How To Reformat A Computer Without Losing Important Data

Most of the time you may need to reformat your computer's hard drive: if you have been a victim of a virus attack, your computer is running slower than usual or you are getting inexplicable error messages. To get rid of all of these issues reformatting your computers hard drive is very essential. By formatting your computer and installing a fresh version of the operating system you can get rid of these pesky problems that are caused by a fragmented hard disk.

Formatting your computer means preparing a storage medium, usually hard disk or hard drive for reading or writing. When you format your hard disk the operating system erases all the important information or data stored on the disk. Later it tests the hard drive to see if all the sectors on the disk are reliable or damaged and it also creates internal addresses to locate useful information. When a person is performing the procedure of formatting the hard disk for the first time it is called formatting. If you take a hard drive which is previously formatted and then format the hard disk again, it is called reformatting.

Before reformatting a computer it is very important to take a backup of any important files and especially the document folder. Taking a backup of the disk is very important, as once you format your computer you could lose any data stored on the hard drive. It is also recommended that before you start reformatting your computer, to have an antivirus software installed, device drivers and operating system installation disc with its CD key with you. This will help you to start a new system on your computer.

The steps you need to follow:

Start by inserting the boot CD in the CD drive and restart your computer. The screen will go black and you will find some instructions that will guide you through the process. It will instruct you to press any key to boot up from the CD. Follow the instructions and the operating system will load the files in to the computer. You will come across two options one is the upgrade option and the other is the custom option. If you want to format your computer, select the custom option. You will then be taken to a menu screen where it will ask you to install the operating system. Select the hard drive with your old version of the OS currently installed on it.

If you are confused with which disk to select, it is usually the primary hard drive or the one with the most data on. Select the drive you want to format and then click on "drive properties" and then click "format". Wait for some time and the drive will be reformatted. Once your hard drive is reformatted, install the OS on the reformatted drive. Be sure to take out the boot CD once you are done with the OS installation, otherwise your computer may go through the process again. The time taken for this procedure depends on your computer. Sometimes it is quick, sometimes not.

Once you have formatted your computer and have installed the OS, you can restore the backup files that you had taken earlier. However, there is one problem that you may face if you follow this method. In case your files contain a virus, the virus can be transferred to your computer even if it is formatted. So it is very important to run a full scan of your data or files before uploading your data back in to the computer.

Windows repair system:

This can be done without formatting your computer, you just require an installation CD to format your computer. This will get rid of all your problems with making your computer to work faster as a new one does.

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How To Prevent PC Theft

PC theft is becoming more and more common in our world. There is a data from research institution, 1 in 10 computers purchased today will be stolen within one year. However, only 3% will be returned. PC stolen will make trouble to you. Not because of the cost of the loss computer, but there are many personal data and information in the lost computer that it may bring many issues to you. Think about your privacy peeked by identity theft, your personal photos and material are spread around the internet, etc. So I believe no guy hopes it happen to himself.

Today we suggest some guides to prevent PC theft and some guides for PC data protection. Hope it can help you.

1. Keep the laptop in your sight
Airports, hotels and restaurants are favorite places for thieves, so it is more often to meet PC stolen in these places. So you should be more careful in these places to prevent. I know people should always be on business trip when you are in these places. But you still cannot let down your guard. Because if the PC is stolen or lost, it may affect your feeling of travelling. I believe nobody would like this to happen, so be careful of your laptop when travelling and keep it in your sight. Sometimes PC stolen happens when you are going through the airport security check, so pay more attention at that time, don't place your laptop on the conveyor belt until you make sure nobody in front of you is being delayed.

2. Use PC theft defense service
There are some software in market produced to prevent PC theft and protect data in the lost laptop. From the data in the first, personal information leakage in the lost laptop may bring more issues. So such PC theft defense product can solve this issue. It can remotely delete the personal files from your laptop so that no one can get access into your personal files. It also can remotely lock down the stolen laptop and no one can break up. Such software is very perfect to protect the data security. Here we recommend such a software which can be trusted, miTracker PC anti theft.

3. Use encryption software to protect your important files
No one can guarantee he can avoid PC lost happen completely, because accidents are not avoidable. So if you encrypt your confidential files with encryption software in advance, you don't need to worry about data leakage any more. In the second tip, I suggested miTracker as the PC anti theft software, actually it does more than other competitors, because it has file encryption function, it used military standard AES encryption algorithm, nobody in the world can break up the files which are encrypted by this tool.

