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Are you regularly backing up the hard drive on your PC?
It has been said that there are two kinds of people …
those who have had a hard disk crash and those who will.
I’ll tell you some easy ways to protect your data.

And I present my qualifications by saying that I have experience
with data storage and backup.
And you know the definition of experience right?
Experience is what you get when you didn’t get what you wanted!

Let me begin by saying that I have used many different
kinds of backup devices over the years.
I have used cassette tapes, floppy disks, tape cartridges,
disk cartridges, writable CDs, writable DVDs, and external drives.
And I still recommend some form of this kind of backup
today.
For today’s high-capacity disk drives, you can’t go
wrong by backing up, at the least, your critical data
on some external media.
Because even if you don’t use your PC to store sensitive
personal or financial data, there are still
configuration settings for your PC you may not want to lose.

Now you can buy hardware and software that automatically starts backups
and cycles backup media in and out of the backup device as necessary.
But that tends to be pricy and best left to servers.
I’ll leave that topic for another time.

If your system has a drive that supports writable CDs
or DVDs you can manually backup your hard drive on this
type of media.
Writable CDs and DVDs can hold from 650 megabytes (MB)
up to 4 gigabtyes (GB) and more of data.
Your CD or DVD writer probably came with software that
lets you drag copies of data from the hard drive
to the CD or DVD drive folder.
Or it may even include some automatic backup software.
One disadvantage of CDs and even DVDs is that hard
drives today typically won’t fit on one of these.
With hard drives in the range of 10-200GB are common.
And it’s not unusual to see 250GB drives now.
Another disadvantage is the write speed.
Even with high-speed CD or DVD writers it can take a long while.

Another option is an external disk drive.
Large sizes are available which makes it possible
to backup your entire hard drive in many cases.
And the hard disk drives are very fast.
You can copy an entire drive quickly.

However many people find it difficult to make data backups
on a regular schedule.
I’m a people! I mean I’m a person and I just can’t
seem to make the time for backing up my data.

So I’ll tell you what I do.
I use mirrors! Not smoke and mirrors … just mirrors.
In my machine I have two hard disk drives … not to double
my storage capacity, but to provide a continuous backup
of my hard drive.
Every time my computer writes to the disk drive, it actually
writes the same data to two different disk drives. They
are a mirror image of one another.
Most Windows computers since Windows NT have had this
capability.

The first, and most painful part, is to get two hard drives
in your system.
I usually buy my computers that way, but
I have added hard drives later.
It’s not exorbitantly expensive though.
Hard drives, even large hard drives, are reasonably priced these days.
It’s usually best to have the two hard drives the same size
(or you waste space in some form).
And I like to have the drives from the same manufacturer
(but maybe I’m just anal).
I say painful, because you, or someone will have to open up your
PC and put a second drive in if doesn’t already have one.
If you don’t feel qualified to do this, check with your
nearest PC store.
Most will do it for you, for a fee, or for free if you buy
the hard disk there.
They may even perform the next step which is to set up the mirror.

After that, you go to the Control Panel, select Administrative Tools,
then select Computer Management, then click on Disk Management.
You right-click on the existing or “old” volume and select “Add Mirror”, then
right-click on the new disk that will host the mirror and select “Add Mirror”.
This will establish a mirror and initially copy the
data from the “old” drive to the “new” mirror. Thereafter, the
data is automatically written to both drives when changes or updates
occur.
You can also view the status of your mirrored volumes to make sure the
mirrors are healthy and all your data is backed up.
On Windows systems you may not see the options for mirrors until
you have a new unused drive in your system on which you can create a mirror.
There are detailed instructions for your version of Windows
on Microsoft’s site.

I recommend to all my friends to set up mirrored disks.
I’ve had a couple of friends call to tell me they had a
a hard disk crash.
Instead of a catastophic loss of data, this turned into a minor inconvenience while we recovered
the data from the other disk.
They expressed undying gratitude and told me they would be eternally indebted …
because they couldn’t pay me anything!

What will your reaction be when you have that hard disk crash?

