EP0917060A1
Expired / Lapsed
EP
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
System for computer recovery using removable high capacity media
Assignee: Iomega Corp
•
Filing: 1998-10-30
•
Granted: —
•
Expires: 2018-10-30
Abstract
Abstract A computer recovery system provided on a removable high capacity disk. In the event that a user encounters an abnormal operating condition, the user inserts the removable high capacity disk into the computer and restarts the computer. The computer boots either directly from the removable high capacity disk or from a floppy disk which transfers control to the removable high capacity disk. The removable high capacity disk includes all of the files necessary to load the computer operating system and launch the graphical user interface of the operating system such that the user is provided with a familiar operating environment. The removable high capacity disk also includes a suite of software recovery software which attempt to ascertain and correct the cause of the abnormal operating condition to return the computer system to a normal operating condition. In the event the recovery system cannot correct the cause of the abnormal operating condition, the user may continue working with files located on the hard disk within the computer or perform a restore operation from an archive.
Inventors
- 👤 George Raymond Meyer
- 👤 Stephen Larry Mcbride
- 👤 Trent Mark Thomas
- 👤 Stefan A. Teleki
- 👤 Troy Taylor Davidson
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-08 13:09
CPC Classifications
G; G06; G06F; G06F9/00; G06F9/06; G06F9/44; G06F9/4401; G06F9/4406; G06F11/00; G06F11/07; G06F11/14; G06F11/1402; G06F11/1415; G06F11/1417
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 60
Claim 1
Independent Claim
160 words
In a computer system comprising a processor, a high capacity
removable media drive, non-removable storage media and an operating system that includes
an operating environment which provides a user with a graphical user interface, said operating
system and said graphical user interface being loaded from said non-removable storage media
under normal operating conditions, a method for correcting an abnormal operating condition
of said computer system using recovery software stored on removable high capacity media,
said removable high capacity media comprising a subset of a total number of components of
said operating system, said method comprising: inserting said removable high capacity media into said high capacity removable
media drive upon encountering said abnormal operating condition; restarting said computer system from said removable high capacity media such
that said operating system and said graphical user interface are loaded from said removable
high capacity media; and launching said recovery software to rectify said abnormal operating condition
upon successfully loading said graphical user interface.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
47 words
The method according to claim 1, further comprising: determining if said abnormal operating condition persists in said computer
system; restoring files to said non-removable media from an archive if said abnormal
operating condition persists; and reinstalling said operating system to said non-removable media if no archive
exists.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
31 words
The method according to claim 1, said a high capacity removable media
drive being bootable, wherein restarting said computer system comprises executing bootstrap
files located on said removable high capacity media.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
110 words
The method according to claim 1, said computer system further
comprising a bootable floppy drive, wherein restarting said computer system comprises: executing bootstrap files located on a bootable floppy disk, said bootable
floppy disk having a lower capacity than said removable high capacity media; loading software drivers to gain access to said high capacity removable media
drive; changing a current drive letter or a current volume label of said high capacity
removable media drive to a modified drive letter or a modified volume label, as necessary; and executing an operating system instruction to continue loading of said operating
system and said graphical user interface from said removable high capacity media.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
76 words
The method according to claim 4, wherein changing said drive letter
or said volume label comprises: identifying a bus, adapter and drive ID number of said high capacity removable
media drive; identifying said current drive letter and said current volume label of said high
capacity removable media drive; and adjusting operating system data, initialization files and registry information to
indicate said high capacity removable media drive by said modified drive letter or said
modified volume label.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
49 words
The method according to claim 5, further comprising: determining if said modified drive letter identifies another drive in said
computer system; and adjusting said operating system data, said initialization files and said registry
information to change said another drive to a drive letter not used by said operating system.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
153 words
The method according to claim 1, said removable high capacity media
being partitioned, said method further comprising presenting said partitioned removable high
capacity media to said operating system as non-partitioned media by performing the
following: determining if said partitioned removable high capacity media is valid, and if
said partitioned removable high capacity media is not valid, not presenting said removable
high capacity media to said operating system, and if said removable high capacity media is
valid then: calculating an offset from a beginning of said removable high capacity
media to a beginning of a desired partition on said removable high capacity media to be
accessed; for each request by said operating system to read or write to a location
in a volume of said removable high capacity media, modifying said request by adding said
offset to said request to create a modified request; and determining a type of request by said operating system.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
135 words
The method according to claim 7, wherein said determining a type of
request comprises: determining if said request is to read data at a beginning of said volume, and
