Patent ID: 8407469

Claim:
A method of protecting files in an operating system, comprising: determining, in a computer, a group of files making up a first set of files that are protected against change by other than operating system updates, said determining operating based on analyzing identifiers associated with files on the computer, where said identifiers are independent of which partition the files are stored on; detecting, using the computer, an attempt to change any of said first set of files; responsive to said detecting an attempt, signaling a user via an output directed to a user interface of the computer that a change to said any of said first set of files has been attempted, and checking for a specified response on the user interface of the computer; first allowing said any of said first set of files to be changed only if said specified response is received on said user interface and not allowing said any of said first set of files to be changed only if said specified response is not received on said user interface; and allowing other files, other than said first set of files, to be changed on the computer without said specified response being received on said user interface.