JP2007226828A - Method and device for restoring software configuration, and computer readable storage medium - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To easily restore software environment to customized software environment by a simple operation when an operating system (OS) of an information processor whose software environment is customized by a user is re-installed regarding a method and a device for restoring software configuration, a computer program and a computer readable storage medium. <P>SOLUTION: In the method for restoring software, software configuration information for identifying the software and installation information required for installing the software are stored in a memory area when the software is installed in the information processor, the memory area is accessed when the operating system is re-installed in the information processor and the software is re-installed in the information processor, based on the software configuration information and the installation information. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2007,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a software configuration restoration method and apparatus, and a computer-readable storage medium. When an operating system (OS) of an information processing apparatus such as a personal computer whose software environment is customized by a user is reinstalled, the software The present invention relates to a software configuration restoration method and apparatus for restoring an environment to a customized software environment, and a computer-readable storage medium that stores a computer program that causes a computer to restore the software environment by using the software configuration restoration method. The present invention also relates to a computer program itself that causes a computer to restore a software environment by the software configuration restoration method as described above.

  In an information processing apparatus such as a personal computer, software such as various application programs is installed in addition to an operating system that controls the operation of the entire information processing apparatus. There are software preinstalled in the information processing apparatus and software installed by the user on the information processing apparatus. Software that the user installs on the information processing apparatus can be downloaded by reading from a recording medium such as a CD that stores the software, or can be downloaded from another information processing apparatus via a network such as the Internet. The user may have uninstalled the preinstalled software.

  Various troubles may occur in the information processing apparatus. Examples of troubles include virus infection of information processing devices, software errors, failure of recording medium drives such as hard disk drives, and damage to recording media such as hard disks. When such a trouble occurs, it may be desirable to reinstall the operating system installed in the information processing apparatus.

  However, when the operating system is reinstalled, the software environment of the information processing apparatus is reset to the initial software environment. Therefore, if the user has customized the software environment by uninstalling pre-installed software or installing new software in addition to the pre-installed software, the operating system has been reinstalled Later, the user must perform the same operation as when the software environment was customized to return the software environment to the original customized software environment.

  However, in order to return the software environment to the original customized software environment, the user needs to know the preinstalled software that has been uninstalled at the time of customization or the added software. For example, when the added software is downloaded via the Internet, it is necessary to record the software provider (URL). For this reason, there is a problem that the user cannot return the software environment to the original customized software environment after the reinstallation of the operating system unless the user keeps a record regarding the customization of the software environment.

  On the other hand, even if there is a record about the customization of the software environment, the user must perform the same operation as when the software environment was customized according to the above record after the operating system was reinstalled, and the software environment was changed to the original customized software environment. Therefore, it takes time and troublesome operations to restore the customized software environment, and there is a problem that the burden on the user is large.

In addition, as the prior art recognized by the present applicant, there is the following.
JP-A-5-289855 JP 2000-347947 A JP-A-5-173864

  It is a general object of the present invention to provide a new and useful software configuration restoration method and apparatus, a computer program, and a computer-readable storage medium that solve the above-described problems.

  A more specific object of the present invention is to easily install a software environment into a customized software environment by a simple operation when reinstalling an operating system (OS) of an information processing apparatus whose software environment has been customized by a user. An object of the present invention is to provide a software configuration restoration method and apparatus, a computer program, and a computer-readable storage medium that can be restored.

  Another object of the present invention is to store, in a memory area, software configuration information for identifying software and installation information necessary for installing the software when the software is installed in an information processing apparatus. And an installation step of accessing the memory area when reinstalling the operating system in the information processing apparatus, and reinstalling the software in the information processing apparatus based on the software configuration information and the installation information. It is to provide a software configuration restoration method including the above.

  Still another object of the present invention is to store, in a memory area, information related to a software environment including information for identifying the software and information necessary for installing the software when the software is installed in an information processing apparatus. And means for accessing the memory area and reinstalling the software in the information processing apparatus based on information on the software environment when the operating system is reinstalled in the information processing apparatus. The object is to provide a configuration restoration apparatus.

  Another object of the present invention is a computer-readable storage medium storing a computer program that causes a computer to restore a software environment. The computer program is installed in the computer when the software is installed in the computer. Software configuration information for identifying software, storage procedure for storing installation information necessary for installing the software in the memory area, and when the operating system is reinstalled in the computer, A computer-readable storage medium including an installation procedure for accessing a memory area and reinstalling the software in the information processing apparatus based on the software configuration information and the installation information There to be provided.

