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: 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.

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: 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 The invention is used to make it obvious to the user that the original system drive has been replaced by a cloned or imaged drive.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: 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: 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.

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.

Abstract: Backup for a computer system that automatically creates files that will allow the user the choice of which storage device with a bootable operating system to boot. An embodiment may automatically detect if the operating system is any of a plurality of versions of Windows XP or Windows Vista and create the appropriate files identifying the storage devices containing bootable operating system of the right types for use with these operating systems.

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: 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: Management of encrypted datasets residing on magnetic or optical media. Current data encryption products typically allow a primary user to enter a code such as a password or pass phrase prior to the encryption of a set of data. The password or phrase is used by the encryption/decryption software to generate or create the user's key when they wish to decrypt the dataset. The issue addressed by this invention occurs when the primary user is not available to enter the password or pass phrase. The present invention allows for the creation of two or more additional key sets, called custodial keys, which when used in unison or in predefined combinations of keys, will allow access to the encrypted dataset.