If you were to look at past statistics regarding the information that has been lost in regards to laptop computers, you would find yourself amazed. Even though this information can be astounding, many of us still don�t take the time to back up the information on our laptops.
To put it in simple terms, nothing in the computer industry is fool proof. Hard drives can crash, the laptop can get stolen, or it can even be dropped and rendered useless. To ensure that we are never left without our precious data, we should always create a backup of our information.
There is no mistaken the fact that over a million laptops have been stolen over the years in the United States alone. Anytime a laptop is stolen, chances are that it won�t be recovered. If the information wasn�t backed up, then the owner will be left with no laptop - but more importantly - no backed up data either.
Just like you can with desktop computers, you can also create a backup of the data on your laptop as well. You can use online services, back it up remotely, or use several other methods to ensure that you keep all of your data. Preserving your data is something you should really look into, especially if you have business material on your laptop.
The best way to go about backing up your data and files is to burn them to a data CD. Data CDs can hold up to 700 MB (Mega Bytes) of data, which means a lot of files. To back things up this way, all you need is a CD/RW burner in your laptop, which most of the newer ones come with.
The only drawback to laptops is the fact that they don�t offer near as much storage or security measures as a desktop PC. Desktop computers have a lot more power, and they can also do things (including backups) in a fraction of the time.
The laptop computer was designed for on the go use, which is the main reason why people don�t really think about backing up their data. When the thought finally does come to mind, it is normally too late to do anything about it.
As mentioned above, the easiest and quickest way to backup your laptop data is to use an online backup service. Depending on your connection to the Internet, it can take anywhere from several minutes to several hours. Although it may take you a little bit of time, you�ll have the satisfaction in knowing that your data is there if something should happen.
Whether it�s for your business or personal use, you can�t go wrong backing up your data. You should always create a backup of your data at least once a month, even more than that if you have a lot of important information that you add to your laptop on a frequent basis.
Backup Data On Your Laptop
Wireless Network Security
It seems that more and more home users are going with wireless networks rather than the tradition wired networks with wires hanging everywhere and running wild around the house and in the crawlspace. What seems like a good idea quickly turns into a nightmare if you don�t vamp up the security of your wireless network.
Speed is of the essence. Typically, one thing matters to new users of wireless, getting connected and browsing that first website. While wireless connectivity can accomplish this, it�s best to set up your wireless connection securely before venturing out into cyberspace. Below are some tips to help secure your wireless network.
Change the default admin password. Admin passwords are easily figured out by attackers when they are left as the default. Not changing your wireless admin password opens your network to attack and can lead to many problems depending on the attacker�s agenda.
Another wireless security measure you will need to take is turning on encryption. Enabling WEP encryption on your wireless network will help you protect your privacy and all your info won�t be floating around outside your home waiting to be picked up by a passerby. It�s important to remember that all your devices on the wireless network will need to have the same encryption. So find the strongest encryption possible that will work on all devices of the wireless network.
Stop the auto-connect feature. Do not allow your devices to auto-connect. Allowing auto-connect may connect to a network that you don�t particularly want. Example, you don�t want your laptop connecting to your neighbor�s network and sending info.
It�s also a good idea that you install firewalls on all devices that connect to the wireless network. Even if the wireless router is firewalled, it�s important to also install firewalls on all computers that are connected to the wifi network. It�s important that these firewalls be set up correctly and block any intrusions that may compromise your wifi network.
Position your wireless router close to the center of your home. Although the reach of wifi networks can vary greatly, it�s important to not allow the signal to float around great distances from the main access point. It virtually impossible to stop all leakage from exiting your home. But minimizing the risk to your wifi network will help to protect it.
Another good idea for wifi network security is to not allow broadcast of the SSID. Your router may have SSID broadcasting set up by default; however you should be able to change this setting in the configuration. This feature is only useful for mobile environments, and is not needed in home wifi networks.
These are just a few tips to securing your wifi network. It�s always a good idea to check for firmware updates to your router as new exploits and vulnerabilities arise. Some routers will have an auto update feature and it�s important to use it. Using auto update will help keep your wifi network secure without the need of remembering to check for updates.
