System, method, and computer program product for uninstalling computer software

• US 7,107,366 B2
• Filed: 06/05/2003
• Issued: 09/12/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 06/07/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: McAfee, Inc. (McAfee, LLC)
• Original Assignee: McAfee, Inc. (McAfee, LLC)
• Inventors: Liu, Bing, Kannan, Ravi, Narasimhan, Balaji, Cheng, William, Katchapalayam, Babu, Ramanujam, Gopal, Hwang, Kenneth, Tran, Jonathan
• Primary Examiner(s): Browne, Lynne H.
• Assistant Examiner(s): HENRY, MATTHEW ALLAN
• Application Number:
  US10/456,208
• Publication Number:
  US 20030200541A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,195 Days
• Field of Search: 710/36, 709/200, 709/206, 709/220, 709/221, 709/224, 714/25
• US Class Current: 710/36
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/61 Installation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/62 Uninstallation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/65 Updates security arrangements therefor G06F21/57
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/34 involving the movement of software or configuration parameters network booting or remote initial program loading [RIPL] G06F9/4416
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols

Abstract

A system and method update client computers of various end users with software updates for software products installed on the client computers, the software products manufactured by diverse, unrelated software vendors. The system includes a service provider computer system, a number of client computers and software vendor computer systems communicating on a common network. The service provider computer system stores in an update database information about the software updates of the diverse software vendors, identifying the software products for which software updates are available, their location on the network at the various software vendor computer systems, information for identifying in the client computers the software products stored thereon, and information for determining for such products, which have software updates available. Users of the client computers connect to the service provider computer and obtain a current version of portions of the database. The client computer determines that software products stored thereon, and using this information, determines from the database, which products have updates available, based on product name and release information for the installed products. The user selects updates for installation. The selected updates are downloaded from the software vendor computer systems and installed on the client computer. Payment for the software update and the service is mediated by the service provider computer. Authentication of the user ensures only registered users obtain software updates. Authentication of the software updates ensures that the software updates are virus free and uncorrupted. Changes to the client computer during installation are monitored and archived, allowing the updates to be subsequently removed by the user.

Claims

1. A method for uninstalling software on a computer, comprising:

for at least one change to a computer in association with installation of software, storing data descriptive of the change, the change selected from the group consisting of a deletion of a file, an addition of a file, an alteration of a file, a deletion of a directory, an addition of a directory, and an alteration of a directory;

receiving a first user instruction to remove the installed software from the computer;

said first user instruction to remove the installed software from the computer being received via an interface;

uninstalling the installed software by undoing the change described by the data, in response to the receipt of the first user instruction;

receiving a second user instruction to cancel the uninstallation of the installed software on the computer; and

canceling the uninstallation, in response to the receipt of the second user instruction.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein data descriptive of a plurality of the changes is stored, the changes including:

deletion of files, addition of files, alteration of files, deletion of directories, addition of directories, and alteration of directories.

3. A method according to claim 1, and further comprising noting a pathname of at least one of the file and the directory associated with the change.

4. A method according to claim 1, and further comprising compressing stored copies of files and directories.

5. A method according to claim 4, wherein the computer is restored to a state prior to the installation of the software by undoing the changes utilizing the compressed, stored copies of the files and the directories.

6. A method according to claim 1, wherein multiple changes are undone.

7. A method according to claim 1, wherein the interface includes a field for indicating the installed software.

8. A method according to claim 1, wherein the interface includes a window for describing the installed software.

9. A method according to claim 1, and further comprising storing a configuration of the computer before the change occurs.

10. A method according to claim 1, wherein the uninstallation takes place in a reverse order of the installation of the installed software.

11. A computer program product embodied on a computer readable medium for uninstalling software on a computer, comprising:

computer code for storing data descriptive of at least one change to a computer in association with installation of software, the change selected from the group consisting of a deletion of a file, an addition of a file, an alteration of a file, a deletion of a directory, an addition of a directory, and an alteration of a directory;

computer code for receiving a first user instruction to remove the installed software from the computer, said first user instruction to remove the installed software from the computer being received via an interface;

computer code for uninstalling the installed software by undoing the change described by the data, in response to the receipt of the first user instruction;

computer code for receiving a second user instruction to cancel the uninstallation of the installed software on the computer; and

computer code for canceling the uninstallation, in response to the receipt of the second user instruction.

12. A computer program product according to claim 11, wherein data descriptive of a plurality of the changes is stored, the changes including:

deletion of files, addition of files, alteration of files, deletion of directories, addition of directories, and alteration of directories.

13. A computer program product according to claim 11, and further comprising computer code for noting a pathname of at least one of the file and the directory associated with the change.

14. A computer program product according to claim 11, and further comprising computer code for compressing stored copies of files and directories.

15. A computer program product according to claim 14, wherein the computer is restored to a state prior to the installation of the software by undoing the changes utilizing the compressed, stored copies of the files and the directories.

16. A computer program product according to claim 11, wherein multiple changes are undone.

17. A computer program product according to claim 11, wherein the interface includes a field for indicating the installed software.

18. A computer program product according to claim 11, wherein the interface includes a window for describing the installed software.

19. A computer program product according to claim 11, and further comprising computer code for storing a configuration of the computer before the change occurs.

20. A computer program product according to claim 11, wherein the uninstallation takes place in a reverse order of the installation of the installed software.

21. A method for uninstalling a software update on a computer, comprising:

prior to installation of a software update, storing copies of files and directories, and noting pathnames of the files and the directories;

compressing the stored copies of the files and the directories;

for a plurality of changes to the computer in association with the installation of the software update, storing data descriptive of the changes, the changes including deletion of files, addition of files, alteration of files, deletion of directories, addition of directories, and alteration of directories;

receiving a first user instruction to remove the installed software from the computer;

said first user instruction to remove the installed software update on the computer being received via an interface, the interface describing the installed software update;

uninstalling the installed software update by undoing the changes described by the data and utilizing the compressed copies, in response to the receipt of the first user instruction;

receiving a second user instruction to cancel the uninstallation of the installed software update on the computer; and

canceling the uninstallation, in response to the receipt of the second user instruction.