if so, performing a read operation and modifying said data to reflect a format of said non-partitioned
media as it passed to said operating system; determining if said request is to write data to the beginning of said volume, and
if so, modifying said request to reflect a format of said partitioned media and performing a
write operation; determining if said request is for user data, and if so, performing a read or write
operation using said modified request; and determining if said request is for a media size, and if so, returning to said
operating system a size of said partitioned removable high capacity media.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
23 words
The method according to claim 1, further comprising restarting said
computer system from said non-removable storage media after rectifying said abnormal
operating condition.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
25 words
The method according to claim 1, wherein said operating system
comprises a multi-threaded, multi-tasking operating system running in at least a 32-bit flat
memory model.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
114 words
In a computer system comprising a processor, a high capacity
removable media drive, non-removable storage media and an operating system which includes
an operating environment that provides a user with a graphical user interface, said operating
system and said graphical user interface being loaded from said non-removable storage media
under normal operating conditions, a method of creating a recovery disk comprising recovery
software on removable high capacity media, comprising: generating a list of software components needed to completely load said
operating system and said graphical user interface from said removable high capacity media; copying said software components to said removable high capacity media; and copying said recovery software to said removable high capacity media.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
44 words
The method according to claim 11, wherein said generating a list of
components comprises: scanning a list of files on said non-removable media; examining configuration, initialization and registry files; and searching said non-removable media to determine executable program files,
libraries and program file dependencies.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
54 words
The method according to claim 11, further comprising: adjusting configuration, initialization and registry files on said removable high
capacity media to reflect a drive letter or volume label of said high capacity removable media
drive from which said operating system will be running when said computer is restarted from
said removable high capacity media.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
43 words
The method according to claim 11, further comprising: determining from said computer system if said high capacity removable media
drive is bootable; and copying operating system bootstrap files to said removable high capacity media
if said high capacity removable media drive is bootable.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
103 words
The method according to claim 14, said computer system further
comprising a floppy drive, said method further comprising: creating a bootable floppy disk by copying operating system bootstrap files to
said bootable floppy disk if said high capacity removable media drive is not bootable; determining a bus type and adapter of said high capacity removable media
drive; determining software drivers needed to access said high capacity removable
media drive; copying said software drivers to said bootable floppy disk; and installing instructions to continue a bootstrap process from said high capacity
removable media drive once said bootstrap process is initiated from said floppy disk.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
25 words
The method according to claim 11, further comprising installing an
operating system command run from said removable high capacity media to execute said
recovery software.
Claim 17
Independent Claim
66 words
An apparatus for recovering from an abnormal operating condition in
a computer system, comprising: a processor; a high capacity removable media drive; means for loading an operating system from said high capacity removable
media drive, said operating system providing an operating environment that includes a
graphical user interface; and means for rectifying said abnormal operating condition to return said computer
system to a normal operating condition.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
43 words
The apparatus according to claim 17, further comprising: means for determining if said abnormal operating condition persists in said
computer system; means for restoring files to said non-removable media from an archive; and means for reinstalling said operating system to said non-removable media.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
34 words
The apparatus according to claim 17, wherein said high capacity
removable media drive is bootable, and said loading means performs a bootstrap process by
executing bootstrap files located on said removable high capacity media.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
103 words
The apparatus according to claim 17, said computer system further
comprising: a bootable floppy drive; means for transferring control of a bootstrap process from said floppy drive to
said high capacity removable media drive; and means for changing a current drive letter or a current volume label of said high
capacity removable media drive to a modified drive letter or a modified volume label, as
necessary, wherein said loading means initially executes bootstrap files located on a
bootable floppy disk, and continues execution of bootstrap files and loading of said operating
system and said graphical user interface from said removable high capacity media.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
69 words
The apparatus according to claim 20, wherein changing means
identifies a bus, adapter and drive ID number for said high capacity removable media drive,
identifies said current drive letter and said current volume label of said high capacity
removable media drive, and adjusts operating system data, initialization files and registry
information to indicate said high capacity removable media drive by said modified drive letter
or said modified volume label.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
58 words
The apparatus according to claim 21, further comprising means for
