Security Software — Backup Software

By terry Leave a Comment

When we think of security software, we usually think of antivirus, firewall, antispyware and antispam software. But, what other kind of software is security software? Backup software, of course.

We need to make backup copies of our important data. That data may be financial, such as your checkbook in Quicken, or your spreadsheet tracking your investmants. Or, it may be personal, non-financial data such as digital family photos.

What if your hard drive won’t start one day? What will you lose? What if your computer is stolen (let’s ignore, for now, whether you should encrypt data on your hard drive to protect it from others — let’s just think about the inconvenience and loss to us!)?

There are two basic types of backups you should do.

You need to regularly back up your individual data files to another computer, to an external hard drive, or even to an online repository (but realize, if you have to rebuild the data on your computer, it may have to be downloaded for days and days). An external hard drive is the best choice if you don’t have a home network where you could copy to another computer.

If you have a home network, …

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Filed Under: Backup, Software, System Repair, Terry's Computer Tips, Vista, Windows 7, Windows XP

Catastrophic Hard Drive Failure

By terry Leave a Comment

Reader Jeanne Wright wrote me about her recent hard drive failure:

My computer just crashed and I had to have a new hard drive installed. Is there any way to get the information on my files and folders from the old hard drive? If so, where can I find someone to do this? Needless to say, I had NOT backed up my computer before all this happened. Thanks!

I wrote back to Jeanne to say that, depending on the nature of the hard drive failure, her data may or may not be recoverable at a reasonable price.

Continue reading Catastrophic Hard Drive Failure

Filed Under: Backup, Hard drive, Hardware, PC Repairs, Terry's Computer Tips, Troubleshooting, Upgrades

Why Back Up Your Computer?

By terry 1 Comment

As a long-time personal computer user, I learned the importance of backing up my data long, long ago.

There are just too many things that can go wrong when you’re working on your computer. Whether it is a hard drive that goes bad (or a floppy, in the old days), or a mental lapse on the part of the user, it is easy to lose the critical file on which you’re working. Or, maybe your computer has gotten infected with a virus or a rootkit, such that you decide that reinstalling Windows is the easiest thing to do.

How many times have you opened a file with the intent to make a new version of it, then edited it, and accidentally saved it again with the original name? I have, so I doubt that you’ve missed that thrill. Fortunately, I make daily backups of my data, so that I can recover from those brain failures.

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Filed Under: Backup, Hard drive, HowTo, Storage, System Control, Terry's Computer Tips, Vista, Windows XP

Coupon Code – Acronis True Image Home 11

By terry Leave a Comment

Acronis is running a 20% OFF coupon code special on their backup program Acronis True Image Home 11 during September 2008.

Just go to http://www.pcrepairsite.info/go/acronis20 and use Coupon Code ATIH20 .

If you want, you can order their “extended download time” (normal is 30 days) and/or a CD with Acronis True Image Home 11 on it (dialup users probably want to do this). Both of those are extra cost options.

If you already have an older version of Acronis True Image, you can upgrade at 40% off using this link http://www.pcrepairsite.info/go/acronisupe

Filed Under: Backup, Coupon Codes, Sales, Software

Data Backup versus System Backup

By terry Leave a Comment

If you’ve been using computers for any length of time, you’ve had the problem.

Maybe you haven’t had a hard drive fail, yet, but you’ve managed to delete or overwrite one of your data files with a changed version — and immediately said “Oh, NO!”

Most people have the problem and have no way to recover a copy of their older version. But you can, if you make a habit of backing up your data.

Karen’s Replicator ( www.karenware.com ) is a great program that I use for making backup copies of my data files. With Replicator, I can schedule backups of any modified files as often as I like. I can back up to a different directory on my hard drive, to a different hard drive (internal or external) or even to a directory on a shared drive across my home network.

By scheduling a daily backup of my data files, I know that I’ll have “yesterday’s” version safely available if I manage to butcher my data file.

Replicator covers your files, but is not a solution for Windows itself — Windows has to be reinstalled, not just copied into place.

Fortunately, there’s another solution that is similar to the Restore CDs and Restore DVDs that come with many computers.

