JP5133230B2 - Information processing apparatus, information processing method, and program - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to an information processing apparatus, an information processing method, and a program for executing an added application.

  Conventionally, when an application is added to the operating system (OS) of the information processing apparatus, an application setup file or the like is directly written in the OS storage area. At this time, if the number of application software to be installed increases, files and data of various applications are stored in the OS storage area, so that the operation of the OS may be slowed or the original data of the OS may be corrupted. There was sex.

  On the other hand, in recent years, Windows XP (registered trademark) Embedded (hereinafter referred to as XP Embedded), which is an OS for embedded devices, has been developed, and this OS has a function called Enhanced Write Filter (EWF). The XP Embedded is often stored in a flash medium (CF) other than the hard disk, and the EWF is a function for the purpose of protecting the disk.

  EWF redirects the writing process to an area called “EWF overlay” to suppress changes to the original data, and also helps to extend the life of the storage with a limited number of writes. Data written to this EWF overlay is deleted after restart.

Here, by applying this EWF function to the OS storage area, a change in the original OS data can be suppressed, and a system that can keep the original OS data in a clean state has been put into practical use. Yes.
“Windows Embedded Developer Center Enhanced Write Filter”, [online], Internet <URL: http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms912906.aspx>

  In the prior art, since the file necessary to execute the added application is stored in the EWF overlay, once the information processing apparatus is terminated, the added application file is also deleted. In other words, the original data of the OS can always be kept clean, but the application file is deleted each time it is restarted, so it is necessary to install the application software again, and the user performs the installation process again. There was a problem of making it.

  Therefore, the present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and an information processing apparatus and an information processing method capable of protecting the original data of the OS and eliminating the need for the user to reinstall the application at the next startup. And to provide a program.

  An information processing apparatus according to an aspect of the present invention is an information processing apparatus capable of adding an application to an operating system and executing the application, and includes a plurality of first storage areas that store the operating system. A storage means having a storage area, a write prohibiting means for prohibiting writing to the first storage area, and writing to the second storage area when writing to the first storage area is requested, and the write prohibiting means Stored in the third storage area is a first saving means for saving application information, which is a file necessary for executing a newly installed application, written in the second storage area, and setting information of the application Monitoring means for monitoring the storage means, and the setting information is added and / or modified by the monitoring means If it is determined, the second saving means for saving the setting information to the third storage area, and the saved application information and setting information when the information processing apparatus is next activated are stored in the second storage. A restoring means for restoring to the means.

  The present invention can also realize the above-described information processing apparatus as an information processing method, and can also be realized as a program for causing a computer to execute the program. A recording medium on which the program is recorded is read by the computer. It can also be realized.

  According to the present invention, it is possible to provide an information processing apparatus, an information processing method, and a program that protect the original data of the OS and do not require reinstallation of an application by the user at the next startup.

  Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

<Hardware configuration>
FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a main hardware configuration of the information processing apparatus 1 according to the first embodiment. Here, the information processing apparatus 1 of the present invention may be an image processing apparatus, a PC (Personal Computer), or an embedded device, and here, an image processing apparatus is assumed. The information processing apparatus 1 illustrated in FIG. 1 includes a control unit 11, a main storage unit 12, an auxiliary storage unit 13, a printing unit 14, a communication control unit 15, an operation unit 16, a network I / F unit 17, and an external storage device I / F. Part 18 is included.

  The control unit 11 is a CPU that controls each device, calculates data, and processes the information processing device 1. The control unit 11 is an arithmetic device that executes a program stored in the main storage unit 12, receives data from the input device or the storage device, calculates and processes the data, and outputs the data to the output device or the storage device.

  The main storage unit 12 is a ROM (Read Only Memory), a RAM (Random Access Memory), or the like, and a storage device that stores or temporarily stores programs and data such as an OS and application software that are basic software executed by the control unit 11. It is.

  The auxiliary storage unit 13 is an HDD (Hard Disk Drive) or the like, and is a storage device that stores data related to application software or the like. The auxiliary storage unit 13 stores various types of information (eg, user information) managed by the information processing apparatus, and is managed by functions such as a database (DB: DataBase) and a file system (FS: File System). .

  Upon receiving the image data, the printing unit 14 outputs (prints) the received image data to a transfer paper (printing paper) using a laser print unit using a laser beam or a thermal print unit that prints on dedicated paper using heat. To do.

