Holding the shift key while restarting
our old MSX home computer made sure that all disk based initialization routines were skipped or ignored, leaving us with that extra bit more of memory needed to execute BASIC or assembler programs.
I can’t remember it actually being documented somewhere. Just like the famous poke commands on other computers, these were instructions for the hobbyists (I almost said nerd). So I had to smile when I read the item about the smart (well, knowledgable) student who suggested that pressing the shift key defeated copy-protection measurements because it is a Windows feature. But I had to laugh, when I heard the guy was being sued for reminding us of this great Windows feature. It’s a ridiculous world, if you’re just trying to be honest.
Update: Via Cleverhack the last update that the company has dropped the idea of a lawsuit