Patent ID: 8230209

Claim:
A method for creating an alternate boot process for a personal computer that provides for locating and booting alternate operating systems as part of the boot process, comprising: a. personal computer comprising i. a microprocessor device; ii. a flash memory device containing BIOS software that initially operates during the boot process of the computer, as the first thing that is read during the boot process of the computer; iii. a random memory device for containing software to be executed and data to be processed; iv. an internal bus; v. at least a first external bus; vi. a first internal storage device attached to the internal bus; vii. a second storage device where said second storage device is attached to said first external bus; viii. said first internal storage device is initially programmed to act as a primary system drive for said personal computer; ix. said primary system drive contains a master boot record, an operating system, and a file system; b. a first software application program that: i. relocates the said master boot record residing on said primary system drive from its original location to an alternate unused location on said primary system drive; and ii. writes an alternate master boot record in the original location of said master boot record, said alternate master boot record loading a routine during the boot operation of said computer that searches for and construct a list of physical interfaces on computer system at boot time, including determining which of said physical interfaces include a bootable partition, c. a bios software program residing in the said flash memory device, said bios software program reads said alternate master boot record residing in the master boot record location at said boot operation and d. creates a list of bootable partitions and presents said list to a user and prompts said user to select one of the said bootable partitions and after said user selects one of the said bootable partitions, said first software application program initiates the loading and booting from a selected bootable partition.