Abstract: The invention monitors display (error) messages from software programs presented to users and looks for items of interest. When detected, the text of the message is collected along with source of the message, and other details. This data is checked against a database of Messages, either locally, or networked to a remote database. If the issue has not been previously detected it is added to the database. If the message had been detected previously, counters recording frequency of occurrence. Then an option to see additional information is provided. If selected the database returns all the information it has on this specific issue. Also, additionally created content that normally does not exist in the message such as which application and vendor issued the message, frequency of occurrence, and vendor contact information. Additional content such as a detailed description and solutions that were manually created is included in the results to the user.

Abstract: The invention monitors display (error) messages from software programs presented to users and looks for items of interest. When detected, the text of the message is collected along with source of the message, and other details. This data is checked against a database of Messages, either locally, or networked to a remote database. If the issue has not been previously detected it is added to the database. If the message had been detected previously, counters recording frequency of occurrence. Then an option to see additional information is provided. If selected the database returns all the information it has on this specific issue. Also, additionally created content that normally does not exist in the message such as which application and vendor issued the message, frequency of occurrence, and vendor contact information. Additional content such as a detailed description and solutions that were manually created is included in the results to the user.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is apparatus and a method of installing a computer operating system on a data storage medium of a computer system. The computer system includes a processor and the data storage medium. The apparatus and method includes reading the data storage medium for a set of storage medium characteristics including the partition boundaries of each existing partition on the data storage medium. An identification of the operating system to be installed on the data storage medium is then received, typically in the form of a user input signal. The installation characteristic set of the identified operating system is then retrieved from an operating system rule database of the computer system, which rule database can contain a set of installation characteristics for each of a plurality of identified operating systems including a space required by each operating system on the storage medium.