Abstract: A system and method for protecting a computer system connected to a communication network from a potential vulnerability. The system and method protects a computer system that is about to undergo or has just undergone a change in state that may result in placing the computer system at risk to viruses, and the like, over a communication network. The system and method first detect an imminent or recent change in state. A security component and a fixing component react to the detection of the change in state. The security component may raise the security level to block incoming network information, other than information from a secure or known location, or information requested by the computer system. The fixing component implements a fixing routine, such as installing missing updates or patches, and on successfully completing the fixing routine, the security level is relaxed or lowered.

Abstract: A bitmap may be transformed from one color scheme to another. In one example, the bitmap is used as part of a user interface (UI), and the colorization is performed to reflect a user's (or some other entity's) choice of color scheme. To perform the colorization, a bitmap may be converted from the red-green-blue (RGB) color space to the hue-saturation-lightness (HSL) color space. The hue may then be rotated toward the selected color scheme. Lightness and alpha (opacity) may be gamma-adjusted toward the selected color scheme. Saturation may be linearly adjusted upward or downward in the direction of the selected color scheme. The transformed HSL representation of the image may then be converted from the HSL space back to the RGB space. The new RGB bitmap may then be used to render one or more UI elements.

Abstract: An update at shutdown process is disclosed that installs software updates on a computer during the computer's shutdown procedures. On a computing device with an automated shutdown procedure, during the shutdown procedure an update at shutdown process is executed. The update at shutdown process evaluates whether any software updates are currently stored, or are locally available, on the computing device. If there are software updates to be installed, a further evaluation determines whether any of the software updates may be installed without any user interaction. Accordingly, each downloaded/locally available software update that is identified as being installable without user interaction, is installed during the shutdown procedure, thus minimizing the impact that the software updates have on the computer user's use time.

Abstract: A method for controlling the update installation behavior of a computing device according to installation attributes is presented. When present, a mandatory installation attribute associated with a software update causes the installation process executed on the computing device to disallow a user to selectively not install the software update. A priority installation attribute causes the computing device to request a higher amount of network bandwidth for obtaining the software update's content for installation on the client computing device. A deadline installation attribute associated with the software update causes the computing device to permit a user to selectively not install the software update until an associated deadline passes, at which time the software update is installed without further user interaction.