Hard disk drive reviews and recommendations at

ShoppingDroid.com

By Mike Furlong

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USB is an acronym that stands for Universal Standard Bus, a standard port which can be used with any computer to connect a number of computer accessories. USB flash drive is a compact USB flash memory that acts like a portable hard drive, letting the user store and transport huge quantities of computer data better than disks. Nowadays, USB flash drives, depending on the kind, can be used to hold vast amounts of information and are made to be small enough to be easily carried around by the users. One slips easily into the pocket, may be used as a pendant to be hung around the neck or even as a keychain.

As of 2006, there are USB flash drives that can carry as much as 16 gigabytes and may be used with most computers as long as the operating system you use has the driver that supports both USB mass storage plus the file system used on the various information stored in it. The needed drivers to make the USB flash drive work comes when the device is bought and is very easy to install in the computer.

Pen drives, chip sticks, thumb drives or USB keys are other terms given to USB flash drives and consist of a small printed circuit board encased either in sturdy plastic or metal; the latter makes flash drives even more hard-wearing. A removable cap protects the USB connected which is the protruded part in the USB fitted to the proper USB port on the computer. USB drives may either be connected directly and/or may come with a think plug designed for use with a standard USB port.

USB flash drives do not need an external power source or a battery for it to function and are powered by a USB computer connection. Hence, data accessibility is only possible if the flash drive is connected to a computer.

First invented in 1988 as a floppy drive replacement, the first flash drives were made to store data ranging in size from 8 to 64 megabytes which were quite expensive then. Asian manufacturers soon followed suit manufacturing flash drives which can hold as much as 256 megabytes at cheaper prices. Although initially conceived for data sharing, flash drives are becoming more and more utilitarian in nature, its uses only limited by the users.

USB Flash Drives provides detailed information on USB Flash Drives, How To Use A USB Flash Drive, USB Flash Drive Reviews, USB Flash Pen Drives and more. USB Flash Drives is affiliated with Promotional Mouse Pads.

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HDTV cable, also known as high definition television cable, is a specially designed high-end digital cable that hooks up an HDTV set top box and an HDTV television set. HDTV is the latest innovation in DTV signals and transmits pictures with a high resolution and clarity. The popularity of HDTV cable has made the HDTV, the latest trend in television technology.

The recognition of the HDTV television has led to a great demand in HDTV cables in the market. Currently, the market is flooded with different brands and types of HDTV cables. The Monster Cable, Cobalt Cable, and Blue Jeans Cable are some of the leading brands of HDTV cables.

Generally, all brands of the HDTV cables come with robust and highly flame-retardant outer mesh, which protects the cable from external damage and conductor. For maximum conductivity and bandwidth, most of the HDTV cables come with copper conductor, plated with sliver. To protect the signals from the interferences of RFI (Radio Frequency Interference) and EMI (Electro-Magnetic Interference), the HDTV cables are usually coated with high density quad-layer shielding. The quad-layer shielding is injected with nitrogen gas to maximize the conductivity and bandwidth of the HDTV cables.

Signals passed through the HDTV cable connections can be either analog or digital types. To meet this need, the HDTV cables come in two types; analog HDTV cables and digital HDTV cables. The analog HDTV cables are 75 ohm video coaxial cable, with RCA, BNCs or HD15 plugs at the end. The signal passed through this cable can either be ordinarily component video or RGB. Digital HDTV cables can be availed in three forms; SDI (serial digital interface), DVI (Digital Video Interface), and HDMI (High-Definition Multimedia Interface). SDI cable is highly robust, 75 ohm video coax cables, but is not readily available to consumers. When compared with SDI cable, DVI and HDMI cables are poorly designed and can be availed from the market.

Whether it is analog HDTV cables or digital HDTV cables, it is always recommended to purchase the cables which are sweep-tested by the manufacturer. The sweep test will guarantee that the cable will not show any excessive or uneven attenuation within the required frequency range. Therefore, carefully selected HDTV cables will provide clear and high quality pictures on your HDTV televisions.

Cables provides detailed information on Network Cables, Cables, Computer Cables, USB Cables and more. Cables is affiliated with Cable Modem Reviews.

