PC Parts 4 Geeks http://pcparts4geeks.com Thu, 23 Feb 2012 04:44:23 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.1.3 Data Backup http://pcparts4geeks.com/computer/data-backup/ http://pcparts4geeks.com/computer/data-backup/#comments Mon, 20 Jun 2011 01:52:33 +0000 Sam Hayden http://pcparts4geeks.com/?p=194 Continue reading →]]> One of the most important and most neglected areas of computing is data backup. Backing up your data should be one of your highest priorities along with computer maintenance and computer security. Loss of your personal data such as documents, photographs, and music can occur in many ways. One of the most common causes of data loss is hard drive failure. For whatever reason, a good percentage of computer users are under the impression that it is not possible to be a victim of a failed hard drive resulting in complete data loss. It does happen and it will happen to you eventually. Sometimes you will have a warning of a hard drive failing. You may hear the drive begin to make strange clicking noises. The drive may begin to run very slow while booting up the computer or copying data. Other times there will be no warning. You will boot up your computer only to be told that no operating system is installed or no boot device can be found. Other causes of data loss can occur from power surges, power spikes, virus attacks, and lets not forget about theft and fire damage. There are many data backup options, which I have outlined below.
External Media: Some options of external media are CD’s, USB Flash Drives, Zip Disks, and external hard drives. A CD is a good choice if you are backing up less that 650 megabytes of data, which is what most CD’s are capable of holding. Anything over 650 megabytes of data can be backed up to a USB flash drive, which can be purchased in many different size capacities to suit your needs. Additionally you can purchase an external hard drive that plugs directly to your computer, this is also a common method of data backup.
Online Backup: Online backup options have become the most popular and efficient way of backing up your data for a couple of reasons. One of the main reasons is that the risk of catastrophic data loss as a result of fire, theft, or any other disaster is pretty much eliminated. Say for instance, you use an online backup service, your home is burglarized and your computer is stolen, taking all of your important data with it. With an online backup service, hook up your new computer when you get it, run the online backup services application, and restore your data to your computer. Easy as that. If you would have backed up to an external hard drive and that got stolen as well, then your important data went with it. Read on for some online backup options, which I recommend. I have listed these in the order in which I recommend them.
Jungledisk: With Jungledisk you can securely backup your files, restore data if lost or corrupted, and protect all of your computers for one monthly fee, starting at just $2.00 per month.
Carbonite: Carbonite offers secure file transmission and storage and easy file recovery for $59.00 per year, which is about $4.91 per month.
Mozy: Mozy allows you to backup your data and restore when needed. Home user solutions starting at $5.99 per month.
]]> http://pcparts4geeks.com/computer/data-backup/feed/ 0 Computer Maintenance http://pcparts4geeks.com/computer/computer-maintenance/ http://pcparts4geeks.com/computer/computer-maintenance/#comments Mon, 13 Jun 2011 01:43:30 +0000 Sam Hayden http://pcparts4geeks.com/?p=147 Continue reading →]]> Just as I have pointed out in my article titled, “Computer Security,” you can also maintain your computer without running out to your local computer retailer to spend a small fortune on software that has not been rated as well as some of the simple free software that you can download right here on the internet all without spending a single cent!
Keeping your computer maintained:
Just as important as obtaining and installing a trusted anti-virus application, it is very imperative that you also obtain and install at least a couple of applications that aide in maintaining your computer system. Listed below are a couple of options that will keep your system maintained and running at its highest performance:
CCleaner: CCleaner is the number-one tool for cleaning your Windows PC. It protects your privacy online and makes your computer faster and more secure. Easy to use and a small, fast download. CCleaner is a utility program used to clean potentially unwanted files and invalid Windows Registry entries from a computer.

Malwarebytes: Malwarebytes has a terrific history of protecting computers by removing all types of malware, spyware, ad-ware, and root-kits. Malwarebytes provides superior protection for your computer. Run it at least once a week to ensure that you keep your computer spyware free.

 

]]> http://pcparts4geeks.com/computer/computer-maintenance/feed/ 0 Computer Security http://pcparts4geeks.com/computer/computer-performance-and-security/ http://pcparts4geeks.com/computer/computer-performance-and-security/#comments Sun, 12 Jun 2011 01:01:47 +0000 Sam Hayden http://pcparts4geeks.com/?p=44 Continue reading →]]> Contrary to popular belief, you do not have to spend a small fortune to protect your computer from viruses, scammers, and snoops. In fact, you do not have to spend a single penny. You can obtain all of the software that you need to keep your computer running safe and secure, which will ensure that your computer will operate at its highest performance. This software is downloadable on the internet and is 100% free of charge. If this interests you read on!
Keeping your computer safe:
One of  the very first steps of keeping your computer safe is to obtain and install a trusted antivirus application. You may have heard of Norton antivirus, or McAfee antivirus. These two applications are not free, in fact not only do you have to pay for the software itself, you will find yourself paying a yearly fee to continue to use the software. Why do this when you can download free software that has been proven in some cases to out perform the applications that cost so much to use? There are a couple of different options, which are outlined below:
AVG Anti-Virus Free: This application is a great fit for your computer if you use your computer for casual everyday web surfing, email, and social networking. Additionally AVG helps to protect your computer if you bank or shop online. Also includes Link Scanner, which checks web pages before you visit them and shows safety ratings.

 

 

Avast Anti-Virus: Avast Anti-Virus has been represented as being one of  the best free antivirus protection applications currently available on the internet. Avast is FREE OF CHARGE for non-commercial & home use. Its features include, Anti-spyware, built-in Web Shield, Anti-root-kit, automatic updates, Strong self-protection, simple User Interface, protection support for 64-bit Windows, and P2P and IM Shields.

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