Method and Apparatus for Creating a Self Booting Operating System Image Backup on an External USB Hard Disk Drive That is Capable of Performing a Complete Restore to an Internal Sytem Disk

Abstract

Backup applications that use externally connected hard disk drives for storing full image backups of a windows system disk or compressed image or file by file backups of a windows system disk. A system incrementally updates the images, including the system registry, and puts information on the external drive that makes it bootable.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method of operating a computer for backup with a locked drive on a computer comprising:
 storing plural user files including operating system files that are executed by a processor on a computer at least one main computer file storage unit, said operating system files using a system registry to operate the computer by executing said operating system, and changing said user files;   operating the computer to back up said at least one main computer file storage unit to at least one backup computer file storage unit, where said at least one backup computer file storage unit is connected to said computer over a computer-controlled bus; and   using the computer for maintaining said backup computer file storage unit as locked in a way that requires a password to unlock the backup computer file storage unit, said password being a password which was previously stored, and was retrieved and used to unlock said backup computer file storage unit when user files are to be backed up;   using the computer for automatically unlocking said backup computer file storage unit by retrieving said previously stored password and applying said password to said backup computer file storage unit and then copying said files to the backup computer file storage unit as part of a backup operation which copies plural files from said main computer file storage unit to said backup computer file storage unit;   using the computer for automatically locking said backup computer file storage unit after said plural files have been copied; and   based on detecting information indicative of a failure in said main computer file storage unit, the computer carrying out an operation to allow a user to boot from said backup computer file storage unit by unlocking said backup computer file storage unit in case of a failure in said main computer file storage unit.   
     
     
         2 . The method as in  claim 1 , wherein said operation comprises a change to the system registry. 
     
     
         3 . The method as in  claim 2 , wherein said change to the system registry is a change to a boot order. 
     
     
         4 . The method as in  claim 1 , wherein said operating the computer to back up comprises making incremental changes as part of said back up. 
     
     
         5 . A method of operating a computer for backup with a locked drive on a computer comprising:
 storing plural user files including operating system files that are executed by a processor on a computer at least one main computer file storage unit;   operating the computer to back up said at least one main computer file storage unit to at least one backup computer file storage unit remote from the computer;   using the computer for executing a routine on said main computer file storage unit, that maintains said backup computer file storage unit as locked in a way that requires a password to unlock the backup computer file storage unit, said password being a password which was previously stored, and was retrieved and used to unlock said backup computer file storage unit when user files are to be backed up;   using the computer for automatically unlocking said backup computer file storage unit by retrieving said previously stored password and using said routine as part of a backup operation which copies plural files from said main computer file storage unit to said backup computer file storage unit;   using the computer for automatically locking said backup computer file storage unit after said plural files have been copied; and   based on detecting information indicative of a failure in said main computer file storage unit, the computer carrying out an operation to allow a user to use an externally-entered routine to unlock said backup computer file storage unit.