A candidate-patch selecting apparatus includes a detector configured to detect a failure of a computer; an obtaining unit configured to obtain record information for the computer, recorded at the time when the failure detected by the detector occurred; an extractor configured to extract from the record information obtained by the obtaining unit, information identifying the failure; an identifying unit configured to identify, based on a database that stores therein patches and respective selection conditions, a patch for which selection conditions are satisfied by the extracted information identifying the failure; and an output unit configured to output an identification result acquired by the identifying unit.