We are sometimes spoiled these days when it comes to data and software on our personal computers. We can store so much of it on one disk drive and we can retrieve it very quickly. And these personal computers just hum along for week after week with no problems whatsoever. We are even prudent in backing up our "My Documents" folder to a re-writable CD once in awhile.
Until one day, you computer does not boot up. You take it to a computer repair shop and they replace the disk drive, reload Windows, and deliver it back to you. You then reload your Microsoft Office, copy back your "My Documents Folder" from your CD-RW disc and you should be back in business. Except a short time later you find out that you are missing that spreadsheet that took days to build. What happened? Then you remember that you had stored the spreadsheet on the C: spreadsheets folder and not "My Documents." The spreadsheet and all the work that went into it is gone—forever.
The above scenario happens way too often in today's world that is so dependent on computer information. The point you should see here is that even though the user was doing a backup, the backup did not include everything required in order to one day do a successful recovery. While our example is simple, imagine a computer where there are data files stored all over the disk in many different folders other than "My Documents." And in most cases a couple of CD-RW disks are too small to backup everything. You need to acquire and implement a backup system and strategy that gives you the space required to store all your critical files plus one that allows you to backup and recover quickly.
Backups are typically done using tape or external hard disk drives. The latter is becoming more and more popular because of the speed of the backup media. An external hard drive can basically be a mirror of your internal hard drive. However, you don't have the redundancy (multiple copies) of disk files that you could get with tape unless you purchase several disk drives (which could be expensive). But, with an external drive, you can just copy folders from your system drive to your external drive and you have a quick data backup that is very easy to recover.
The other long-time popular method for doing backups is tape. Tape backups have been around for a long time and for good reason. You can store an incredible amount of data on one tape and you get the benefit of being able to take that tape and store it at some alternate location so that you can recover in the event of some physical disaster such as fire, theft, or flood. If you stored external disk drives offsite, you would lose the benefit of being able to use that drive. There are a couple of drawbacks to tape. One is that tape breaks much easier than an external drive. The other is that tape drives come with proprietary software in order to compress and transfer data to the vendor's model of drive. In other words, they are not native to the operating system like Microsoft Windows. But it usually is only a matter of installing the software on the computer system you are recovering the data to.
There are many variations to tape and external disk drive backups but the important thing to remember is that you cannot recover if you do not properly back up. You should periodically test your recovery plan so that you know it is ready when you need it.
About the Author
My name is Tom Husnik. The site that helped me is : http://www.diy-computer-repair.com/
Tuesday, August 26, 2008
A Good Backup is Critical to Data Recovery by Thomas Husnik Copyright (c) 2008 Thomas Husnik
Wednesday, August 13, 2008
Computer Repair - From Settings And Preferences To Viruses And Crashes
With the extent with which we use computers today 'for both professional and personal use' it's safe to say we've all encountered the need for computer repair in some form. Whether it's spy ware or a network crash, computer maintenance is what can save us from slowed computer performance, corrupted files, data loss, and time wasted.
Not surprisingly, the birth of computer repair coincided with the rise of computer use. A complicated piece of technology, a computer is nonetheless used by most of us daily. We sit down at our computers and effortlessly check our emails, stock quotes, and the latest news. We research show times and restaurants. We work our 9 to 5 jobs, using laptops, virtual communication, and hand held devices. Indeed, much in our lives revolves around the computer. It's no wonder why computer maintenance is so valuable a solution and for the technician, a coveted skill.
Given the many uses for computers, there are as many potential problems, errors, and failures. Thus for computer repair, there are at least as many possible fixes. As a result, knowing what to do to fix your computer can seem like an impossible task. However, if you think about it, most of us have picked up a few tricks along the way that have proven effective. For smaller problems, computer repair is entirely possible by ourselves. For more serious problems though, consulting a professional is the best route.
The main reason why professionals should be consulted is because a person could do more damage to a computer by trying to fix an unknown problem on their own. To avoid such mishaps, it's best to ask an expert to take a look. Pinpointing the problem is really the biggest part of any computer repair, as it will reveal the exact fix that's needed to get the system working properly again.