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With the new technology used to transfer information to from your digital camera to your laptop or PC using memory sticks which hold significant amounts of data it appears such technology will be perfect for net-centric cars. Where all the data is stored in a black box situation as many cars now have these features already. If you were in an accident your memory stick would be connected to a USB output. The officer could immediately put the memory stick into his computer and determine fault or in case of a speeding driver, could simply say driver’s license and memory stick please, which would denote the data of all the previous 2 hours worth of driving. And there would be instant verification of the radar detector too.

This would also be great because it would have all the recorded data for your fuel consumption data, maintenance and pollution output. The automobile could be a self healing car with a sophisticated black box with all life times data. This would also be good for aircraft, ride on lawn mowers and would make it extremely valuable for hand held diagnostic devices. Wonderful for rent-a-cars, government vehicles on loan to employees to prevent tax payer abuses, teen drivers fro parental control to help reduce insurance costs. The military uses are also significant for deployment, routine maintenance and data could be uploaded via satellite during non-peak net-centric usage periods to the logistical base for notification of over run of maintenance period or extreme conditions such as heat, salt air near oceans or hard driving meaning addtional care during next check up, thus prolonging life and preventing future break downs of fundamental parts whcih could lead to loss of life, loss of mission or loss of physical asset.

Memory chips could be saved for maximum resale value, or used as part of ignition system or recharging

Lance Winslow

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I’ve had Swiss Army knives on my keychain for years, it’s come in handy on many occasions. Recently I always seem to have a USB flash drive in my pocket too. When I received the SWISS MEMORY USB Victorinox drive from Swissbit it was obvious that combining the two was actually a very good idea. The Victorinox is compact, easy to use and brings the usefulness of the Swiss Arm tools. The USB drive comes in a variety of sizes from 128MB to 2GB and is a plug-n-play (unless Win 98) device and price points range from $50USD to $225USD respectively.

The Victorinox is small and compact given what it’s trying to accomplish. The unit looks and feels very sturdy and would handle plenty of pocket abuse, keychain banging and those occasional across the counter-top tosses. The Victorinox has a snapping clasp at one end which holds the flash memory in place. The clasp prevents the USB memory stick from popping out at an undesirable time and provides an aid in retrieving the USB connector when ready for use. The pivot end of the clasp can also be detached from the main chassis of the enclosure so the USB thumb drive can be disconnected. Although the rotation of the USB stick does provide enough room for those tight USB ports we all know about, the ability to quickly and easily disconnect the flash memory all together is definitely a bonusand Swissbit knows this as it’s a patented technology.

The USB Victorinox comes with the classic tools needed for everyday use. The tools include scissors, filing blade with screwdriver head, 30mm knife, ball-point pen, red LED light, keychain loop and of course the USB flash memory stick. Swissbit does offer a non-tool version for airplane flight but this review doesn’t cover that model. The product is 60mm x 18mm x 19mm and weighs about 1.35 ounces.

Though the Victorinox requires no drivers for the MAC or PC it does come preloaded with software. The Swissbit data SecureLOCK allows you to encrypt and decrypt files and folders. The first time you use SecureLOCK it will walk you through a username and password setup along with a reminder question in case you forget. Once there, the SecureLOCK provides you the flexibility to encrypt the entire drive, or create partitions where they are “public” or “private” areas. SecureLOCK also includes formatting software to clean up everything but the encryption utility region (software takes 488kb of memory out of a 2MB partition), a bootable disk feature and repair utility to check for bad blocks.

We did run into a small glitch, if the SecureLOCK icon in the desktop tray is closed it prevents the drive from being ejected. Signing back in and logging off didn’t do the trick, but rather loggin in and using the Exit button of the software did.

Performance wise, the USB Victorinox is middle of the road. In our informal tests of the 2GB version, it took about 6 minutes to write a 400MB folder of mixed file types from our PC to the device. It took about 35 seconds to read the same data back to our PC, but of course results will vary depending on the system running the device and the types of files being transferred.

