Abstract: Controlling a boot operation form an alternate operating system by pressing a single predetermined key or simultaneously pressing a set of unique keys on the keyboard which causes the computer system to reboot using the operating system on an attached drive to be booted. The user can recover operational use of their computer system when the internal system drive suffers a software application or operating system failure. An attached storage device containing a bootable operating system, an application program in the host computer that can detect the pressing of a single or set of unique keys on the keyboard which will then cause the application to process boot files and force a reboot of the operating system with the attached storage device as the boot device.

Abstract: Backup applications that use externally connected hard disk drives for storing full image backups of a windows system disk or compressed image or file by file backups of a windows system disk. A system incrementally updates the images, including the system registry, and puts information on the external drive that makes it bootable.

Abstract: The present invention is an apparatus, system, and method for allowing a user to boot to an alternate operating system by pressing a single button on an externally attached storage device with a push button. The invention helps a user recover operational use of his computer system when the internal system drive suffers a software application or operating system failure. The invention consists of an attached storage device with a push button and supporting electronics capable of formatting and transmitting a recognizable data packet to the host computer and an application program in the host computer that can receive the data packet, process boot files, and force a reboot of the operating system with the attached storage device as the boot device.

Abstract: Secure erase of files and unallocated sectors on storage media such that any previous data is non-recoverable. The database contains sets of data patterns used to overwrite the data on different physical media. The software programs manage the overwriting process automatically when a file has been deleted. When de-allocated sectors in the file system are pruned from a file or escaped the file deletion process also finds them. Data will never be found on deleted sectors or on pruned sectors is overwritten.

Abstract: System and method for automatically discarding sets of pre specified files or divert sets of pre specified files from the files that would normally be sent to a storage device during a backup or cloning operation as the backup device becomes full. The embodiments are used to allow a backup of a storage device onto a smaller capacity storage device with as many files as possible. The embodiments uses one or more lists of files to discard which are used to filter files as the target drive become full.

Abstract: The present invention is a system to automatically remove sets of pre specified files or divert sets of pre specified files from the files that would normally be sent to a storage device during a backup or cloning operation. The invention is used to allow a backup of a storage device onto a smaller capacity storage device or for creating sets of backups each of which may contain different sets of files from the source storage device. The invention consists of sets of lists which drive the backup engine and provide the intelligence for determining which files are backed up, diverted to another storage device, or not transferred.

Abstract: System and method for automatically discarding sets of pre specified files or divert sets of pre specified files from the files that would normally be sent to a storage device during a backup or cloning operation as the backup device becomes full. The embodiments are used to allow a backup of a storage device onto a smaller capacity storage device with as many files as possible. The embodiments uses one or more lists of files to discard which are used to filter files as the target drive become full.

Abstract: Secure erase of files and unallocated sectors on storage media such that any previous data is non-recoverable. The database contains sets of data patterns used to overwrite the data on different physical media. The software programs manage the overwriting process automatically when a file has been deleted. When de-allocated sectors in the file system are pruned from a file or escaped the file deletion process also finds them. Data will never be found on deleted sectors or on pruned sectors is overwritten.

Abstract: The present invention is a system to automatically remove sets of pre specified files or divert sets of pre specified files from the files that would normally be sent to a storage device during a backup or cloning operation. The invention is used to allow a backup of a storage device onto a smaller capacity storage device or for creating sets of backups each of which may contain different sets of files from the source storage device. The invention consists of sets of lists which drive the backup engine and provide the intelligence for determining which files are backed up, diverted to another storage device, or not transferred.

Abstract: System and method for automatically discarding sets of pre specified files or divert sets of pre specified files from the files that would normally be sent to a storage device during a backup or cloning operation as the backup device becomes full. The embodiments are used to allow a backup of a storage device onto a smaller capacity storage device with as many files as possible. The embodiments uses one or more lists of files to discard which are used to filter files as the target drive become full.

