Abstract: A computer system includes a mass storage unit, the mass storage unit comprising: a first portion which contains a first operating system; a second portion distinct from the first portion; wherein: the second portion stores the value of an address comprised in the first portion and at which a boot record of the first operating system is located; the first portion has a sub-portion containing a second operating system; the second portion further stores the value of another address comprised in the first portion and which is the address of a boot record of the second operating system, whereby the second operating system can be activated without the first operating system being active.

Abstract: An impaired software image associated with a first networked computer is restored by generating a software image request that identifies the software image and the first computer. The software image request is passed to plural other computers on the network. If one of the other computers has the image, the other computer supplies the image to the first computer to restore the impaired image.

Abstract: A method of operating a computer includes re-directing access requests for a first peripheral device to a boot image residing on a second peripheral device of the computer. A reset is then performed, wherein the computer boots an operating system from the boot image.

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.

Abstract: An operating system selector operable to boot a non-EFI compatible operating system where the operating system files are stored in a GPT partition of a data storage drive, the data storage drive having a first address set, the operating system selector being operable to read a GUID partition table to identify address information relating to the GPT partition, define the GPT partition as a virtual data storage drive having a second address set, call an address mapper and pass the address information to the address mapper, and perform a loading step to boot the operating system.

Abstract: A software image transition aid is described for acting on a software image that is transferred from a source computer to a target computer, the aid comprising: a bootable storage media with stored thereon one or more operating systems arranged to load when the target computer is booted from the storage media and program code elements arranged to modify the cloned disk image under the control of the operating system or systems, so that when the target computer is rebooted from the transferred image the target computer will reach an operational state. The tool can be used in the following way. First the user transfers the complete operational software image from the target PC onto a source PC. Then, before being booted from the cloned image, the target computer is booted from the image transition aid. The image transition aid acts on the software image stored on the hard disk in the target computer.

Abstract: An operating system selector operable to boot a non-EFI compatible operating system where the operating system files are stored in a GPT partition of a data storage drive, the data storage drive having a first address set,

Abstract: A data storage medium comprising an addressable data storage area and a protected data storage area, the addressable data storage area comprising a relay partition and a partition table, the partition table comprising a partition entry corresponding to the relay partition, the protected data storage area comprising a protected partition and a protected partition table, the protected partition table comprising a protected partition entry corresponding to the protected partition, wherein information corresponding to the protected partition entry is stored in the relay partition.

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.

Abstract: A computer system includes a mass storage unit, the mass storage unit comprising:

Abstract: An impaired software image associated with a first networked computer is restored by generating a software image request that identifies the software image and the first computer. The software image request is passed to plural other computers on the network. If one of the other computers has the image, the other computer supplies the image to the first computer to restore the impaired image.

Abstract: A protection system for a computer is provided. This system is essentially based on the provision of an EEPROM (20) of unstandard access and containing configuration data of the computer as well as a password. As power-on, the contents of the EEPROM except eventually the password, are copied into a CMOS memory (16) which must conventionally be present in the computer. The invention eventually provides additional circuitry for irreversibly cutting the access to the EEPROM and specified peripheric devices.