All in all, the SWISS MEMORY USB Victorinox is a good deal for the price. It comes packed with the traditional tools we love about Swiss Army along with a wide range of flash memory sizes to match a users’ needs. The SecureLOCK encryption software is a plus and the read/write performance of SWISS MEMORY is right on par with other products available.

Review by: G Mo
April 6, 2006
GetUSB.info is a USB News and Information website
permalink: http://getusb.info/?p=129

G Mo runs the GetUSB.info website which is a USB News and information website focused on products, gadgets and developments using the USB (Universal Serial Bus) technology.

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The USB Copy Cruiser Plus is a USB copy device with the additional convenience of an 8-in-1 card reader. The unit will copy from one memory device to another or from one memory device to a USB flash drive without the need of a PC. This OTG (On-The-Go) USB technology is very useful and the USB Copy Cruiser Plus proves to be just that, useful. For the small foot-print and compact size, just bigger then your palm, the product performs well, is easy to use and provides clear and precise feedback.

When I received the USB Copy Cruiser Plus I was surprised at how small and light the unit was - add three AAA batteries and I was off playing and testing. The feel of the USB Copy Cruiser Plus is nice, fits well in your hand and custom push-button navigation setup is easy to use and has a nice tactile feel. The LCD is a 4×20 display which is easy to read in medium or low light, bright light might prove to be a little challenging, but expected for LCD without back lighting.

The memory card slots are on the top left of the unit which can be accessed via the top-side of the USB Copy Cruiser Plus. There are three USB ports on the bottom left side where by two ports are used to connect to standalone devices such as MP3 players, cameras, flash drives and other mass storage devices and a third USB port is used for PC connection.

The USB Copy Cruiser Plus is USB 2.0 High Speed compatible when connected to a PC/MAC and being used as a card reader. I noticed you cannot access USB devices through the USB Copy Cruiser Plus when connected to the PC, during this operation only the card reader is functioning and at 2.0 High Speed. Often times there are limited USB ports on laptops and it would be nice to use not only the card reader ports, but also access USB devices through the Copy Cruiser when connected to a host computer. The card reader supports Compact Flash Type I/II, MicroDrive, Smart Media, Memory Stick, Memory Stick PRO, Multi Media Card and Secure Digital cards. The USB Copy Cruiser Plus will support and recognize all FAT file systems (FAT12, FAT 16 and FAT32) but not NTFS, which makes sense since FAT files systems are universal and NTFS is only Windows compatible.

The USB Copy Cruiser Plus performed as expected. The menu screen is very easy to read and navigate. The display will immediately tell you when a memory card or USB device is connected via logos on the top of the screen. From this point, the arrow keys are used to navigate into a device and once there, the top logo turns solid color to indicate the device is selected. Next you arrow ‘right’ to enter the device, then easily select files or folders to copy via the center circle button, which is the enter key. I believe the user interface is very logical given all the requests and commands needed to perform a task. Once started, the USB Copy Cruiser Plus displays the exact file being copied and a time-bar indicating when that specific file will be complete, then moves on to next file to be copied. Upon completion the device will display “Finished.” To copy from memory card to memory card you must use the “duplicate” command rather then the “copy” command which is used when copying to a USB flash drive.

The data transfer speeds where again, acceptable and good for the right application and use. Since the USB Copy Cruiser Plus is not USB 2.0 High Speed when transferring from memory device to memory device I saw the following during our informal testing: Memory Stick to USB flash drive; 321Kb/sec, Compact Flash to USB flash drive; 296Kb/sec and when connected to a PC transfer rates where in the neighborhood of 2.2MB/sec. I did see a significant slow down when copying from memory card to memory card, for example from Memory Stick to Compact Flash, transfer rates dropped to 4.6Kb/sec. Although speed is not the first priority with this product, it is clear that convenience and ease-of-use is a priority and Aleratec has succeeded in that endeavor.

The USB Copy Cruiser Plus is a good product for someone on the go. It’s ability to copy from numerous USB devices to flash memory, or visa versa makes for a “must have” for professionals on the go. The copier simplifies the process for many tasks including photographers looking to off-load data from their digital camera, quickly share data between people without booting up a computer, or use as a one-to-one USB flash drive duplicator.

