Method and apparatus for performing emergency shutdown of a malfunctioning computer system saving all open files, data, and work in progress

摘要

A method includes steps of (A) detecting an activation of a user input that indicates that the system, or a program executed by the system, has become non-responsive to a user; (B) determining an identification of any currently open files and programs with which currently open files are associated; (C) determining an identification of those programs that are normally not in a non-responsive state; and (D) saving those currently open files that are associated with programs that are identified as being not normally in the non-responsive state. A next step notifies the user that any currently open files that are associated with programs identified as being not normally in the non-responsive state have been saved. In a further step the user may restart the digital data processing system, and retrieve at least one of the saved files. The step of detecting can be executed in response to the user manually activating a switch or by the user activating one or more keyboard keys. The step of saving saves in association with the currently open files an identification of their associated programs, and saves the currently open files in a data storage device that forms a part of the system, and/or in a data storage device that is remote from the system, and that is reached through a data communication network. The step of determining an identification of any currently open files preferably includes the preliminary step of monitoring system file open and file close operations, and maintaining a record of those files that are currently open and a record of a program that opened the file.