4. Psychical lock to your laptop
Whether you're using your laptop in the office, a hotel, or some other public place, a security locker can make it more difficult for thief to steal it. There are many choices for the laptop locker, you need to check several points. First point is to ensure you at least get two separate keys, because you may lose the key in accident.Secondly, you need to check out the sturdiness of the lock itself. Thirdly, check out the kind of lock is compatible with your laptop or not.

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Desktop Vs Laptop

Due to our technological advancement in today's era, people are faced with an endless list of possible options when it comes to purchasing a personal computer. If you're choosing between a laptop and a desktop, you could definitely use this article.

Desktop

Advantages:

* Less likely to get stolen or to get lost. Desktop computers are quite inconvenient to carry. Thieves are more likely to steal gadgets that are portable, such as a tablet or a laptop.

* Easier to upgrade or repair. It is always easier to add or remove components to a desktop which makes it very flexible. Components can be replaced when they are broken.

* More durable... In general, desktops last longer than laptops.

* Less expensive. These days, there are many affordable laptops out there but if you would look at the specifications, it's usually no match to a full desktop's speed and memory size. There are some really good laptops that are already dual core and the memory is about 320GB or more but they're far from being cheap.

* The screen resolution of available monitors for desktops is higher and far better than most portable devices. A high resolution screen can consume a large amount of power. It's not ideal for most portable computers to have high resolution screens because it can easily drain the battery.

* Come in various shapes and sizes with some of the latest models being very sleek.

* Excellent for those who are very serious about their gaming - can add lots of customizations including increased power, excellent graphic cards and sound cards.

Disadvantages:

* Not portable. You can't carry it around with you.

* Totally dependent on electricity. If there's a power outage, you won't be able to use it unless you have an alternative source of power like a UPS or a power generator...

* Not as stylish and trendy as laptops and tablets.

Laptop

Though laptops still don't challenge all the benefits of a desktop computer, the gap will continue to narrow, and for mobile workers a laptop is the way to go. Whether a laptop can replace a desktop depends on the kind of work you do.

Advantages:

* It's number one advantage is its portability. It can easily be carried around which makes it perfect for those who are on the go. Also excellent for working with on the couch, kitchen bench, coffee shop etc.

* Powered by rechargeable batteries. You can still use it even when there is a power outage.

* Stylish and trendy. They look more attractive compared to desktops. They come in different styles and colors.

* Comes in all shapes and sizes... and now colours so your laptop can be a reflection of your personality.

* Compact design. A laptop is a space saver. It doesn't occupy a big amount of space unlike a full desktop.

* Can attach external screens, mouse, keyboard, speakers etc., whatever you like.

Disadvantages:

* Higher risk of being stolen. Compared to a full desktop, laptops are more vulnerable to theft. Countless laptops are stolen everyday so you need to be cautious.

* While it's unlikely that a desktop computer will fall off the desk, the same can't be said for a laptop, which runs the risk of being accidentally dropped.

* Limited battery life plus the battery's life deteriorates after prolonged use.

* Not easy to upgrade or repair. Laptops have components that are specifically customized for a particular unit. If one of the components is damaged, you might have to replace the whole laptop.

* Screen resolution may be not high quality. For high-end graphics work, a laptop's LCD screen and graphics technology is not a viable alternative to the better colour representation of a large CRT monitor and a dedicated graphics card.

* Some people find that the keyboard is not as comfortable and functional as a full keyboard that comes with a desktop PC.

As you could see, desktops and laptops both have their own advantages and disadvantages and in reality also are in many ways very similar in their capabilities to the average user. Choosing between them would depend on what points are more important to you and what purpose the computer will serve you.

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Do You Need an Operating System

Peripherals and system parts are a collection of electronics that work together in order to perform a specific task. The program that every computer uses to control and manage all these parts is called the operating system (OS).

For example, a user that wants to write a document and print it out on a network printer needs an application like Microsoft Word to accomplish this job. Microsoft Word works with the OS in order to accomplish all the word processing tasks. The operating system controls all the input and output functions. All the personal computers, the servers and the handheld devices require an OS in order to function.

The operating system works like an interpreter between software applications and the hardware. An individual interacts with the computer hardware through an application, like Microsoft Excel, Adobe Photoshop, etc. Software applications are made for a particular purpose. On the other hand the OS is responsible for the communication between the software application and the computer's hardware.

When a PC is powered on it loads the operating system from the hard disk into RAM. The part of the operating system that interacts directly with the hardware is called kernel. The part of the operating system that it is visible to the user is called shell. The user can use the shell from the command line interface (CLI) or from the graphical user interface (GUI).