In conclusion, if you are going to invest money into a memory card reader you should spend a little extra money and purchase the USB Copy Cruiser Plus from Aleratec. Along with the fast USB 2.0 High Speed card reader, the USB Copy Cruiser Plus also provides a host of copy and duplicating features which you will quickly find to be a valuable tool. Ideal for the professional on the go and price right at around $65USD, this small USB and memory card copier and reader is a good investment to your office arsenal of digital products.

Reviewed by: Gmo
April 9, 2006
permalink with images: http://getusb.info/?p=175

Gmo runs the GetUSB.info website which is a USB News and Information website focused on USB products, USB gadgets and developments using the USB (Universal Serial Bus) technology.

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If you have recently bought yourself a new printer, follow the directions in the manual for setting up cables. Put the installation CD into the CD drive and follow the set up instructions.

If you are using Windows 95/98, select Start Menu, then select Printers. Now select Add Printer, select Local Printer. Choose your printer (If your printer is not listed, choose the one closest to yours and select OK).

For the Mac, select go to server, (or chooser) and then select printer. Then choose your printer. (If your printer is not listed, then select the closest one.) Then select install.
If you are using Windows XP, then the PC will prompt you for the drivers and install the relevant one from the CD itself (if the appropriate driver is not in the database already).

If you have any problems printing, first check your cable connections. If you get repeated error messages, then reboot your computer and redo the steps above.
If you would like to upgrade the driver of your currently installed printed, then follow the steps given in the next sub-topic.

Installing Printer Drivers
A printer driver is a piece of software that allows the computer to communicate with the printer. Without this software, the printer would be hopelessly lost since it does not speak the same language! Printer manufacturers often update the drivers and these they can be easily downloaded form the company’s website for free. It is a good idea to keep a check on your printer driver version and upgrade if it is too far out of date.
Here is how you can check your print driver version number:
Windows XP

1. Click the Windows Start button, choose Control Panel, and then choose ‘Printers and Faxes.’
2. Right-click your default printer and choose Properties. (Your default printer will have a checkmark within a black circle above the printer icon.)
3. Click the General tab, click the ‘Print Test Page’ button, and then click OK to print the test page.
Windows 95/98

1. Click the Windows Start button, choose Settings, and then Printers.
2. Right-click your default printer and choose Properties. (Your default printer will have a checkmark within a black circle above the printer icon.)
3. Click the General tab, click the ‘Print Test Page’ button, and then click OK to print the test page.

Look on the test page for Driver Version.
All major printer manufactures have web sites that allow you to freely download their printer drivers. To do so, you will need your printer’s manufacturer and model number. When you go to the web site, look for words such as ‘Downloads’, ‘Drivers’, ‘Software’, or ‘Support’ and shortlist your model.
Given below are the website URLs for the popular brands:
Hewlett Packard http://welcome.hp.com/country/uk/en/support.html?pageDisplay=drivers
Canon http://software.canon-europe.com/
Epson http://emeasupport.epson-europe.com/downloads.aspx?LNG=en-EU
Lexmark http://support.lexmark.com/cgi-perl/selections.cgi?ccs=227:5:0:0:0:0&target=http://downloads.lexmark.com/cgi-perl/downloads.cgi&&req=:::::
Xerox http://www.support.xerox.com/go/prodselect.asp?Xlang=en_GB&metrics=HDR
Brother http://www.brother.com/E-ftp/info/index_eu.html

Troubleshooting Printer Problems
In this section, you’ll find some of the more common problems that cause 45 percent of the help centre phone calls.

If nothing has occurred since the last time you used your printer, chances are the problem is quite straightforward. As obvious as it sounds, check to ensure that the printer is turned on. It is quite possible that somebody might have turned it off while you were away from your desk or computer. Make sure the printed is connected properly and there is power to the printer. All printers have some kind of LED that lets you know if it is powered up.