determining if said modified drive letter is assigned to another drive by said operating system, wherein said changing means further adjusts said operating system data, said
initialization files and said registry information to change said another drive to a drive letter
not in use by the operating system.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
73 words
The apparatus according to claim 17, said removable high capacity
media being partitioned, said apparatus further comprising means for presenting said
partitioned removable high capacity media to said operating system as non-partitioned media, wherein said presenting means determines if said partitioned removable high
capacity media is valid, and if said partitioned removable high capacity media is not valid,
said presenting means does not present said removable high capacity media to said operating
system.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
82 words
The apparatus according to claim 23, further comprising: means for calculating an offset from a beginning of said removable high
capacity media to a beginning of a desired partition on said removable high capacity media
to be accessed; means for modifying a request by said operating system to read or write
to a location in a volume of said removable high capacity media by adding said offset to said
request; and means for determining a type of request by said operating system.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
136 words
The apparatus according to claim 24, wherein said means for
determining a type of request determines if said request is to read data at a beginning of said
volume, and if so, performing a read operation and modifying said data to reflect a format of
said non-partitioned media as it passed to said operating system; determines if said request is
to write data to the beginning of said volume, and if so, modifying said request to reflect a
format of said partitioned media and performing a write operation; determines if said request
is for user data, and if so, performing a read or write operation using said modified request;
and determines if said request is for a media size, and if so, returning to said operating system
a size of said partitioned removable high capacity media.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
25 words
The apparatus according to claim 17, wherein said operating system
comprises a multi-threaded, multi-tasking operating system running in at least a 32-bit flat
memory model.
Claim 27
Independent Claim
87 words
An apparatus for creating a recovery disk for a computer system having
an operating system which provides an operating environment including a graphical user
interface, said recovery disk including recovery software on a removable high capacity media,
comprising: a processor; a high capacity removable media drive; means for generating a list of components needed to completely load said
operating system and said graphical user interface from said removable high capacity media;
and means for copying said components and said recovery software to said
removable high capacity media.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
52 words
The apparatus according to claim 27, wherein said means for generating
a list of components comprises: means for scanning a list of files on said non-removable media; means for examining configuration, initialization and registry files; and means for searching said non-removable media to determine executable
program files, libraries and program file dependencies.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim
50 words
The apparatus according to claim 27, further comprising means for
adjusting configuration, initialization and registry files on said removable high capacity media
to reflect a drive letter or volume label of said high capacity removable media drive from
which said operating system will be running when said computer is restarted.
Claim 30
Dependent Claim
44 words
The apparatus according to claim 27, further comprising means for
determining if said high capacity removable media drive is bootable, wherein if said high capacity removable media drive is bootable, said copying
means copies operating system bootstrap files to said removable high capacity media.
Claim 31
Dependent Claim
105 words
The apparatus according to claim 30, said apparatus further comprising a floppy drive, means for determining a bus type and adapter of said high capacity removable
media drive; and means for determining software drivers needed to access said high capacity
removable media drive, wherein said copying means copies operating system bootstrap files, said
operating system components, and instructions to continue a bootstrap process from said high
capacity removable media drive if said high capacity removable media drive is not bootable,
said instructions to continue said bootstrap process being executed once said bootstrap process
is initiated from a bootable floppy disk inserted into said floppy drive.
Claim 32
Dependent Claim
24 words
The apparatus according to claim 27, said copying means further
installing a command on said removable high capacity media to execute said recovery
software.
Claim 33
Independent Claim
98 words
An apparatus for bootstrapping a computer system from removable high
capacity media, said computer system running an operating system that includes an operating
environment which provides a user with a graphical user interface, comprising: a processor; a high capacity removable media drive operatively connected to said processor;
and means for loading said operating system and said graphical user interface from
said removable high capacity media, wherein said removable high capacity media includes all necessary operating
system components to completely load said operating system and said graphical user interface
and provide a user with access to all computer peripherals.
Claim 34
Dependent Claim
90 words
A removable storage cartridge comprising high capacity storage media
for use in a computer system comprising a processor, non-removable media, a high capacity
removable media drive and an operating system which includes an operating environment that
provides a user with a graphical user interface, said high capacity storage media being
configured by a method comprising: generating a list of software components needed to completely load said
operating system and said graphical user interface from said high capacity storage media; and copying said software components to said high capacity storage media.
