Method and apparatus for protecting user data during power failures in a data processing system

1. Technical Field A method and system for protecting user data during power failures on a network-computer-class data processing system is provided. The network-computer-class data processing system is integrated with a power supply having an early power fail warning signal to ensure that unsaved changes to user data files are saved before a complete power failure strikes the data processing system. As a user employs one or more applications to create or modify data files, a table of file changes is created for each user data file that is opened by the user. This table is kept in non-volatile media, preferably on the user's network computer but possibly on a server located on a network connected to the network computer if the network computer lacks non-volatile memory. The entire contents of the table are saved to non-volatile storage in the time interval between the early power fail warning signal going active and the power completely failing. The table of user data changes can then be applied to recreate the user's data after power is restored.