A system for configuring, loading and executing an operating system for performing
a user-selected function is disclosed. The system includes a disk drive including:
a host-accessible user partition; a host-inaccessible hidden partition independent
of the host-accessible user partition; and a disk controller. The user partition
includes: a user partition address range; a host-selected operating system; and
a host-selected master boot record. The host-inaccessible hidden partition includes:
a hidden partition address range outside the user partition address range; an application
program for allowing a user to select a function to perform and configuring, loading
and executing an operating system to perform the selected function; and a drive-selected
boot record for loading and executing the application program that allows the user
to select a function and configures, loads and executes an operating system for
performing the function.