Imagine we lived in a world where we'd never have to worry about modifying or deleting an important system file, where we'd be virtually immune to RAT's or viruses interfering with the operation of our computer, where operational concerns stemming from malicious remote tampering, modified registries and hair loss were a thing of nightmares past.
Here's a thought that's been revolving in my head since I been tackling a nasty boot issue lately.
We've seen how many issues there are with malicious intruders, viruses, even boot problems caused because some part of the HD boot-loader gets corrupted. It occurs to me all these issues wouldn't exist if the OS software was redesigned to be separate the physical HD hardware; the format most computers today use.
Why don't the guys who design computers and OS's put their heads together and make Operating Systems separate from the Hard Drive. We have multiple examples of OS's that run directly from USB, CD/DVD, even dual-booting; proving that you don't need a OS installed on the physical HD itself to make that computer work with one.
Rather, why not have an OS chip, one that can easily be replaced. It could even be separately updatable like we update firmware for a dvd player or portable device. While this would not remove the need for Antivirus or security software for the drive itself, placing the OS on a chip of its own would eliminate practically all of the operational problems that arise with software corruption; i.e. privacy problems of cookies and files remaining, mistaken writing over of system files, malicious modification of the operating software... ad continuum.
These kinds of basic concerns and operational modifications are what we tackle most in operating computers. Most our downtimes, hair-pulling and lost computing productivity stems from these systemic mash-ups, where either someone else or we ourselves do something that mess up the operational files needed to run our PC's properly.
It occurs to me, if we could remove the ability for modifying of the operational files by placing them separate from the Hard Drive on a chip of its own (which has already been done with other removable media and proven to work); people would save altogether millions of $$$ each year in costly diagnostics and OS repairs, while spending more time doing what we need and enjoy - all while helping stem rising rates of premature balding at the root!
So why is this not being done already? Does anyone see a problem with having the OS and critical files placed on a chip of its own rather than mixed up on that darn Hard Drive, where anyone potentially has access to the heart of your computer every time you connect to the Internet? Does it not make sense to place that heart out of reach? In principle at least it sounds like a good idea. Do you know a good reason why not? Please feel free to share your thoughts on this hair-raising concept.