JPH05100827A - Personal computer - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To improve the use management of a personal computer by setting a program where the permission/inhibition information on a boot processing and priority are set in a configuration memory. CONSTITUTION:ROM 70 in which a setting program to the configuration memory 90 and a starting program are stored, a central processing unit 50 which executes control in accordance with the program instruction and the configuration memory 90 are given. Boot processing permission or inhibition information and the priority of the boot processing are set in the configuration memory 90 by the setting program. Namely, the configuration memory 90 is searched by an initial program started when a switch 60 is turned on, and the boot processing is executed in accordance with the state. Thus, the permission/inhibition of the boot processing of an I/O unit or priority can arbitrarily be selected and set by the setting program.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a personal computer in which designation of a boot drive can be arbitrarily permitted or prohibited by a user.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art If a conventional personal computer is equipped with a network board and I / O devices such as a floppy disk drive and a hard disk drive, is a system medium inserted in the floppy disk drive (FDD)? Is checked, and if not inserted, a hard disk drive (referred to as HDD) is checked. If the HDD is formatted for the disk operating system (DOS) and the system program is stored, the boot process is performed unconditionally. Next, in order to perform the boot process from the network board, the system program is hooked (mainly the interrupt vector is changed to its own program address), and the boot process is performed from the network board.

[0003]

In the conventional personal computer, the network board, FDD and H are used.
If an I / O device such as a DD is installed, even if a protect function is included in the program to prevent the boot process from being unconditionally performed by the FDD when the system is started up, FD another system disk
If it is inserted into D and power is input, boot processing is performed.

Similarly, if the HDD is replaced and the power is input, the boot process is performed, so that the conventional personal computer cannot be protected at all.

That is, data protection is impossible because anyone can use a personal computer.

[0006]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention is intended to solve these problems, and the network board, floppy disk drive, hard disk drive, etc.
In a personal computer equipped with an I / O device, a first information in which boot process permission or prohibition information is stored in a configuration memory for each I / O device, and a priority order of the boot process are determined. Second
The first program is an initial program that is started when the power switch, reset switch, or software reset is set by the setting program.
There is provided a personal computer in which a boot process is performed based on the information and the second information.

[0007]

According to the personal computer configured as described above, the boot setting permission or prohibition information and the boot order priority are set in the configuration memory by the configuration setting program, and the power switch, the reset switch, or the software reset is performed. Since the boot process is performed according to the state of the configuration memory by the initial program that is started when the personal computer is turned on, it is possible to manage the use of the personal computer.

[0008]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. 1 is a block diagram of a personal computer showing an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a flowchart of a setting program in a configuration memory of the personal computer showing an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 3 is a block diagram of a configuration memory of a personal computer showing an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 4 is a flow chart of a boot program of a personal computer showing an embodiment of the present invention.

In FIG. 1, the personal computer of the present invention stores an input means 40 for inputting data, a RAM 80 for storing the input data, and a program such as a setting program and a starting program for the configuration memory. ROM 70 and ROM 70
A central processing unit 50 for performing control according to program instructions stored in, a power switch or a reset switch 60, an FDD 10 and an HDD 20 as output means,
Network board 30 for realizing the server function
And a configuration memory 90.

The operation of setting in the configuration memory 90 will be described with reference to FIGS. 1, 2 and 3.

An I / D having an FDD 10, an HDD 20, and a network board 30 for realizing a server function.
In the O device, first, the operator can select the priority order in which these I / O devices perform boot processing,
Further, whether to permit or prohibit the boot process for each of these I / O devices can be arbitrarily set in the configuration memory 90 by the setting program shown in FIG.

2 and 3, the higher the priority level, the lower the numerical value. Furthermore, "1" is set when the boot process is permitted, and "0" is set when the boot process is prohibited. In the configuration memory 90 for the network board 30, "2" indicating the middle and "1" indicating the permission of the boot process are set in the I / O device having the three priority levels (step 1). FDD10
The configuration memory 90 for use shows the highest level of I / O devices with three priority levels.
1 "and" 0 "for prohibiting boot processing are set (step 2). Next, in the configuration memory for the HDD 10," 3 "indicating the lowest level among the I / O devices having three priority levels is shown. "Prohibit boot process"
0 "is set (step 3). Then, these values are set as shown in FIG. 3 and stored in the battery-backed RAM 80 or EEPROM.

In FIG. 4, when the power switch or reset switch 60 or software reset shown in FIG. 1 is turned on, the boot program stored in the ROM 70 is booted, and the boot program first searches the configuration memory 90, High priority level I
Check the / O device (step 10). In FIG. 3, since the FDD 10 is high in this embodiment, it is checked whether or not the boot process corresponding to this is permitted (steps 20 and 30), and the FDD 10 is set to "0" indicating the boot process prohibited state. Therefore, the boot program does not perform boot processing to the FDD 10 and checks whether the network board 30 having the next highest priority level permits or prohibits boot processing (step 2).
0, 30), in this case "1" indicating boot process permission
Therefore, boot processing is performed (step 40).

That is, when the power switch or reset switch 60 or the software reset is turned on, the boot program boots the network board 30.

[0015]

According to the personal computer of the present invention, the operator can select the priority order of the order in which the I / O devices perform the boot process, and whether or not the boot process is permitted for each of these I / O devices. Data can be protected because no one other than the operator can operate this personal computer because it can be arbitrarily set by the setting program to the configuration memory whether to prohibit.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a personal computer showing an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a flowchart of a setting program in a configuration memory of a personal computer showing an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a configuration diagram of a configuration memory of a personal computer showing an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart of a startup program of a personal computer showing an embodiment of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 10 FDD 20 HDD 30 Network Board 40 Input Means 50 Central Processing Unit 60 Switch 70 ROM 80 RAM 90 Configuration Memory

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. In a personal computer equipped with a network board and an I / O device such as a floppy disk drive and a hard disk drive, boot processing permission or prohibition information is stored in a configuration memory for each I / O device. The first information and the second information for determining the priority of the boot process are set by the setting program, and the initial program started when the power switch, the reset switch, or the software reset is turned on is the first program. A personal computer, wherein a boot process is performed based on the first information and the second information.