Patent ID: 8856773

Claim:
An image forming apparatus comprising: a hardware resource including at least one of a printer and a scanner; a processor; an operating system; a storage unit configured to store a plurality of application software programs executable on the operating system by the processor, wherein each of the plurality of application software programs is configured to perform an image forming process using the hardware resource and is stored in the storage unit in a manner such that each of the plurality of application software programs is updatable as part of a group of application software programs; an activation unit configured to activate each of the plurality of application software programs stored in the storage unit; and an updating unit implemented by the processor and configured to update an application software program designated for updating, amongst the plurality of application software programs stored in the storage unit, based on updating data that instructs updating of the application software program designated for updating, in response to receiving the updating data, wherein the updating unit is further configured to update the application software program designated for updating based on the updating data, after the image forming apparatus is restarted in response to receiving the updating data from an external apparatus in a state in which the plurality of application software programs are activated by the activation unit, and wherein, in response to the image forming apparatus being restarted after receiving the updating data, the activation unit does not activate the plurality of application software programs permitting the updating unit to update the application software program designated for updating.