Data Recovery Over Hard Disk Failure
Hard Disk: An Introduction
Hard Disks are used to store information. All information on computers are stored in files. Hard disks store the majority of information on today's modern computer. Hard disk drives (HDDs) can be critically damaged by static electricity, shock, and other factors, often resulting in failure or the loss of valuable data. In many cases it may become necessary to recover information from your hard drive. Such retrieval is quite possible.
Hard Disk Failure
*Physical Failures
Physical failure occurs from sudden switch off, power failure, sliding them off desks and cheap components. As for data loss, data is only magnetic impulses on the surface of a hard disk. And ridiculously small bits of magnetism at that! When the magnetic impulse fades, or changes position, trouble starts.
Drive Alignment Drift is another cause of problems. Mechanical devices are subject to wear and tear, heat and cold, loosening tolerances etc.
The small changes in the read/write heads wouldn't matter usually, as data still gets written in the same place as it will be read later. However, there is some data that hardly ever gets re-written, and that is the Sector ID Headers.
*Logical Failures
Master Boot Record Failure
Technically, when the Master Boot Record is working correctly, the master boot code scans the partition table for the active partition, finds the starting sector, loads a copy of the boot sector from the active partition into memory and then transfers control to the executable code in the boot sector. If the master boot code cannot complete these functions, the system displays a message similar to the MBR error.
*Boot Sector Failure
The boot sector is a region of a hard disk, floppy disk, and other similar data storage device. It is loaded to memory and executed as a part of the bootstrap sequence. The boot sector contains a small computer program that is loaded on the operating system into memory and transfers the control.
Most boot sector failure occurs by the defection of boot sector virus. Boot sector viruses are usually spread by infected floppy disks. In the past, these were usually bootable disks, but this is no longer the case. A floppy disk does not need to be bootable to transmit a boot virus. Any disk can cause infection if it is in the drive when the computer boots up or shuts down.
*Accidentally Deleted Data
Some time some how you may delete a file thinking we don?t need it any more, but in a week or or two you may realize that it is a needed one. It happens to the best of us, but fortunately there are ways to get these lost files back.
When it comes to data on your computer, it is almost impossible to accidentally remove it beyond recoverability. Even if you are intentionally trying to completely wipe a file from your hard drive it is exceedingly difficult.
*Cross Linked Files
A file system error that corrupts the contents of an existing file by writing data from another file into the same cluster. Running Scandisk or a similar program cleans up the problem, but one of the files is no longer usable.
*Bad Sectors
It is a portion of the Hard disk that cannot be used any more. If a part of the disk get bad sector which contains data then those data is to be recovered before use. When you format a disk, the OS will mark all the unusable sector as bad sector, however, this does not affect the overall performance of the disk as the damaged space is considered unusable.
Hard Disk Data Recovery
*Replace the (Circuit Board) PCB
Upon a Hard Drive circuit board failure, it is possible to get back the data by carefully replacing the PCB of the hard drive.
*Replace the Firmware
Hard disk firmware is the information that is used by the computer that allows it to correctly interact with the hard disk. It may be replaced or updated by the matching firmware.
*Replace the Head Stack
There are common situation that may be due to head failures. There is a small chip located in the head stack that is called PREAMPLIFIER. Working with preamplifiers always includes some difficulties, because, practically, they can not withstand static discharges. If re-soldering is needed, one should follow a number of rules to protect a preamplifier from static damage caused by careless finger touching. Although this task is very risky and it should be done in a high secured lab specially created for this task.
*Move the disk to another Drive
In some cases complete functionality of the Hard drive may be disabled while only the internal disk plate is without any damages or errors. In those situations, it is possible to move the disk to another drive.
*Spin-Stand Testers
Hard drive manufactures and their head media; preamplifier and read channel suppliers do have very accurate, very expensive "magic machines" called Spin-Stands. These are used for testing and experimenting with heads and disks. They are used mostly by researcher and development departments.
*Magnetic Force Microscopes (MFM)
Magnetic force microscopy is a powerful tool for high-resolution magnetic imaging of most data storage media. As the density of magnetic media is higher, the bit becomes smaller than the wavelength of light, so optical techniques can not resolve it. General MFM is capable of imaging the magnetic domain of several tens of nanometers. Also, MFM is almost simultaneous with measuring the surface characteristics of topography and roughness of the same area with sub-angstrom vertical resolution.
Recovery Softwares
*SpinRite 6.0
SpinRite is a stand-alone DOS program designed to refurbish hard drives, floppy disks and recover data from marginally or completely unreadable hard drives and floppy disks and from partitions and folders which have become unreadable.
*Ontrack data recovery software
Ontrack Data Recovery offers the industry's highest quality and cost-effective do-it-yourself data recovery software solutions for almost any data loss situation covering servers, desktops or laptops for all media, operating systems and file types. Ontrack's EasyRecoveryTM family of products is unmatched in its ability to recover/repair from all causes of lost data.
*Recover My Files
Recover My Files data recovery software will easily recover deleted files emptied from the Windows Recycle Bin, or lost due to the format or corruption of a hard drive, virus or Trojan infection, and unexpected system shutdown or software failure.
Software Backup For Everyone
Backing up your data with almost any electrical device is crucial to keep things intact. No computer or other electronic device is crash proof, problems can occur at any time. All computers can crash at any given time, which normally results in the loss of all data that was stored on the hard drive.
The potential for less is the ideal reason to create a backup of your software and data. How often or how much you need to backup things however, all depends on how you use your computer. If your data is very important or if you use your computer for work, you may need to create a backup of your software on a daily basis, possibly even hourly for some people.
You can use various devices and equipment to backup your data, such as DVD and CD burners, tapes, external hard drives, servers on the Internet, and so on and so forth. Although each one has pros and cons, you should always use more than one backup method if your data is extremely important to you, just to be on the safe side.
When it comes to backing up your data using software, there are five different methods you can use:
1. Full backup - A full backup will create a mirror of your hard drive, every file and folder that you currently have on your computer.
2. Differential backup - A differential backup creates the backup only for files that have been changed or upgraded.
3. Disk image - This will give you the choice of backing up your entire hard drive or just the files that you select.
4. Unattended backup - Using this method, you can set the software that will create the backup to do all of the work, even if you aren�t around.
5. Snapshot backup - A snapshot backup will mirror your hard drive, backing up the images of your files.
When you decide to get a software program to assist you with backing up your files, you should always get a program that best fits your needs. Price is also an important factor, although ease of use and overall reliability should always be the most important factors when it comes to your data.
Most programs are easy to use, so even if you have never backed up your data before, you�ll be able to do it without any problems. All you�ll need to do is load the software then follow the instructions that come up on the screen.
All in all, software backup is the best way to keep your data preserved and ready. Something can happen to your computer at any given time, which is why you should always be on the safe side and back up your data every chance you get.
Open Active Folder in Command Prompt !
Data Protection: Why and How
The advent of world-spanning computer technologies has created an environment in which all sorts of data is easily accessible by almost anyone. At the same time, more and more of our personal data is being collected and stored in computer systems. How can we be sure that it's safe? Data protection systems and technologies exist to protect our privacy.
Data protection is geared towards protecting personal information such as family details and medical records - information we may not want to share with just anyone. Data protection schemes aim to guarantee everyone a basic minimum of privacy in line with the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. People dealing with sensitive government or corporate information may also rely on data protection.
Data protection begins with the type of privacy agreements which you will often see when you're asked to enter personal information into a website. This is the first stage of data protection - communication, ensuring that all those who are party to information exchange agree on what constitutes private data. Protection of such information can't otherwise be assumed, as the rules on what ought to fall under data protection schemes differ in different countries and between different organisations.
Whenever sensitive information is stored on computer systems, the law demands that it must be subject to adequate data protection. Special data protection software has been developed for this purpose, designed to identify this information and keep it separate from other records. Data protection depends on good information management, limiting access and, in some cases, limiting the period for which information is stored. Data protection software may also limit the context in which sensitive information can be utilised.
The advent of secure data protection systems minimises the risk of identity fraud faced by computer users sharing personal information. Data protection is essential in ensuring that emerging technologies do not undermine the older systems on which society is based.
How To Change Your Computer's Heat Sink
Everyone really want a fast hot computer when we want to do some business computing and when we want to play those high speed games.But we don't want a fast and Hot computer in the literal sense.
Heat will destroy any computer component if not removed in time.And the CPU Chip is one of the main components of your system that produces heat.
The heat sink has the all important task of keeping the CPU Chip cool so it does not overheat.And there may be times when the heat sink will fail to perform its job and must be changed.
Changing the heat sink on your central processing unit or CPU chip is a simple job.And the best part is that you only need a small screwdriver,cotton swabs,and some rubbing alcohol.
To change the heat sink remember to think safety first.This means that you want to be sure you have clean hands,a clean work place,and removing all static charge from your body by touching a door knob or any other metal object.
Once you have a suitable work area and clean hands you should now have a clean suitable mind as well. Allow this task to be both educational and fun.To change the heat sink perform the following.
Step 1.Unplug the computer and remove the cover from the System Unit case.
Step 2. Find the CPU Chip and the heat sink will be on top.Find the wires that go to the motherboard and very carefully unplug them.
Step 3. Remove the old heat sink and cooling fan assembly.Most Pentium based computers will have two levers that lock the heat sink in place.
On older Pentium computers,the AMD Athlon and the Duron processor,look for a ZIF or Zero Insertion Force socket where the processor is mounted.
Gently release the clips by sliding a very small screwdriver blade underneath it and lift the heat sink off the CPU.Take great care here do you don't damage the cpu chip in any way.
Step 4. Once the old heat sink has been removed, clean away the old thermal paste using cotton swabs and rubbing alcohol.Allow time for the CPU to dry.
Step 5. Grab some thermal paste and squeeze a little onto the top of the CPU.Only place enough to have a thin layer between the CPU and Heat Sink.
Step 6. Before installing the new heat sink, clean the bottom off with some warm, soapy water. Check to be sure the Heat Sink is dry before installing it.
Step 7. Carefully line it up over the ZIF socket and processor if so equipped.If the computer have the newer Pentium or Athlon based chip,lock the two clips holding the assembly.
Step 8. With the CPU and heat sink firmly in place, now its time to re-connect the fan wires for the cooling fan.Plug the assembly into the motherboard.
Step 9. Check,double check,and after that,check some more to be sure all connections are in place.See if the heat sink assembly is well secured in its socket.
Step 10. Now replace the system unit cover,plug any peripherals you disconnected.Start the PC and the computer should now realize it has a new device in its system.
Once the computer has been booted up,check to be sure the Operating System is working.If possible, look at rear of the computer to see if the fan is operating as it should.
The Central Processing Unit is not the only heat producing component in your computer.But since its the brains of any computer,you want to be sure the heat sink performs at its best.
Take the time to learn this procedure in detail by removing the case and looking at the heat sink in your own computer.Knowing how to perform this task can save you money should you need to change your heat sink in the future.
Try Out a Registry Cleaner - Speed Up Your System
Registry cleaners are made to make the system run faster and error free. These cleaners are available for free download from the Internet. So why not make the most of the system?
Windows operating system has a database repository for all information pertaining to a computers configuration. This information will include the data regarding the hardware and the software of the system. It will also include information regarding the users and what permissions they have on the system. The system registry keeps on growing automatically as programs are added and deleted. As the registry keeps growing it gets loaded with unnecessary information and data. This gradually clutters and fragments the registry over time. The constant growth of the registry can also degrade the performance of the PC and cause the system to crash. A good registry cleaner will defrag the registry and make it more compact by cleaning the registry of all the redundant entries that are slowing the system down.
Registry Cleaners Are a Must Have
Many registry cleaner software such as windows XP registry cleaner, windows free registry cleaner, PC registry cleaner and the like Scan the system registry and locate the obsolete information that is clogging and slowing down the system. This information can include broken links and redundant programs that serve no purpose to the system at all. The registry cleaners try to fix these broken links by locating the programs that can be associated with them or if the programs are already associated then the registry cleaner will delete the broken link altogether. This frees up space in the registry and leaves spaces that need to be filled by bringing the registry entries closer together. This is called compressing the registry. The purpose of a registry cleaner is to make the system run faster and error free. Most of the registry cleaners achieve this with ease.
Backup Function Is Most Important
Registry cleaners have a registry backup function that needs to be run before cleaning up the registry. This is because the registry is the backbone of the system and in case anything goes wrong at least the system can be restored to its previous working level. Many registry cleaners and registry repair software have a startup management tool built in. This permits the user to select the programs that start up automatically when the system boots. Though this can be achieved by typing the famous MSCONFIG command at the RUN dialogue box the registry tools keep you up-to-date with the programs that are in the startup of the system every time you run the registry cleaner on your system.
