Tuesday, January 29, 2008
Home Server Site by Microsoft
Someone at Microsoft or their advertising agency has a good sense of humor.
Stay At Home Server
Coincidently, I am swapping out my dead Windows 2003 home server. I am going to try a recycled Gateway computer with some add-ons and Ubuntu Linux. My Father has provided some insight into loading Ubuntu without the graphical interface. I will update as the project moves forward this week.
Stay At Home Server
Coincidently, I am swapping out my dead Windows 2003 home server. I am going to try a recycled Gateway computer with some add-ons and Ubuntu Linux. My Father has provided some insight into loading Ubuntu without the graphical interface. I will update as the project moves forward this week.
Labels: home server, Linux, Microsoft, Ubuntu, Windows
Thursday, January 24, 2008
Notebook Maintenance
It is not a surprise or a secret that notebook computers are becoming ever more present in today's small business and home environments. The advent of wireless networking and the increased speed and capability of notebook computers have revolutionised this space. It many instances notebook computers are replacing traditional desktop computers. Until recently notebook computers were relegated to secondary status to the owner's desktop computer. There are some additional caveats to keep a notebook computer secure and running well versus the maintenance performed on desktop computers.
As computers have increased in speed and therefore heat generation, dust has been a constant enemy of the desktop computer. This problem is even more pronounced with notebook computers. I believe this is the case because of the smaller size of cooling passages and fans as well the various environments that a notebook computers sees on a day-to-day basis. I lately have received complaints from users that their notebook computer just shuts down without explanation. This is a self-defense mechanism used by notebook computers when they overheat. (I wish my late '85 Mustang would have had this handy feature. RIP) A quick shot of canned duster and clean up with a powerful vacuum cleaner has gotten these notebooks back to a trouble-free existence.
TIP: Keep a can of duster handy and blow out the cooling ducts every three months. You can locate the cooling ducts by looking for fan(s) and small grills on your notebook. Be sure to only do this when the notebook is cool. The introduction of cold air on hot components can potentially cause problems. Another tip is to not shake the duster or hold it in any position but upright. The cold blast that results from tipping the can is very destructive to plastic, your skin, and other components. For your own protection is also recommended to wear eye protection.
The other frequent problem for notebook computers is hard drive damage. In addition to extreme heat which is bad for hard drive motors you have the other element of danger for hard drives - movement. The hard drive is made of a stack of platters much like old time records. The read/write heads hover just over these platters reading and writing data as they spin away at up to 10,000 RPM. That is faster than the engine in a NASCAR car at Daytona. If you jar the notebook computer while the hard drive is running the heads can be sent skidding into the surface of the platters. This leads to bad sectors. This leads us to two tips.
TIP: Avoid moving the notebook computer while it is running. The safest practice is to close the lid and allowing the notebook to enter sleep or hibernation mode. Wait a few moments for everything to save and then shutdown. You can then move your computer without consequence. I know that this can be time consuming, but not nearly as time consuming as reinstalling your operating system or recovering lost data.
TIP: Perform routine hard drive maintenance every three months. I long ago gave up on using Windows Check Disk for any kind of maintenance or recovery. Sadly this once useful program just throws away questionable sectors of data. I recommend using Gibson Research SpinRite. This is one of the most thorough pieces of software that I have ever found for recovering and maintaining computer hard drives. It is expensive, but well worth the $89 investment. You simply download the software, create a CD-ROM copy, and then run it on the computer overnight. Since I have begun using this program I have not lost one single hard drive.
This only deals with the mechanical care and maintenance of a notebook computer. All of the other tips for maintaining a desktop computer apply here as well. You should also be cautious of the increased security risk of using a notebook computer. We will release a post soon that addresses the specific security needs when you use a notebook computer.
As computers have increased in speed and therefore heat generation, dust has been a constant enemy of the desktop computer. This problem is even more pronounced with notebook computers. I believe this is the case because of the smaller size of cooling passages and fans as well the various environments that a notebook computers sees on a day-to-day basis. I lately have received complaints from users that their notebook computer just shuts down without explanation. This is a self-defense mechanism used by notebook computers when they overheat. (I wish my late '85 Mustang would have had this handy feature. RIP) A quick shot of canned duster and clean up with a powerful vacuum cleaner has gotten these notebooks back to a trouble-free existence.
