US 8,819,487 B2 · System reset

Abstract

Some embodiments of the invention provide techniques whereby a user may perform a system reset (e.g., to address system performance and/or reliability degradation, such as which may be caused by unused applications that unnecessarily consume system resources, an attempted un-install of an application that left remnants of the application behind, and/or other causes). In some embodiments, performing a system reset replaces a first instance of an operating system on the system with a new instance of the operating system, and removes any applications installed on the system, without disturbing the user's data.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A method for use in a computer system, the computer system comprising at least one storage element that stores at least a first instance of an operating system, a plurality of applications, and user data, the method comprising:

removing the first instance of the operating system and at least some of the plurality of applications from the at least one storage element without removing the user data from the at least one storage element, including:
removing the at least some of the plurality of applications based on a location at which the at least some of the plurality of application are installed;
and
installing a second instance of the operating system on the at least one storage element as a replacement for the removed first instance of the operating system without removing the user data from the at least one storage element.

1 more element

A computer-readable storage medium having instructions recorded thereon which, in response to execution by a processor, enable operations for use in a computer system comprising at least one storage element storing a first instance of an operating system, a plurality of applications, and data created by a user of the computer system, the operations comprising:

determining whether the at least one storage element has sufficient storage space to store both the first instance of the operating system and a second instance of the operating system;
in response to a determination that the at least one storage element does not have sufficient storage space to store both the first instance of the operating system and the second instance of the operating system:
removing the first instance of the operating system and the plurality of applications from the at least one storage element without removing the data created by the user from the at least one storage element;
then
installing the second instance of the operating system on the at least one storage element as a replacement of the first instance of the operating system without removing the data created by the user from the at least one storage element;
and
in response to a determination that the at least one storage element has sufficient storage space to store both the first instance of the operating system and the second instance of the operating system:
installing the second instance of the operating system on the at least one storage element without removing the data created by the user from the at least one storage element;
then
removing the first instance of the operating system and the plurality of applications from the at least one storage element without removing the data created by the user from the at least one storage element.

7 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

System reset

Life of this patent

System reset

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims20