Sonic Solutions

Adaptec, Inc.

David A Coleman

Mark A Green

Gregory P Fry

Dennis M Summers

Guido Maffezzoni

Michael M Goshey

Gilbert Chang-Tying Wu

Carl Fry

Robert S Hudson

Tony G Kwan

Yen-Chung Lin

Kristine N Luong

Thanh T Bui

Tony Fu

John D Nguyen

Dennis M Sumners

Roger A Stoller

Yafu J Ding

Donald J Mapes

Jessica L Kahn

Mark Dilullo

Gary D Sharp

An invention is disclosed for automatically formatting removable media. A default media image is generated in computer memory in response to detecting unformatted media in a computer drive. The media image includes default file system structures for the media. In response to receiving a request to read the media, data is returned based on the default file system structures. However, the removable media is automatically prepared for content in response to receiving a request to write information to the media, wherein the default media image in memory is committed to the media.

Pseudo-mounting unformatted removable media

An invention is disclosed for automatically preparing removable media for content, such as by automatically formatting media such as CDs and DVDs. A drive type is determined for a drive present on a computer system. The drive type defines characteristics of the drive. In addition, a media type is detected for removable media, such as a compact disc or floppy disk, present in the drive. Similar to the drive type, the media type defines characteristics of the removable media. Based on the drive type and media type, the removable media is automatically prepared for content in response to receiving a request to write to the removable media.

Automatic format of removable media

An invention is provided for automatically formatting removable media at the application level. The method includes intercepting a write request to write to removable media, and determining if the removable media is unformatted. When the removable media is unformatted, the removable media is automatically prepared for content. The write request is then provided to an operating system, which performs a write operation on the removable media. In one aspect, the method can determine whether the write request is directed to a supported drive, which is a drive within a predetermined set of supported drives. In this aspect, if the write request is not directed to a supported drive, the write request can be provided to the operating system without formatting the removable media.

Application level automatic format of removable media

Method of automatically formatting and pseudo-mounting a removable media

A method for managing a secondary storage device connected to a computer system having a primary storage device includes hooking a partition session selector device driver in a layered drive structure. An application programming interface call to obtain information related to storage devices connected to the computer system is then performed. The application programming interface call is trapped and the partition session selector device driver is communicated with directly via an interface call to manage a user accessible representation of the primary and secondary storage devices. The interface call communicating with the partition session selector device driver may obtain information related to the secondary storage device, and the method may further include the operation of obtaining information related to storage devices connected to the computer system from a system registry to compile a complete set of data relating to the physical and logical representations of the primary and secondary storage devices. A computer readable media for managing a secondary storage device connected to a computer system having a primary storage device also is described.

Method for managing primary and secondary storage devices in an intelligent backup and restoring system

Disclosed is an apparatus, a system, a computer readable media, and a method for protecting data of a computer system. The method includes: (a) connecting a peripheral storage device to the computer system; (b) preparing a storage media of the peripheral storage device to be a protection enabled media; (c) selecting a backup set of data stored in a hard drive of the computer system, the backup set of data includes a default set of boot files and operating system files; (d) creating a spare tire backup using file-based copying from the hard-drive of the computer system to the storage media of the peripheral storage device; (e) enabling the peripheral storage device to incrementally copy portions of the backup set of data from the hard drive of the computer system during normal use; and (f) booting the computer system from the peripheral storage device when a failure occurs with the hard drive that disables normal booting. In this manner, the user can resume uninterrupted work from the spare tire backup of the peripheral storage device until the hard drive failure is repaired.

Intelligent backup and restoring system and method for implementing the same

Disclosed is an apparatus, a system, a computer readable media, and a method for protecting data of a computer system. The method includes: (a) connecting a peripheral storage device to the computer system; (b) preparing a storage media of the peripheral storage device to be a protection enabled media; (c) selecting a backup set of data stored in a hard drive of the computer system, the backup set of data includes a default set of boot files and operating system files; (d) creating a spare tire backup using file-based copying from the hard drive of the computer system to the storage media of the peripheral storage device; (e) enabling the peripheral storage device to incrementally copy portions of the backup set of data from the hard drive of the computer system during normal use; and (f) booting the computer system from the peripheral storage device when a failure occurs with the hard drive that disables normal booting. In this manner, the user can resume uninterrupted work from the spare tire backup of the peripheral storage device until the hard drive failure is repaired.

Growing community of inventors

Silverdale, WA, United States of America

David A Coleman