Patent ID: 7640243

Claim:
An image forming apparatus comprising: a processor; a memory coupled to the processor; and a storing device coupled to the processor, the storing device providing a plurality of boxes containing folders which store electronic document files, wherein the processor executes a stored control program causing the image forming apparatus to perform actions including: accepting a first instruction for deleting a first box; performing deletion processing to delete the first box and all electronic document files stored in the first box; inhibiting access to the first box during the deletion processing; and while performing deletion processing, accepting a second instruction and executing processing based on the second instruction, wherein second instructions which can be accepted and executed include: an instruction to edit an electronic file stored in a second box, an instruction to print predetermined image data stored in a second box, and an instruction to fetch an electronic document file into a second box; wherein the second box is not the first box; and accepting a third to a fifth instructions or a sixth instruction from a second processor in communication with the image forming apparatus and executing processing based on each of the instructions, wherein the third instruction includes transmission of information of a list of at least one of boxes to the second processor; the fourth instruction includes transmission of information of at least one of the electronic document files stored in the box selected by the second processor to the second processor; the fifth instruction includes compression of at least one of the electronic document files selected by the second processor and transmission of the at least one thereof to the second processor; and the sixth instruction includes reception of at least one of compressed electronic document files from the second processor, performance of expanding processing of the at least one thereof and storage of the at least one thereof in a box designated by the second processor.