For computer repair technicians, this is the main aspect of their service. Diagnostics do not have to be performed in person necessarily, as most computer manufacturers and Internet service providers have call centers for troubleshooting and offer their advice over the phone, via live chat, or email. Business-wise, most companies have a tech-support staff that can help with most problems, from email to lost files.
Computer repair can be as simple as choosing different settings to full-on data recovery using involved techniques such as zero-knowledge analysis. Given that most computer technicians are specialized, the chances are good that a team can help with all your problems: viruses, spy ware, firewall protection, virtual private networks (VPN), emergency data recovery, RAID recovery, system upgrades, etc.
Computer maintenance pertains to both hardware repair and software repair. At times, installation or uninstallation of software is needed. At others, a small adjustment to preferences will solve the problem. Again, computer repair is wide-ranging. Desktops, mainframes, and supercomputers can all encounter similar problems, but on a different scale. Portable devices will also have related problems, but knowing the system inside a laptop or notebook is a bit different than a PC. This is the reason why most companies have a number of technicians on staff, as one may be more specialized in one area of computer repair than another.
Fixing your computer can be as basic as rebooting your computer, but it can also be as complex as reinstalling the system . Overall, the service of computer repair is relatively new, but the demand for it is growing at a rapid pace. Naturally, the aim is to keep up with all of the new advancements in computer technology which seemingly change by the day.
My name is Tom Husnik। http://www.simplepcfixes.com/
Guide to remove a computer virus
Guide to remove a computer virus
You are surfing the web and the whole world is at your fingertips. Never mind you are exposed to the pranksters and the viruses. Oh! Those troublesome Trojans! Increase your knowledge on computer viruses to fare well in the web …Computers have become almost essential for business, communication and pastime. That's why most people own a computer in their home and office. You are surfing the web and the whole world is at your fingertips. But it becomes annoying to sit back only to find your system uncooperative to your commands. You are exposed to the spyware, adware and the viruses. Oh! Those troublesome Trojans! Increase your knowledge on computer viruses and spyware to fare well in the web.
A virus is a self-replicating malware (malicious software) that spreads by inserting copies of itself into other executable code or documents. Viruses and spyware damage only your software. There is no physical damage to your system. Viruses overwhelm and waste computer resources. In modern times we get as much threat from spyware as we get from viruses.
Precautions against Viruses and Spyware
Uses virus-scanned disks, drives and diskettes
Setup the latest firewall on our computer.
Install an advanced anti-spyware on your computer.
Never open the suspicious mails.
Install a reputed anti-virus and update it with latest patches.
Better work with Linux or Unix OS if you can manage.
Use Firefox and/or Opera other than the Internet Explorer.
Change the preference of your browser to the highest security.
While downloading audio/video files be careful, these are major sources for spyware.
Steps after a Virus attack
Try to back-up the data.
Disconnect your PC from the network.
Run an advanced antivirus (or anti-spyware, if infected by Trojan horses)
If your PC does not work at all and all your hard drives are badly injected, then run virus scan with a Live CD or Live DVD (OS running from a CD or DVD).
If your data and network establishment is very crucial and you need immediate restoration of your computer environment, then just make a call to server plex On site for immediate virus and spyware removal. BY :Thomas Husnik http://www.simplepcfixes.com/
Data Recovery: What to Do When Files Seem Lost
True data recovery emerged in the early 1980s as computers began to be integrated into many businesses big and small. As many job tasks began to rely on computers, so too did the possibility of data being lost due to physical or logical damage. Suffice to say, in this day and age of computer technology, the repercussions of data loss can be great.
Internet businesses for example, which are built on the accuracy and immediacy of their data, can lose more than just information if there’s a computer failure. It can mean losses to capital, time, clients, and revenue. For this reason, technicians have risen in the ranks of the business hierarchy. When computers crash, their expertise in data recovery is what can literally save the day.
Technically, recovery helps salvage data from storage media that’s been damaged, corrupted, failed, or is otherwise inaccessible. When the data cannot be retrieved via a normal process, then recovery becomes necessary.
Recovery techniques include actual hardware repair, consistency checking, and zero-knowledge analysis for logical damage. In this latter technique, a repair program attempts to rebuild a file system from scratch by matching what is left from the damaged system to what should be there in a complete one. With this technique, it is oftentimes possible to reconstruct logical files thought to be completely destroyed.