  Still another object of the present invention is a computer program for causing a computer to restore a software environment, and when the software is installed in the computer, the software configuration information for identifying the software in the computer, and the software A storage procedure for storing the installation information necessary for installing the software in the memory area, and when the operating system is reinstalled in the computer, the computer is made to access the memory area, the software configuration information and the installation An object of the present invention is to provide a computer program including an installation procedure for re-installing the software in the information processing apparatus based on information.

  Other objects and features of the present invention will be apparent from the description given below with reference to the drawings.

  According to the software configuration restoration method of the present invention, when the operating system of the information processing apparatus whose software environment is customized by the user is reinstalled, the software environment can be easily restored to the customized software environment with a simple operation. Can be made.

  According to the software configuration restoration apparatus of the present invention, when the operating system of the information processing apparatus whose software environment is customized by the user is reinstalled, the software environment can be easily restored to the customized software environment with a simple operation. Can be made.

  According to the computer-readable storage medium of the present invention, when a user reinstalls the operating system of a computer whose software environment is customized, the software environment can be easily restored to the customized software environment with a simple operation. Can be made.

  According to the computer program of the present invention, when the operating system of a computer whose software environment is customized by a user is reinstalled, the software environment can be easily restored to the customized software environment by a simple operation. .

  Embodiments of a software configuration restoration method and apparatus and a computer-readable storage medium according to the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

  In the following description, for the sake of convenience, it is assumed that the present invention is applied to a personal computer that is an example of an information processing apparatus. Therefore, the present embodiment of the software configuration restoring method is performed by a personal computer, and the present embodiment of the software configuration restoring apparatus is configured by a personal computer. Further, this embodiment of the computer-readable storage medium is constituted by a recording medium storing a computer program that causes a personal computer to restore the software configuration in this embodiment of the software configuration restoration method. The type of the recording medium is not particularly limited, and may be any recording medium that can store a computer program so as to be readable by a computer, and includes a magnetic recording medium, an optical recording medium, a magneto-optical recording medium, a semiconductor storage device, and the like.

  FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a personal computer. A personal computer 100 shown in FIG. 1 inputs a variety of information into a main body 101 incorporating a CPU, a disk drive, and the like, a display 102 that displays an image on a display screen 102a according to an instruction from the main body 101, and the personal computer 100. A keyboard 103, a mouse 104 for designating an arbitrary position on the display screen 102a of the display 102, a modem 105 for accessing an external database or the like and downloading a computer program or the like stored in another computer. Yes. A computer program stored in a portable recording medium such as a CD 110 or downloaded from a recording medium 106 of another computer using a communication device such as a modem 105 via a network such as the Internet is input to the personal computer 100. Executed.

  The computer program includes software such as an operating system (OS) and application programs. Some application programs may be preinstalled, and the user can uninstall any preinstalled application program or install a new application program.

  FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of a main part of the personal computer 100. The main unit 101 includes a CPU 201 connected by a bus 200, a memory unit 202 including a RAM, a ROM, a flash memory, and the like, a disk drive 203 for a CD 110, and one or a plurality of hard disk drives (HDD) 204. Here, for convenience of explanation, the display 102, the keyboard 103, the mouse 104, and the like are configured to be connected to the bus 200, but it goes without saying that these may be directly connected to the CPU 201. If a magnetic disk or magneto-optical disk is used instead of the CD 100, the disk drive 203 may be changed to a magnetic disk drive or a magneto-optical disk drive.

  First, the operation at the time of software installation of the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 3 is a diagram for explaining the operation during software installation. FIG. 4 is a diagram for explaining the data configuration of installation information, and FIG. 5 is a diagram for explaining the data configuration of software configuration information.

  3, the non-volatile memory area 1 is provided on the hard disk in the memory unit 202 and / or the HDD 204, and stores software configuration information and installation information to be described later. For example, when the BIOS is stored in a flash memory constituting the memory unit 202, the nonvolatile memory area 1 may be provided in the flash memory. The CD 110 stores an installer (installation module) 11 used when installing the application program APPLN1 stored in the CD 110 in the personal computer 100. The storage areas HDD1 and HDD2 are provided on the hard disk in the HDD 204. FIG. 3 shows a case where two HDDs 204 are installed, and each storage area HDD 1 and HDD 2 corresponds to one HDD 204. In this embodiment, for convenience of explanation, the operating system OS and application programs APPLN1, APPLN2, and APPLN3 are stored in the storage area HDD1. The installer 12 used when installing the restoration tool 15 and the application program APPLN2 stored in the storage area HDD2 in the personal computer 100 is stored in the storage area HDD2. The server 10 can be connected to the personal computer 100 via a network such as the Internet, and includes an installer 13 used when downloading the application program APPLN3 to the personal computer 100 via the network. Note that the storage areas HDD1 and HDD2 may be provided on the same hard disk or on different hard disks.

