Server-side recycle bin system

Abstract

A server-side recycle bin system for retaining computer files and information is disclosed. The system comprises a local computer system, and a server including a server-side recycle bin. One or more persistent storage devices, providing the files and directories to be protected, are present either as part of the local computer system or as part of the server. The local computer system and the server may be connected via a wide area computer network, a local area network, the Internet, of any other method or combination of methods. A file manager application running on the local computer system interacts with a file serving application on the server such that there is generated a retained file in the server-side recycle bin.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS [0001]Notice: More than one reissue application has been filed for the reissue of U.S. Pat. No. 6,611,836. The reissue applications are application Ser. Nos. 12 / 469,879 (the present application) and 11 / 212,139, all of which are divisional reissues of U.S. Pat. No. 6,611,836. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0002]In recent years, the computer files generated by many software applications have become larger and larger. This is especially the case for the computer files generated by applications that involve the storage and manipulation of photographs, motion pictures, and / or sound recordings. At the same time, whether because of the Internet, more complex operating systems, or otherwise, computers now tend to generate and store a much greater number of individual computer files. To save valuable storage space, and perhaps to reduce the appearance of unnecessary clutter, a user will often desire to delete computer files and / or directories from the use...

AI Technical Summary

Problems solved by technology

In recent years, the computer files generated by many software applications have become larger and larger.

Unfortunately, oftentimes a user will delete these files or directories, only to find out later that the deleted data was desired or necessary.

The Windows® operating systems do not protect the data residing on any of the other persistent storage devices that may be a part of the user's local computer system, such as the computer's floppy diskettes, tape drives, rewriteable compact disks (CDRW's) or other removable media, or non-volatile random access memory.

Likewise, these operating systems do not protect a user's data when the local computer user wishes to delete files and directories located on a server, as when the local computer is networked to a server.

It still takes up valuable space on the user's local computer hard disk drive.

The user may empty the recycle bin to reclaim the physical disk space occupied by the contents of the recycle bin, and thereby risk not ever being able to recover the recycle bin's contents.

Under this alternative, the remaining space available on the user's hard disk drive continues to be depleted.

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