  The communication control unit 15 performs communication control such as LAN connection and FAX in cooperation with the control unit 11.

  The operation unit 16 includes an LCD, a switch, a lamp, an LED, a key, and the like, and displays the status of the information processing apparatus 1, a warning, and the like.

  The network I / F unit 17 has a communication function connected via a network such as a LAN (Local Area Network), a WAN (Wide Area Network), or a FAX constructed by a data transmission path such as a wired and / or wireless line. It is an interface for peripheral devices and information processing devices.

  The external storage device I / F unit 18 is an interface between the information processing device 1 and a storage medium 19 (for example, a flash memory) connected via a data transmission path such as a USB (Universal Serial Bus).

  When an SD (Secure Digital) card is used as the storage medium 19, the external storage device I / F unit 18 becomes an SD card slot. By inserting the SD card into this SD card slot, Data can be read and written.

<Software configuration>
FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating a main software configuration of the information processing apparatus 1 according to the first embodiment. As shown in FIG. 2, the information processing apparatus 1 includes an operation management module (for example, SDKManager).
) 21, a file management module (for example, DocItem) 22, an application introduction management module (for example, SI service) 23, and an application execution management module (for example, WindowManager) 24.

  The operation management module 21 is a module that manages user operations in the operation unit 16 and manages, for example, an application installation instruction, a setting change instruction, or a deletion instruction.

  The file management module 22 is a module for managing files, and manages, for example, copying a file stored in the recording medium 19 connected to the information processing apparatus 1 and storing it in the information processing apparatus. To do.

  The application introduction management module 23 is a module that manages the introduction (installation) of an application. For example, the application introduction management module 23 executes a setup file (setup.exe) or a registry that is an example of a storage unit that stores application setting information. It manages monitoring and extracting a newly created file or the like using a standard tool of Windows (registered trademark). The application introduction management module 23 also controls the setting of the write prohibiting means 32 described later. The application introduction management module 23 also controls saving and restoring of files and registries that have been added or changed.

  Note that the saved file and registry information are saved in a difference file created in the storage area. The file difference file is called a backup difference file (BKF), and the registry difference file is called a registry difference file (REG). Further, the difference file may be stored in the storage area in a compressed state.

  The application execution management module 24 is a module that manages the execution of the application of the information processing apparatus 1.

<Functional configuration>
FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating the main functional configuration of the information processing apparatus 1 according to the first embodiment. As illustrated in FIG. 3, the information processing apparatus 1 according to the first embodiment includes a storage unit 31, a write prohibition unit 32, a monitoring unit 33, a first save unit 34, a second save unit 35, a restore unit 36, and a file management unit 37. , Setting change means 38 and deletion means 39 are included.

  The storage means 31 is, for example, an HDD, and has a plurality of storage areas partitioned by partitions. Here, it has areas such as a system area for storing an OS and applications related to image formation, a work area for storing user data, and a temporary storage area. As the OS, XP Embedded is used, but an OS having a function equivalent to or higher than XP Embedded may be used. The storage unit 31 also includes a registry in which basic information of applications and the like are stored.

  Further, the storage unit 31 stores the application information list in a storage area accessible from any application. The application information list includes application specific information, application activation conditions, a restoration flag, and the like, and the name of the application is registered when the difference file is normally saved.

  The write prohibiting unit 32 has a function of protecting data stored in the storage area, and is, for example, an EWF function unique to XP Embedded. Here, it is assumed that the system area in which the OS is stored is always protected by the write prohibition means 32, and the setting change of the validation / invalidation of the write prohibition means 32 is not reflected unless it is restarted.

  The monitoring unit 33 has a function of monitoring the registry, and can be easily realized by using, for example, a tool provided as a standard in Windows (registered trademark).

  The first saving unit 34 saves a newly created or changed file to another storage area (temporary saving area) for an application added to the system area (EWF overlay). A newly created or changed file can be determined by an archive bit used in a general file system (for example, FAT or NTFS). This archive bit is flagged when a file is newly created or changed, or when a dedicated API is executed, but even if the file system is not used, the access status of all files in the original application By having a function to monitor, information equivalent to the archive bit can be created. Further, the save target file is saved while maintaining the directory structure.

  The second saving unit 35 saves the registry key accessed by the registry as a result of being monitored by the monitoring unit 33 to the temporary storage area. By using the registry key, information below the registry key can be saved. Here, the first evacuation unit 34 and the second evacuation unit 35 can be easily realized by using a standard tool or a predetermined program in Windows (registered trademark).

