OS Installation Hard Disk Identification via Drive Letter Query

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Solution Overview

Problem

During operating system installation, identifying the correct hard disk for system installation is challenging, especially when the mounting order changes, leading to difficulties in managing system and data disks, and potential data loss.

Innovation Solution

A method is provided to install an operating system on a specified hard disk by determining a target physical hard disk through user input, querying its logical drive letter using specific tools like arcconf and smarted, and configuring it for automatic installation, facilitating identification and management of system disks.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of manufacture

If the operating system is installed by default on a disk with capacity greater than 80 GB and mounted first, then the installation process is simplified and automatic, but it becomes difficult to identify which hard disk is the system disk when mounting order changes

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveinstallation processVSAvoiddisk identification
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of manufactureVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies feedback by querying the logical drive letter of the target physical hard disk through automatic detection methods (using tools like arcconf, smarted, or lsblk) and providing this information back to the user. This allows the system to automatically identify and confirm which disk will be used for installation, resolving the contradiction between simplified automatic installation and difficult disk identification.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

Solution Approach 2:

The system performs self-service by automatically detecting hard disk information, querying drive letters, and presenting the target disk details to the user without manual intervention. The system autonomously gathers and displays disk identification information, eliminating the need for users to manually track mounting orders while maintaining accurate disk identification.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

2Measurement precision

If automatic detection tools like arcconf and smarted are used to query logical drive letters, then disk identification accuracy is improved, but the system complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedisk identification accuracyVSAvoidsystem complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent uses intermediary tools (arcconf, smarted, lsblk) that act as mediators between the system and the hard disk identification process. These tools simplify the complex task of querying logical drive letters by providing standardized interfaces, thus improving identification accuracy without significantly increasing overall system complexity from the user's perspective.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The system creates a copy or representation of the hard disk information (logical drive letter, serial number, capacity) and presents it to the user. Instead of directly managing complex disk identification processes, the system queries and displays copied information about the target disk, reducing the perceived complexity while maintaining high identification accuracy.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #26Copying

Data Source

PatentEP3654167B1Operating system installation
Publication Date: 2023.08.16 XINHUASAN INFORMATION TECH CO LTD
  • EP3654167B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3654167B1 patent drawingFigure 2A~2B
  • EP3654167B1 patent drawingFigure 3A~3B

AI summary

The disclosure provides a method and device for installing an operating system. According to an example of the method, in a temporary system, a target physical hard disk to be used for installing the operating system is determined in response to an user operation of specifying the physical hard disk, and it is judged whether the temporary system and the operating system to be installed are of the same type. Then, in the system stage corresponding to the judgment result, a logical drive letter of the target physical hard disk on the operating system to be installed is queried by a query way corresponding to the judgment result. In this way, in a small system for the operating system to be installed, the operating system can be installed on the target physical hard disk identified by the logical drive letter.