SJS132@psuvm.psu.edu (Steve Shimatzki) (06/30/91)
Does anyone know how I would make a program to boot off of floppy (fist, not boot, and then run...) or add it to the existing boot, so that I could have my program run first. I got courious about the new portable computer security softwar, that makes sure that it is booted with a 'KEY' disk, and I wanted to do something like that, but as PD (commercial is 99$!!!!) -Thanks.. -Steve +------------------+---------------------------------+------------------------+ | Steven Shimatzki-| InterNet : SJS132@psuvm.psu.edu | BBS : (412)-277-0548 | | Rd #1 Box 20-A + --------------------------------+----------------------- + | Dunbar, Pa 15431 | '...Grasp and reach for a leg of hope.' -Violent Femms | + ---------------- + -------------------------------------------------------- + | (412)-628-1778 | my opinions do not reflect the opinions of anyone I know | +------------------+----------------------------------------------------------+
phys169@csc.canterbury.ac.nz (07/01/91)
In article <91180.144018SJS132@psuvm.psu.edu>, SJS132@psuvm.psu.edu (Steve Shimatzki) writes: > Does anyone know how I would make a program to boot off of floppy > (fist, not boot, and then run...) or add it to the existing boot, > so that I could have my program run first. > > I got curious about the new portable computer security software, that > makes sure that it is booted with a 'KEY' disk, and I wanted to do > something like that, but as PD (commercial is 99$!!!!) > (1) you can encode the hard disk (scramble sectors) so you have to boot off a special floppy that replaces the BIOS to decode them correctly, (2) you can replace your BIOS chips to check certain things about what you are booting from, (3) you can read the discussions in comp.virus - lots of ideas there, such as the reasons why (1) isn't a very good idea, and lamenting the fact that the second option isn't more common (it is surprisingly cheap to do, but requires either development costs or "pirating" parts of somebody else's BIOS - i.e. it is something the BIOS writters themselves should be doing). Mark Aitchison.