  The restoration unit 36 restores the file and the registry key stored in the temporary storage area to the original storage area by the first save unit 34 and the second save unit 35. At this time, the file is restored while maintaining the original directory structure, and if a file with the same name exists, it is overwritten with a new file.

  The file management unit 37 manages the files stored in the storage area, and is, for example, FAT (File Allocation Tables) or NTFS (NT File System). Further, the file management unit 37 sets an archive bit for the file. Newly added or modified files are flagged with an archive bit.

  The setting changing unit 38 changes the basic information of the application stored in the registry when a setting change is requested in the operation of the operation unit 16 by the user. In addition, after the application is executed, the application setting content is changed when a change in the application setting is requested by the user.

  The deletion means 39 deletes the application for which the deletion request has been made when an arbitrary application is selected by the user in the operation unit 16 from the application list in the application information list and a deletion request is made. Specifically, by clearing the restoration flag included in the application information list, the difference file of this application is not restored at the next restart, which is essentially the same as the application being deleted. In addition to clearing the restoration flag, files and registries related to the actually selected application may be deleted.

  The restoration flag is used for determining whether or not restoration is performed when restoration is performed, and a restoration flag is set as a restoration target. It is assumed that this restoration flag is set by default.

  Here, the write prohibiting unit 32, the monitoring unit 33, the first saving unit 34, and the second saving unit 33 are controlled by the application introduction management module 23 using a Windows (registered trademark) tool. The file management unit 37 is controlled by the file management module 22, the setting change unit 38 is controlled by the application execution management module 24, and the deletion unit 39 is controlled by the operation management module 21.

  Next, a process for adding an application, changing a file, or deleting an application while the system area of the information processing apparatus 1 is protected as described above will be described.

(At first introduction)
First, processing when an application is introduced will be described. 4 to 7 are process conceptual diagrams showing an example when the application is first introduced. FIG. 4 is a conceptual diagram showing an example of processing at the start of introduction at the time of initial introduction.

  The user introduces an application from the operation unit 16 of the information processing apparatus 1. Specifically, it is implemented by pressing an application introduction button on the operation panel. At this time, the application installer compressed file stored in the recording medium 19 (SD in this example) is copied by the file management module 22 and stored in the storage area (drive E in this example).

  Next, the operation management module 21 decompresses a part of the installation compressed file, checks the contents of an application setting file (also referred to as a conf file) in which the application information is stored, and if there is no problem after the check, the installation compression Decompress all files.

  Here, itSDKconf. In xml, the name of a setup file (for example, Setup.exe) and the name of an application are described. Also, the Conf file stores the execution conditions of the application to be processed. The Bin file stores a file for setup.

  Here, FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating an example of an environment setting file (itSDKconf.xml). As shown in FIG. 5, the name of the installed application is set in the environment setting file, and conditions regarding the installation are set. Regarding the conditions regarding installation, the item “DriverInstallEnable” specifies permission / prohibition for driver installation, and is set to “True” or “False”. “True” indicates that installation of all drivers is permitted, and “False” indicates that installation of drivers is prohibited.

  In addition, the item “RegisterWriteEnable” specifies permission / prohibition for registry writing at the time of installation, and “True” or “False” is set. “True” indicates that only the registry having the user authority is writable, and “False” indicates that the registry is not writable.

  When an actual application is installed, the installation is performed according to the conditions of the environment setting file.

  Returning to FIG. 4, the operation management module 21 refers to the decompressed file and adds information about the application to the application information list.

  Next, when the installation compressed file is fully decompressed, a command is issued so that the EWF is set in the storage area for storing the decompressed file, and restart is performed.

  Next, FIG. 6 is a conceptual diagram showing an example of processing after restart at the time of initial introduction. First, when restarted, the issued EWF setting command is executed, and the EWF is set in the drive E.

  Here, all the archive bits of each file in the drive E and the system area (drive C in this example) are cleared. This is to identify a file that has been added or changed by installing the application.

  Further, the application introduction management module 23 enables a registry monitoring function, which is a Windows (registered trademark) tool. This is because the registry accessed by installing the application is specified.

  The application introduction management module 23 issues a command to the drive E so that the EWF is canceled. This is because the EWF of the drive E must be canceled at the next startup even if there is a problem during the installation and the system is forcibly shut down.