If the printer is turned on but has some flashing lights, then check with your owner’s manual to see what the lights mean. Most of these indicators will be related either to paper, ink, or toner.

Make sure there is enough paper in the printer. Refill the paper tray if it’s empty. Make sure you ‘fan’ the paper stack before putting it in the printer. When the paper stack is cut and packed at the factory, it sometimes causes the pages to stick together. Fanning the paper simply involves flipping through the paper stack with your thumb. This ruffling separates the paper, thereby reducing paper jams.

If the paper is stacked well, then check for a mis-feed or paper jam. Remove the paper stack and check the feed area for jammed paper. You may have to open several panels to make a thorough examination. Even a small piece of paper stuck inside the printer can cause problems. You might have to use tweezers to remove small pieces. Be careful of any contact of the tweezers with printer parts to avoid any damage.

If everything listed above is in place, then check the wire that connects the printer to the computer. You may be using a parallel or a USB connection. Make sure the cable is connected properly. Turn the equipment off and remove and re-insert the connection on both the printer and the computer to ensure a solid connection. If you are at work and your printer is connected to what appears to be a telephone wire, then you should call your resident network expert.

If the printer is functioning but only seems to print illegible garbage, then that is a good indication of a printer driver problem. Try re-booting the computer and turning the printer off and on before making any changes to the driver. If after re-booting you still have the problem, it’s probably time to replace the printer driver. You can download the driver from the website URLs listed earlier in this articles. Follow the instructions given by the manufacturer to install your driver.
Scanner can also sometimes interfere with printers. Try re-installing the software for both but install the printer driver first, and the scanner driver afterwards.

If nothing listed above results in a solution, then perhaps it might be time to call the printer manufacturer. Make sure that you are near the printer when you call and have all your warranty information available at hand.

John Sollars is the director of Solar Electronics, an ink and pc peripheral suppliers based in the UK. To get access to a comprehensive online store of original and re-manufactured printer inks plus paper and other computer consumables please visit http://www.mega-office.co.uk.

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Now days USB Flash Drives are the most popular storage device. The flash drive was first invented in 1998 at IBM. USB Flash drives got instant popularity when it has been launched in market. It is the best replacement for low storage devices Floppies and CDs. It is easy to handle and move anywhere. The specialty of USB Drives is, it is re-write able, removable and holds its memory without a power supply.

USB drive comes in various capacities like 256MB USB, 512MB USB, 1GB USB, 128MB USB, etc. USB flash drives are also known as “Pen drives”, “Chip sticks”, “Thumb drives”, “Flash drives”, “USB keys” and by many other names.

VFUEL is one of the leading providers of flash storage products such as USB Flash Drives (Pen Drives) and SD Cards. They have flash drives available in different capacities such as 128mb USB drives, 256mb USB drives, 512mb USB drives and 1gb USB drives. Vfuel also provide SD Cards of different capacities such as 256mb SD Cards, 512mb SD Cards, 1gb SD Cards and 2gb SD Cards.

VFUEL, or Virtual Fuel for your computer, is designed to maximize your PC’s performance by providing quality USB Drives & SD Cards. Flash storage products find applicable in digital camera, PC and Laptop.

Today USB (Universal Serial Bus) flash drive comes in various attractive shapes, colors and sizes. It is useful to transfer the large amount of data from one place to another. That’s why many businessmen and professional find USB drives very helpful in their work.

Name: James King
Email: vfuelnet@yahoo.com
URL: https://vfuel.net

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Everybody, it looks like, has a laptop today, and if you don’t have one, you most likely are thinking of buying one. As if it’s not difficult enough to choose from the many types and brands of laptops out there, you are also confronted with the many accessories that are available for one to. Of the overwhelmingly large amount of accessories out there, it can be certainly overwhelming to figure out what you really need for your laptop. Clearly, it is completely dependant upon your needs and plans with your computer, but there are five essentials you may want to consider to start with first.

