Backup - Backup - System Image

I recently experienced a major technical breakdown on my primary PC device - a Toshiba Laptop Windows 8.1. To make a long story short, while troubleshooting a client's system, several changes were made to my system configuration in the intent to gain access to the client's wireless system. The following day ... I lost all wireless capability, I could only boot to Safe Mode, I could not access or use Windows Recovery features, etc. 

By chance, the day before, I had created system backup of all Library files and also created a System Image saved to an external Drive using EaseUS ToDo Backup. I 'frantically' went to restore the image I had saved the day before and within 45 minutes all files, programs, and settings were restored to the date of the System Image created the day before. I was saved. Lesson: do not intellectually know you should backup your PC routinely - DO IT!

Photo Online Backup

There are many web sites for displaying your digital photos. I have researched many and found that two free sites outshine them all/ They are Flickr and Google+. Flickr requires a Yahoo account and Google + requires that you have a Google account.Some keys highlights I have found (and I am sure there are more):

• Google+ is unlimited (they will resize your photos 2048x2048 pixels - plenty large anyway)
• Flickr offers 1 Terabyte of storage (500,000 photos estimated) - no resolution limits
• Both allow sharing of photos or albums via a link
• Both allow private auto load or instant backup from mobile devices when configured
• Both will take a little effort to understand 'how to' upload, display, create albums, etc.
• Of the two - I am caught in between which I like better. I prefer the look of Flickr from a photographer standpoint and many semi-pro enthusiasts use Flickr to display their images. I like Google+ since it works seamlessly with their free basic photo editing tool - Picasa.

Major Password Invasion

With news breaking on Monday, April 7th that the Heartbleed bug causes a vulnerability in the OpenSSL cryptographic library, which is used by roughly two-thirds of all websites on the Internet, everyone who uses the web will have one password compromised. Check here at LastPass Checker and see if your website has been affected.

Seven Mistakes PC Users Can Avoid

See article here

1. Use pre-installed software (use DeCrapifier)

2. Accept Default download and install presets (check for 'checks')

3. Cleaning Registry to 'speed up' PC (you may slow it down)

4. Too much defragmentation of your PC hard drive (Windows does it automatically)

5. Failure to restart your PC (try once a week)

6. Failure to backup PC (use Crashplan)

7. Failure to keep apps and anti-virus up-to-date (check for updates often - install Secunia PSI)

Get Google Cloud Storage but ...

I totally like, agree and use Google for many services - email, Google Docs, Google+ and this Blog. However, I do not use it blindly. Why? read on ... from Google Terms and Conditions

"Your Content in our Services: When you upload or otherwise submit content to our Services, you give Google (and those we work with) a worldwide license to use, host, store, reproduce, modify, create derivative works (such as those resulting from translations, adaptations or other changes that we make so that your content works better with our Services), communicate, publish, publicly perform, publicly display and distribute such content. 

The rights that you grant in this license are for the limited purpose of operating, promoting and improving our Services, and to develop new ones. This license continues even if you stop using our Services (for example, for a business listing that you have added to Google Maps)."

Bottom line: use all the services and just do not put sensitive, personal or anything you would prefer NOT be made public in Google.

Identity Theft Tips

Your identity is comprised of three types of information: financial, medical, and public documents/data. Identity is an asset—as valuable as cash in hand. And it’s easily compromised through theft or a data breach. 

This site ID 911 has a FAQ Knowledge Base that can serve as a personal checklist for protecting yourself. LifeLock as you know is a fee-based service that monitor your identity, but you can almost create a 'DIY LifeLock' with free Credit Card fraud monitoring, free Credit Reports and Mint a free financial 'read only' app for the web and mobile devices.

9 Free Programs a New (or existing) PC Needs

From PC World (copy and paste link into browser or copy and search program name in Google)

http://www.pcworld.com/article/2082305/your-new-pc-needs-these-22-free-programs.html#tk.nl_down

1. Browser ... Chrome

2. Anti-Virus ... AVG or Avast

3. Anti-Malware ... Malware Bytes

4. Deleted File Recovery ... Recuva

5. Temp File and PC Cleaner ... CCleaner

6. Program Updater ... Secunia PSI

7. Password Manager ... LastPass

8. Microsoft Word, Excel + replacements ... LibreOffice or OpenOffice

9. Photo Editing ... Picasa (personal addition - not in PC World article)

They Can Guess Your Password!

Telepathwords is a weak password prevention system that will try to guess the next letter in your password. From there Telepathwords will try to guess your entire password. 

If Telepathwords can guess what you're typing, then odds are that your password isn't very strong. In that case, it's best to strengthen your passwords. Telepathwords is run by Microsoft and Carnegie Mellon University, and they have encrypted Telepathwords for your safety (for added safety do not check "Donate my keystrokes to science").  research.microsoft.com

Chrome Privacy Tip

Chrome has be recognized the fastest and now most popular browser for the PC. If you are like me, privacy is something you desire and most browsers do have silent browsing feature. In Chrome it is called Incognito mode. Here is a shortcut to access the Incognito mode when using Chrome.

Use keyboard shortcut CTRL+SHIFT+N and you immediately cn browse incognito.

Check out 65 Chrome Shortcuts

Best Password Managers - Review

Rule number One ... use a different password for every site you are required to use a user name and password

Rule Number Two ... remember all the unique passwords -or-

Option ... use a Password Manager (LastPass, DashLane or Password Box)

See Password Manager Review