Claim 35
Dependent Claim
46 words
The removable storage cartridge according to claim 34, wherein said
generating a list of components comprises: scanning a list of files on said non-removable media; examining configuration, initialization and registry files; and searching said non-removable media to determine executable program files,
libraries and program file dependencies.
Claim 36
Dependent Claim
56 words
The removable storage cartridge according to claim 34, further
comprising: adjusting configuration, initialization and registry files on said high capacity
storage media to reflect a drive letter or volume label of said high capacity removable media
drive from which said operating system will be running when said computer is restarted from
said high capacity storage media.
Claim 37
Dependent Claim
45 words
The removable storage cartridge according to claim 34, further
comprising: determining from said computer system if said high capacity removable media
drive is bootable; and copying operating system bootstrap files to said high capacity storage media
if said high capacity removable media drive is bootable.
Claim 38
Dependent Claim
107 words
The removable storage cartridge according to claim 37, said computer
system further comprising a floppy drive, said removable storage cartridge further comprising: creating a bootable floppy disk by copying operating system bootstrap files to
said bootable floppy disk if said high capacity removable media drive is not bootable; determining a bus type and adapter of said high capacity removable media
drive; determining software drivers needed to access said high capacity removable
media drive; copying said software drivers to said bootable floppy disk; and installing instructions to continue a bootstrap process from said high capacity
removable media drive once said bootstrap process is initiated from said floppy disk.
Claim 39
Dependent Claim
37 words
The removable storage cartridge according to claim 34, further
comprising: copying recovery software to said high capacity storage media; and installing an operating system command run from said high capacity storage
media to execute said recovery software.
Claim 40
Dependent Claim
86 words
Application software for use on a computer system having a high
capacity removable media drive and an operating system which provides an operating
environment including a graphical user interface, said application software comprising: system components needed to completely load said operating system and said
graphical user interface from said high capacity removable media drive; and recovery components which are run from said graphical user interface, wherein said application software is provided on removable high capacity
media which is read by said high capacity removable media drive.
Claim 41
Dependent Claim
13 words
The application software according to claim 40, further comprising
operating system bootstrap files.
Claim 42
Dependent Claim
68 words
The application software according to claim 41, wherein said operating
system bootstrap files are provided on a floppy disk and said application software further
comprises an instruction to continue a bootstrap process from said high capacity removable
media drive if said high capacity removable media drive is not bootable, said instruction to
continue said bootstrap process being executed once said bootstrap process is initiated from
said floppy disk.
Claim 43
Dependent Claim
23 words
The application software according to claim 40, further comprising a
command, installed on said removable high capacity media, to execute said recovery
components.
Claim 44
Independent Claim
72 words
An apparatus for recovering from an abnormal operating condition in
a computer system, comprising: a processor; a high capacity removable media drive; an operating system which is loaded from said high capacity removable media
drive by said processor, said operating system providing an operating environment that
includes a graphical user interface; and a system recovery application which rectifies said abnormal operating
condition to return said computer system to a normal operating condition.
Claim 45
Dependent Claim
60 words
The apparatus according to claim 44, further comprising: an error determination application which determines if said abnormal operating
condition persists in said computer system; a sequential access device which is provided to restore files to said non-removable
media from an archive; and a random access device is provided to reinstall said operating system to said
non-removable media from removable media.
Claim 46
Dependent Claim
34 words
The apparatus according to claim 44, wherein said high capacity
removable media drive is bootable, and an operating system bootstrap process is executed by
executing bootstrap files located on said removable high capacity media.
Claim 47
Dependent Claim
119 words
The apparatus according to claim 44, said computer system further
comprising: a bootable floppy drive; a control application which transfers control of a bootstrap process from said
floppy drive to said high capacity removable media drive; and a drive letter assignment application which changes a current drive letter or a
current volume label of said high capacity removable media drive to a modified drive letter
or a modified volume label, as necessary, wherein said bootstrap files are initially executed from said bootable floppy
disk, and said control application transfers control of said bootstrap process such that
execution of bootstrap files and loading of said operating system and said graphical user
interface are performed from said removable high capacity media.