So to cut a long story short it is sufficient to say that PC users have found that the use of Registry Cleaners is a boon to the PC. The registry cleaner software keeps the system running fast and efficiently all the time. The only job left for the user to do is to manually run the Registry cleaner from time to time.
What Is an ActiveX Control And How Is It Related With The Registry ?
ActiveX is a technology that was developed by Microsoft to enhance the display of images, video and animation in their browsers. ActiveX components are a set of rules that guide the browser to display hi-resolution images and streaming video properly.
It should suffice to say that ActiveX is a technology that was developed to bring the power of Object Linking and Embedding or OLE as it is popularly known, to empower web browsers and particularly Internet Explorer, to display such objects. When web pages with embedded ActiveX components are downloaded, the corresponding controls are also downloaded and automatically launched by the operating system of the computer. This can, over some time, clutter up the registry with unwanted data and controls, thus slowing down the system drastically. This will mean having to clean up the registry with a registry cleaner periodically. ActiveX controls are actually used by windows to display very rich interfacing activity such as animation, video images, virtual reality that used 3D technology, high resolution images and the like.
ActiveX Prompts For Registry Cleaners
When downloaded into your computer, an ActiveX control is actually packaged as an .OCX file. There are cases when more .OCX files are downloaded and needed for a web page. The .OCX files like ActiveX controls need to be registered on your system before they can be used. Registering means that a program capable of doing this, queries the ActiveX control and saves specific information about it into Windows Registry, so that the operating system can find it and therefore be able to use the ActiveX control. However, one must keep in mind the importance or cleaning up the registry periodically. The Internet has the best registry cleaners available free. So, make use of them to keep your system running smoothly.
Pro's and Con's Of ActiveX Controls
It is important to understand that with all the 'pros' of ActiveX technology also come a few 'cons' as well. ActiveX is a very powerful tool and is sometimes used by individuals, with a flair for the technology, to create ActiveX controls with malicious intentions. These 'corrupt' ActiveX controls can wreck havoc on your system and leave you helpless for no fault of yours. After all, you know that ActiveX is supposed to help your system run some programs, right. So why not download an ActiveX control when you are prompted to do so? It is for this reason that Microsoft has developed the ActiveX security system.
In Windows XP operating system, this security system is embedded in the Internet Explorer. The registry of the system automatically blocks the download and installation of any ActiveX component in the Registry of the computer. Apart from this is an ActiveX component has to be installed the computer will prompt the user to check for the signature of the component. If the ActiveX component is registered with Microsoft the ActiveX is verified as authorized and is allowed to be installed in the registry of the computer. If the ActiveX component is not verified the systems offers the user a choice of not installing the ActiveX control.
Some Advise For Internet Explorer Users
If you are using Internet Explorer you should ensure that you are using a security level set to Medium or above in Internet Explorer. You can do this by going to tools in IE and select 'internet options' then click on 'security' and slide the level to medium or higher. Now, after reading about the entire automatic downloads of controls and stuff, it makes sense to download a free window registry cleaner and use it periodically to clean the registry of your system. There are enhanced registry XP cleaners to clean the complex registry of Windows XP as well.
What Is A Shortcut And How Does It Work?
A shortcut may be a link that you have created somewhere, usually on the desktop, or may be a combination of keys to launch a program. Shortcuts will all be registered in the registry and clutter it up as and when you keep on adding the shortcuts to the computer. The registry thus needs to be cleaned up regularly with a registry cleaner.
There are two types of shortcuts in windows operating system environment. On shortcut is a link created and placed anywhere. This is mainly placed where one can see it such as on the desktop. Right clicking on the desktop and selecting -New - Shortcut can create a shortcut link on the desktop. Then browsing through the next window to get to the file or program that you want to create a shortcut link on the desktop to.
Once you have selected the object for the shortcut you click finish and a link is created on the desktop. Clicking on this link will open the file. Another way is to navigate or browse to the file or program on the PC and right click and select 'create shortcut'. The system will warn you that the short cut will be placed on the desktop for the particular object. Clicking 'ok' will accomplish the task. Now that you know what a shortcut is and how it works, you should also know the impact it may have on the registry of the system and why the registry has to be cleaned with a registry cleaner from time to time.
