Foreign file system establishing method which uses a native file system virtual device driver

摘要

A computer (10) includes an operating system (14) having a system manager (18) and a native file system (20). An installable file system (36) installs hooks at a core interface (24) between the system manager (18) and the native file system (20). Hooks are installed for only a portion of the many native function routines (26) provided by the native file system (20). A virtual driver (30) communicates with the native file system (20) and simulates a file storage device having substantially no files stored thereon. Foreign file system device (42) requests for function routines that have not been hooked are handled by the native file system (20) and virtual device (30). Foreign file system device (42) requests for hooked function routines are handled by a foreign file system (34).