Laptop Essential 1: If you are planning to use your laptop at home with any kind of regularity, you will want to consider getting an external keyboard and pointing device (mouse). Why? Well, believe me, if you have ever tried typing on a laptop for any more than an hour, then without a doubt you know that your neck, shoulders, and wrists can start to feel wiped out, to say the least. Well, the solution is to buy an external keyboard, which you can plug into the back of your laptop, as well as a mouse. And if you use your laptop in the office you can raise the screen up with books or risers of some sort to make looking at the screen a little more ergonomic. Of course you can also purchase accessory swivel stands for your laptop as well if you want them.

Laptop Essential 2: When your home you will most likely want to connect other peripheral devices to your laptop, like a printer, maybe a DVD player, or even a CD burner. This can create a lot of clutter with all the wires you need to plug in and unplug if you want to take your laptop out of the house or move room to room or even take it to the office. So to resolve this problem, you will absolutely love a docking station.

Now a docking station basically turns your laptop into a desktop computer when you’re home and when you’re ready to take it away, you simply slip it out of the station and off you go.

Another alternative along the same lines is a port replicator, which has computer ports. You connect your external devices to the replicator and then to your laptop. When you want to move your laptop, you simply detach the one port replicator, rather than each external device.

Laptop Essential 3: Now this isn’t as exciting as some of the other accessories, but I assure you, you will be thankful you have it, and that is an external hard drive. It’s certainly not going to make your day, and it certainly won’t throw any excitement in your life, but the morning you wake up and your laptop won’t start will be the day you are overjoyed that you decided to get that external hard drive.

Here’s a little tip to go along with your new external hard drive: never pack your backup drive and your laptop in the same case when going on a trip, keep them separated. If you happen to lose your bag with both the backup drive and the laptop in it, you’re going to have a really bad day!

Laptop Essential 4: This little device will allow you to hook up everything you need. So make sure you go out and get yourself an external USB hub. Desktop computers sometimes come with several USB ports, some with as many as 8 or 9. But, laptops since they are smaller, often only have a couple of USB ports. USB hubs will usually have four or more ports that will connect through one of your laptop’s USB port making them very easy to use to hook up multiple USB devices.

Laptop Essential 5: You need to think about the worst thing that can happen with your laptop. Now you probably bought your laptop so you can work out of the office, or your home, or wherever you need to, right? Well, since you will be out and about, you will definitely want to think about insurance for your laptop. The manufacturer’s warranty usually doesn’t cover anything beyond parts, and an extended warranty will certainly not cover theft, though it may cover you for breakage or fire.

Finally, there are literally thousands of different accessories available for your computer. Of course some you might need and others you won’t. It really depends on what your plans are for your laptop as well as where you plan on using it. Nevertheless, these five things are indispensable to making your laptop as functional to you as possible. While there may be some variation to what you need, most of these items will be valuable to anyone who owns a laptop, no matter how you expect to use your portable computer.

Garry Allen is a successful Webmaster and publisher of Best-Rated-Laptops-and-Computers.info. Providing you with more information on computer technology and answering the question what’s the best rated laptop that you can research in your bathrobe on his website.

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What to backup, and what to lose

The oldest “computer expression” is that there are two kinds of computer users, those that backup their data and those that will. Often, it takes a “data disaster” to compel otherwise responsible people to make a regular habit of backing up their data. Still, the majority of computer users do not back up their data.

According to Computer World, the annual cost to recover lost data per laptop is over $800.00 per year. This amounts to billions of dollars per year spent nationally to recover (or not recover) data that has been lost due to users not backing up their data. Critical data files are often stored on personal computers and laptops and often not subject to regular backup.

If backup is so important, then why don’t most people do it?

The truth is, backing up data from your computer to CDs, memory sticks, other computers, and network hard drives is inconvenient. It takes time out of a busy day. Most backup utilities require the users attention to start, monitor, and close the process. Backup takes time from the user that can be better spent doing something else. Backup is boring, since it may disable or tie up your computer while the backup is taking place.

So what data should I back up?

The simple answer is any file that you would miss if you did not have it. This includes documents, presentations, spreadsheets, accounting data, and other data files. Also include your Favorites folder, telephone directory, appointment calendar, and tasks. It may also include pictures, music, family video, and any other data that is significant, especially if lost.