The user that uses the CLI interacts directly with the OS in a text-based environment by typing commands at a command prompt. The computer executes the command and provides textual output. The user can also use the GUI and control the computer from an environment that uses graphical images, multimedia, as well as text. This is more user-friendly and requires less knowledge than CLI. Therefore, most users work with GUI environments. Microsoft Windows and Linux operating systems offer both GUI and CLI.

All the modern operating systems allow the user to multitask. The OS keeps track of which resources are used by which software program.

In order to work with devices that are not directly attached to the PC, a special software application must be installed that allows a device to send and receive data from the net. This is called redirector and usually it is an integral part of the OS but sometimes you need to install it separately as a network client. After you install it, the OS becomes a network OS (NOS).

A network operating system includes complex scheduling and user management software that allows a hardware device to share network resources between several users and treat network devices like all the directly attached devices.

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How To Avoid Getting A Computer Virus

There is nothing as frustrating as finding you have downloaded a virus onto your computer. I have had this problem a number of times. Each time I promised myself that I would find a way of avoiding getting a computer virus the next time.

But like saying "I was sick once, it wasn't much fun, and don't think I'll do that again", unless you live in a bubble chances are you will come into contact with some malicious germ that could knock you get sick. The same holds true with working online. Sadly there are evil people who seem to have nothing better to do than wreak havoc to the online world by creating hellish viruses and worms. There is always the threat of such bugs or breaches of security that can and will occur if you operate a computer.

There are ways of protecting yourself against getting the annoying and sometimes fatal computer virus. It is a matter of having a better idea of the more common places you get a virus and the type of protection that you can have in place to help to keep you safe.

Oh those dirty little pictures!

No I'm not talking about porn. Though, statistics do show that those who surf on unseemly sites, are much more prone to come in contact with unsavory computer creeps. Probably similar to hanging out in the wrong part of town, you are much more likely to run into danger there. I'm talking about a computer tool that I have come to Love, that is my Ultra Flip Camera.

It's not the Camera itself that is the problem, it's that it just happens to be a piece of software with it's own storage function. Little did I know that each time I was plugging the camera into the USB port, I was reinfecting my otherwise healthy computer. It was just like sending a kid to school, where there is a classroom infected with some bug, chances are the child will pick it up and bring the beast home.

The problem with software that has a self storage function is they usually do not have self cleaning abilities. So if you are using a thumb drive, or flip camera that had picked up a virus it will be stored along with your picture s or data until you remove it. When you plug it into your computer, viola, you have shared the nasty virus with the next computer you plug it into.

Luckily the removal is as simple as plugging the device into your computer at the time you are going to do a scan and clean-up. Which to be on the safe side should be done on a daily basis. By the way this will not interrupt the use of your computer. I use to think I could not be on my computer while a scan was running, not true.

This gets me to the key component to staying safe:

1. Have and maintain healthy patch levels. Patch levels are various security applications or software that will fend off and kill viruses before they have a chance to do damage. If you do run these daily, (have it set to do it automatically), you can save yourself from getting a lot of the bugs before they get you. Keep them up to date! A good anti-virus provider will keep you posted as to needed up-dates.

2. Have several back-up systems in place. It may sound like overkill, but the joy of being able to recover your work after a serious virus or a crash makes it all worth your time and money. I back up my work each night. I use an external back up system along with a off premises back up service. I will tell you the heartaches these have saved me were huge.

No you there is no way to completely protect yourself against getting a computer worm or virus. If you follow these rules you will be less likely to get them. Again:

1. Keep your self-storage devices clean (like keeping your nose clean).

2. Have good security in place (like taking your vitamins and antioxidants).

3. Have back ups in place both on site and off, (have your information stored in a safe place).

Following these simple practices will give you peace-of-mind and a better chance of staying safe.

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The Facts And Figures Of Smartphone

We live in a generation where everyone is trying to cut expenditure, tightening the financial belt in all aspects of life - so, when it comes to insurance many people are reluctant to fork out the cash. This might be for a few reasons. Maybe it's down to the fact that smartphones can cost up to £500, and people don't not then want to part with even more money to insure their new toy! Or maybe it's because certain people think they are not clumsy and will never drop/break/have their phone stolen. Well. Here are the facts for you taken from different studies of iPhones and smartphones in recent years - they might surprise you!

FACTS

Around 20% of iPhone 4 users report accidentally damaging their phone - This is a rising number. Just think of how many of your friends have a crack in their iPhone - and how many of your friends phones have still got the crack on their phone due to lack of insurance.

Over 100,000 smartphones are stolen every year.

60% of car crimes are attributable to mobile phone theft - however no other policy will insure your phone (Regular household, office or motor policies etc.). Specialist mobile phone cover will only insure your phone.

