Patent · US Expired

Apparatus and method for preventing unauthorized access to BIOS in a personal computer system

US5022077A · kind A · utility

222Cited by
18References
32Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateAug 25, 1989
Grant dateJun 4, 1991
Priority date
Expiry dateAug 25, 2009

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG06F9/4406
  • WIPO fieldComputer technology
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

An apparatus and method for protecting BIOS stored on a direct access storage device into a personnal computer system. The personal computer system comprises a system processor, a system planar, a random access main memory, a read only memory, a protection means and at least one direct access storage device. The read only memory includes a first portion of BIOS and data representing the type of system processor and system planar I/O configuration. The first portion of BIOS initializes the system and the direct access storage device, and resets the protection means in order to read in a master boot record into the random access memory from a protectable partition on the direct access storage device.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.