Patent ID: 8261361

Claim:
A computer-readable storage communication device encoded with computer instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform acts comprising: receiving a request to share the communication device from an owner mode; establishing a sharing policy from the owner mode, the sharing policy comprising at least one of: a shared file selection, a shared application selection, or a resource allowance specification; determining one or more files accessible in a shared mode based on the sharing policy; creating the shared mode by presenting a virtual environment to enable the sharing policy to allow access to the one or more files located in the shared mode and simultaneously hiding access to files in the owner mode that are not identified in the shared policy; transitioning to the shared mode in which the owner mode is no longer being active and the owner mode is no longer being viewed on a display of the communication device; and identifying one or more changes implemented to the one or more files in the shared mode by directing the one or more changes to a separate folder without modifying the one or more files in the owner mode.