Abstract: A machine-automated system tries to save vital-data of a crashed or otherwise frozen application program by: (a) attempting to revive a program that has apparently become frozen; (b) identifying the apparently-frozen program; (c) identifying one or more windows within the identified program that are most likely to immediately contain data which the user is likely to consider as vital and in need of saving; (d) sending one or both of a SAVE and a CLOSE command message to each of the identified one or more windows so as to thereby cause that window to itself save its vital data contents and to thereafter gracefully close itself. A profiling database may be constructed for helping to identify the vital data-containing windows of both popular (well known) and obscure application programs. One such profiling database has ID records which define parent/child hierarchy relationships between vital data-containing windows and other windows of various application programs.