Method and system for specifying the boot order of mass storage devices in a computer system

A method for specifying a boot order for a plurality of mass storage devices within a computer system, each of the plurality of mass storage devices being a one of one or more mass storage device types, the method comprising:

• determining for each of the plurality of mass storage device types whether more than one mass storage device exists of the device type within the computer system;
• providing a device type menu for each of the mass storage device types for which more than one mass storage device exists within the computer system, the device type menu including menu items corresponding to each of mass storage devices of the device type, and the menu items of each device type menu being orderable to specify the boot order for devices of the device type;
• providing a boot order menu including one or more menu items, the menu items comprising either a menu item corresponding to a mass storage device type wherein more than one device of the device type exists or a menu item corresponding to the mass storage device for each of the mass storage devices types for which only one device of the type exists, and the menu items of the boot order menu being orderable to specify the boot order for the computer system;
• and
• attempting to boot the computer system from the plurality of mass storage devices in the order specified by the boot order menu.

A method for specifying a boot order for a plurality of mass storage devices within a computer system, each of the plurality of mass storage devices being a one of one or more mass storage device types, the method comprising:

• providing a computer BIOS operative to permit the boot order of the mass storage devices to be specified in one of two possible modes of operation, wherein the first mode of operation comprises, providing a single user interface menu through which the boot order for the computer system may be specified by arranging in order identifiers corresponding to each of the plurality of mass storage devices, and attempting to boot the computer system from the plurality of mass storage devices in the specified order;
• and wherein the second mode of operation comprises, determining for each of the plurality of mass storage device types whether more than one mass storage device exists of the device type within the computer system,
• providing a device type menu for each of the mass storage device types for which more than one mass storage device exists within the computer system, the device type menu including menu items corresponding to each of mass storage devices of the device type, and the menu items of each device type menu being orderable to specify the boot order for devices of the device type,
• providing a boot order menu including one or more menu items, the menu items comprising either a menu item corresponding to a mass storage device type wherein more than one device of the device type exists or a menu item corresponding to the mass storage device for each of the mass storage devices types for which only one device of the type exists, and the menu items of the boot order menu being orderable to specify the boot order for the computer system, and
• attempting to boot the computer system from the plurality of mass storage devices in the order specified by the boot order menu.