From personal notebooks to company-wide networks, data recovery is also the fail-safe. All computers come equipped with a program that can perform basic data recovery, which is oftentimes all that is needed. Especially if preventative measures are taken to minimize the occurrence of failure. However, sometimes errors or crashes are unavoidable, such as when there’s an unexpected power outage. In such instances, professional data recovery experts (either on-site or off-site) may need to be called in.
Most data recovery companies are trained to work on the most common of data-loss problems, including hard drive recovery, laptop/desktop recovery, server recovery, OS recovery, and RAID (redundant array of independent disks) recovery. For businesses, RAID recovery can be the most critical. In order for a RAID to work properly, it’s imperative that all parts are functioning in sync. Thus, damage to one part can spell disaster for the whole system and consequently, business operations.
Reasons for data loss or damage are various. Though we’ve primarily discussed computers, all storage media is susceptible to failure. A CD-ROM, a hard disk, and memory chips are all storage media devices that could malfunction and need repair. Physical damage often cannot be fixed by an end user, while logical damage on occasion can. For example, if a computer uses a journaling file system, which is a file system that first logs changes and then writes them to the primary file system, it’s possible to simply roll back the computer to a consistent state. If so, the only data lost will be any that wasn’t recorded from the last time the journal log was updated.
Data recovery is a major element of the computer age, given that everyone seems to have a digital device of some kind and stored media is coveted for both professional and personal use. When a hard drive crashes, time is crucial in saving any data that remains or finding what was thought to be lost. Indeed, salvaging damaged, failed, or corrupted data can mean the difference between recovery and starting all over again. BY :Thomas Husnik http://www.recoverdeletedfiles.net/
Sunday, August 10, 2008
How to install new or replacement hard drive a computer
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7 STEPS TO KEEP YOUR PC RUNNING SMOOTH
Step one: Clean up any Adware and scumware seem. Often the sting in the tail is, the behind the scenes, installing of Adware or Scumware as it’s sometimes known. This usually consists of programs that run in the background and advertise various offerings which can be targeted to match your preferences. These programs take up valuable system resources and should be cleaned out.
Programs such as Gator (form filler) and Kazaa (music sharing) are well known examples of this but there are many others.
Step Two: Clean out your start-up files Nearly every program you load on your computer wants to be top dog. By that I mean when you install the program it usually sets itself up in your startup list.
This means that whenever you start up your computer the programs installs itself automatically into main memory whether you are going to use it or not and just takes up valuable resources that could be better utilised by programs you are using right away.
If you hit the Control-Alt-Delete keys once (if you do it twice you will reboot the computer and lose any unsaved work) you will be able to see all the programs that are running behing the scenes.
The more you have running that you are not using, the more memory will be taken up and the slower and less stable the system will be.
Things like Anti-Virus programs and “system tray” should be left running but many others can be removed.
To do this in windows 98/ME, hit “Start”-”Run”- and type in “msconfig” and enter, then choose the right hand top tab marked “startup” Uncheck all the programs that you aren’t using all the time. You will be able to run them normally at any time from your start menu so don’t worry about that.
Most of the programs can be identified by the program names at the right hand side, any that can’t, you can always type it into google and see what comes up. Occasionally you find programs loaded here that are malicious programs such as Trojans or Browser hijackers that you definitely don’t want. To get rid of them search for the filename in Google and then see if it comes up as a nasty and then get the info on how to remove from the anti-virus website.
You will notice a definite improvement in start-up speed and general running when these are removed.
Step Three: uninstall any old programs that are no longer used Windows registry is the section of windows that contains all the information relating to your system and software.
As time goes by it can get extremely bloated and even if you are not using the old programs anymore, the time taken to search through registry is increased.
Uninstalling the programs rather than just deleting the files will ensure that the entries in the registry are removed and this helps keep the size under control.
Another little utility you might find useful is called Netcom3 and it is great for cleaning out all these unwanted files and registry entries that were somehow left behind.
You can also use it to locate temporary files used by various programs that just clog up your hard drive and slow things down.
