Patent ID: 7577769
Filing Date: 2009-08-18
Classification: G06F

Abstract:
1. An automated computer implemented maintenance system stored in a tangible computer readable storage medium for computer resources, comprising: a controller that monitors installation and removal of one or more devices that cooperate to facilitate operations of a computer; a threshold component that supplies time out values for the devices to determine inactive periods of the devices, the controller removes persistent memory references from a system registry for at least one of the devices based at least in part on the time out values; an initialization and monitoring component to enumerate device objects, wherein the initialization and monitoring component is a Plug and Play (PnP) manager for a USB port; and a rules component that permits selective unistallation of at least one of the devices based on one or more rules that set the time out values for the devices depending on a classification of the devices based at least on a bus type of the devices; and a comparator function that compares the time out values of the devices with respective decay values to determine if automated procedures related to one or more un-installation procedures that remove references of a component's resources in persistent storage are to be invoked, wherein the decay values indicate respective periods of inactivity of the devices and the un-installation procedures reside as standard software removal procedures that are automatically invoked by the maintenance system.