  Next, the application introduction management module 23 sets up Setup. exe is executed. This setup can be fully automated and silently installed.

  Setup. When exe is executed, the installed file and registry are expanded on the storage area (drive C) in which EWF is set. When the installation is completed, the information processing apparatus 1 detects the completion of the installation, and the application introduction management module 23 executes a differential file backup process using a Windows (registered trademark) tool. At this time, with respect to the difference file, only the file with the archive bit flag set is stored in the BKF file, and only the registry key accessed by the registry is stored in the REG file. The difference file is saved in a temporarily saved storage area (in this example, drive F). As described above, the difference file may be compressed and stored.

  When the creation of the difference file is completed, the application name is registered in the application information. This is because when restoring the difference file of the application, it is restored in accordance with the restoration order registered in the application information.

  Here, again, the application introduction management module 23 issues a command to the drive E so that the EWF is canceled. This is because there is a possibility that an EWF command may be manipulated during the introduction of an application. Therefore, a command for canceling the EWF is issued again immediately before restarting.

  Next, the information processing apparatus 1 is restarted. When the information processing apparatus 1 is activated, first, only the OS is activated, and the difference file stored in the drive F is moved to the drive E. Thus, the preparation for restoring the differential file is completed.

  When installing a plurality of applications, save processing is performed and restarted every time one application is installed. Thereby, it is possible to restore the applications one by one. Further, information (file and registry information) related to each application can be kept clean.

  FIG. 7 is a conceptual diagram showing an example of processing after introduction at the time of initial introduction. When the difference file is stored in the drive E, the application introduction management module 23 restores the difference file using a Windows (registered trademark) tool.

  At this time, if there is a file to be restored with reference to the application information list, the differential file is restored. If there is no file to be restored in the application information list, an application relating to image processing is started.

  The application introduction management module 23 restores applications in the order described in the application information list. As a procedure for restoring the application, the application introduction management module 23 uses a Windows (registered trademark) tool to transfer the BKF file saved in the drive E to the drive C while maintaining the directory state before being saved. Restore. At this time, if a file with the same name as the file name included in the difference file exists, it is overwritten with a new file.

  In addition, the application introduction management module 23 adds or overwrites the registry key stored in the REG file to the registry of the drive C using a Windows (registered trademark) tool.

  When a plurality of applications to be restored are described in the application information list, the restoration work described above is performed in the order of the list. When all the restoration operations are performed, an application relating to image processing is activated.

  Next, the application introduction management module 23 issues an instruction to clear the archive bit for all files. This is because the file added and / or changed before the information processing apparatus 1 is next terminated can be specified. For example, when application settings are changed when the application is executed, the file that stores the setting information is modified, and an archive bit flag is set in this file to add and / or change the file. Can be identified.

  Next, the application execution management module 24 controls the execution of the application. At this time, the folder name of the product ID is changed by the operation management module 21.

(When changing settings)
FIG. 8 is a conceptual diagram illustrating an example of processing for changing application settings. As shown in FIG. 8, when the information processing apparatus 1 is activated, the archive bit of each file is cleared after the application is restored.

  Next, an arbitrary application is executed by the application execution management module 24. Next, when the application setting is changed, the archive bit flag is set in the file whose setting has been changed. In addition, the registry is monitored by the monitoring unit 33, and the registry accessed after activation is extracted. In addition, it is possible to determine by the process ID whether the registry corresponding to which file has been changed.

  Next, when the information processing apparatus 1 is terminated, the application introduction management module 23 stores only the file for which the archive bit flag is set, for example, in the drive E. Further, the application introduction management module 23 stores only the registry key of the accessed registry in the drive E, for example.

  As shown in FIG. 8, the setting change difference file may be stored in a different folder from the application main body difference file.

(After installation, normal startup)
FIG. 9 is a conceptual diagram showing an example of processing when the application is normally started after the application is introduced. In the example illustrated in FIG. 9, it is assumed that a difference file for the application main body and a setting difference file after application activation are stored in the drive E.

  When the information processing apparatus 1 is activated, the application introduction management module 23 restores the difference file for the application main body. When the restoration of the difference file for the application main body is completed, the application introduction management module 23 can then restore the setting difference file and return to the latest state when the information processing apparatus 1 is terminated. After that, when all the application files and registry are restored, all archive bits of each file are cleared.

  Next, when the application is executed and the setting is changed, as described with reference to FIG. 8, the changed file and the differential file obtained by extracting the registry are stored in the drive E, for example.

