Virtual os computing environment

Abstract

Multiple, semi-independent virtual operating system (OS) environments coexist within a single (OS) such that a change made in one environment does not affect the main OS or any other environment. In this way each virtual OS environment appears to be an independent OS for the applications running within it. The file system and registry information for each environment is independent of the base OS and other environments. Each of the environments can contain a group of installed applications that will run independently of each other. Although the invention is described in terms of a Windows® environment, the approach is applicable to other operating systems through appropriate modification.

1 . A computing architecture, comprising: 
 a base operating system (OS); and    at least one virtual OS environment within the base OS, the virtual OS environment having a file system and registry which is independent of the base OS.    
   
   
       2 . The computing architecture of  claim 1 , wherein the base OS is Windows® or is Windows®-compatible.  
   
   
       3 . The computing architecture of  claim 1 , further including at least one application running under the virtual OS environment, and wherein the application shares one or more of the following with the base OS: 
 networking information,    user login rights,    services,    hardware information, and    clipboard information.    
   
   
       4 . The computing architecture of  claim 1 , further including multiple virtual OS environments within a single operating system (OS), and wherein a change made in one of the virtual OS environments does not affect the main OS or any other virtual OS environment.  
   
   
       5 . The computing architecture of  claim 1 , wherein each virtual OS environment contains a group of installed applications that run independently of each another.  
   
   
       6 . The computing architecture of  claim 1 , further including one or more applications running under the base OS and each virtual OS environment, and wherein all of the applications run on a single OS desktop.  
   
   
       7 . The computing architecture of  claim 1 , wherein changes made to configuration information with respect to a virtual OS environment does not change configuration information associated with the base OS.  
   
   
       8 . A method of configuring a computer with a base operating system (OS) having a base OS file system and registry, the method comprising the steps of: 
 creating at least one virtual OS environment under the base OS, each virtual OS environment having file system and registry locations which are independent of the base OS file system and registry locations.    
   
   
       9 . The method of  claim 8 , further including the step of installing at least one application program under the virtual OS environment; and 
 wherein attempts to access the base OS file system and registry locations are instead redirected to the virtual OS environment file system or registry.    
   
   
       10 . The method of  claim 9 , further including the step of altering one or more application programming interfaces (APIs) that access the base OS file system and registry directly and indirectly so as to redirect these accesses into the appropriate virtual OS environment file system and registry.  
   
   
       11 . The method of  claim 10 , further including the step of injecting a DLL into every application that is executed.