  Note that the uninstaller is installed together with the application program at the time of installation. Therefore, in the case of FIG. 3, the uninstaller is stored in the storage area HDD1 when the application programs APPLN1, APPLN2, and APPLN3 are installed.

  The installation information shown in FIG. 4 is information necessary for installing an application program (software), and includes a software number, an installer storage location, an installation procedure, a startup option, an uninstall command storage location, an installation key, a user name, a flag, and the like. including. The software number indicates an identification number assigned to each application program (software) for convenience. The installer storage location indicates a location where an installer used when installing a corresponding application program is stored. The installation procedure indicates a procedure for installing a corresponding application program. The start option indicates a command line option when starting the installer of the corresponding application program. The uninstall command storage location indicates a location where an uninstall command that instructs to uninstall the corresponding application program is stored. The installation key indicates a CD key input when installing the corresponding application program, a registration number given when the corresponding application is downloaded from the WEB and purchased. The user name indicates the user name input when installing the corresponding application program. The flag indicates whether the corresponding application program is pre-installed, uninstalled by the user, installed by the user, or the like.

  The software configuration information shown in FIG. 5 is information for identifying an application program (software), and includes a software number, a software name, information for identifying software, and the like. The software number is the same as the software number of the installation information shown in FIG. The software name indicates a name given to each application program. The information for identifying software indicates information for identifying the corresponding application program. In this embodiment, a registry key created at the time of installation is used as information for identifying software.

At the time of software installation, the following steps S1 to S6 are performed. Software installation is performed at an arbitrary time by a user, for example.
Step S1: When a software installation instruction is given, the corresponding installer is activated from the restoration tool 15 in accordance with the designation of an application program to be installed in the personal computer 100. For example, when the application program APPLN1 is designated, the corresponding installer 11 is activated.
Step S2: The storage location of the activated installer is stored in the installation information in the nonvolatile memory area 1.
Step S3: Install a specified application program by the activated installer.
Step S4: The installation procedure of the application program installed in Step S3 is recorded by outputting it with a script or the like.
Step S5: The installation procedure recorded in step S4 is stored in the installation information in the nonvolatile memory area 1.
Step S6: Information for identifying the application program installed in Step S3 (for example, a registry key) is stored in the software configuration information in the nonvolatile memory area 1.
Step S7: If there is another designation of the application program to be installed in the personal computer 100, the process returns to step S1, and if there is no other designation, the process is terminated.

Next, the operation at the time of software uninstallation of the present embodiment will be described. At the time of software uninstallation, the following steps S11 to S14 are performed. Software uninstallation is performed at an arbitrary time by a user, for example.
S11: When there is a software uninstall instruction, the corresponding installer is activated from the restoration tool 15 in accordance with the designation of the application program to be uninstalled from the personal computer 100. For example, when the application program APPLN1 is designated, the corresponding installer 11 is activated. .
S12: The specified application program is uninstalled by the activated installer.
S13: Information regarding the uninstalled application program (software configuration information and installation information) from the software configuration information and installation information stored in the nonvolatile memory area 1 for the application program uninstalled in step S12 Is deleted. In the case where the uninstalled application program is a preinstalled application program, the application program is uninstalled in the corresponding flag of the installation information without deleting the information related to the uninstalled application program. Information indicating that is stored.
S14: If there is another designation of the application program to be uninstalled from the personal computer 100, the process returns to step S11, and if there is no other designation, the process is terminated.

  Next, the operation at the time of software restoration of this embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 6 is a diagram for explaining the operation at the time of software restoration. In FIG. 6, the same parts as those in FIG. 3 are denoted by the same reference numerals, and the description thereof is omitted.