Not many people actually have insurance - Recent surveys have revealed that actually over half of people who have smartphones don't actually have own smartphone insurance. As a result of this, a third of smartphone users have had to replace their phone before their contract runs out or gets upgraded. On top of that, 37% of people who have a 24 month contract have had to replace their handset before the contract ended.

iPhones and smartphones are too expensive to replace without insurance - 50% of people in a certain study (who had lost their iPhone or smartphone) refused to buy a new handset due to the escalation in price and economic climate.

Phones used to be cheaper than they are now, and yet people still have the same attitude with their expensive smart phone. Unfortunately accidents happen and even though we're really careful with our phone, there is still always a danger that something will happen to it; whether it is dropped, stolen or breakdown outside the warranty period. You really need to ask yourself could you afford to fork out for a replacement? The smarter thing might be to protect your investment with mobile phone insurance - you'd do it for you laptop or iPad wouldn't you?

In conclusion, be smart and be safe with your handset. Look into investing in some iPhone insurance or smartphone insurance to protect you, your phone and your pocket.

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How To Monetizing Mobile Apps

When you are just starting to develop a new mobile product, or you are ready to release the end version, one of the most important steps is planning ways to earn money your mobile application.

We'll consider the following monetization methods:

Selling of mobile application

Selling of virtual goods (In-App billing)

Building in ads into the application

Let's start with the first one.

To sell the application on the Android Market / in the AppStore:

Your product will have a fixed cost. For downloading the mobile app, a user has to pre-pay it. In this case, you should consider many factors, one of which is the cost of your end product. By estimating value, consider the factors of product utility, urgency, age category, and its quality. Every factor has to be reasonably weighted. The final price should be compared with existing rivals' analogs. The uniqueness and quality of the product let quickly profit from high popularity among users.

In general, most users are reluctant to buy new products, which have less than 10-50 thousand downloads, as well as with a rating of less than 4 - 3.5. In this case, in order to achieve greater success, a free demo version has also to be available. This version must attract a potential customer demonstrating its possibilities to make him wish to purchase the full version of your mobile app.

In most cases, the end user expects that by purchasing an application or a game, its full version should be available, and he won't pay for additional features of the mobile app. If it is not the case, this disappointed user can perform purchase abolition and lower the application rating what affects the opinion of potential new users.

In-App billing

Selling virtual goods is purchasing within the mobile application. Payment technology is often provided by the Market, but when you want to to maximize the number of committed purchases, you can use some third-party services of SMS payments. The key point is that by payment through the Android Market / AppStore, you should enter your card's details; and most users may not possess this card or the ability to pay. For such situations, SMS payment service is provided, when the money is charged from the user's account.

When the mobile app has rich functionality, it is a good idea to place it on the Market free of charge, but with the possibility of opening additional functions / subscribing / purchasing through billing within the application. In the case of mobile games, for example, the system of internal payments is often the most cost-effective option. Since a user is keen on your game and wants to open new levels to avoid waiting few hours, he simply would have to pay. The In-App billing system lets earn money from the user an unlimited number of times. Therefore, you get the possibility of increasing the income several times more than by a single purchase.

Building in ads into the application

And the third option is the implementation of ads into the application. This method is not the most cost-effective one, and the income can go only when users are online. Profits in this case are due to users' clicks on a banner. For small apps and games, this can be the best option. It is desirable to implement a banner in mobile applications that require a constant internet connection, for example, for music downloading, communication, and online games. It is better to implement in free versions, as after application purchasing and seeing a banner there, the user won't be happy.

Summing up, I want to say that you should make your mobile application paid, if the functionality can't be divided into paid and free (if the application loses its meaning and value in that way). If your app has a lot of features, or the user's handling of application can be facilitated, then you should implement the internal payments system.

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How To Make iPhone Apps That Really Work

There are many of you who, while using an iPhone app, think that if you new how to code, you could make a better game, program or whatever. The fact is that you do not need to have extensive knowledge of program codes to make a quality iPhone app. If you think that you have a unique idea for or can add something to enhance an existing iPhone app then read on to learn how to make an iPhone app that will sell.

Developing an iPhone app is actually not as hard as one might think. It begins like all good inventions and that is with a solid idea. So your first step would be brainstorming trying to find a great idea. Once you have this idea the work begins. You have to research to make sure that what you propose to do is not an idea that is already out there or if it is yours fills a need the other developer overlooked.

The next step is to break the idea down into its basic components. You must be able to answer the following questions.

1. What do you want it to look like?
2. How will the various components interact?
3. What capabilities should the app have?
4. Who is the intended market?

