AN APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR AUTOMATICALLY STARTING AND ENDING A PROCESS IN A HOST DEVICE

摘要

The method for running a process in a host device having one embodiment of an auto-start driver in the host device detects insertion of a storage media into a peripheral (341), searches for a file of a predetermined name in the storage media (351), and automatically starts an application listed in instruction in the file (362). Another embodiment of the auto-start driver looks for a file of the predetermined name in the host device's permanently installed storage media prior to searching in the inserted storage media (347). When a previously inserted removable storage media is removed from the peripheral, the auto-start driver ends the started application (351), restores the operator interface screens to a state existing prior to insertion, and releases portions of random access memory that were used by the ended application (353). In another embodiment the auto-start driver can automatically copy a new version of auto-start driver software (378) or other new software (386), such as word processors into the permanently installed storage media.