At the time of software restoration, the following steps S21 to S26 are performed. The software restoration is performed when, for example, the user needs to reinstall the operating system OS because a trouble has occurred in the personal computer 100.
Step S21: When there is an instruction to reinstall the operating system OS, the operating system OS is reinstalled on the personal computer 100 by a known method.
Step S22: By starting the restoration tool 15 stored in the storage area HDD2, the software configuration information stored in the nonvolatile memory area 1 is referred to, and installation information of each application program is acquired.
Step S23: Based on the installation information acquired in step S22, a list of application programs that have been available in the original software environment, that is, the customized software environment before the reinstallation of the operating system OS is required. Is displayed on the display screen 102 a of the display 102.
Step S24: The user is prompted to specify an application program to be reinstalled from a list of application programs displayed on the display screen 102a of the display 102 by displaying a message or the like. For example, even if the user designates application programs to be reinstalled one by one using the mouse 104 or the like, or reinstallation is unnecessary on a screen in which all application programs are designated to be reinstalled in advance. Only the application program may be specified.
Step S25: When the designation of the application program to be reinstalled is confirmed, the user is prompted to input a reinstallation start instruction by displaying a message or the like.
Step S26: When an instruction to start reinstallation is input in step S25, the corresponding installer is activated based on the installation information regarding the application program to be reinstalled.
Step S27: The corresponding application program is reinstalled in the storage area HDD1 by the activated installer. The installation at this time can be performed automatically without bothering the user if the installation information stores an installation procedure (such as a script) and an installation key.
Step S28: If there is another designation of the application program to be reinstalled in the personal computer 100, the process returns to step S26, and if there is no other designation, the process is terminated.

  Next, an operation when a manufacturer or the like preinstalls an application program at the time of shipment of the personal computer 100 will be described with reference to FIG.

  FIG. 7 is a diagram showing the state of the storage area on the hard disk of the HDD 204 at the time of shipment. At the time of shipment, the operating system OS is installed in the first storage area 31, and for example, the application programs APPLN1, APPLN2, and APPLN3 are preinstalled in the same first storage area 31 as the operating system OS. Further, installers (install modules) 11, 12, and 13 of the application programs APPLN1, APPLN2, and APPLN3 are stored in a second storage area 32 that is different from the operating system OS. Software configuration information and installation information related to the preinstalled application programs APPLN1, APPLN2, and APPLN3 are stored in a second storage area 32 that is different from the operating system OS. Further, the restoration tool 15 is stored in the second storage area 32 different from the operating system OS, for example.

  FIG. 7 shows a case where one HDD 204 is installed at the time of shipment. The storage area of the hard disk in the HDD 204 is divided into two sections, and the first storage area 31 is provided in the first section. The second storage area 32 is provided in the second partition. The installers (installation modules) 11, 12, 13 and the restoration tool 15 of the application programs APPLN1, APPLN2, and APPLN3 are stored in a second storage area 32 that is different from the operating system OS, and software related to the application programs APPLN1, APPLN2, and APPLN3. The configuration information and the installation information may be stored in the nonvolatile memory area 1 (BIOS flash memory or the like) before shipment.

  Next, operations when installing and / or uninstalling an application program when the user uses the personal computer 100 will be described with reference to FIG. For convenience of explanation, it is assumed that the state of the storage area on the hard disk of the HDD 204 at the time of shipment is as shown in FIG.

  FIG. 8 is a diagram showing the state of the storage area on the hard disk of the HDD 204 when used by the user. In FIG. 8, the same parts as those of FIG.

  At the time of installation, the installers 14 and 15 of the application programs APPLN4 and APPLN5 to be installed are activated from the restoration tool 15 (ST1). Here, it is assumed that the installer 14 is stored in the CD 110 and the installer 15 is stored in the server 10. The application programs APPLN4 and APPLN5 are stored in the first storage area 31 by the corresponding installers 14 and 15 (ST2). The software configuration information and installation information of the installed application programs APPLN4 and APPLN5 are stored in the second storage area (ST3).

  For example, at the time of subsequent uninstallation, the uninstaller of the application program APPLN5 to be uninstalled is activated from the restoration tool 15, and the application program APPLN5 is deleted from the first storage area 31 (ST4). In addition, a flag indicating that the application program APPLN5 has been uninstalled is stored in the installation information flag of the application program APPLN5. If desired by the user, the software configuration information and installation information of the uninstalled application program APPLN5 may be deleted from the second storage area 32 (ST5).

  When uninstalling the pre-installed application program APPLN1, the application program APPLN1 is deleted from the first storage area 31, but the software configuration information and installation information of the uninstalled application program APPLN1 are the second. Without deleting from the storage area 32, a flag indicating that the application program APPLN1 has been uninstalled is stored in the flag of the installation information.

  Next, an operation when the user reinstalls the operating system OS in the personal computer 100 will be described with reference to FIG. For convenience of explanation, it is assumed that the software environment is returned to the software environment in which the state of the storage area on the hard disk of the HDD 204 is as shown in FIG. That is, the software environment is returned to the software environment in which the application programs APPLN4 and APPLN5 are installed by the user in addition to the preinstalled application programs APPLN1, APPLN2, and APPLN3.

