Apparatus and method for remote virus diagnosis and repair

• US 6,347,375 B1
• Filed: 07/08/1998
• Issued: 02/12/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 07/08/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Kroll Ontrack Incorporated (KLDiscovery, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: ONTRACK Data International, Inc. (KLDiscovery, Inc.)
• Inventors: Rogers, Michael William, Reinert, James Richard, Stevens, Gary Scott
• Primary Examiner(s): Beausoleil, Robert
• Assistant Examiner(s): Bonzo, Bryce P.
• Application Number:
  US09/112,032
• Time in Patent Office: 1,315 Days
• Field of Search: 713/200, 713/201
• US Class Current: 726/24
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/564 by virus signature recognition
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/568 eliminating virus, restoring damaged files

Abstract

A method of remotely scanning and repairing viruses on a local computer having a normal operating system, the method comprising the steps of loading into memory of the local computer, a bootable virus utility operating program from a storage medium, the bootable virus utility operating program being operated locally by the local computer and independently of the normal operating system; and establishing communications between the local computer and a remote computer through operation of the virus utility operating program by the local computer. Wherein the virus utility operating program includes a virus scanning program. Further including the step of querying the user and monitoring the local computer display for user information regarding virus scanning and repair utility options through the operation of the remote computer and executing virus scanning and repair utility programs at the local computer after executing a remote data recovery function.

Claims

1. A method of remotely scanning for and repairing viruses on a local computer having an operating system, the method comprising the operations of:

providing a bootable virus utility operating program at the local computer, the bootable virus utility operating program including a boot program and a communications program;

booting the local computer independently of the operating system using the boot program of the bootable virus utility operating program if the operating system is unable to boot; and

establishing communications between the local computer and a remote computer using the communications program of the bootable virus utility operating program.

2. A method in accordance with claim 1, wherein the operation of the bootable virus utility operating program further includes the operation of executing a virus scanning program.

3. A method in accordance with claim 2, wherein the operation of the bootable virus utility operating program further includes the operation of executing a virus repair program.

4. A method in accordance with claim 1, wherein the operation of the local computer is controlled by the remote computer.

5. A method in accordance with claim 4, further including the operation of querying a local computer user for information through the operation of the remote computer.

6. A method in accordance with claim 5, further including the operations of downloading a remote data recovery program from the remote computer to the memory of the local computer and executing the remote data recovery program in the memory of the local computer.

7. A method in accordance with claim 5, further including the operation of downloading a virus scanning utility program from the remote computer to the local computer.

8. A method in accordance with claim 7, wherein the virus scanning utility program is downloaded from the remote computer to the memory of the local computer.

9. A method in accordance with claim 8, further including the operation of executing the virus scanning utility program at the local computer.

10. A method in accordance with claim 9, wherein the operation of executing the virus scanning utility program at the local computer further includes the operation of scanning deleted files located at the local computer.

11. A method in accordance with claim 7, wherein the virus scanning utility program is downloaded from the remote computer to the storage medium of the local computer.

12. A method in accordance with claim 5, further including the operation of downloading a virus signature file to the local computer.

13. A method in accordance with claim 12, further including the operation of downloading the virus signature file to the memory of the local computer.

14. A method in accordance with claim 12, further including the operation of downloading the virus signature file to the storage medium of the local computer.

15. A method in accordance with claim 5, further including the operation of downloading a virus repair utility program from the remote computer to the local computer.

16. A method in accordance with claim 15, wherein the virus repair utility program is downloaded from the remote computer to the memory of the local the local computer.

17. A method in accordance with claim 16, further including the operation of executing the virus repair utility program at the local computer.

18. A method in accordance with claim 17, wherein the operation of executing the virus repair utility program at the local computer further includes the operation of repairing deleted files located at the local computer.

19. A method in accordance with claim 17, wherein the virus repair utility program is downloaded from the remote computer to the storage medium of the local computer.

20. A method in accordance with claim 4, further including the operation of monitoring the local computer through the operation of the remote computer.