TIP: Keep a can of duster handy and blow out the cooling ducts every three months. You can locate the cooling ducts by looking for fan(s) and small grills on your notebook. Be sure to only do this when the notebook is cool. The introduction of cold air on hot components can potentially cause problems. Another tip is to not shake the duster or hold it in any position but upright. The cold blast that results from tipping the can is very destructive to plastic, your skin, and other components. For your own protection is also recommended to wear eye protection.
The other frequent problem for notebook computers is hard drive damage. In addition to extreme heat which is bad for hard drive motors you have the other element of danger for hard drives - movement. The hard drive is made of a stack of platters much like old time records. The read/write heads hover just over these platters reading and writing data as they spin away at up to 10,000 RPM. That is faster than the engine in a NASCAR car at Daytona. If you jar the notebook computer while the hard drive is running the heads can be sent skidding into the surface of the platters. This leads to bad sectors. This leads us to two tips.
TIP: Avoid moving the notebook computer while it is running. The safest practice is to close the lid and allowing the notebook to enter sleep or hibernation mode. Wait a few moments for everything to save and then shutdown. You can then move your computer without consequence. I know that this can be time consuming, but not nearly as time consuming as reinstalling your operating system or recovering lost data.
TIP: Perform routine hard drive maintenance every three months. I long ago gave up on using Windows Check Disk for any kind of maintenance or recovery. Sadly this once useful program just throws away questionable sectors of data. I recommend using Gibson Research SpinRite. This is one of the most thorough pieces of software that I have ever found for recovering and maintaining computer hard drives. It is expensive, but well worth the $89 investment. You simply download the software, create a CD-ROM copy, and then run it on the computer overnight. Since I have begun using this program I have not lost one single hard drive.
This only deals with the mechanical care and maintenance of a notebook computer. All of the other tips for maintaining a desktop computer apply here as well. You should also be cautious of the increased security risk of using a notebook computer. We will release a post soon that addresses the specific security needs when you use a notebook computer.
Labels: maintenance, notebook computer, SpinRite
Sunday, January 20, 2008
Another Free Option for Virus Protection
There is very little reason to pay for virus protection for your home computer. Some of the options include AVG Free and Blink and possibly a free suite from your Internet Service Provider.
My ISP, RoadRunner, is now offering a free Internet security suite from Computer Associates. I do not have personal experience with CA security software, but they do make good backup solutions that I have used extensively.
There you go. You have no excuse for not installing a good anti-virus protection if you are using a Windows computer. If you do not have RoadRunner check with your ISP to see if they do offer a free package.
Why would an ISP do this? Two reasons. The first is a little more to talk about in the marketing message. The second and most important reason is that Internet Service Providers have a financial interest in keeping your computer clear of malware and trojan horses. If any computer on the network that is pushing out SPAM or other unwanted traffic, they are footing the bill for the bandwidth. It is low-cost insurance to protect customers than it is to purchase more bandwidth and to increase their network capacity.
My ISP, RoadRunner, is now offering a free Internet security suite from Computer Associates. I do not have personal experience with CA security software, but they do make good backup solutions that I have used extensively.
There you go. You have no excuse for not installing a good anti-virus protection if you are using a Windows computer. If you do not have RoadRunner check with your ISP to see if they do offer a free package.
Why would an ISP do this? Two reasons. The first is a little more to talk about in the marketing message. The second and most important reason is that Internet Service Providers have a financial interest in keeping your computer clear of malware and trojan horses. If any computer on the network that is pushing out SPAM or other unwanted traffic, they are footing the bill for the bandwidth. It is low-cost insurance to protect customers than it is to purchase more bandwidth and to increase their network capacity.
Labels: AVG Free, Blink, ISP, security, virus, Windows
Thursday, January 10, 2008
2008 - Year of the Home Server?
