Method and system for performing automatic startup application launch elimination

• US 20040260956A1
• Filed: 06/20/2003
• Published: 12/23/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 06/20/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. (Huawei Investment & Holding Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Pagan, William G.
• Granted Patent: US 7,243,245 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 713/300
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/4406 Loading of operating system

Abstract

A method and system for controlling a startup sequence in a computer system is disclosed. The method and system include monitoring at least one aspect of a plurality of startup applications launched during the startup sequence. The method and system further include analyzing the at least one aspect of the plurality of startup applications based on at least one criteria. The at least one criteria indicates whether a portion of the plurality of startup applications is extraneous at startup. The method and system further include automatically removing at least one of the portion of the plurality of startup applications from the startup sequence.

Claims

1. A method for controlling a startup sequence in a computer system comprising the steps of:

monitoring at least one aspect of a plurality of startup applications launched during the startup sequence;

analyzing the at least one aspect of the plurality of startup applications to based on at least one criteria, the at least one criteria indicating whether a portion of the plurality of startup applications is extraneous at startup;

automatically removing from the startup sequence at least one of the portion of the plurality of startup applications that are extraneous.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the analyzing step further includes the step of:

analyzing at least one characteristic of the plurality of startup applications, the portion of the plurality of startup applications exhibiting the at least one undesirable characteristic.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the at least one undesirable characteristic includes a particular termination method.

4. The method of claim 2 wherein the at least one undesirable characteristic includes a time of termination less than a particular threshold.

5. The method of claim 2 wherein the at least one undesirable characteristic includes a crash rate greater than a particular threshold.

6. The method of claim 2 wherein each of the portion of the plurality loads an icon and wherein the at least one undesirable characteristic is use of the icon being below a particular threshold.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the analyzing step further includes the step of:

analyzing at least one behavior of the plurality of startup applications, the portion of the plurality of startup applications exhibiting at least one aberrant behavior.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the analyzing step further includes the step of:

determining whether hardware utilized by each of the plurality of startup applications is available on the computer system, the portion of the plurality of utilizing unavailable hardware.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the automatically removing step further includes the step of:

providing a notification that the portion of the plurality of startup applications is extraneous.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein the automatically removing step further includes the steps of:

allowing a user to indicate whether the at least one of the portion of the plurality of startup applications is desired to be removed; and

automatically removing at least one of the portion of the plurality of startup applications from the startup sequence only if the user indicates that the at least one of the portion of the plurality of startup applications is desired to be removed.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein the automatically removing step further includes the step of:

blacklisting the at least one of the portion of the plurality of startup applications so that the at least one of the portion of the plurality of startup applications is not reentered to the startup sequence without the user'"'"'s explicit approval.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein the automatically removing step further includes the steps of:

allowing a user to select between automatically removing the at least one of the portion of plurality of applications from the startup sequence and uninstalling the at least one of the portion of plurality of applications.

13. A computer-readable medium containing a program for controlling a startup sequence in a computer system, the program including instructions for:

monitoring at least one aspect of a plurality of startup applications launched during the startup sequence;

analyzing the at least one aspect of the plurality of startup applications based on at least one criteria, the at least one criteria indicating whether a portion of the plurality of startup applications is extraneous at startup;

automatically removing from the startup sequence at least one of the portion of the plurality of startup applications that is extraneous.

14. The computer-readable medium of claim 13 wherein the analyzing instructions further includes instructions for:

analyzing at least one characteristic of the plurality of startup applications, the portion of the plurality of startup applications exhibiting the at least one undesirable characteristic.

15. The computer-readable medium of claim 13 wherein the at least one undesirable characteristic includes a particular termination method.

16. The computer-readable medium of claim 14 wherein the at least one undesirable characteristic includes a time of termination less than a particular threshold.

17. The computer-readable medium of claim 14 wherein the at least one undesirable characteristic includes a crash rate greater than a particular threshold.

