Mitigating Problems Arising From Incompatible Software

• US 20110185353A1
• Filed: 01/27/2010
• Published: 07/28/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 01/27/2010
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Matthew, Jack
• Application Number:
  US12/695,018
• Publication Number:
  US 20110185353A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 717/178
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/61 Installation

Abstract

A method and apparatus for mitigating problems arising from incompatible software is described herein. In one embodiment, a process can be provided to obtain, from an external source, an incompatibility list. The incompatibility list can identify non-priority software incompatible with priority software to be installed or already installed on a system. A determination can be made as to whether the non-priority software from the incompatibility list resides on the system. The process can automatically quarantine one or more files associated with the non-priority software identified in the incompatibility list and which reside on the system.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

obtaining, from an external source, an incompatibility list that identifies non-priority software incompatible with priority software to be installed or already installed on a system;

determining whether the non-priority software from the incompatibility list resides on the system; and

automatically quarantining one or more files associated with the non-priority software identified in the incompatibility list and residing on the system.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the non-priority software identified in the incompatibility list comprises one or more files and is a subset of the one or more quarantined files.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the non-priority software comprises at least one of:

an application, a portion of an application, a driver, an executable software, and a text file to be used by an executable software.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein obtaining the incompatibility list comprises:

determining whether a network is available; and

responsive to a network being available,

downloading the incompatibility list over the network, and

verifying the incompatibility list.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

responsive to a network not being available, obtaining the incompatibility list from at least one of a pre-existing incompatibility list and media on which the priority software is stored.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein verifying the incompatibility list comprises one or more of checking whether the incompatibility list compares in a predetermined manner to a pre-existing incompatibility list, checking whether the incompatibility list compares in a predetermined manner to an incompatibility list from media on which the priority software is stored, and authenticating the incompatibility list, wherein the authenticating checks that a representation of the incompatibility list compares in a predetermined manner to a stored representation.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining whether an update exists for the non-priority software, wherein the update cures a incompatibility between the non-priority software and the priority software.

8. A method comprising:

determining whether a network is available for a system;

responsive to a network being available, downloading an incompatibility list over the network, the incompatibility list identifying non-priority software incompatible with priority software to be installed or already installed on a system; and

installing the priority software on the system.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

responsive to the network being available,

determining whether the non-priority software identified in the incompatibility list resides on the system, and

automatically quarantining one or more files associated with the non-priority software identified in the incompatibility list and residing on the system; and

responsive to the network not being available,

determining whether non-priority software from a alternate list resides on the system, wherein the non-priority software identified in the alternate list is incompatible with the priority software, and

automatically quarantining one or more files associated with the non-priority software identified in the alternate list and residing on the system.

10. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

verifying the incompatibility list, wherein verifying the incompatibility list comprises one or more of checking whether the incompatibility list compares in a predetermined manner to a pre-existing list, checking whether the incompatibility list compares in a predetermined manner to a list from media on which the priority software is stored, and authenticating the incompatibility list, wherein the authenticating checks that a representation of the incompatibility list compares in a predetermined manner to a stored representation.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the non-priority software identified in the incompatibility list comprises one or more files and is a subset of the one or more quarantined files associated with the non-priority software identified in the incompatibility list, and wherein the non-priority software identified in the alternate list comprises one or more files and is a subset of the one or more quarantined files associated with the non-priority software identified in the alternate list.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein the alternate list is obtained from at least one of a pre-existing list or a media on which the priority software is stored.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein the non-priority software comprises at least one of:

an application, a portion of an application, a driver, an executable software, and a text file to be used by an executable software.

14. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

responsive to the network being available, determining whether an incompatibility update exists for the non-priority software identified in the incompatibility list, wherein the incompatibility update cures an incompatibility between the non-priority software identified in the incompatibility list and the priority software; and

responsive to the network not being available, determining whether an alternate update exists for the non-priority software identified in the alternate list, wherein the alternate update cures an incompatibility between the non-priority software identified in the alternate list and the priority software.