  FIG. 9 is a diagram showing the state of the storage area on the hard disk when the operating system is reinstalled. 9, parts that are the same as the parts shown in FIG. 8 are given the same reference numerals, and explanation thereof is omitted.

  The operating system OS is reinstalled by a known method and stored in the first storage area 31. Thereafter, the restoration tool 15 is activated, and the software configuration information and the installation information related to the application program for which installation is instructed by the user are referred to by accessing the second storage area 32 (ST11). In this case, the software configuration information and installation information regarding all application programs APPLN1 to APPLN5 are referred to (ST12). Thereafter, based on the installation information, the installers 11 to 15 corresponding to the application programs APPLN1 to APPLN5 to be installed are sequentially activated (ST13), thereby installing the application programs APPLN1 to APPLN5 (ST14), and the first storage area 31. And return to the software environment used by the user.

  Next, the operation of this embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 10 to 26 with reference to the screen displayed on the display screen 102a of the display 102. FIG. 10 to 14 are flowcharts for explaining the operation of this embodiment. 15 to 26 are diagrams showing display screens in the main parts of the operations shown in FIGS. 10 to 14. 15 to 26 show the main part of the display screen, respectively, and do not necessarily show the entire display screen.

  The process shown in FIG. 10 is started when the power of the personal computer 100 is turned on. In step S41, the restoration tool 15 is activated, and it is determined whether step S42 is normal activation or activation immediately after reinstallation of the operating system OS. If the operating system OS has just been reinstalled, the process proceeds to step S91 to be described later with reference to FIG. On the other hand, if it is normal startup, step S43 refers to the software configuration information to display a display screen of a list of application programs as shown in FIG. 15 on the display 102 and change the software environment. Determine whether or not. In FIG. 15, “●” indicates an installed application program, and “◯” indicates an uninstalled application program. When the “end” button is selected with the mouse 104 or the like on the display screen shown in FIG. 15, the software environment is not changed, and the process ends. On the other hand, if the “change” button is selected on the display screen shown in FIG. 15, the process proceeds to step S44 in order to change the software environment.

  In FIG. 15 and FIGS. 25 and 26 described later, application programs APPLN1, APPLN2,... Indicate, for example, preinstalled programs, and application programs UAPPLN1, UAPPLN2,.

  A step S44 displays the software configuration change display screen shown in FIG. 16, and determines whether the installation of the application program is selected or the uninstallation is selected. When the “Uninstall” button is selected on the display screen shown in FIG. 16, the process proceeds to step S45 in order to perform uninstallation. A step S45 displays the uninstall application selection display screen shown in FIG. 17 by referring to the software configuration information and the installation information, and inputs the selection of the application program to be uninstalled. On the display screen shown in FIG. 17, installed application programs are indicated by □, and application programs for which uninstallation has been selected are indicated by ■. In the example of FIG. 17, uninstallation of the application program APPLN4 is selected. In step S46, when the application program to be uninstalled is selected and the “start” button on the display screen shown in FIG. 17 is selected, the installation information of this application program is referred to and the corresponding uninstaller is activated. A step S47 uninstalls the application program selected by the activated uninstaller. In step S48, the software configuration information and installation information regarding the uninstalled application program are updated, and the process returns to step S43. If the uninstalled application is not preinstalled, the software configuration information and installation information regarding the uninstalled application program are deleted.

  On the other hand, when the “install” button is selected on the display screen shown in FIG. 16, the process proceeds to step S49 for installation. In step S49, the installation source selection display screen shown in FIG. 18 is displayed, and whether reinstallation of the uninstalled application program, installation of the application program from the WEB, or installation of the application program from the folder has been selected. Determine. When the “from folder” button on the display screen shown in FIG. 18 is selected, the process proceeds to step S71 described later with reference to FIG. 12, and when the “from WEB” button is selected, the process proceeds to step S74 described later with reference to FIG. When the “reinstall” button is selected, the process proceeds to step S50. In step S50, an installation start display screen is displayed from the web shown in FIG. 19, and when the URL is input and the “start” button is selected, the process proceeds to step S51 shown in FIG.

  In FIG. 11, step S51 opens a URL input using a well-known browser function, and step S52 activates an installer of an application program to be installed. In step S53, the application program is installed according to the activated installer. In step S54, it is determined whether there is a user input such as an install key or a user name. If the decision result in the step S54 is YES, a step S55 records the user input as installation information. If the decision result in the step S54 is NO, or after the step S55, a step S56 decides whether or not the application program has been successfully installed. If the decision result in the step S56 is NO, a step S57 displays a message indicating that the installation has failed, and the process ends.

