Security software company McAfee today said that it was granted a patent for "checking [a] computer program installation," a process that verifies the "proper" installation oft software installation on a computer system. A product based on the patent will allow users to check installations by "comparing predetermined installation data with detected installation results," McAfee said.

According to the patent description, the "invention" first identifies a certain installation of a program and then runs a "detection operation." This "detection" process traces back data that was actually installed and compares the findings to the correct data set - a strategy that is very similar to what deinstallation software employs.

McAfee stated that the technology will enable users not only to check if a certain software is properly installed, but also identify differing computer programs, multiple versions of the same computer program, or a particular computer program patched to one of several service pack levels.

"Proper software installation is an important aspect of a secure computing environment," said Christopher Bolin, chief technology officer of McAfee, in a prepared statement.