(When deleting apps)
FIG. 10 is a conceptual diagram illustrating an example of an application deletion process. As illustrated in FIG. 10, the operation management module 21 clears the restoration flag included in the application information list when an instruction to delete an application is given. Accordingly, when the information processing apparatus 1 is activated next time, the application instructed to delete the application is not restored, and the application is substantially deleted. In this case, if the restoration flag is set again, the application can be restored so that it can be executed again.

  In addition, an application for which deletion is instructed may be actually deleted. In this case, the application management introduction module 23 deletes the SI file stored in the drive E, and the operation management module 21 deletes the product ID file of the drive E. As a result, the information related to the application for which the application deletion is actually requested is deleted.

  Note that the application information list also includes an activation flag (not shown), and clearing the activation flag can be regarded as an apparently deleted application. In this case, the differential file of the application is restored, but execution of the application can be prevented by not performing subsequent activation. This activation flag is automatically cleared when an error occurs during execution of the application.

<Operation>
Next, the operation of the information processing apparatus 1 will be described. Hereinafter, the flow when an application is introduced, when an application setting is changed, when the application is normally started, and when an application is deleted will be described in order.

(At the time of introduction)
FIG. 11 is a flowchart illustrating an example of processing when an application is introduced. As shown in FIG. 11, in step S <b> 1, introduction of a Windows (registered trademark) application is selected by the user from the initial setting screen or the like using the operation unit 16. When introduction is selected, the information processing apparatus 1 prepares for an introduction activation mode in which only the OS is activated.

  In step S2, the application introduction management module 23 issues a command to enable the EWF to a storage area other than the temporary storage area (for example, F drive). This is to enable the EWF for partitions other than the F drive so that user data (for example, E drive data) is not accidentally deleted during the installation startup mode.

  In step S3, Windows (registered trademark) is restarted after the command is issued. This is to enable command issuance.

  In step S4, the application introduction management module 23 issues a disable command for the partition in which EWF is enabled in step S2. This is because, if forcible shutdown is performed for some reason during installation, the EWF of the E drive is always canceled and started up at the next startup.

  In step S5, when activation for application introduction is performed, the user introduces the application. This may be done automatically, semi-automatically or manually.

  In step S6, the end of application introduction is detected by detection means (not shown).

  In step S <b> 7, the operation management module 21 determines whether there is an error in the application introduction. For example, if the condition set in the environment setting file as shown in FIG. 5 is not satisfied, an error occurs. If the determination result of step S7 is NO (no error), the process proceeds to step S8, and if the determination result of step S7 is YES (there is an error), the process proceeds to step S12.

  In step S <b> 8, the application introduction management module 23 performs differential backup processing of files related to the application using a Windows (registered trademark) tool (first saving unit 34).

  In step S9, the application introduction management module 23 performs a differential backup process for the registry changed in step S5, using a Windows (registered trademark) tool (second saving means 35).

  In step S10, the application introduction management module 23 determines whether or not there is an error in the backup. If the determination result in step S10 is NO (no error), the process proceeds to step S11. If the determination result is YES (error is present), the process proceeds to step S12.

  In step S11, the application introduction management module 23 adds the introduced application to the application information list when the backup is normally completed. In step S12, the operation unit 16 displays an error dialog on the display screen.

  In step S13, the application introduction management module 23 issues a command to disable the EWF again. This is because the EWF command may be operated during the introduction, so that the command is issued again immediately before restarting.

  In step S14, only Windows (registered trademark) is restarted. In step S15, the backup differential file in the storage area (F drive) is moved to another storage area (for example, E drive).

  In step S16, the application introduction management module 23 (restoring means 36) restores the application in the application information list. In step S17, the operation unit 16 displays an initial setting screen before application introduction. This completes the Windows (registered trademark) application installation process.

(When changing settings)
FIG. 12 is a flowchart illustrating an example of processing performed when an application setting is changed. In the process shown in FIG. 12, the same reference numerals are given to the same processes as those shown in FIG. 11, and the description thereof is omitted. As shown in FIG. 12, in step S21, the operation unit 16 displays a Windows (registered trademark) screen. This is because the setting can be changed from the initial setting.

  In step S22, the setting changing unit 38 changes the setting of the application when the user gives an instruction to change the setting from the screen displayed in S21. In step S23, when the setting change is completed by the setting changing unit 38, the display screen on the operation unit 16 returns to the initial setting screen.