I use Acronis True Image (Acronis is the company; True Image is the program.) to make my own versions of Restore DVDs. Often, I don’t even burn them to DVD’s. I can more easily save the images to an External drive and be able to restore from the external drive.

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Filed Under: Backup, HowTo, PC Repairs, Software, Storage, Terry's Computer Tips

Traveling with a Computer

By terry Leave a Comment

Free NetZero Dialup

Up to 10 Hours Per Month
Great for Cable Backup or Travel
terryscomputertips.com/NetZeroFree

NetZero Platinum

Only $6.95/month – Limited Time Offer – First 12 Months only
terryscomputertips.com/NetZero

PeoplePC Online – Dialup

$5.47/month First 3 Months
then $10.95/month –
terryscomputertips.com/PeoplePC

It’s the season for traveling again — are you going to take a computer on your trip? Or, are you going to take a break from the world of email and web? Or, do you plan to find an available computer to use?

Of course, some people travel a lot for business. They know that email has become a critical part of their business world, so they carry their Blackberry or their notebook computer (or both) to stay in touch.

But, most of us travel occasionally for business or pleasure. We may take along our office computer, if it is a notebook, or our home notebook if we have one. However, both of those options solves many of our needs, but not all of them.

If we’re traveling for business, we often have equipment supplied by our employer to help us keep in touch while we’re on a business trip (or when we’re on vacation .

Continue Reading Traveling with a Computer

Filed Under: Backup, Cable, Dialup, DSL, Terry's Computer Tips, Usability

New articles at Terry’s Computer Tips

By terry 1 Comment
  • Creating Your New Documents in Word
  • Deleting Emails versus Really Deleting Emails
  • Disadvantages of Windows XP’s NTBackup Program
    • Filed Under: Backup, Email, Office, Office Suites, Outlook Express, Windows XP

    Backing Up Your Firefox Bookmarks

    By terry Leave a Comment

    Firefox has a convenient function in its Bookmark Manager (Bookmarks / Bookmark Managerr). Once you’ve opened BookMark Manager, which opens in a new window, just click on File, Export and choose where to save the bookmarks file. By default, the file titled bookmarks.html.

    Of course, if you ever need to restore the file — or to import it into a new Firefox installation — there is a similar Import function there.

    That makes it easy to back up the Firefox bookmarks. It also makes it very easy to take a copy of them with you — on a floppy disk, a CDROM or a USB Flash Drive, or on any type of memory card (Compact Flash, Memory Stick, SD/MMC card, etc) if you have a card reader to take along.

    I usually do it the hard way, though — just out of habit because early browsers didn’t export and import well. Plus, my way, I always have a backed up copy from my nightly backup across my network using Karen’s Replicator Firefox actually stores the bookmarks all in one file, which you can even open with your web browser. You might need to know that, if somehow Firefox becomes corrupted and you are unable to get it to start up or to export the bookmarks.

    Read more in Backing Up Your Firefox Bookmarks

    Filed Under: Backup, Firefox, Internet Access, Stability, Storage, Terry's Computer Tips, Web Browsers

    Free Dialup Internet Access – great backup solution

    By terry Leave a Comment

    I was chatting with Walter Scott, one of my local friends and a Terry’s Computer Tips Newsletter reader, at lunch last week. Walter has a new notebook computer and was trying to come up with a good solution for dialup access for two purposes.

    First, when he travels, he wants to have a good dialup solution with local phone numbers in most of the country. Many hotels have wired or wireless Internet access, but not all of them — or they charge an outrageous price like $10/day for high-speed access.

    Second, he wanted a backup connection via dialup for those times when he has cable Internet troubles (ever notice that your phone still works, even though your electric utility has lost power in your area of town?) — I sent my August 29th Terry’s Computer Tips Newsletter via dialup on Hurricane Katrina Day — no power, but my notebook had its battery and my telephone worked.

    I mentioned to Walter that he could Get Free NetZero Internet Access for 10 hours per month.

    Read Walter’s comments about free dialup from NetZero

    Filed Under: Backup, Dialup, Internet Access, Other, Terry's Computer Tips