I have seen the handwriting on the wall for the past year that this could be the year of the home server. At least many companies hope that it will be the year of the home server. Companies such as Microsoft have developed software and computer vendors such as HP have developed platforms. There are also many new Network Area Storage servers popping up from Galaxy, Netgear, Western Digital, HP, and Maxtor. I think that this trend is in sync with the wave of small computers coming along as well.
A home server and home NAS (Network Area Storage) server are nearly interchangeable terms. Unlike business, these devices will mainly just serve-up files. Business servers frequently serve files, but they may also handle email, web pages, and database hosting.
So do you need a home server? Over the years I have had a few different home servers that mainly served music and video files. I have used everything from Novell Suse Linux to Microsoft Windows Server 2003. At the moment we are between home servers, and the kids do complain about it missing. Even my Dad wanted to know why he could not find our NAS on the network at Christmas. You probably do not know that you need one until you have had one that is no longer available.
Another announcement that will propel this phenomenon is that HP will now offer network and Internet access on all of their high definition television sets as standard. This means you will be able to stream video and audio from your home server. Those that purchase another brand of television or already have a new television set you will be able to purchase a small add-on box from HP that works with nearly any type of television.
Fortunately and also unfortunately like all things tech - there are a wide range of choices in home servers. They run from $129 for plug-and-go boxes from Galaxy to the $745 HP MediaSmart. Like everything else. You get what you pay for in convenience and abilities.
A home server and home NAS (Network Area Storage) server are nearly interchangeable terms. Unlike business, these devices will mainly just serve-up files. Business servers frequently serve files, but they may also handle email, web pages, and database hosting.
So do you need a home server? Over the years I have had a few different home servers that mainly served music and video files. I have used everything from Novell Suse Linux to Microsoft Windows Server 2003. At the moment we are between home servers, and the kids do complain about it missing. Even my Dad wanted to know why he could not find our NAS on the network at Christmas. You probably do not know that you need one until you have had one that is no longer available.
Another announcement that will propel this phenomenon is that HP will now offer network and Internet access on all of their high definition television sets as standard. This means you will be able to stream video and audio from your home server. Those that purchase another brand of television or already have a new television set you will be able to purchase a small add-on box from HP that works with nearly any type of television.
Fortunately and also unfortunately like all things tech - there are a wide range of choices in home servers. They run from $129 for plug-and-go boxes from Galaxy to the $745 HP MediaSmart. Like everything else. You get what you pay for in convenience and abilities.
Labels: home server, Microsoft, network, notebook computer
Sunday, January 6, 2008
Traffic in India
I have had to watch this twice, and I still do not see how it works...
Microsoft Office 2003, Service Pack 3
Beware of service pack 3 for Microsoft Office 2003. Microsoft programmers have decided that documents created in competitor's software and older versions of their own can be a risk. If you install this update it does not allow you to open older documents that might be tucked away on your hard drive or in your business.
Fortunately Microsoft has seen the possible problems with this stance and they have created a fix as well as issued an apology. You can read more via John Dvorak's blog.
Fortunately Microsoft has seen the possible problems with this stance and they have created a fix as well as issued an apology. You can read more via John Dvorak's blog.
Labels: Microsoft, Office, Patches
Nokia 6086
Nerdrobin left a comment regarding problems in syncing my Samsung t409 handset...
I saw that you mentioned issues with syncing with Outlook and that you also switched to the Nokia 6086. I have the same phone and have found a way to sync it directly with Outlook. You need to go to Nokia's website and download the Nokia PC Suite for the 6086 and get a Bluetooth adapter for your PC. After setting it all up, the Nokia PC Suite provides direct syncronization with Outlook through Bluetooth as well as many other nice features.I actually had not switched to the Nokia, but my two sons do use the Nokia handsets. I am going to grab one and try this out. I must say that the Nokia phones are much more open than the Samsung handsets. They are able to easily load custom ringtones, while the Samsung prevents this entirely.
Labels: cell phone, Cellular, Nokia, Samsung, T-Mobile, VOIP, wireless
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