Step Four: Invest in a good antivirus program Invest in a good antivirus program such as Netcom3 or avadvance-virus and keep it regularly updated. Having a virus on your system can not only wreak havoc with your system
Step Five: Delete or uninstall unwanted fonts When Windows loads it installs all available fonts. This not only takes up space but also valuable time. Deleting or uninstalling fonts that you will never use will help streamline things a bit more.
To view the installed fonts, select Start, Run, type “fonts”, and press Enter. To see what a font looks like, double-click its icon. You can delete a font by right-clicking it and selecting Delete, but it’s safer to uninstall it by dragging it to another folder so you can always drag it back if you really need it.
You must do this dragging (in either direction) from within Windows Explorer. Moving or copying a font to or from the C:\Windows\Fonts folder via DOS commands or some other utility won’t properly install or uninstall it. Some fonts should stay put, such as Windows system fonts, which have the extension .fon instead of .ttf. The icon for a system font has a red ‘A’ rather than a gray-blue ‘TT’. System fonts are usually hidden files, but they’re visible in the Fonts folder in Explorer. They disappear when you move them elsewhere, though. Some applications require specific fonts, such as Arial, Verdana or Times New Roman, so you’d better keep them around.
Any other ones you don’t use can be moved to another folder. In case you have deleted fonts that you need checout this article at Microsoft to fix the problem.
Step Six: Optimise your system A few basic pointers for optimising your system.
From the desktop right click on the “my computer” icon and select properties. Select “file system” and under the hard disc tab, where it says “for typical role of this computer” select “network server” in the drop down menu as this speeds up transfers. Under floppy disc make sure the little box is not ticked as this increases boot up time slightly. On Internet Explorer while surfing the net, images are stored on the hard drive in a section called the cache. This is useful if you are using a slow dial-up connection as it means the most used images don’t have to be continually downloaded so surfing speeds are increased. If the cache size is too great then Explorer has to check through all the images before it downloads them and this can slow up browsing. The optimum size is a bit, hit or miss, but with ADSL or cable the cache can be set much smaller as the images download quickly. Also when the cache is too large the files get fragmented (this is covered later) and the hard disk thrashes around trying to piece it all together thus slowing everything down.
Adjustment is made by clicking on Internet explorer “tools” and “internet options” then under “temporary internet files” the settings button and use the slider to adjust the amount.
Step Seven: defragment your hard drive regularly De-what, my hard drive? I might hear you say. Sounds a bit severe but it’s something that should be done fairly regularly.
Your computer works efficiently when the data it takes from the hard drive to process in memory is all in one place and doesn’t take very long to fetch.
After using your computer for a while, related files get broken up into fragments and are scattered all over the disc. This happens in normal use and it can significantly increase the time it takes to collect it all up.
A bit like you going to another room to fetch your files from a filing cabinet and if they were all together it would be easy to collect them. If on the other hand they were in different cabinets all dotted around the room then you get the idea.
The thing to do is run the defragmenter that comes with Windows. Double click “My Computer” and then Right Click the icon for drive C: and then click properties. Select defragment and follow the instructions.
This process can take a long time on a large hard drive with badly fragmented files, so it may be advisable to set this running at a quiet time computer wise or even overnight.
There is a another program I highly recommend for defragmenting which is called Diskeeper Lite and is much better than the built-in version that Windows has. It is available as a free download plus some more articles on fragmentation from here.
Defragmenting is best done last after the other steps above as removing files and clutter will leave gaps that can then be put back together for normal use Carrying out the above actions will help keep your PC running faster and more stable and hopefully crashing less causing you less stress and frustration from lost work.
So get started now and clean up your PC and make it a habit to do it regularly and keep your system running at peak performance.
And don’t forget one of the most cost effective upgrades you can do to your PC at the moment is to add some more Memory (RAM).
Carrying out the above actions will help keep your PC running faster and more stable and hopefully crashing less causing you less stress and frustration from lost work.
So get started now and clean up your PC and make it a habit to do it regularly and keep your system running at peak performance.
And don’t forget one of the most cost effective upgrades you can do to your PC at the moment is to add some more Memory (RAM). This file is not intended to be viewed directly using a web browser :BY :Thomas Husnik : http://www.slowcomputerhelp.com/
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