  In step S24, when the user presses the end button, the information processing function ends. Next, in steps S8 and S9, differential backup processing is performed, and the changed file and registry information can be backed up. At this time, the setting change difference file may be stored in a file different from the application main body difference file.

  As a result, the backed-up setting difference file can be restored every time it is started, and the changed contents are reflected at the next start.

(Normal startup)
FIG. 13 is a flowchart illustrating an example of processing when the information processing apparatus 1 is normally started. As shown in FIG. 13, in step S31, the application introduction management module 23 determines whether it is necessary to restore a Windows (registered trademark) application. If the determination result in step S31 is YES (with restoration), the process proceeds to step S32. If the determination result is NO (no restoration), the process proceeds to step S40.

  In step S32, the application introduction management module 23 performs application restoration processing using a Windows (registered trademark) tool (restoring means 36). Application restoration processing is performed in the order registered in the application information list.

  In step S33, the application introduction management module 23 executes a program to perform registry restoration processing. Steps S32 and S33 are performed for each application.

  In step S34, the application introduction management module 23 determines whether the restoration is successful. If the determination result in step S34 is YES (success), the process proceeds to step S35, and if the determination result is NO (failure), the process proceeds to step S39.

  In step S <b> 35, the application introduction management module 23 determines whether there is still a Windows (registered trademark) application to be restored with reference to the application information list. If the determination result of step S35 is YES (exists), it will return to step S32, and if a determination result is NO (does not exist), it will progress to step S36.

  In step S <b> 36, when there is a setting change difference file, the application introduction management module 23 performs a setting change file restoration process. In step S <b> 37, if there is a setting change difference file, the application introduction management module 23 performs registry restoration processing.

  In step S38, the application introduction management module 23 determines whether or not the setting change difference file restoration process has succeeded. If the determination result in step S38 is YES (success), the process proceeds to step S40, and if the determination result is NO (failure), the process proceeds to step S39.

  In step S39, the operation unit 16 displays an error dialog on the display screen. In step S40, the application introduction management module 23 issues a clear archive bit command to clear the archive bits of the files and folders in the storage means 31.

  Thus, by performing the processing as shown in FIG. 13 immediately after the information processing apparatus is activated, the file whose setting has been changed can be specified by the flag of the archive bit when the information processing apparatus ends.

(When deleting apps)
FIG. 14 is a flowchart illustrating an example of processing when an application is deleted. As shown in FIG. 14, in step S41, the operation unit 16 displays an initial setting screen of Windows (registered trademark). This is because the application can be deleted from the initial setting.

  In step S42, the user selects an application to be deleted from the list of installed applications displayed on the display screen.

  In step S43, the operation management module 21 deletes and updates the application selected from the application information list. At this time, the operation management module 21 clears the restoration flag included in the application information list or deletes information on the application itself.

  In step S44, the operation unit 16 displays a dialog to the effect that the application is deleted after restarting. In step S45, the user ends the initial setting. At this time, if it is desired to immediately uninstall the selected application, it may be restarted.

  As a result, when an application to be deleted is selected, the selected application is deleted from the application information list stored in the information processing apparatus, and the application is started without being restored from the next startup. Perform deletion. Also, the reason why the information processing apparatus 1 is not uninstalled while it is running is that the information processing apparatus 1 is prevented from becoming unstable and does not require an uninstall process, and can be uninstalled just by rebooting This is because it can be done. Therefore, safe uninstallation can be realized. At this time, since the uninstallation is not executed immediately even if selected, a dialog is displayed on the display screen to notify that the uninstallation is performed after the restart.

  As described above, according to the first embodiment, the original data of the OS can be protected, and it is not necessary to reinstall the application by the user when starting up next time.

  In the first embodiment, the information processing apparatus 1 is described as an image processing apparatus, but it goes without saying that the same object can be achieved even with a PC.

  Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail above, the present invention is not limited to such specific embodiments, and other than the above-described modifications within the scope of the gist of the present invention described in the claims. In addition, various modifications and changes can be made.

  It is also possible to use a program for causing a computer to execute the processing contents described in the embodiments, and cause the information processing apparatus to realize the above-described processing by causing the computer to execute the program. It is also possible to record the program on a recording medium and cause the computer to read the recording medium on which the program is recorded, thereby causing the information processing apparatus to realize the processing described above.

