Patent ID: 7421490

Claim:
In a client-server computing environment, a method for collecting data to identify an application whose executable file is stored in a directory on a client computer, the data being for transmission to a server computer via a network after an occurrence of a reporting event, the reporting event being a crash during installation of an application and occurring prior to any application-specific runtime routines being initiated, the method comprising: generating an inventory of selected files stored in at least one directory on the client computer, the inventory including at least one installation file associated with the installation of the application and at least one additional unique identifier of the application; generating an inventory of system properties for the client computer; directing the client computer to transmit the inventory of selected files and the inventory of system properties to the server computer; and identifying the application being installed upon the occurrence of the crash; directing the client computer to transmit the inventory of selected files and the inventory of system properties to the server computer via a network; determining whether the client computer has an available connection to the Internet and: (1) if so, directing the client computer to transmit the inventory of selected files and the inventory of system properties to the server computer via the Internet; (2) if not, storing the inventory of selected files and the inventory of system properties on a storage device accessible by the client computer and determining the storage device includes a previous inventory of selected files that was created following a previous reporting event and a previous inventory of system properties that was created following a previous reporting event directing the client computer to transmit the previous inventory of selected files and the previous inventory of system properties to the server computer via the Internet.