Abstract: Methods, systems, computer programs and apparatus for changing a processor state. In example embodiments of the invention, software porting onto an operating system calls a library routine, which creates an illegal instruction for special values in parameter registers. An illegal instruction exception handler recognizes the illegal instructions for special values in parameter registers, and, upon detecting the illegal instruction, enables or disables an interrupt state of a CPU associated with the system.

Abstract: A system for updating a non-volatile programmable memory in a device in a computing system with little or no user intervention. During initialization, a device driver is initialized. During initialization, the device driver checks the device version and compares the device version with an expected, updated device version. If the device needs to be updated to operate with the device driver, a memory image of the non-volatile memory in the updated device version is downloaded, or programmed into the non-volatile memory of the device. Before the device version is checked, the user may be queried as to whether to proceed with the upgrade. If the user responds in the negative, the upgrade may be performed using a graphical user interface (GUI) configuration application. The GUI configuration application checks the device version and updates the non-volatile memory with the update device version.

Abstract: A system and method for retrieving and assigning a unique media access control (MAC) address to a network adapter card in a computer system that uses the network adapter card to connect to a data network. The computer system includes a communications application for invoking a network connection to a remote server. The remote server includes a MAC address list that stores MAC addresses that have been assigned to network adapter cards according to serial numbers. The remote server includes a web page that requests the user to enter a serial number. The remote server uses the serial number to search for a MAC address in the MAC address list. When the remote server finds the serial number, it stores the corresponding MAC address in a file and sends the file name to the user. The user then requests the remote server to download the file by file name, or by FTP URL. The computer system receives the file and an update program reads the MAC address from the file and sends the MAC address to the network adapter card.