context@uw-june.UUCP (Ronald Blanford) (11/05/87)
I am developing a PC application which will run as the command shell. In order to provide a measure of security, I wish to configure the PC so that it will never boot from a floppy disk. Does anyone know how to do this short of replacing the boot rom? It is still necessary to have use of the floppy once the system has booted from the hard disk, so disconnecting the floppy will not suffice. Solutions which would require removing the cover to circumvent are perfectly acceptable. -- Ron
rps@homxc.UUCP (11/06/87)
In article <3543@uw-june.UUCP>, context@uw-june.UUCP (Ronald Blanford) writes: > > I am developing a PC application which will run as the command shell. > In order to provide a measure of security, I wish to configure the PC > so that it will never boot from a floppy disk. Does anyone know how > to do this short of replacing the boot rom? > > It is still necessary to have use of the floppy once the system has > booted from the hard disk, so disconnecting the floppy will not > suffice. > > Solutions which would require removing the cover to circumvent are > perfectly acceptable. > > -- Ron Simply disconnect the A floppy drive. If is is a single drive system, connect the B drive cable to the A drive. If it is a dual drive system, set it up for 3 or 4 drives and make the two drives B and C. DOS always goes for the A drive on boot so you just have to disconnect that one. We have done this successfully with several PCs. If your software must use the A drive, then use a SUBST or ASSIG command to map the B physical drive to the A reference. Russ Sharples homxc!rps NOTE: The above in NO WAY reflects the opinions of AT&T. These opinions are my own and the results of un-scientific and highly irregular analysis methods.
leonard@bucket.UUCP (Leonard Erickson) (11/09/87)
Well, we have a Nestar LAN. Somehow the ROM on the network card disables the floppy boot. If the network connection is ok, the system will boot of the network even if there is a disk in drive A:. Since the "LAN" looks like a bunch of hard disks to the PC, I'd guess that it is using the "hard disk ROM" POST to skip over part of the normal POST. I do know that no modifications of the pc are required. You just drop in the network card. So what you want _is_ possible. -- Leonard Erickson ...!tektronix!reed!percival!bucket!leonard CIS: [70465,203] "I used to be a hacker. Now I'm a 'microcomputer specialist'. You know... I'd rather be a hacker."
alang@masscomp.UUCP (Alan Groupe) (11/09/87)
I've never tried this (and I'm on the road, so I can't now), but what happens if you just connect your floppy up as the B: drive and not have an A: drive? Alan Groupe PS: For those who have been reading this group for a while, I'm on the road dialed in with my Grid Compass.
jwhitnel@csi.UUCP (Jerry Whitnell) (11/11/87)
In article <586@bucket.UUCP> leonard@bucket.UUCP (Leonard Erickson) writes: |Well, we have a Nestar LAN. Somehow the ROM on the network card disables |the floppy boot. If the network connection is ok, the system will boot |of the network even if there is a disk in drive A:. | |Since the "LAN" looks like a bunch of hard disks to the PC, I'd guess that |it is using the "hard disk ROM" POST to skip over part of the normal POST. Actually it doesn't skip over any of the normal POST. What it does is it replaces INT 13H (the ROM BIOS disk interrupt) with it's own patch that redirects I/O for the boot drive to the file server it is booting from. It also replaces INT 19H which is the interrupt which is the interrupt to boot the machine, so it gets control before the normal hard disk boot code. So it goes to the network first, then floppy and harddisk. I wrote that code so I think I know how it works :-). | |I do know that no modifications of the pc are required. You just drop in |the network card. So what you want _is_ possible. But non-trivial. IBM also has some code that does a similar thing that comes with their Token-Ring Network PC Adapter Technical Reference. | |-- |Leonard Erickson ...!tektronix!reed!percival!bucket!leonard Jerry Whitnell Lizzi Borden took an axe Communication Solutions, Inc. And plunged it deep into the VAX; Don't you envy people who Do all the things You want to do?