PCinfospace

This question gets asked a lot. As I see it, if your going to pick an easy password you might as well not even have one.

Hay! Do I even need a password?

I’m going to say yes. It isn’t all that hard!  Here is why you need one:

• With the introduction of spyware every attempt is being made to obtain your personal data so that the “thief” can become you.  This is Identity theft and it is growing fast.
• To keep people out of your computer that shouldn’t be there.  This is especially important if you are in a work environment.
• Keeping critical data protected is another reason.  Tax records, personal information and even pictures.
• Keeping children out.  Why? There are plenty of “illegal” sites out there.  A child doesn’t have to be a teen. In fact the spammers and other “Bad” sites work hard to get the young child.  They try to get them hooked on this bad stuff.
• Protecting your bank account.  A lot of people transfer funds through the internet. Purchasing over the internet can also cause problems.
• Protecting your credit card.  THIS IS BIG!! DO NOT buy anything you don’t look up yourself.  If a screen pops up do not be tempted to purchase what is on it.

How do I insure that my password is protected?

• Protect your computer with the best Anti-Virus/Anti-spyware program you can afford.  This will help keep out spy-ware and other unwanted programs.
• Make up a password. Do not use common dates or names such as: your name or a family member’s, an animal’s name, any date of birth or other important date, a name spelled backwards (the one thing spy-ware programs look for) and other common names.
• Use at least 8 characters. Have at least one capital letter and one number. EXAMPLE: Vt24pY@U

How do I remember this?

You memorize it or write it down.  If you write it down do not use a post it note that you put by the computer. Another way not to do it! Sorry! The evil ones need a challenge.  At least it’ll be a little harder. Do not get lazy! Somebody will take advantage of you.

Why would I write such an article? Mainly because I have experienced with what I am about to write about.

Did you ever do a backup of files, email or pictures only to find out they weren’t really backed up. I have and so have many of my clients.

Tape drives, DVDs, CDs and even USB drive ‘s can fail. You should periodically test the backups to be sure they are actually working. Another problem is that they may not be backing up what you think they are. They may not even be backing up to the chosen drive or location you want them to. This could be because you configure it wrong or just because the software is defective. Because the drive, tape, or other media can go bad.

Obviously there are many kinds of data people can back up. This data could be very critical base files that many small and large businesses have, important family pictures, emails or just a file you think is important.   

 What do I need in order to do a backup?

You need media to copy data to. This could be a second hard drive, USB drive,  tape, CD, or DVD. Tape drives have become fairly obsolete but there are still many around. Some companies back up to a server or even an online service.

Once you establish were your going to put the data you need to decide how you’re going to get it there. If you have a small amount of data you simply need to select the file or folder and drag it to the location were you plan to store it. Be sure to right click when you drag it. If you left click you actually remove the file or folder from its previous location. What’s worse is that it may not be  obvious that you did it. If that happens, you will probably need to copy it back again.

What about large amounts of data?

Here is where things can really get tricky. First of all you need to store the files you want to back up in a single directory.  I recommend keeping anything you want to see again in “My Documents”, or a directory (folder) of your choice. If you want, you can simply right click the folder, drag it to its destination, and copy it.

WAIT! What about the files you copied there last time?

Yes! This is why it is better to have a USB drive and have two of them. It is also better to store one off site in a safety deposit box or at a different address. That way if there is a fire or other catastrophic situation you have your data.

What about programs?

You can not “copy” programs. The industry has taken steps to license the programs they sell for this very reason. Copying is called pirating and you can get penalties, fines, or even jail in some cases. You MUST have a legal copy of the program. This is why it’s better to take an image of the drive. An image will copy all your settings, programs, files and anything else that is on the drive.

Wow! How do I do that?

You need a program that will do it! Buy Norton Ghost or any other program that can do this. This actually will create an image of your drive. This includes absolutely anything you had on your drive. This is the best method to move the data from one drive to another. If the current drive ever goes bad or you just run out of disk space this image of the drive will be a life saver.

What will all this cost?

It would cost a lot more to have a technician do it. These costs have skyrocketed. You can easily spend $150 or more. This may not include the programs you need to buy and time you may loose. Break down and do the right thing. You save nothing by trying to take shortcuts. An ounce of prevention here will save you time also. If you have an image or even a file backup you can get up and running fairly fast.

I hope this article helps! Just be sure you verify that your backup is really working and you will be fine.