Some shortcuts can be created with the help of the windows keyboard. Presetting a set of control Alt (Key) will start up a program without you having to navigate to where the program is stored to get it up and running. However these shortcuts will all be registered in the registry and clutter it up as and when you keep on adding the shortcuts to the computer.
The registry is a central database of all the activity on the system and needs to be cleaned up regularly with a registry cleaner because as the registry grows older and is used more often it slows. When a shortcut key is pressed the shortcut keys refer to the registry for information on where to locate the program or file to launch. The registry in turn goes through its entire database in the section to locate the data being queried. So, if the registry is large with useless shortcuts, it will take a very long time to locate the shortcut that is being sought. This is the reason that the registry must be cleaned with a windows registry cleaner on a regular basis.
There are many free windows registry cleaners on the Internet. So go on and make your choice. It can only be of help to speeding up the system and making the operating system run error free and more efficiently with as few headaches as possible.
How To Avoid Spyware
Spyware can install itself into your system when you clicked some link to a program, opened spam email, clicked on certain popup windows or if you were downloading some free utilities, toolbars or games. Protect yourself with antispyware software. And check to see if your security settings are too low, change the settings to default level or higher, and keep a check on what you download.
Spyware is so invasive that Antispyware programs rank high on everyone's list of favorites when it comes to keeping the computer healthy and running. While no one's safe from spyware, there are some things you can do to avoid spyware, in addition to having antispyware solutions installed.
The most irritating thing about spyware is how it got into your system in the first place, not to mention how long it's been there or what it is doing. What could have triggered its existence in your system? What is even more annoying is the fact that you probably got tricked into clicking a link to some program for it to get installed in your system! Maybe you opened spam email - sometimes that's all it takes.
If you click on certain popup windows or if you were downloading some free utilities, toolbars or games, there's a pretty good chance it sneaked in that way, unless you had antispyware solutions installed in your system. The most likely source are those file sharing programs that are rife with spyware. And if you happened to browse through a corrupt website, it is no mystery at all as to how the spyware came in. Some legitimate software applications come bundled with the spyware.
Be Careful About Those Freebies
The Internet is full of free software that tempts you and when you succumb to it, comes integrated with spyware. If you are not protected by antispyware software, this spyware will relay all your browsing habits to spurious advertisers. Even your sensitive personal data can be revealed. How do you prevent this from happening? The first step is obviously to install antispyware software.
Exercising Caution
Beware when you surf the Internet. Check to see if your security settings are too low. If your system is not protected with antispyware software, this low security setting is a fine entry point for tracking cookies and spyware programs so that they can lodge themselves in your system. So, first change the settings to default level or higher, preferably, and keep a track of what you download. Update your operating system regularly. And keep your antispyware application also up to date with new definitions. Your antispyware solution will detect, then quarantine and delete spyware that happens to enter your system by chance.
Watch your email! If you don't recognize the sender, don't open the email or click anything in it. Only open email or download programs from sites you trust. Nothing comes free. Check around the online forums about which software comes bundled with spyware. It is easy to get feedback off the Internet about spyware and which antispyware is best to combat it.
How To Maintain Your Privacy Online
Nobody wants their private information all over the internet. If a hacker gets a hold of some of your personal information, it can ruin your life. Did you know that many websites collect your personal information without your permission and without you even knowing it?
They collect this information for a variety of reasons. They like to get information and send you spam, adware, and junk mail. Sometimes hackers can get this personal information and use it for identity theft or to infiltrate your computer. But I know you are wondering �how do they get my private information through the Internet?�
It is actually quite easy. First of all, every computer has an IP address. When you visit someone�s website, the website owner can track you through your IP address. All IP addresses are logged into the website�s server. You IP address can give away details many private details like, where you live.
It can be quite a scary thought, but there is a solution. The solution is an anonymous proxy server. So, what is an anonymous proxy server? An anonymous proxy server is a machine that is between your computer and the server you are accessing to view the web page you want to look at. They provide the best privacy and hide your IP address so you can surf anonymously and securely. No one will even be able to tell that you are using an anonymous proxy server!
FindProxy.org is one of the best tools for hiding your identity from online scammers. It is your guide to private online surfing. They have a huge list of fresh proxy servers. The best thing about Findproxy.org is that they are 100% free and that they are always up to date. Being updated frequently is very important because eventually all proxies get blocked.