21. A method in accordance with claim 20, wherein the operation of monitoring the local computer further includes the operations of monitoring, writing data to and reading data from the storage medium of the local computer.

22. A method in accordance with claim 20, wherein the operation of monitoring the local computer further includes the operation of monitoring the memory of the local computer.

23. A method in accordance with claim 20, wherein the operation of monitoring the local computer further includes the operation of monitoring and controlling the appearance of a local display device of the local computer.

24. A method in accordance with claim 1, wherein the local computer remotely communicates with the remote computer, whereupon remote virus scanning and repair can be performed under the control of the remote computer.

25. A method in accordance with claim 1, wherein the local computer remotely communicates with the remote computer, whereupon remote virus scanning and repairing can be performed under the control of the local computer.

26. A bootable virus utility operating program on a storage medium being operated locally by a local computer and independently of an operating system of the local computer, comprising:

a boot program on the storage medium for booting up the local computer independently of the operating system if the operating system is unable to boot; and

a communication program on the storage medium for establishing communication between a remote computer and the local computer.

27. A computer program on a storage medium in accordance with claim 26, further comprising a virus scanning utility for scanning virus at the local computer.

28. A computer program on a storage medium in accordance with claim 26, further comprising a virus repair utility for repairing virus infected files at the local computer.

29. A method of remotely scanning and repairing viruses on a local computer having an operating system, comprising the operations of:

providing a bootable virus utility operating program at the local computer, the bootable virus utility operating program including a boot program and a communications program;

booting the local computer, independently of the operating system, using the boot program of the bootable virus utility operating program if the operating system is unable to boot;

establishing a communications link between the local computer and a remote computer using the communications program of the bootable virus utility operating program;

enabling interaction between the local computer and the remote computer;

maintaining access to information resident on the local computer;

scanning viruses contained within the information stored on the local computer; and

repairing information infected with viruses on the local computer.

30. The method of claim 29, wherein the communications link is established over one of the group consisting of a modem, a local area network, a wide area network and Internet.

31. A system for scanning and repairing viruses on a data storage medium, comprising:

a local computer associated with the data storage medium, the local computer having a central processor unit, a memory, and an operating system;

a remote computer; and

a bootable virus utility operating program means to be loaded into the memory of the local computer for operating the local computer independently of the operating system and to establish communications between the local computer and the remote computer, the bootable virus utility operating program means comprises a boot program and a communications program on a storage medium;

wherein the virus scanning and repairing at the local computer is remotely controlled by the remote computer so as to perform the virus scanning and repair on the data contained in the local storage medium.

32. A method operable on a local computer having an operating system, comprising the operations of:

loading into a memory of the local computer an operating program, the operating program having a boot program and a communications program and being operated locally by the local computer and independently of the operating system;

booting the local computer through the operation of the boot program of the loaded operating program by the local computer; and

establishing communication between the local computer and a remote computer through the operation of the communications program of the loaded operating program by the local computer.

33. The method in accordance with claim 32, further comprising an operation of scanning viruses through the operation of the loaded operating program.

34. The method in accordance with claim 32, further comprising an operation of deleting the viruses through the operation of the loaded operating program.

35. The method in accordance with claim 34, further comprising an operation of recovering virus-infected data through the operation of the loaded operating program.

36. The method in accordance with claim 32, further comprising an operation of recovering virus-infected data through the operation of the loaded operating program.

37. A system, comprising:

a local computer associated with a data storage medium, the local computer having a central processor unit, a memory, and an operating system;

a remote computer; and

an operating program including a boot program and a communications program to be loaded into the memory of the local computer for operating the local computer independently of the operating system and to establish communication between the local computer and the remote computer.

38. The system of claim 37, further comprising a virus scanning program for scanning viruses through the operation of the loaded operating program.

39. The system of claim 37, further comprising a virus deleting program for deleting the viruses through the operation of the loaded operating program.

40. The system of claim 39, further comprising a data recovery program for recovering virus-infected data through the operation of the loaded operating program.

41. The system of claim 37, further comprising a data recovery program for recovering virus-infected data through the operation of the loaded operating program.