Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC

Eric John Straub

Steven Alfred Isaac

Teresa Anne Martineau

Eric George Jakstadt

Mike Dryfoos

Scott D Quinn

Richard P Jernigan, Iv

Peter Blackburn Stewart

A system and method for displaying a rich multimedia document in the same window as a desktop window. In one aspect of the invention a client computer connects to a computer network, such as the Internet, and retrieves a channel guide or list of content providers from which a user can select one or more content providers. The client computer retrieves a document associated with a content provider selected from the channel guide. The document is integrated into the desktop window on the client computer. The document received may be an HTML document including hyperlinks for allowing a user to jump to another document (e.g., folder, FTP site, other HTML documents, etc.) associated with the hyperlink.

System and method for integrating a document into a desktop window on a client computer

A method for interfacing an application program with an operating system of a computer when the application program relies on a predetermined address line to be set in a low state during the initial stages of the application program's operation. The computer has a lower memory region, which is addressable when the predetermined address line is in a low state, and an upper memory region, which is addressable when the predetermined address line is in a high state. The method provides an operating system stub in the lower memory region of the computer and provides an operating system in the higher memory region of the computer. The stub receives each operating system call made by the application program. After receiving an operating system call, the operating system stub sets the predetermined address line to the high state if the predetermined address line is in the low state then invokes the operating system call. Upon return from the operating system call, the stub determines whether the application program has made more than a predetermined number of operating system calls. If the application program has not made more than a predetermined number of operating system calls, the stub resets the predetermined address line to the low state.

Method and apparatus for enabling address lines to access the high

A theme provides a group of multi-media resources for enhancing displays in a graphical user interface to an operating system of a computer according to a topic of the theme. The theme's resources are periodically updated by retrieving updating resources from a remote computer at which the updating resources are stored by a theme provider, so as to provide continually updating enhancements to the graphical user interface display consistent with the theme's topic. The theme's resources can include hypertext templates which define the graphical user interface displays as hypertext pages, allowing the theme to provide a wide variety of enhancements to the displays including text, graphics, hyperlinks, and software components, among others. The theme also enhances a graphical user interface with a view port that plays live or locally cached information from the Internet in each of a plurality of categories, by adding a category for the theme so as to play information from the theme's provider in the view port.

Dynamically updating themes for an operating system shell

A method and apparatus for storing compressed file data stored on a disk. The method includes an improved format for the Compressed Volume File (CVF), and more specifically, 10 an improved format for the MDFAT data structure stored within the CVF. The improved format includes using an additional byte for maintaining each entry in the MDFAT data structure which increases the number of sectors within the Sector Heap that can be addressed and accessed. The improved format further allows compressed clusters to be stored in fragments in various portions of vacant storage space located throughout the Sector Heap. The new format for the MDFAT data structure includes a bit that identifies whether each cluster is being stored in fragments. The method stores the locations of each of the fragments in a Fragment Pointer List located in the first sector of the first fragment.

Method and apparatus for storing compressed file data on a disk where

A method for interfacing an operating system extension with a personal computer includes the step of providing a function command to the operating system of the personal computer when the operating system extension performs a function typically performed by the operating system of the personal computer. The operating system of the personal computer responds to the function command to perform functions unique to the operating system of the personal computer so that the application program will execute properly. As an example, when an application program is being loaded by an operating system extension, the operating system of the personal computer responds to the function command by revising the application program so that the application program will be compatible with the personal computer.

Interface between operating system and operating system extension

A program is stored in the memory of a computer to create an image of the program. The image of the program is examined for information indicating whether the program is compatible with the configuration of the computer. If necessary, the image of the program is revised so that the program will operate properly with the configuration of the computer. In a first embodiment of the invention, information identifying a configuration of a computer system with which the program is compatible is associated with the image of the program. In a second embodiment of the invention, a predetermined set of instructions and data are replaced with alternate instructions and data.

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Kirkland, WA, United States of America

Eric John Straub