Alert

From Tuesday, Microsoft will no longer issue security updates or provide support for Windows 98 and Windows ME, which are still being used by more than 50 million people.

Hardest hit by the cancellation of support will be home users and schools, according to Michael Silver, research vice president of client platforms at research group Gartner, who agrees that support has been extended to fight off the threat from Linux.

Source:

http://news.com.com/Microsoft+puts+end+to+Windows+98+support/2100-1016_3-6092653.html

Alert

Installing and Uninstalling Software

Steps you should take before you Install Software.

* You should run Scan Disk(link to a picture of it) to check the Drive for Errors. Also you may want to check to see if the disk is Fragmented, if it is more then 80%, you should Defragment the drive.
* Scan Disk and Disk Defragmentor(link to a picture of it)--Go to -Start-Programs-Accessories-System Tools, run Scan Disk first, then run Defrag, (do the shut down, 5th paragraph), before you Defrag.
* It wouldn't hurt to run System File Checker( link to a picture of it ) Start-Programs-Accessories-System Tools-System Information-Tools-File Checker, this is a Windows Utility that scans Windows files for corrupted files, if it finds one it will ask for the Windows Disk or your Restore Disk to fix the file. After you install software, you may want to run this. Installs will sometimes replace Windows files or entries, this utility will restore them the way Windows wants them, helps to keep Windows Happy ( :
* Turn off any Virus Software you have running in the background.
* Here is a shut down short cut, press and hold down, Ctrl-Alt-Delete, this will take you to Windows-Close Programs Utility (link to a picture of it ), highlight the virus program and click End Task and wait for a End Task Window to pop up, you may have to do this twice to turn it off. The programs will start up again when you reboot or restart your Computer, you will need to know the name of your Virus program so you know what to disable. Actually you can End Tasks on all those Programs, Except, SysTray and Explorer these run your desktop.
* Now your ready to Install the software
* After the Install is done, you should Reboot your system, if the program didn't, some do not require you to, but I do, just to be safe.
* Next, you need to go to the Software Manufactures Web site, go to the Support Section and check for Update Patches for your software, if there is one, download and install it, then Reboot. Some Programs have Update Utilities built into them, check first before you go to the site.
* Other Factors: most problems with software are usually because of Drivers and Direct X, you can check on your DirectX in the DirectX Diagnostic Tool (link to a picture of it ) Start-Programs-Accessories-System Tools-System Information-Tools-DirectX Diagnostic. Most newer programs now need Direct X 9,0c. , there is a lot of talk about not being able to Uninstall DirectX 9.0c, I guess my question is, why would you want to. Next check for updates for your Video and Sound Cards. This site has a pretty comprehensive database of card manufacture drivers, DriverGuide.Com, you should check your Computer Manual to find out what cards you have on your system and then go to the manufactures site.
* You may also need to configure the video and sound in the software program, usually just in Games.
* For Software to run faster Put in more Ran 512 megs is now the recommended amount for most Programs.

Uninstalling Software

Use the Add/Remove Program to Uninstall Programs (link to a picture of it)

* The Number One reason people have problems with Windows, is because they Uninstall Software improperly. You can't just go to Windows Explorer and delete a program, I mean you can, but you will not Remove the Registry Entries, thusly, Windows will read the Registry Entries, you did not remove and will look for the removed files, Bingo, ERROR MESSAGES.
* Most Good Software Products come with a Uninstall Link. It will be in the Control Panels, Add/Remove Utility, Start--Settings--Control Panel-- Add/Remove Programs(link to a picture of it), if it isn't in Add/Remove it may be in the Programs Menu under that Programs Name, it will say Uninstall ----. Find the Program in the list Add/Remove, highlight it, click on the Add/Remove button, if it asks you, if you would like to leave shared files usually .dll files, say yes to all, leaving them will not bother anything .Besides the next steps will remove them if they are a problem.
* Next, assuming there was a Removal Program. Go to Start--Find, type in the name of the Software you uninstalled, delete any entries or folders for that Software, BE careful ! make sure they are that program, I always find files with a programs name, but it belongs to some other Software, usually when you use the Add/Remove Program (link to a picture of it), if it can't remove a folder or file it will tell you and give you Details of what it left behind.
* If this all sounds like just to much of a hassle and or the Company did not give you a removal program, use a Commercial Uninstall Program like Clean Sweep. All you do is Highlight the Programs .exe file you want to Uninstall and Clean Sweep will find all the entries for that Program and will then make a backup of the program and then Remove it. This way if the Removal of the Program creates problems, or you suddenly regret the removal, you can Restore it. You can have Clean Sweep retain the backup file for as long as you like, if there are no problems, you can have Clean Sweep Delete the Backup file. Once you delete the Backup file, run a program like Nortons WinDoctor or Reg Cleaner to double check that all entries were removed. If the Program is not listed in Clean Sweeps main window, you will have to go to the Search Section and look for the .EXE file to remove it.