  On the other hand, if the decision result in the step S56 is YES, a step S58 outputs an installation procedure by a script or the like and records it as installation information. A step S59 updates the software configuration information and the installation information. The updated installation information includes the installer storage location corresponding to the installed application program, the installation procedure and user input (installation key and user name) recorded as described above, a flag, and the like. In step S60, it is determined whether or not an application is being installed immediately after the reinstallation of the operating system OS. If the determination result is NO, the process returns to step S43 shown in FIG. If the decision result in the step S60 is YES, a step S61 decides whether or not there is an application program to be installed. If the decision result is NO, the process returns to the step S43 shown in FIG. If the decision result in the step S61 is YES, the process advances to a step S76 shown in FIG.

  In FIG. 12, step S71 displays a display screen for starting installation from the folder shown in FIG. When the “reference” button on the display screen shown in FIG. 20 is selected, for example, a Windows (registered trademark) standard file selection dialog is displayed, and a path can be selected. When the path is selected and the “start” button is selected, step S72 determines whether the installer storage location corresponding to the application program to be installed is the HDD 204 or a removable recording medium such as the CD 110. . If the installer storage location is a removable recording medium, step S73 displays a message requesting a removable recording medium, and when the removable recording medium is loaded or connected to the personal computer 100, the process proceeds to step S52 shown in FIG. Return to. On the other hand, if the installer storage location is HDD 204 in step S72, the process returns to step S52 shown in FIG.

  A step S74 displays the re-installation display screen shown in FIG. 21 by referring to the software configuration information. The display screen shown in FIG. 21 displays a list of all application programs that have been uninstalled in the past regardless of whether the installer is stored or not. Therefore, the user can start re-installation by selecting an application program to be reinstalled and selecting a “start” button. FIG. 21 shows a state where reinstallation of the application program APPLN4 is selected.

  When the “start” button is selected on the display screen shown in FIG. 21, step S75 displays the installation method selection display screen shown in FIG. The display screen shown in FIG. 22 displays a “manual installation” button for selecting manual installation and an “automatic installation” button for selecting automatic installation. In manual installation, the application program is reinstalled in a different installation procedure from the previous one, and the installation procedure is newly recorded. On the other hand, in the automatic installation, the application program is reinstalled in the same procedure as the previous time. For example, when the installer exists on the WEB and reinstallation is performed using the latest version of the installer, manual installation is selected. If the “manual installation” button is selected in step S75, the process proceeds to step S76, and if “automatic installation” is selected, the process proceeds to step S100 shown in FIG.

  In step S76, the installer storage location is searched with reference to the installation information. In step S77, it is determined whether or not the installer storage location is on WEB. If the determination result is NO, the process returns to step S72. On the other hand, if the decision result in the step S77 is YES, a step S78 opens the URL of the installer storage location stored in the installation information using a known browser function. In step S79, it is determined whether there is a latest version of the URL. If the determination result is NO, the process returns to step S52 shown in FIG. If the decision result in the step S79 is YES, a step S80 opens the latest version of the URL. In step S81, the URL of the installer storage location of the installation information is updated to the latest URL, and the process returns to step S52 shown in FIG.

  In FIG. 13, step S90 displays a software configuration restoration method selection display screen shown in FIG. The display screen shown in FIG. 23 includes a “return to factory” button that is selected when returning the software environment to the software environment at the time of shipment of the personal computer 100, and the software environment immediately before the operating system OS is reinstalled. A “return to previous” button that is selected when returning to the screen and a “return to selection” button that is selected when selecting an application program to be installed are displayed. When the “return to factory” button is selected, the process proceeds to step S91. When the “return to previous” button is selected, the process proceeds to step S94. If the “select and return” button is selected, the process proceeds to step S96.

  Step S91 refers to the software configuration and installation information, and step S92 displays the preinstalled software list display screen at the time of shipment shown in FIG. 24 based on these. When the user confirms the preinstalled software, that is, the preinstalled application program on the display screen shown in FIG. 24 and selects the “start” button, the process proceeds to step S93 described later.

  Step S94 refers to the software configuration and installation information, and step S95 displays the display screen of the software list installed immediately before re-installing the operating system OS shown in FIG. 25 based on these. When the software installed by the user, that is, the installed application program is confirmed on the display screen shown in FIG. 25 and the “start” button is selected, the process proceeds to step S98 described later.

