International Business Machines Corporation

Rodney P Springhetti

Randal Lee Bertram

Barry Alan Feigenbaum

Jeffrey Vernon Ford

John P Wright

Glenn E Welman

Randal H Cecil

Jerry T Kozel

A data processing system, such as a personal computer, contains bootable DOS programs that are stored in a ROM as an alternate file system in which the files are stored in packed format. When the system is powered on, the programs are rapidly booted up or loaded from ROM into RAM and executed to 'instantly' (as it appears to the user) place the system in operation.

Disk operating system loadable from read only memory using installable

A computer system with an internal operating system located in ROM is initialized in that operating system but can also automatically be directly initialized in an operating system of choice such as one located on an external memory, that is, a diskette or fixed disk. The computer system may also automatically be directly initialized in an application running under the internal operating system and, if desired, initialization may automatically directly include a customized version of the internal operating system. These customizing features are obtained through a customization word located in permanent read/write memory.

Flexible computer initialization

Growing community of inventors

Toronto, Canada

Rodney P Springhetti