Claim 48
Dependent Claim
77 words
The apparatus according to claim 47, wherein said control application
identifies a bus, adapter and drive ID number for said high capacity removable media drive,
identifies said current drive letter and said current volume label of said high capacity
removable media drive, and adjusts operating system data, initialization files and registry
information to indicate said high capacity removable media drive by said modified drive letter
or said modified volume label set by said drive letter assignment application.
Claim 49
Dependent Claim
59 words
The apparatus according to claim 48, wherein said drive letter
assignment application determines if said modified drive letter is assigned to another drive by
said operating system and, if so, further adjusts said operating system data, said initialization
files and said registry information to change said another drive to a drive letter not in use by
the operating system.
Claim 50
Dependent Claim
35 words
The apparatus according to claim 44, said removable high capacity
media being partitioned, said apparatus further comprising a presentation application which
presents said partitioned removable high capacity media to said operating system as non-partitioned
media.
Claim 51
Dependent Claim
92 words
The apparatus according to claim 50, further comprising: an offset calculation application for calculating an offset from a
beginning of said removable high capacity media to a beginning of a desired partition on said
removable high capacity media to be accessed; a request modification application which modifies a request by said
operating system to read or write to a location in a volume of said removable high capacity
media by adding said offset to said request; and a request type determination application which determines a type of
request by said operating system.
Claim 52
Dependent Claim
133 words
The apparatus according to claim 51, wherein said request type
determination application determines if said request is to read data at a beginning of said
volume, and if so, performs a read operation and modifies said data to reflect a format of said
non-partitioned media as it passed to said operating system; determines if said request is to
write data to the beginning of said volume, and if so, modifies said request to reflect a format
of said partitioned media and performs a write operation; determines if said request is for user
data, and if so, performs a read or write operation using said modified request; and determines
if said request is for a media size, and if so, returns to said operating system a size of said
partitioned removable high capacity media.
Claim 53
Dependent Claim
25 words
The apparatus according to claim 44, wherein said operating system
comprises a multi-threaded, multi-tasking operating system running in at least a 32-bit flat
memory model.
Claim 54
Independent Claim
92 words
An apparatus for creating a recovery disk for a computer system having
an operating system which provides an operating environment including a graphical user
interface, said recovery disk including recovery software on a removable high capacity media,
comprising: a processor; a high capacity removable media drive; and a file list generating application which generates a list of components needed
to completely load said operating system and said graphical user interface from said
removable high capacity media, wherein said apparatus copies said components and said recovery software to
said removable high capacity media.
Claim 55
Dependent Claim
42 words
The apparatus according to claim 54, wherein said file list generating
application scans a list of files on said non-removable media; examines configuration,
initialization and registry files; and searches said non-removable media to determine
executable program files, libraries and program file dependencies.
Claim 56
Dependent Claim
52 words
The apparatus according to claim 54, further comprising an adjustment
application which adjusts configuration, initialization and registry files on said removable
high capacity media to reflect a drive letter or volume label of said high capacity removable
media drive from which said operating system will be running when said computer is
restarted.
Claim 57
Dependent Claim
41 words
The apparatus according to claim 54, further comprising an application
to determine if said high capacity removable media drive is bootable, and if said high capacity
removable media drive is bootable, said removable high capacity media comprises operating
system bootstrap files.
Claim 58
Dependent Claim
109 words
The apparatus according to claim 57, said apparatus further comprising : a floppy drive, and an drive identification application which determines a bus type and adapter of
said high capacity removable media drive, wherein said apparatus copies operating system bootstrap files, said operating
system components, and a device driver to access said high capacity removable driver, and wherein said apparatus copes instructions to continue a bootstrap process from
said high capacity removable media drive if said high capacity removable media drive is not
bootable, said instructions to continue said bootstrap process being executed once said
bootstrap process is initiated from a bootable floppy disk inserted into said floppy drive.
Claim 59
Dependent Claim
23 words
The apparatus according to claim 54, said apparatus further installing
a command on said removable high capacity media to execute said recovery software.
Claim 60
Independent Claim
100 words
An apparatus for bootstrapping a computer system from removable high
capacity media, said computer system running an operating system that includes an operating
environment which provides a user with a graphical user interface, comprising: a processor; a high capacity removable media drive operatively connected to said processor;
and an input/output system which loads said operating system and said graphical
user interface from said removable high capacity media, wherein said removable high capacity media includes all necessary operating
system components to completely load said operating system and said graphical user interface
and provide a user with access to all computer peripherals.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
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