Method and apparatus for managing folder

1. A method for managing a folder by a computer that is operable under an operating system and capable of selecting a storage destination of the folder from a plurality of drives, said method comprising:

setting a drive correspondence table showing a correspondence relation of first location information and second location information, the first location information including location information of an apparent drive allocated to the folder in the operating system, and the second location information including location information of a target drive to be actually allocated to the folder, wherein the apparent drive is an internal drive of the computer and the target drive is an external drive connected to the computer via a direct local connection;

changing, in response to a request for an access to the folder requested by the operating system, location information of a drive allocated to the folder from the first location information of the apparent drive allocated to the folder to the second location information of the target drive allocated to the folder in accordance with the drive correspondence table without notifying the operating system of a change of location information of a drive allocated to the folder;

determining, in response to the request for access to the folder requested by the operating system, whether the target drive allocated to the folder is valid in the computer or not; and

inhibiting, when the target drive is determined to be not valid, to change the location information of the drive allocated to the folder from the first location information to the second location information.

2. The method according to claim 1 further comprising:

restoring the location information of the drive allocated to the folder by changing, after the operating system has completed an access to the folder, the location information of the drive allocated to the folder from the second location information of the target drive to the first location information of the apparent drive in accordance with the set drive correspondence table without notifying the operating system of a change of location information of the drive allocated to the folder.

3. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the first location information comprises a first drive letter assigned to the apparent drive allocated to the folder, and the second location information comprises a second drive letter assigned to the target drive allocated to the folder.

4. An apparatus for managing a folder, the apparatus operable under an operating system and capable of selecting a storage destination of the folder from a plurality of drives, the apparatus comprising:

a processor configured to:

set a drive correspondence table showing a correspondence relation of first location information and second location information, the first location information including location information of an apparent drive allocated to the folder in the operating system, and the second location information including location information of a target drive to be actually allocated to the folder, wherein the apparent drive is an internal drive of the apparatus and the target drive is an external drive connected to the apparatus via a direct local connection;

change, in response to a request for an access to the folder requested by the operating system, location information of a drive allocated to the folder from the first location information of the apparent drive allocated to the folder to the second location information of the target drive allocated to the folder in accordance with the drive correspondence table without notifying the operating system of a change of location information of a drive allocated to the folder;

determine whether the target drive allocated to the folder is valid in the apparatus or not in response to the request for access to the folder requested by the operating system; and

inhibit to change the location information of the drive allocated to the folder from the first location information to the second location information, when the target drive is determined to be not valid.

5. The apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein the processor is configured, after the operating system has completed an access to the folder, to restore the location information of the drive allocated to the folder by changing the location information of the drive allocated to the folder from the second location information of the target drive to the first location information of the apparent drive in accordance with the set drive correspondence table without notifying the operating system of a change of location information of the drive allocated to the folder.

6. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having a computer program stored thereon and readable by a computer, said computer program, when executed by the computer, causes the computer to perform operations comprising:

setting a drive correspondence table showing a correspondence relation of first location information and second location information, the first location information including location information of an apparent drive allocated to the folder in the operating system, and the second location information including location information of a target drive to be actually allocated to the folder, wherein the apparent drive is an internal drive of the computer and the target drive is an external drive connected to the computer via a direct local connection;

changing, in response to a request for an access to the folder requested by the operating system, location information of a drive allocated to the folder from the first location information of the apparent drive allocated to the folder to the second location information of the target drive allocated to the folder in accordance with the drive correspondence table without notifying the operating system of a change of location information of a drive allocated to the folder;

determining, in response to the request for access to the folder requested by the operating system, whether the target drive allocated to the folder is valid in the computer or not; and

inhibiting, when the target drive is determined to be not valid, to change the location information of the drive allocated to the folder from the first location information to the second location information.