Look at all of the programs that you use regularly. Find the data files that these programs and mark these for regular backup. Often these files are not behind your MY Documents folder.

For example, if you use Quicken or QuickBooks, the important data files are saved in a folder behind the Quicken or QuickBooks program. In Microsoft Windows XP, these files could be under Documents and Settings/user/Application Data. In addition, the Application Data file may also contain important information that aids in your ability to use many of your favorite programs. If you do not know how to get to these files, consult an expert to help you determine what files to choose for regular backup.

How often should I back up?

Think of this question another way - if my hard disk crashed, or I dropped my laptop, or it got stolen at the airport, how much time will it take me to re-create the active data that I just lost? What would it cost you to lose a day’s worth of data and to recreate it? How much time would it take to reconfigure your computer with the tools, configurations, short cuts, and links that you have spent years accumulating? Remember the Computer World data, the average cost per laptop for lost data is $800.00 per year. What is your billing rate? How much will it cost you to start over?

Some of us use our computers the entire day. That means that if we back up daily, then the most time that we would spend redoing the work would be less than a day’s worth of time. If you are an occasional user, then you may need to backup less frequently.

Once you have made your list, then you are ready to back up. Here is my partial list of backup files that would cause me great pain if they were not backed up:

What’s the Solution?

The solution is to find a backup solution that is invisible to the user and does not create a “backup event” that must be scheduled from a person’s busy day. So hold this thought for the moment.

Once you have determined which files to back up regularly, you must decide where to store this data. In the early days of computing, we used to back up to floppy disks. Now, our files are huge and often too large for floppy disks. CD ROMs are popular for backup and will now hold over 750 MB of data. DVDs can also be used for backup and how many times more data than CD ROMS.

At the beginning of this article, I said that backup is inconvenient and that is why most people don’t do it. Therefore lets find solutions that are convenient. Not just convenient, but invisible like an insurance policy that just works.

If you are a lone computer user and are not on a network, the best solution is to get an external hard drive that plugs into your USB port. These data storage devices are relatively cheap for the benefit that they provide. Follow this link for examples of these products: http://www.google.com/froogle?q=USB+Hard+drive. If you are using Windows XP, then you can use the Windows Synchronize utility found in XP. To use, copy all of your data to the external drive. Then install the Windows Synchronize utility to automatically keep your files up to date when you plug the external drive into your computer. When you travel with your laptop computer, leave the USB hard drive at home. Never carry it in your computer bag. If you are backing up your desktop, take the USB hard drive with you - or at least store it at a location separate from your desktop in case of fire or other disaster.

If you are on a network, such as a home or business network, set aside some backup space on a hard drive on the network or on another computer. Hard drives are cheap. If you need more space than is available, buy another hard drive and install it on another computer. Use Windows Synchronize utility to keep the data synced.

If you use a laptop or work in different locations, a new product called BeInSync automatically makes the connection over the Internet between your laptop and a designated target computer for syncing files. BeInSync updates, automatically and invisibly any and all files designated for syncing. It even allows you to sync files with friends and business associates. Since it works in the background, it does not require a backup event and impose itself on the user’s busy day.

Follow this link to get more information on BeInSync: http://www.beinsync.com/?rfrid=BIS-P-1038. One important note about BeInSync is that it will sync everything in the My Document folder. Move My Music, My Videos, and other large folders out of the My Documents before enabling BeInSync.

What’s the bottom line on backup?

The bottom line on backup is that it is absolutely necessary for everyone that has something to lose if his or her computer was lost, stolen, or simply failed from regular use. There is a wide variety of solutions in the marketplace to keep your data backed up. Spend the time to explore and implement your back up solution. If you are not technical, hire an expert to create a solution that works for you. It will be some of the best money that you will spend.

Eric Guth and Joel Gering are owners of http://www.ProtectMyLaptop.com and SecureTrieve and are experts in the areas of computer troubleshooting and creating and maintaining networks for small businesses and homes. They have over 25 years of hands on experience in data management, data security, and remote data recovery.

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