Data processing recovery system and method spanning multiple operating system

An apparatus comprising:

• (a) a first storage area which stores a first operating system and user data, said first operating system for operating the apparatus before and after a restoring of the first storage area;
• (b) a second storage area which is coupled to the first storage area and stores a recovery operating system and a first sector-by-sector copy of the first storage area including the primary operating system and user data which is added after the primary operating system is stored;
• (c) a second copy of the first storage area which comprises changed content of the first storage area after the first copy was made, said copy stored in a storage area of the apparatus;
• and
• (d) the recovery operating system which restores the first storage area using at least one of the first copy and the second copy.

A computer-implemented method of recovering a system in which a primary operating system and user data are stored in a first storage area of the system, the method comprising the steps of:

• (a) creating a backup/restore information file and storing it in an area outside the first storage area for establishing communication between the primary operating system and a recovery operating system;
• (b) creating a first copy of the first storage area and storing the first copy outside of the first storage area;
• (c) creating a second copy of the first storage area and storing the second copy in an area outside of the first storage area, said second copy comprising the changed content of the first storage area including user data since the first copy was made;
• and
• (d) restoring the first storage area from at least one of the first copy and the second copy using the backup/restore information file and at least one of the primary operating system and the recovery operating systems.

A data processing apparatus comprising:

• (a) a first storage area which stores a first operating system and user data and, said first operating system operating the apparatus before and after a restoring of the first storage area;
• (b) an area outside of the first storage area which stores a first copy of the first storage area including user data after the first operating system has been installed, said copy created by the first operating system and a second copy of the first storage area, said second copy comprising content of the first storage area changed since the first copy was made;
• (c) a backup and restore information file stored in an area outside the first storage area and establishing communication between the first operating system and a recovery operating system;
• and
• (d) the recovery operating system stored in the area outside the first storage area;
• said recovery operating system restoring the first storage area using at least one of the first copy and the second copy and the backup and restore information file.

A data processing apparatus comprising:

• (a) a first storage area which stores a first operating system and user data;
• (b) a second storage area which stores a first sector-by-sector copy of the first storage area including user data after the first operating system has been installed, said copy was created by the first operating system and a second copy of the first storage area, said second copy comprising changed content of the first storage area since the first copy was made;
• and
• (c) a third storage area which stores at least one of the first copy and the second copy using a second operating system and operates using a third operating system within the restored copy which is different from the second operating system.

An article of manufacture stored on a computer-readable storage medium which recovers a system in which a primary operating system and user data are stored in a first storage area of the system, the article of manufacture performing the steps of:

• (a) creating a backup/restore information file and storing it in an area outside the first storage area for establishing communication between the primary operating system and a recovery operating system;
• (b) creating a first copy of the first storage area and storing the first copy outside of the first storage area;
• (c) creating a second copy of the first storage area and storing the second copy in an area outside of the first storage area said second copy comprises changed content of the first storage area including user data since the first copy was made;
• and
• (d) restoring the first storage area from at least one of the first copy and the second copy using the backup/restore information file and at least one of the primary operating system and the recovery operating system.