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Periodically we need to get ourselves a new computer. We also may need to transfer data from the old one to the new computer. Another reason is to backup or copy our data.

Ways to back up data

• Connect an external USB hard drive to a USB port.
• If you have a second drive installed in your computer you could use it.
• On line storage.  This is normally a website that either automatically backs up your new data or you can do it manually.
• Network storage.  Many companies (if not all) use this means of storage.  The backups are normally automated and back up at a given time sequence.
• Technician backups – some small companies hire somebody to back their data up for them.
• Outsourcing. This is getting more popular. Some outside firm is assigned to do backups and maybe all tech support.

These are some of the ways. If you just want to simply transfer one file or folder many people now use USB thumb drives.  This saves resources and the cost of using a disk. Some thumb drives are as big as 16 gigabyte. If you are on a network you can use the transfer method the company allows you to use.

What about tape drives?

I have seen a few companies still using this method. However,  if you use a USB external drive it is extremely faster, can store more data, and retrieve it instantly. It has far more data integrity also. A tape drive takes much longer to retrieve data and the tapes can go bad much faster.  It is known that these tapes will fail you when you need them the most. They also have a much shorter life span.

One touch drives

These drives are just how they sound.  They can be set up so that you can just touch a button and it will back up whatever you have told it to. This is great for small companies. These drives keep coming down in price also.

Emergencies and Catastrophes

This is exactly why you need to know what files to move and how to move them. If there is a problem, you will hope you transferred all the necessary data to the right place.

THE BIG THING is that it is off site.  Many people do not take this step and pay for it later.  A simple way is to use two USB drives.  Every month (or what you decide) you take one to a safety deposit box or some other off site location. You can also use a rewritable disk if you have a good way to cut one. Another new way is to back them up or move them to an internet backup site. These aren’t real expensive and may save you some day.

One more way

You can do a mirror image of the drive.  You will need special software such as Norton Ghost.  If you use this method you can literally replace your entire computer hard drive if something goes wrong.  This can also be used if you need to transfer your data to a different hard drive for any reason. Some older drives are small and run out of space quickly. This will move any and all programs, and files you had. Do not use this method if you have viruses.  You will only transfer the viruses.

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As I am writing this article new laws are being made that will prevent people from throwing computers, monitors and other components in the trash. Be sure what you are allowed to do in your area.

Computer repair services also may include deciding a computer is uneconomically repairable. This simply means that the cost of repair exceeds the cost of replacement. In that case the computer owner needs to take action to properly dispose of the computer. If you have a Goodwill store or other recycling outlet in your area you can take it there and they will do the rest.

What to do before you recycle it

Every area of the country is different when it comes to recycling  computers and computer equipment. Check your local ordinances.  Sometimes you can get fined or arrested if you dispose of this equipment illegally.  For example, you may need to separate plastic components from steel.

The main thing to do is remove any parts you may need for the new computer or that you can use as a spare part in the future. Maybe you need the CD-ROM or Memory chips.  However, you MUST remove your personal data from your hard drive. Why? If you do not remove your personal data you could become a victim of identity theft. You may have your name and address and even you contact information in either your e-mail or some other program.  Even worse they might be able to log into your bank account.  Thieves are out there just waiting for you to make this mistake.

How can you sure your information is removed?

You need to reformat the drive.  Some computers come with restore disks and others have a key you can push when you first start the computer.  In any case you need to be sure any data you want to keep is backed up on another drive or storage media. Once you start restoring the hard drive all data will be removed and you will not be able to get it back. Although there are possibilities to still get some of your information off, most people will not know how to and will not have the necessary tools to do it with.  If you have very sensitive records (medical, criminal or other) you will need to have somebody use a special program that will obliterate any data that may be on the hard drive.

Are there other ways?

Yes! You could totally remove the hard drive.  However, you need to remember that your personal data may still be on it.  Either get somebody to destroy the information or make sure the drive is marked so you don’t loose it. You can still use it in another computer or as a backup drive.

What if I want to sell the old computer?

If you plan to give away or sell your old computer you definitely need to make sure all personal data is off the hard drive. This is the single biggest mistake people make when they get rid of an old computer.  If you don’t know how to get rid of personal information find somebody that can do it for you.

I may have sounded repetitious about being sure your personal data is not on the hard drive.  This was intentional.  Even after all the warnings,  people still make this huge mistake.

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