1 is a block diagram illustrating a main hardware configuration of an information processing apparatus 1 according to a first embodiment. FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating a main software configuration of the information processing apparatus 1 according to the first embodiment. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a main functional configuration of an information processing apparatus 1 according to a first embodiment. The conceptual diagram which shows an example of the process in the introduction start at the time of first time introduction. The figure which shows an example of an environment setting file (itSDKconf.xml). The conceptual diagram which shows an example of the process after the restart at the time of first time introduction. The conceptual diagram which shows an example of the process after the introduction at the time of the first introduction. The conceptual diagram which shows an example of the process which changes the setting of an application. The conceptual diagram which shows an example of a process when starting normally after introduce | transducing an application. The conceptual diagram which shows an example of the deletion process of an application. The flowchart which shows an example of the process at the time of application introduction. The flowchart which shows an example of the process at the time of the setting change of an application. 5 is a flowchart showing an example of processing at the time of normal activation of the information processing apparatus 1; The flowchart which shows an example of the process at the time of deletion of an application.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Information processing apparatus 11 Control part 12 Main storage part 13 Auxiliary storage part 14 Printing part 15 Communication control part 16 Operation part 17 Network I / F part 18 External storage device I / F part 19 Storage medium 21 Operation management module 22 File management module 23 Application introduction management module 24 Application execution management module 31 Storage means 32 Write prohibition means 33 Monitoring means 34 First save means 35 Second save means 36 Restore means 37 File management means 38 Setting change means 39 Delete means

Claims (9)

An information processing apparatus capable of adding an application to an operating system and executing the application,
Storage means having a plurality of storage areas including a first storage area for storing the operating system;
Write prohibiting means for prohibiting writing to the first storage area, and writing to the second storage area when writing to the first storage area is requested;
First saving means for saving application information written to the second storage area by the write prohibition means, which is a file necessary for executing a newly installed application, to the third storage area;
Monitoring means for monitoring storage means in which the setting information of the application is stored;
A second evacuation unit for evacuating the setting information to the third storage area when the monitoring unit determines that the setting information has been added and / or modified;
An information processing apparatus comprising: restoration means for restoring the saved application information and setting information to the second storage means when the information processing apparatus is next activated. When a new creation or change of the application information file is performed, the file management means for assigning an identifier to the file,
The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein when the information processing apparatus is started next time, all of the assigned identifiers are cleared. The information processing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein when the restoration is performed by the restoration unit, all the identifiers are cleared after the restoration is performed.   The information processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the information processing apparatus is restarted after the evacuation by the first and second evacuation units is completed.   5. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein each time one of the applications is installed, the first and second saving units perform saving. A setting changing means for changing the setting of the application information and / or the setting information;
The first saving unit saves only the application information whose setting is changed by the setting changing unit,
The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the second saving unit saves only the setting information set by the setting changing unit. A selection means for selecting any application from the list of installed applications;
The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising: a deletion unit that does not restore the application selected by the selection unit by the restoration unit when the information processing apparatus is activated next. An information processing method in an information processing apparatus, which is capable of adding an application to an operating system and executing the application and having a storage unit having a plurality of storage areas including a first storage area for storing the operating system. There,
Writing to the first storage area is prohibited, and when writing to the first storage area is requested, writing to the second storage area is prohibited.
A first saving step for saving application information, which is a file necessary for executing a newly installed application, written to the second storage area by the write prohibition step to the third storage area;
A monitoring step of monitoring storage means in which the setting information of the application is stored;
A second saving step of saving the setting information to the third storage area when it is determined that the setting information has been added and / or modified by the monitoring step;
An information processing method comprising: a restoring step of restoring the saved application information and setting information to the second storage means when the information processing apparatus is next activated. A computer for controlling an information processing apparatus including a storage unit having a plurality of storage areas including a first storage area for adding an application to the operating system, executing the application, and storing the operating system;
Write prohibiting means for prohibiting writing to the first storage area, and writing to the second storage area when writing to the first storage area is requested;
First saving means for saving application information written to the second storage area by the write prohibition means, which is a file necessary for executing a newly installed application, to the third storage area;
Monitoring means for monitoring storage means in which the setting information of the application is stored;
A second evacuation unit for evacuating the setting information to the third storage area when the monitoring unit determines that the setting information has been added and / or modified;
A program executable by a computer for causing the application information and setting information saved to be restored to the second storage means when the information processing apparatus is next activated.

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