  Step S96 refers to the software configuration and installation information, and step S97 displays the software list display screen shown in FIG. 26 based on these. The display screen shown in FIG. 26 displays all preinstalled application programs including those that have been uninstalled and all application programs that are individually installed by the user. Alternatively, manual installation can be selected. When the user confirms the software to be installed, that is, the application program to be installed and the installation method (automatic / manual installation) on the display screen shown in FIG. Application programs to be installed are extracted and listed, and in the case of automatic installation, the process proceeds to step S100 described later, and in the case of manual installation, the process proceeds to step S76 shown in FIG.

  In step S93, application programs to be automatically installed are extracted and listed. In step S100, the installation information of the first application program listed as the application program to be automatically installed is referred to, and the process proceeds to step S101 shown in FIG.

  In FIG. 14, step S101 determines an installer storage location corresponding to the selected application program from the installation information. The process proceeds to step S102 if the installer storage location is on the WEB, the process proceeds to step S104 if it is the HDD 104, and the process proceeds to step S105 if it is a removable recording medium. In step S102, the installer storage location URL stored in the installation information is opened to access and start the installer, and the process proceeds to step S103. In step S104, the installer is accessed and started by referring to the folder in the installer storage location stored in the installation information, and the process proceeds to step S103. A step S105 displays a message requesting a removable recording medium. When the removable recording medium is loaded or connected to the personal computer 100, the installer in the installer storage location stored in the installation information is accessed and activated. The process proceeds to step S103.

  A step S103 automatically installs the application program selected according to the installation procedure stored in the installation information by the accessed installer. In step S107, it is determined whether or not the automatic installation has been successful. If the determination result is NO, step S108 displays a message indicating that the installation has failed, and the process ends. On the other hand, if the decision result in the step S107 is YES, a step S109 updates the software configuration information and installation information regarding the automatically installed application program.

  In step S110, it is determined whether or not an application program to be automatically installed remains. If the determination result is YES, the process of step S100 shown in FIG. 13 is performed on the application program to be automatically installed next. If the decision result in the step S110 is NO, a step S112 decides whether or not the “select back” button on the display screen shown in FIG. 23 has been selected in the step S91 shown in FIG. If NO, the process returns to step S43 shown in FIG. If the decision result in the step S112 is YES, a step S113 decides whether or not there is an application program to be manually installed. If the decision result is NO, the process returns to the step S43 shown in FIG. On the other hand, if the decision result in the step S113 is YES, a step S114 returns to the step S76 shown in FIG. 12 to perform processing for the first one extracted and listed as an application program to be manually installed. .

  In the above embodiment, the software configuration information and the installation information are provided in the memory unit 202 (including the non-volatile memory area) and / or on the hard disk in the HDD 204. It may be provided on a removable recording medium such as the CD 110 or may be provided in a storage device or database managed by the server 10 on the WEB. In short, an area for storing information on the customized software environment (software configuration information and installation information) is not lost when the operating system OS is reinstalled and provided in an accessible storage means. .

  In the above embodiment, the present invention is applied to a personal computer. However, the present invention is the same as long as the information processing apparatus is configured such that an operating system and application programs are installed and the operating system and application programs can be reinstalled. Needless to say, this is applicable. Further, the information processing apparatus is not limited to the desktop type, and may be a portable type.

  Needless to say, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various improvements and modifications can be made within the scope of the present invention.

It is a perspective view which shows a personal computer. It is a block diagram which shows the structure of the principal part of a personal computer. It is a figure explaining the operation | movement at the time of software installation. It is a figure explaining the data structure of installation information. It is a figure explaining the data structure of software structure information. It is a figure explaining the operation | movement at the time of software restoration. It is a figure which shows the state of the storage area on the hard disk at the time of shipment. It is a figure which shows the state of the storage area on the hard disk at the time of user use. It is a figure which shows the state of the storage area on a hard disk at the time of reinstallation of an operating system. It is a flowchart explaining operation | movement of an Example. It is a flowchart explaining operation | movement of an Example. It is a flowchart explaining operation | movement of an Example. It is a flowchart explaining operation | movement of an Example. It is a flowchart explaining operation | movement of an Example. It is a figure which shows the display screen in the principal part of an Example. It is a figure which shows the display screen in the principal part of an Example. It is a figure which shows the display screen in the principal part of an Example. It is a figure which shows the display screen in the principal part of an Example. It is a figure which shows the display screen in the principal part of an Example. It is a figure which shows the display screen in the principal part of an Example. It is a figure which shows the display screen in the principal part of an Example. It is a figure which shows the display screen in the principal part of an Example. It is a figure which shows the display screen in the principal part of an Example. It is a figure which shows the display screen in the principal part of an Example. It is a figure which shows the display screen in the principal part of an Example. It is a figure which shows the display screen in the principal part of an Example.

