Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.2 9/18/84; site voder.UUCP Path: utzoo!utcs!lsuc!pesnta!hplabs!nsc!voder!gino From: gino@voder.UUCP (Gino Bloch) Newsgroups: net.micro.pc Subject: Re: Dos Startup modification Message-ID: <672@voder.UUCP> Date: Tue, 12-Feb-85 13:49:25 EST Article-I.D.: voder.672 Posted: Tue Feb 12 13:49:25 1985 Date-Received: Thu, 14-Feb-85 18:55:27 EST References: <307@psivax.UUCP> <431@ahuta.UUCP> <319@psivax.UUCP> Organization: National Semiconductor, Santa Clara Lines: 17 [munch] > I have heard that the BIOS ROM determines that the machine has been powered- > up once already by examining two memory locations and checking them against > the pattern 0x12 , 0x34. I forgot which locations have this (see the BIOS > listing in the Tech. Ref. Manual for more details). If these locations contain > the pattern then the BIOS skips the memory test. One could construct a > circuit that decodes those memory locations to "fool" the BIOS into thinking > that it tested the memory already. There is a company (I forget their name - my memory wasn't tested when I booted up this morning) that makes such a device. Jerry Pournelle mentioned it in Byte, both June & July 1984. The price is $70 - seems high to me. I have guessed that they use the scheme you mention, but I don't know. I also don't know if it works on my clone (Compaq). -- Gene E. Bloch (...!nsc!voder!gino) The opinions expressed above are accidents.