18. The computer-readable medium of claim 14 wherein each of the portion of the plurality loads an icon and wherein the at least one undesirable characteristic is use of the icon being below a particular threshold.

19. The computer-readable medium of claim 13 wherein the analyzing instructions further includes instructions for:

analyzing at least one behavior of the plurality of startup applications, the portion of the plurality of startup applications exhibiting at least one aberrant behavior.

20. The computer-readable medium of claim 13 wherein the analyzing step further includes the step of:

determining whether hardware utilized by each of the plurality of startup applications is available on the computer system, the portion of the plurality of utilizing unavailable hardware.

21. The computer-readable medium of claim 13 wherein the automatically removing instructions further includes instructions for:

providing a notification that the portion of the plurality of startup applications is extraneous.

22. The computer-readable medium of claim 21 wherein the automatically removing step instructions includes instructions for:

allowing a user to indicate whether the at least one of the portion of the plurality of startup applications is desired to be removed; and

automatically removing at least one of the portion of the plurality of startup applications from the startup sequence only if the user indicates that the at least one of the portion of the plurality of startup applications is desired to be removed.

23. The computer-readable medium of claim 22 wherein the automatically removing instructions further includes instructions for:

blacklisting the at least one of the portion of the plurality of startup applications so that the at least one of the portion of the plurality of startup applications is not reentered to the startup sequence without the user'"'"'s approval.

24. The computer-readable medium of claim 13 wherein the automatically removing instructions further includes instructions for:

allowing a user to select between automatically removing the at least one of the portion of plurality of applications from the startup sequence and uninstalling the at least one of the portion of plurality of applications.

25. A computer system comprising:

a plurality of startup applications launched during startup;

a startup application elimination module for monitoring at least one aspect of the plurality of startup applications launched during the startup sequence, the startup application elimination module also for analyzing the at least one aspect of the plurality of startup applications to based on at least one criteria, the at least one criteria indicating whether a portion of the plurality of startup applications is extraneous at startup, the startup application elimination module also for automatically removing from the startup sequence at least one of the portion of the plurality of startup applications that is extraneous.

26. The computer system of claim 25 wherein the startup application elimination module further analyzes at least one characteristic of the plurality of startup applications, the portion of the plurality of startup applications exhibiting the at least one undesirable characteristic.

27. The computer system of claim 26 wherein the at least one undesirable characteristic includes a particular termination method.

28. The computer system of claim 26 wherein the at least one undesirable characteristic includes a time of termination less than a particular threshold.

29. The computer system of claim 26 wherein the at least one undesirable characteristic includes a crash rate greater than a particular threshold.

30. The computer system of claim 26 wherein each of the portion of the plurality loads an icon and wherein the at least one undesirable characteristic is use of the icon being below a particular threshold.

31. The computer system of claim 25 wherein the startup application elimination module further analyzes at least one behavior of the plurality of startup applications, the portion of the plurality of startup applications exhibiting at least one aberrant behavior.

32. The computer system of claim 25 wherein the startup application elimination module further determines whether hardware utilized by each of the plurality of startup applications is available on the computer system, the portion of the plurality of utilizing unavailable hardware.

33. The computer system of claim 25 wherein the startup application elimination module further provides a notification that the portion of the plurality of startup applications is extraneous.

34. The computer system of claim 33 wherein the computer system further includes at least one input/output device that allows a user to indicate whether the at least one of the portion of the plurality of startup applications is desired to be removed;

and

wherein the startup application elimination module further automatically removes at least one of the portion of the plurality of startup applications from the startup sequence only if the user indicates that the at least one of the portion of the plurality of startup applications is desired to be removed.

36. The computer system of claim 25 wherein the startup application elimination module further allows a user to select between automatically removing the at least one of the portion of plurality of applications from the startup sequence and uninstalling the at least one of the portion of plurality of applications.

35. The computer system of claim 35 wherein the startup application elimination module further blacklists the at least one of the portion of the plurality of startup applications so that the at least one of the portion of the plurality of startup applications is not reentered to the startup sequence without the user'"'"'s approval.