Explanation of symbols

101 Main unit 200 Bus 201 CPU
202 Memory unit 203 Disk drive 204 HDD

Claims (25)

A storage step of storing, in a memory area, software configuration information for identifying the software and installation information necessary for installing the software when installing the software in the information processing apparatus;
An installation step of accessing the memory area when reinstalling the operating system in the information processing apparatus, and reinstalling the software in the information processing apparatus based on the software configuration information and the installation information. Configuration restore method.   The software restoration method according to claim 1, wherein the software includes an application program preinstalled in an initial state of the information processing apparatus and / or an application program installed at an arbitrary time.   The software restoration method according to claim 2, wherein the installation information includes a storage location and an installation procedure of a corresponding installer for each software.   The software restoration method according to claim 3, wherein the installation information includes a flag indicating whether or not the preinstalled application program is uninstalled.   5. The software restoration method according to claim 2, further comprising a step of deleting the corresponding software configuration information and installation information when uninstalling the application program installed at the arbitrary time.   The software restoration method according to claim 1, wherein the memory area is provided in a storage unit, a removable recording medium, or a storage unit on the WEB in the information processing apparatus.   The software restoration method according to claim 1, wherein the installation step displays the software configuration information and asks for confirmation of software to be reinstalled.   The software according to claim 1, wherein the software is installed, reinstalled, and uninstalled by starting a corresponding installer using a restoration tool stored in a storage unit in the information processing apparatus. Restoration method. Means for storing, in a memory area, information about a software environment including information for identifying the software and information necessary for installing the software when installing the software in the information processing apparatus;
A software configuration restoration device comprising: means for accessing the memory area when reinstalling an operating system in the information processing device and reinstalling the software in the information processing device based on information about the software environment .   The software restoration apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the software environment information includes a storage location and an installation procedure of a corresponding installer for each software.   11. The software restoration apparatus according to claim 9, further comprising a storage unit having the memory area. A computer-readable storage medium storing a computer program for causing a computer to restore a software environment, the computer program comprising:
A storage procedure for storing, in the memory area, software configuration information for identifying the software and installation information necessary for installing the software when installing the software in the computer;
An installation procedure for causing the computer to access the memory area and reinstalling the software in the information processing apparatus based on the software configuration information and the installation information when the operating system is reinstalled in the computer. A computer-readable storage medium.   The computer-readable storage medium according to claim 12, wherein the software includes an application program preinstalled in an initial state of the computer and / or an application program installed at an arbitrary time.   The computer-readable storage medium according to claim 13, wherein the installation information includes a storage location and an installation procedure of a corresponding installer for each software.   The computer-readable storage medium according to claim 14, wherein the installation information includes a flag indicating whether or not the preinstalled application program is uninstalled.   The computer program further includes a procedure for causing the computer to delete the corresponding software configuration information and installation information when uninstalling the application program installed at the arbitrary time. The computer-readable storage medium according to claim 1.   The computer-readable storage medium according to claim 12, wherein the installation procedure displays the software configuration information on the computer and asks for confirmation of software to be reinstalled.   The computer program causes the computer to install, reinstall, and uninstall the software by starting a corresponding installer using a restoration tool stored in a storage unit in the computer. The computer-readable storage medium according to any one of the above. A computer program that causes a computer to restore a software environment,
A storage procedure for storing, in the memory area, software configuration information for identifying the software and installation information necessary for installing the software when installing the software in the computer;
An installation procedure for causing the computer to access the memory area and reinstalling the software in the information processing apparatus based on the software configuration information and the installation information when the operating system is reinstalled in the computer. , Computer program.   The computer program according to claim 19, wherein the software includes an application program preinstalled in an initial state of the computer and / or an application program installed at an arbitrary time.   21. The computer program according to claim 20, wherein the installation information includes a storage location and an installation procedure of a corresponding installer for each software.   The computer program according to claim 21, wherein the installation information includes a flag indicating whether or not the preinstalled application program is uninstalled.   The computer according to any one of claims 20 to 22, further comprising a step of causing the computer to delete the corresponding software configuration information and installation information when uninstalling the application program installed at the arbitrary time. program.   The computer program according to any one of claims 19 to 23, wherein the installation procedure requests the computer to confirm the software to be reinstalled by displaying the software configuration information.   25. The computer according to claim 19, wherein the software is installed, reinstalled, and uninstalled by starting a corresponding installer using a restoration tool stored in a storage unit in the computer. The computer program described.

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