15. A computer-readable storage medium comprising executable instructions to cause a processor to perform operations, the instructions comprising:

obtaining, from an external source, an incompatibility list that identifies non-priority software incompatible with priority software to be installed or already installed on a system;

determining whether the non-priority software from the incompatibility list resides on the system; and

automatically quarantining one or more files associated with the non-priority software identified in the incompatibility list and residing on the system.

16. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the non-priority software comprises at least one of:

an application, a portion of an application, a driver, an executable software, and a text file to be used by an executable software.

17. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein obtaining the incompatibility list comprises:

determining whether a network is available; and

responsive to a network being available,

downloading the incompatibility list over the network, and

verifying the incompatibility list.

18. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 16, further comprising:

responsive to a network not being available, obtaining the incompatibility list from at least one of a pre-existing incompatibility list and a media on which the priority software is stored.

19. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 17, wherein verifying the incompatibility list comprises one or more of checking whether the incompatibility list compares in a predetermined manner to a pre-existing incompatibility list, checking whether the incompatibility list compares in a predetermined manner to an incompatibility list from media on which the priority software is stored, and authenticating the incompatibility list, wherein the authenticating checks that a representation of the incompatibility list compares in a predetermined manner to a stored representation.

20. A computer-readable storage medium comprising executable instructions to cause a processor to perform operations, the instructions comprising:

determining whether a network is available for a system;

responsive to a network being available, downloading an incompatibility list over the network, the incompatibility list identifying non-priority software incompatible with priority software to be installed or already installed on a system; and

installing the priority software on the system.

21. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 20, wherein the instructions further comprise:

responsive to the network being available,

determining whether the non-priority software identified in the incompatibility list resides on the system, and

automatically quarantining one or more files associated with the non-priority software identified in the incompatibility list and residing on the system; and

responsive to the network not being available,

determining whether non-priority software from a alternate list resides on the system, wherein the non-priority software identified in the alternate list is incompatible with the priority software, and

automatically quarantining one or more files associated with the non-priority software identified in the alternate list and residing on the system.

22. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 20, wherein the instructions further comprise:

verifying the incompatibility list, wherein verifying the incompatibility list comprises one or more of checking whether the incompatibility list compares in a predetermined manner to a pre-existing list, checking whether the incompatibility list compares in a predetermined manner to a list from media on which the priority software is stored, and authenticating the incompatibility list, wherein the authenticating checks that a representation of the incompatibility list compares in a predetermined manner to a stored representation.

23. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 21, wherein the non-priority software identified in the incompatibility list comprises one or more files and is a subset of the one or more quarantined files associated with the non-priority software identified in the incompatibility list, and wherein the non-priority software identified in the alternate list comprises one or more files and is a subset of the one or more quarantined files associated with the non-priority software identified in the alternate list.

24. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 21, wherein the alternate list is obtained from at least one of a pre-existing list and a media on which the priority software is stored.

25. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 20, wherein the non-priority software comprises at least one of an application, a portion of an application, a driver, an executable software, and a text file to be used by an executable software.

26. An apparatus comprising:

means for obtaining, from an external source, an incompatibility list that identifies non-priority software incompatible with priority software to be installed or already installed on a system;

means for determining whether the non-priority software from the incompatibility list resides on the system; and

means for automatically quarantining one or more files associated with the non-priority software identified in the incompatibility list and residing on the system.

27. An apparatus comprising:

means for determining whether a network is available for a system;

responsive to a network being available, means for downloading an incompatibility list over the network, the incompatibility list identifying non-priority software incompatible with priority software to be installed or already installed on a system; and

means for installing the priority software on the system.

28. A computer system comprising:

a memory; and

a processor configurable by instructions stored in the memory to;

obtain, from an external source, an incompatibility list that identifies non-priority software incompatible with priority software to be installed or already installed on a system;

determine whether the non-priority software from the incompatibility list resides on the system; and

automatically quarantine one or more files associated with the non-priority software identified in the incompatibility list and residing on the system.

29. A computer system comprising:

a memory; and

a processor configurable by instructions stored in the memory to;

determine whether a network is available for a system;

responsive to a network being available, download an incompatibility list over the network, the incompatibility list identifying non-priority software incompatible with priority software to be installed or already installed on a system; and

install the priority software on the system.