Dell USA L P

David Scott Springer

Brian Todd Zucker

Anthony B Armstrong

Tim Sullivan

Jeff Sloan

Method and apparatus for conveniently diagnosing and conveying to a user the cause of a catastrophic failure during POST of a non-booting PC is described. In one embodiment, when an ID code identifying a POST procedure is written to port 80h, the ID code is also written to a POST code field in a non-volatile memory device. If the PC &ldquo;hangs&rdquo; prior to completion of POST, there will be a non-zero byte in the POST code field identifying which POST procedure resulted in the hang. Accordingly, if during boot-up of the PC, a non-zero byte is detected in the POST code field, the ID code will be beeped to the user to identify the POST procedure that caused the PC to hang. If POST completes successfully, the POST code field is set to zero and POST continues through the normal sequence. In an alternative embodiment, after the ID code identifying the next POST procedure to be performed has been written to port 80h and to the POST code field, a timeout value is added to a watchdog timer, at which point the POST procedure is initiated. If the watchdog timer times out, the PC will automatically re-boot. Upon re-boot, if the value stored in the POST code field is non-zero, the POST code field value will be beeped as a message to the user, as described above.

Method and apparatus for diagnosing and conveying an identification code in post on a non-booting personal computer

This is a system and method for automatically identifying a customer when accessing an online service. The system and method includes: providing general HTML content with tokens for the computer system; providing system information specific to the computer system to a database accessible by the online service; and providing an identification program for the computer system to provide a system ID that uniquely identifies the system information. The system and method also includes loading HTML content on the computer system. The system ID can include a system express service code, a service tag number, or a unique ID from a microprocessor. The system and method also includes displaying computer-specific information on a web page of the online service.

System and method for identification and streamlined access to online services

A computer system is disclosed which includes at least one microprocessor having an L2 cache, at least one memory, and basic input output system (BIOS) firmware. The L2 cache includes error checking and correcting capability (ECC). The at least one memory includes either all ECC capable memory or any combination of ECC capable and non-ECC capable memory. Lastly, the basic input output system (BIOS) firmware includes an L2 cache support feature. The L2 cache support feature includes three user-selectable options, the three options including i) L2 cache ECC ON, ii) L2 cache ECC OFF, and iii) L2 cache AUTO. Selection of L2 cache ECC ON is for enabling L2 cache ECC. Selection of L2 cache ECC OFF is for not enabling L2 cache ECC. Lastly, selection of L2 cache ECC AUTO is for automatically enabling or not enabling L2 cache ECC in response to a detection of the presence of a) all ECC capable memory or b) any combination of ECC and non-ECC capable memory, respectively. Accordingly, an optimal reliability or an optimal performance can be automatically assured.

Method and apparatus for automatic L2 cache ECC configuration in a computer system

A computer system and methodology for controlling the brightness of visual objects displayed on an electron beam flat panel display monitor used in a computer system having a multitasking operating system and a graphics controller coupled to the display monitor. The display control system includes an operating rules module, an activity monitoring module, and a palette manager module. The operating rules module identifies one or more predetermined conditions of operating system events; which require a variation in the brightness of selected visual objects pertaining to the predetermined conditions. The activity monitoring module monitors and filters the operating system events for the predetermined conditions and transmits instructions to a palette manager module to vary the brightness of the selected visual objects when a predetermined condition has been met. The palette manager module varies the brightness of the selected visual objects using the graphics controller.

Growing community of inventors

Austin, TX, United States of America

David Scott Springer