Managing backup of content

1. A method relating to modifying a view in a user interface, the method comprising:

receiving, while a current view of the user interface is displayed, a first user input requesting that a prior state of the user interface be displayed;

displaying the prior state of the user interface in response to the first user input, the prior state of the user interface including at least a first representation of the user interface, where the first representation shows a past state of the current view of the user interface and includes one or more visual representations of one or more elements from the past state, where the underlying data for the first representation is stored in a backup archive, and where the first representation includes a first element;

receiving, while the first representation is displayed, a second user input requesting that the current view of the user interface be modified according to the past state, at least with regard to the first element; and

modifying, in response to the second user input, the current view of the user interface according to the past state, at least with regard to the first element.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the second user input does not request that the modification be limited to the first element, and wherein the modification restores the current view of the user interface to the past state.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the second user input requests that the modification be limited to the first element, and wherein the modification modifies the current view of the user interface to include the first element and does not otherwise modify the current view of the user interface.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first element is one selected from the group consisting of: a folder, a file, an item, an information portion, a playlist, a directory, an image, system parameters, and combinations thereof.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first representation is included in a timeline, the timeline including several representations of past states of the current view.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the past states of the current view were obtained at times defined by a schedule.

7. The method of claim 5 , wherein the past states of the current view were obtained at times defined by a rule.

8. The method of claim 5 , wherein the past states of the current view were obtained at times when at least one predefined event occurred.

9. The method of claim 5 , wherein the prior state of the user interface further includes an input control for modifying the timeline to include only at least one of the several representations whose corresponding past state differs from the current view.

10. The method of claim 5 , wherein the prior state of the user interface includes a rollover function providing that the timeline is displayed when a user-controlled cursor is located over the timeline, and that the timeline is not displayed when the user-controlled cursor is not located over the timeline.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the prior state of the user interface further includes a preview area that presents at least the first element of the past state.

12. A computer program product tangibly embodied in a computer readable storage medium, the computer program product having stored thereon instructions which, when executed by a processor, causes the processor to perform operations comprising:

receiving, while a current view of a user interface is displayed, a first user input requesting that a prior state of the user interface be displayed;

displaying the prior state of the user interface in response to the first user input, the prior state of the user interface including at least a first representation of the user interface, where the first representation shows a past state of the current view of the user interface and includes one or more visual representations of one or more elements from the past state, where the underlying data for the first representation is stored in a backup archive, and where the first representation includes a first element;

receiving, while the first representation is displayed, a second user input requesting that the current view of the user interface be modified according to the past state, at least with regard to the first element; and

modifying, in response to the second user input, the current view of the user interface according to the past state, at least with regard to the first element.

13. A method comprising:

defining a criterion for capturing a state of a view of a user interface;

capturing the state of the view in accordance with the criterion and storing the captured state in a backup archive;

receiving a prompt to suspend a current presentation of the user interface and to present a captured view of the user interface, the captured view including a first representation of the user interface, where the first representation shows a past state of the user interface; and

reinstating the captured view including presenting the captured view as the current state of the user interface.

14. A computer program product tangibly embodied in a computer readable storage medium, the computer program product having stored thereon instructions which, when executed by a processor, causes the processor to perform operations comprising:

defining a criterion for capturing a state of a view of a user interface;

capturing the state of the view in accordance with the criterion and storing the captured state in a backup archive;

receiving a prompt to suspend a current presentation of the user interface and to present a captured view of the user interface, the captured view including a first representation of the user interface, where the first representation shows a past state of the user interface; and

reinstating the captured view including presenting the captured view as the current state of the user interface.

15. A method comprising:

evaluating a current view of a user interface;

determining that an undesirable change to the current view of the user interface has occurred relative to a past view of the user interface;

suspending a current presentation of the user interface;

presenting one or more representations of past views of the user interface in a preview distinct from the current presentation of the user interface, where the underlying data for each representation is stored in a backup archive; and

reinstating a past view of the user interface including presenting the past view as the current state of the user interface.

16. A computer program product tangibly embodied in a computer readable storage medium, the computer program product having stored thereon instructions which, when executed by a processor, causes the processor to perform operations comprising:

evaluating a current view of a user interface;

determining that an undesirable change to the current view of the user interface has occurred relative to a past view of the user interface;

suspending a current presentation of the user interface;

presenting one or more representations of past views of the user interface in a preview distinct from the current presentation of the user interface, where the underlying data for each representation is stored in a backup archive; and

reinstating a past view of the user interface including presenting the past view as the current state of the user interface.

17. A method comprising:

defining criteria for capturing a state of a view of a user interface;

capturing one or more temporary states of the view prior to the criteria being satisfied and storing the captured one or more temporary states in a backup archive; and

capturing the state of the view in accordance with the criteria.

18. The method of claim 17 , further comprising:

receiving a prompt to suspend a current presentation of the user interface and to present a captured view of the user interface, the captured view including a first representation of the user interface, where the first representation shows a past state of the user interface; and

reinstating the captured view including presenting the captured view as the current state of the user interface.

19. The method of claim 17 , further comprising:

discarding the temporary states of the view after capturing the state of the view.

20. The method of claim 17 , where the criteria is a time period and where capturing a temporary state of the view occurs when a change in the state of the view is identified.

21. A method comprising:

storing underlying data for a plurality of prior states of a current view of a user interface in a backup archive, where each prior state includes a representation of the user interface, the representation showing a past state of the user interface;

determining criteria for deleting the underlying data for one or more of the plurality of prior states; and

deleting the underlying data for one or more of the plurality of prior states in accordance with the criteria.

22. The method of claim 21 , where the criteria include a time period for retaining stored underlying data in the backup archive and a prior state of the current view is deleted when the age of the view exceeds the time period.

23. The method of claim 21 , where the criteria include an amount of storage space remaining in the backup archive and the underlying data for a prior state of the current view is deleted when the amount of storage space falls below a threshold level.

24. The method of claim 21 , where the criteria include one or more pruning rules and the underlying data for one or more prior states of the current view are deleted according to the pruning rules.