Patent ID: 7340593

Claim:
A computer system for performing expedited startup operations, comprising: a processor; a system startup memory coupled to the processor; a basic input/output system (BIOS) memory coupled to the processor, the BIOS memory comprising instructions for initiating startup operations; and a hard disk drive storage device, comprising a storage media comprising at least one drive platter for storing a program module that is loaded in the system startup memory during startup operations, a non-volatile cache memory for storing a copy of the program module stored on the storage media, a microcontroller memory for storing a module that maintains coherency between the storage media and the non-volatile cache memory; a threshold table stored in the hard disk drive storage device, said threshold table containing, for at least one sector of the storage media, a minimum threshold count value, wherein the module clears a sector in the non-volatile cache memory only if a cache miss count meets or exceeds the minimum threshold count value for that sector; and a microcontroller for controlling access to the storage media and the non-volatile cache memory, said microcontroller configured to retrieve the program module from the non-volatile cache memory in response to a read request from the processor if the storage media is not operational when the read request is received by the hard disk drive storage device.