Source: http://mikescomputerinfo.com/instalunin.htm

Coping with a Serious Data Loss from your Computer Hard Drive

By Darryl Peddle

Data loss is an expensive reality. It's a hard fact that it happens more often then users like to admit. A recent study by the accounting firm McGladrey and Pullen estimates that one out of every 500 data centers will experience a severe computer disaster this year. As a result, almost half of those companies will go out of business. At the very least, a data loss disaster can mean lost income and missed business opportunities.

The other side of data loss is the psychological and emotional turmoil it can cause to IT managers and business owners. Despair, panic, and the knowledge that the whole organization might be at risk are involved. In a sense, that's only fair, since human error is one of the two largest contributing factors in data loss. Together with mechanical failure, it accounts for almost 75 per cent of all incidents. (Software corruption, computer viruses and physical disasters such as fire and water damage make up the rest.)

Disk drives today are typically reliable. Human beings, it turns out, are not. A Strategic Research Corp. study done in 2000 found that approximately 15 per cent of all unplanned downtime occurred due to human error. A significant proportion of that happened because users failed to implement adequate backup procedures, either having trouble with their backups, or having no backup at all.

How does it happen that skilled, high-level users put their systems - and their businesses - at such risk?

In many cases, the problem starts long before the precipitating system error is made, that is, when users place their faith in out-of-box solutions that may not, in fact, fit their organization's needs. Instead of assessing their business and technology requirements, then going to an appropriate engineered solution, even experienced IT professionals at large corporations will often simply buy what they're sold. In this case, faith in technology can be an vice instead of a virtue.

But human intervention itself can sometimes be the straw that breaks the technology's back. When the office of a Venezuelan civil engineering firm was devastated by floods, its owners sent 17 soaked, mud-coated disks from three RAID arrays to us in plastic bags. A tough enough salvage job was made even more complex by the fact that someone had frozen the drives before shipping them. As the disks thawed, yet more damage was done. (After eight weeks of painstaking directory-by-directory recovery, all the data from the remaining fifteen disks was retrieved.)

Sometimes, the underlying cause of a data loss event is simply shoddy housekeeping. The more arduous the required backup routine, the less likely it will be done on a regular basis. A state ambulance monitoring system suffered a serious disk failure, only to discover that its automated backup hadn't run for fourteen months. A tape had jammed in the drive, but no-one had noticed.

When disaster strikes, the normal human reaction is panic. Because the loss of data signifies critical consequences, even the most competent IT staff can jump to conclusions, and take inappropriate action. A blank screen at a critical time can lead to a series of naive decisions, each one compounding the preceding error. Wrong buttons get pushed, and the disaster only gets worse. Sometimes the pressure to correct the system failure speedily can result in an attempt to reconfigure an entire RAID array. IT specialists are typically not equipped to deal with crisis modes or data recovery techniques. Just as a good physician is trained to prolong life, the skilled IT specialist is trained to keep the system running. When a patient dies, the physician turns to others, such as nurses or counselors to manage the situation. When significant data loss occurs, the IT specialist turns to the data recovery professional.

Data recovery specialists are innovative problem solvers. Often, the application of basic common sense, when no-one else is in any condition to apply it, is the beginning of the journey towards data recovery. The data recovery specialist draws on a wealth of experience, married to a "never say die" attitude, and a comprehensive tool kit of problem-solving procedures. Successful recovery outcomes hinge on a combination of innovative logistics, applied problem-solving, and "technology triage," the process of stabilizing an affected system quickly, analyzing and treating its wounds, and preparing it for surgery. The triage process sets priorities, such as targeting which files are needed first or which are absolutely vital to the functioning of the business, and establishes whether files might be recovered in less structured formats (such as text-only), which may be desirable when time is crucial.

The art and science of professional data recovery can spell the difference between a business' success or its failure. Before that level of intervention is required, though, users can take steps to ensure that the probability of a data loss disaster is minimized.

Basic to any business technology plan is a regular fire-drill procedure. Back-up routines may be in place, staff may assigned to specific roles, hardware and software may be configured - but, if the user isn't completely sure that everything works the way it should, a data loss event is inevitable. Having adequate, tested, and current backups in place is critical. A hardware breakdown should not be compounded by human error - if the malfunctioning drive is critical, the task of dealing with it should go to a data recovery professional.

Just as data loss disasters are rooted in a combination of mechanical failure and human error, so, too, the data recovery solution lies in a creative marriage of the technological and the human. The underlying philosophy of successful data recovery is that technology is something to be used by human beings, not something that uses us.

Name: Darryl Peddle
Company: CBL Technologies, Canada
Author description: Darryl Peddle is an Internet Marketing Specialist with CBL Technologies, one of the largest data recovery specialists in the world. - Website: http://www.cbltech.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/