Method for running diagnostic utilities in a multi-threaded operating system environment

A method for performing diagnostics on a computer, comprising:

• defining resource conditions under which specific diagnostics operations are capable of being performed;
• spawning a resource monitoring thread that operates as an operating system background task and monitors system resource availability and loads on a substantially continuous basis;
• enabling a user to request to run diagnostics via a user interface component;
• in response to a user request to run diagnostics, checking resource availability and/or load data provided by the resource monitoring thread to determine current resource conditions;
• providing a user interface (UI) object that enables the user to select specific diagnostic operations to be performed via selectable UI controls in the UI object, wherein at least a portion of the selectable UI controls are enabled or disabled based on the current resource conditions;
• and
• performing any diagnostic operations selected by the user to be performed that are capable of being performed under the current resource conditions.

A machine-readable media having a plurality of machine instructions stored thereon that when executed by a computing machine performs the operations of:

• spawning a resource monitoring thread that operates as an operating system background task and monitors system resource availability and loads on a substantially continuous basis;
• enabling a user to request to run diagnostics via a user interface component;
• in response to a user request to run diagnostics, checking resource availability and load data provided by the resource monitoring thread to determine if there are adequate resources to run the diagnostics;
• and
• running the diagnostics if it is determined there are enough resources to run the diagnostics.

A machine-readable media having a plurality of machine instructions stored thereon that when executed by a computing machine performs the operations of:

• storing predefined resource conditions under which specific diagnostics operations are capable of being performed;
• spawning a resource monitoring thread that operates as an operating system background task and monitors system resource availability and loads on a substantially continuous basis;
• enabling a user to request to run diagnostics via a user interface component;
• in response to a user request to run diagnostics, checking resource availability and/or load data provided by the resource monitoring thread to determine current resource conditions;
• providing a user interface (UI) object that enables the user to select specific diagnostic operations to be performed via selectable UI controls in the UI object, wherein at least a portion of the selectable UI controls are enabled or disabled based on the current resource conditions;
• and
• performing any diagnostic operations selected by the user to be performed that are capable of being performed under the current resource conditions.

A computer system comprising:

• a processor;
• a video subsystem including a video display adapter component operatively coupled to the processor and a video display on which text and graphics may be displayed;
• and
• a memory operatively coupled to the processor, to store a plurality of machine instructions that when executed by the processor cause the computer system to perform the operations of:
• spawning a resource monitoring thread that operates as an operating system background task and monitors system resource availability and loads on a substantially continuous basis;
• enabling a user to request to run diagnostics via a user interface component;
• in response to a user request to run diagnostics, checking resource availability and load data provided by the resource monitoring thread to determine if there are adequate resources to run the diagnostics;
• and
• running the diagnostics if it is determined there are enough resources to run the diagnostics.

A computer system comprising:

• a processor;
• a video subsystem including a video display adapter component operatively coupled to the processor and a video display on which text and graphics may be displayed;
• and
• a memory operatively coupled to the processor, to store a plurality of machine instructions that when executed by the processor cause the computer system to perform the operations of:
• storing predefined resource conditions under which specific diagnostics operations are capable of being performed;
• spawning a resource monitoring thread that operates as an operating system background task and monitors system resource availability and loads on a substantially continuous basis;
• enabling a user to request to run diagnostics via a user interface component;
• in response to a user request to run diagnostics, checking resource availability and/or load data provided by the resource monitoring thread to determine current resource conditions;
• providing a user interface (UI) object that enables the user to select specific diagnostic operations to be performed via selectable UI controls in the UI object, wherein at least a portion of the selectable UI controls are enabled or disabled based on the current resource conditions;
• and
• performing any diagnostic operations selected by the user to be performed that are capable of being performed under the current resource conditions.