Abstract: A backup system on an external bootable personal computer drive that presents a unique and specific wall paper display on the computer monitor when the operating system residing on the drive is booted when the drive is externally attached to the computer system. The invention is used to make it obvious to the user that the original system drive has been replaced by a cloned or imaged drive. The invention consists of a software program and a graphics file. The software program recognizes the case where the drive it resides on has been booted over an external bus and when that event occurs the software program substitutes a specific graphic file for the normal wall paper file used to display the background on the computer display.

Abstract: Booting an operating system from an externally attached storage device without forcing the user to change the boot order in the BIOS of a personal computer. The computer is booted from either an internal or external drive with removable media. A program that is resident on the removable media scans the computer system for any attached storage device with a bootable operating system. The user is shown a list of partitions on all attached devices with bootable operating systems and a user is prompted to pick one of the operating systems to boot. The software program then loads the boot loader from the master boot record of the selected partition and transfers control of the microprocessor to the boot loader allowing it to complete the boot sequence.

Abstract: Desktop and portable computers to backup their data can backup their storage device over a wireless link where the storage device and the computer are always communicating whenever the link is established. Unlike existing technologies that provide wireless access between computers and storage devices the present invention does not require the storage device to be aware of operating systems or file system. All intelligence for file system access and how the data is archived resides with the desktop or portable computer.

Abstract: Software program or application can determine if the storage device it was launched from is connected to the host computer system on an internal bus or an external bus. The ability of a software application to determine from where it and the operating system was launched allows it to perform a plurality of actions based on the launch location such as limiting the functionality of an application depending on its launch location. If a software company does not want its software to be installed or executed from an external drive or executed on multiple computers then it can limit the users ability to moved the software from one computer to another on a portable drive connected through a USB or IEEE-1394 port.

Abstract: Secure erase of files and unallocated sectors on storage media such that any previous data is non-recoverable. The database contains sets of data patterns used to overwrite the data on different physical media. The software programs manage the overwriting process automatically when a file has been deleted. When de-allocated sectors in the file system are pruned from a file or escaped the file deletion process also finds them. Data will never be found on deleted sectors or on pruned sectors is overwritten.

Abstract: Secure erase of files and unallocated sectors on storage media such that any previous data is non-recoverable. The database contains sets of data patterns used to overwrite the data on different physical media. The software programs manage the overwriting process automatically when a file has been deleted. When de-allocated sectors in the file system are pruned from a file or escaped the file deletion process also finds them. Data will never be found on deleted sectors or on pruned sectors is overwritten.

Abstract: Automatically presenting the user, at boot time, the option of booting from a default device or from any of a plurality of storage devices that contain bootable partitions. This overcomes current methodologies that are not automated, needs manually intervention, and requires a degree of sophistication that the user, most probably does not have. This is very simple for the user to use and automatically presents a current and up date list of bootable partitions.

Abstract: Software program or application can determine if the storage device it was launched from is connected to the host computer system on an internal bus or an external bus. The ability of a software application to determine from where it and the operating system was launched allows it to perform a plurality of actions based on the launch location such as limiting the functionality of an application depending on its launch location. If a software company does not want its software to be installed or executed from an external drive or executed on multiple computers then it can limit the users ability to moved the software from one computer to another on a portable drive connected through a USB or IEEE-1394 port.

Abstract: Backup applications that use externally connected hard disk drives for storing full image backups of a windows system disk or compressed image or file by file backups of a windows system disk. A system incrementally updates the images, including the system registry, and puts information on the external drive that makes it bootable.

Abstract: Secure erase of files and unallocated sectors on storage media such that any previous data is non-recoverable. The database contains sets of data patterns used to overwrite the data on different physical media. The software programs manage the overwriting process automatically when a file has been deleted. When de-allocated sectors in the file system are pruned from a file or escaped the file deletion process also finds them. Data will never be found on deleted sectors or on pruned sectors is overwritten.