Method and apparatus for updating system configuration based on open/closed state of computer housing cover

A data processing system, comprising:

• a central processing unit (CPU);
• a system memory for storing data in the form of electrical signals;
• input and output ports for receiving and supplying electrical signals from and to devices associated with said system;
• a non-volatile memory;
• a system bus interconnecting the CPU, system memory, non-volatile memory, input and output ports, and devices;
• and
• a housing for said system, the housing including at least one cover for enabling access to said devices and at least one switch having a state that is responsive to open or closed orientation of said at least one cover;
• the CPU having a basic input/output system (BIOS) including a power-on self-test (POST) routine for checking said devices based on device values stored in said non-volatile memory, detecting the state of said at least one cover switch, and, in response to changes in device configuration and switch state indicating that the cover has been removed since the POST routine was last executed, modifying the stored device values to reflect the changes in device configuration.

A method of self-testing a system configuration in a data processing system comprising a central processing unit (CPU), memory and at least one device operated by the CPU, a housing for the system, and at least one housing cover openable for accessing said at least one device, the method comprising the steps of:

• reading current configuration register values associated with said at least one device;
• comparing said current configuration register values with corresponding configuration register values prestored in a non-volatile memory;
• detecting whether said system has been reconfigured;
• detecting whether said cover has been opened, wherein if said system has been reconfigured and said cover has been opened, it is presumed that said system reconfiguration was intentional, and further wherein if said system has been reconfigured and said cover has not been opened, it is presumed that said system reconfiguration was unintentional and a device error message is displayed;
• updating configuration register values in said non-volatile memory with said current configuration register values.