Now that you have a plan you need to find an experienced programmer. This is not hard since there are many online sites that you can plug into for a small fee or even free to recruit a programmer. This way you pay a nominal fee for the work and the finished product is yours to copyright. You have to give the programmer all of the details that were covered in the previous paragraph and may have to work closely with them to get the app to look, sound and behave as you envisioned.

Once you have a working model you submit it to Apple directly via their website. If the app is any good at all they will offer it in their very own web store. This way you do not have to worry as much about marketing the product. You could still do a bit of online marketing using article marketing and talking it up on your social networks.

For more information on how to make iPhone apps all you need to do is search online. And if you are really serious you can teach yourself programming and learn all about objective C. This way the app is yours from start to finish.

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How a Tablet Work for Your Business

Using tablet PCs to carry out enormous activities can be very difficult. Most of us use iOS or android powered tablets to maintain that connection while we are away from office or home, but with no appropriate keyboard or mouse it will be cumbersome to do much other than answering emails or playing Angry Birds game. However, today's innovation has made tablets PCs more powerful to handle the basics of business computing - but only if you discover how to place them into your daily workflow. Here are a few guidelines to help you get the most out of a tablet PC.

The major challenge in carrying out numerous activities from your tablet is adjusting to the idea of not having a keyboard. Sure, you can carry with you a portable Bluetooth keyboard, most professionals see working entirely on tablets pleasing - and this is attributed to their portability, and lugging allover with a bag crammed with peripherals rather ruins the point. Alternatively, you can download apps which makes your tablets' on-screen keyboard functional.

But for Apple's iOS powered devices, there's an app called the Keyboard Upgrade, which lets you rearrange and break up the keyboard to ensure touchscreen typing is easier to type on. Sadly, keyboard apps included on iPad are of restricted use because Apple doesn't support independent developers to alter the iOS keyboard apps, and hence its app - the Keyboard Upgrade obliges you to copy already typed text and paste into other applications.

While for Android powered tablet users, the android market is accommodative for independent developers, hence more outstanding keyboard replacement apps such as the SwiftKey Tablet X or Thumb Keyboard. There are also other new ways of typing you can often try like with Swype, and all of these keyboard improvements will have the default Android keyboard upgraded across android apps.

Right, regardless of which app you go for, trying to replica the full functionality a physical keyboard on a tablet PC won't be a walk in the park. The advantage of this restriction is that several professionals will find carrying out their business from a tablet compels them to be a bit brief when communicating with clients. You'll have the business community embracing the limitations of tablets to be better businesspeople. When you reply to an email through a tablet PC, it would force you to quickly get to the point and stay away from the lure to go off-topic.

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Cloud Computing

As the name suggests, cloud computing is a method of using a virtual computer literally from anywhere in the world with the same personalized experience. Cloud computing is cloud hosting taken a step higher.

Using this type of computing you can organize and have access to your data from any computer that is connected to the World Wide Web. Your user account does not exist on any single PC or laptop but on the Web and your data is saved not on a single hard-disk but, again, on the Web. This allows you to share all your data including your movies, photos, documents, etc. with whoever you want and that too instantly.

Interestingly, almost all of us are partially using cloud computing in a way. All our information that is stored on the servers of one or another internet company such as Yahoo or Picasa is actually a part of a cloud-based computing system. This is why we are able to access the data stored in our email accounts from anywhere we want.

Hence, the criteria for information to be called part of a cloud-based system include instant accessibility, transferability and mobility. The best part of it is that all the information that you own at different platforms such as workplace, email, mobile phone and social networks will get synched. Do not be alarmed, what is on the web does not necessarily have to be on display for the public. Just like your emails cannot be read by others, other data too will be protected and will be on display to only those who you intend to show it to.

One of the advantages of the cloud is for business executives. Whenever corporations buy computers they have to buy several different licensed software such as Microsoft Windows, Office and other field specific programs. With the help of cloud computing, executives can gain access to readymade computers that already have all the desired software installed. The most important advantage to corporations in such a case is cost saving. Cloud computing services offer deals at relatively lower costs because of a number of reasons such as large number of customers, low costs and mass purchases by single entities.

However, the issue of security remains a big question mark especially for corporate clients whose data is of very sensitive nature. There are three types of cloud computing services -infrastructure-as-a-service (IaaS), platform-as-a-service (PaaS) and software-as-a-service (SaaS). The features that a user of cloud computing will be able to enjoy depend on the type of service he or she is using, i.e. PaaS, IaaS or SaaS. SaaS is the most commonly used type of cloud hosting service.

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