INT 1B - BIOS Ctrl-Break Handler Address
- holds address of the BIOS Ctrl-Break interrupt handler - called by INT 9 after Ctrl-Break key is pressed; INT 9 sets the BIOS keyboard head and tail pointers to the buffer start and places a zero word in the buffer - the BIOS initially sets this value to point to a simple IRET but DOS re-vectors this to its own code, usually 2 lines of code that sets an internal flag (to 3) and then returns via IRET. - DOS checks this flag on entry to many of its subfunctions. If the flag is set, it invokes INT 23. - pointing this address to a null function with and IRET disables Ctrl-Break aborts - if the INT 1B code chooses to retain control of the system, it must issue an EOI for any interrupt pending on the 8259 and reset all I/O devices - should be terminated via an IRET - should not be called directly by user application