请日：1991-07-22

Applicant: IBM

Inventor： ARNOLD LISA RUOTOLO ,  BEALKOWSKI RICHARD ,  JR BLACKLEDGE JOHN WILEY ,  CRONK DOYLE STANFILL ,  DAYAN RICHARD ALAN ,  GEISLER DOUGLAS RICHARD ,  MITTELSTEDT MATTHEW TODD ,  JR PALKA MATTHEW STEPHEN ,  PAUL JOHN DAVID ,  SACHSENMAIER ROBERT ,  SMELTZER DONALD ,  WOYTOVECH PETER ANDREW ,  ZYVOLOSKI KEVIN MARSHALL

IPC: G06F3/06 ,  G06F9/445 ,  G06F11/08 ,  G06F11/22 ,  G06F13/10

Abstract: A personal computer system according to the present invention comprises a system processor, a random access memory, a read only memory, and at least one direct access storage device. A direct access storage device controller coupled between the system processor and direct access storage device includes a protection mechanism for protecting a region of the storage device. The protected region of the storage device includes a master boot record, a BIOS image and a system reference diskette image. The BIOS image includes a section known as Power on Self Test (POST). POST is used to test and initialise a system. Upon detecting any configuration error, system utilities from the system reference diskette image, such as set configuration programs, diagnostic programs and utility programs can be automatically activated from the direct access storage device.