A Few Methods For Recovering Data...

When it comes to restoring the hard drive, you have the choice, consisting of several methods. In addition to periodic backups, you must take the following measures for data storage.

Every day there are new more sophisticated viruses, and system security should take the first place for any company and individual user. Malware can damage the operating system and the computer stops booting. The favorite aim for developers of malicious software are operating systems Windows, so it is recommended to use two or more anti-spyware/adware tools / antivirus programs. This will help prevent damage or theft of data.
Spyware scanner (spyware).
Actions of spyware software include:
- The emergence of different ads;
- Tracing the history of the Internet browser;
- Sudden change in the Internet home page;
- The emergence of a new toolbar or icons;
- Slow computer performance. Any computer with access to the Internet may encounter this problem. To protect against various types of malicious software, there are special programs.
Precautions:
Make sure that all employees who use a network of offices do not download any information from unknown sites. Install computer security browser on ‘medium’ level or above. Install a firewall on each computer. Purchase and install anti-spyware/adware tools program. Conduct a system scan for viruses at least once a week. In case of detection of spyware, remove it immediately from your computer.
Maintenance of your computer:
Make sure that the hard disk is not infected or damaged files. Companies such as Norton have developed special programs for disk optimization that can help you to optimize your system, correct problems with the files and remove unnecessary data from your hard drive. Conduct process optimization at least once a week.
Hard disk:
Recovering of hard drive. There are programs to recover lost data. Some of them specialize in restoring files have a certain format, such as graphic files or text documents, while others specialize in files of any type, regardless of their size. Of course, such programs cannot guarantee you a full recovery.
Programs for self-use are cheaper than services of companies for restoring the data. And before you call the expert of the company, you should at least try to restore your data using the recovery program.
In addition, there are programs to restore deleted files. These programs are used to recover information after formatting the hard disk after a system crash, after a sharp rise in tension, natural disaster, or viral infection.
You can also use the method of error recovery RAID, which is based on the fact that two or more hard drives working in parallel. This is a very complicated process. However, this is one of the most foolproof methods of data storage, because in this case fragments of a file distribute over the set of partitions storage. However, if you are going to use this method, it is best to seek professional help. Usually, when a firm receives data recovery hard drive, the first things they do is their viewing, then choose a method necessary for recovery. If a disk failure occurred because of the logical problems, as mentioned earlier, they will try to recover the data. In some cases, they can completely restore your hard drive.

Thanks for reading this. If you have any concerns, please email me at jack_store@rocketmail.com

Optimizing Windows XP

Windows XP has been the most popular operating system for personal computers for a long time.

XP Home is designed for home users who do not require complex corporate applications such as Web server, but they need an expanded and reliable operating system. If you use Windows XP, there are several tricks using which you can optimize its work.
Next, I will describe some of them. They are so important that should be included in any reference book on the work and effectiveness of WinXP. The first and most important thing you should do for the stable functioning of WinXP is to make sure that your computer is free from:
- Viruses;
- Trojans;
- Spyware and other parts of the software, which can cause a slowdown or failure of your operating system. To do this, especially if you have a broadband Internet connection, you must install a firewall.
The firewall controls the access point of software (ports) that use applications when interacting with your computer. Ports are just the numbers that came with your Internet protocol (or a different IP address), define a separate channel network transmission. Some ports should be open, such as port 80, which was created to provide HTTP communication. But others should be closed until they are nedded to this program. At the operating system WinXP whole range of ports is open by default.
I also recommend installing programs such as antivirus and anti-spyware. They can remove the malignant part of the programs, hindering the work of your system.
So, go further. Register WinXP is the centralized structure of these programs WinXP, it includes direct WinXP, is used to store configuration information. Directory can quickly overflow, leading to a slowdown functioning. This can happen especially if you delete unused programs improperly. This would lead to that deleted programs would remain in the roster a bunch of “garbage” records. And that, ultimately, lead to a slowing down of the system, because the programs appeal to it during their entire work. To clean the registry, there are different programs. I do not recommend contact with the registry carelessly: always create backup copy before its change.
Another useful tip: defragment your hard disk from time to time. WinXP can store a variety of program files in different places for increase the available memory of hard disk. But it will increase the time to access the file. Over time hard drive can accumulate many such fragmented files, which will lead to confusion and slow down the system. Fortunately, this can be solved easily with the utilities built-in to your system, which task is to defragment your hard drive. But keep in mind that this process could take several hours.
If you need to find a nice remove spyware infection or any helpful information about the topic of spyware blockers, please visit the hyperlinked web site.
And it is very important that you follow some general tips – today the web technologies give you a really unique chance to choose exactly what you require at the best terms which are available on the market. Strange, but most of the people don’t use this opportunity. In real life it means that you must use all the tools of today to get any information that you need.
Search Google or other search engines. Visit social networks and have a look on the accounts that are relevant to your topic. Go to the niche forums and join the discussion. All this will help you to build up a true vision of this market. Thus, giving you a real chance to make a smart and nicely balanced decision.

Microsoft Excel 2007 tips. How to create a standalone chart...

To create any chart in Microsoft Excel, you must begin by selecting the data that you want to plot including any headings. You then have the choice of creating either a stand-alone chart or an embedded chart. To create a stand-alone chart, right-click on one of your worksheet tabs and choose Insert. Next, click on the chart icon and click OK. Excel creates a chart using the default chart type.
Having just created a chart, Excel will display three contextual tabs headed “Chart Tools”. The contextual tabs consist of Design, Layout and Format. The Design contextual tab enables you to change the chart type and the basic information about the chart such as the underlying data.
The Layout tab offers you a more intricate level of control over the various elements within your chart. For example, by default, Excel adds a legend to each new chart. If a chart has only one series of data, we don’t need a legend to tell us what the chart colours mean. We can therefore click on the Legend drop-down menu and choose None.
The Format contextual tab gives us the most primitive control over your chart elements. It is here that we are able to click on individual items and change them at the object level. In other words, we are working on these elements purely as drawing objects rather than as elements of a chart. However, even at this primitive level, Excel still indicates the relationship between the chart elements and the underlying data. Thus, for example, when an individual data point is highlighted, Excel displays the corresponding worksheet address in the formula bar.
When creating a standalone chart, you are not given the option of choosing the chart type during the chart creation process. If you want to change the chart type, you have to do so at a later stage by choosing a Chart Type option in the Design contextual menu.
As for the chart sheet which contains the chart, it behaves in much the same way as a worksheet. It can be renamed or deleted by right-clicking the sheet tab and choosing Rename or Delete from the context menu.

If you have any more concerns please comment for email me. Thanks for reading this.

Remove The Problems Connected With Slow Computer Performances!

There comes a time when your computer starts performing slowly. The reasons may be quite different but the main thing is that you can easily remove them. So if your computer starts performing slowly it is rather recommended to look through all your files and find out which programs and files are no longer in use. When you will remove unused and old files and programs from your computer, then it would speed up the latter. It’s common knowledge that most people prefer to download as many free programs or trials as possible, simply because they are free. So far as is known, many people even don’t remember all the names and why they need them. So you just trash your computer and as the result it begins working slowly. It is high time to remove your old unused programs. In case if you don’t know which program may be removed it is recommended to ask for professional help. To the best of our knowledge, most of the programs that you usually install on your computer simply have an Uninstall button. All you need is to go to the Start button and in the Program menu choose the program you would like to uninstall. If not or you just want to make everything properly then you should go to the Control Panel and to Add/Remove Programs menu and choose the program you would like to uninstall. And then after restarting your computer you will notice that it works much better.
If the abovementioned is not your case then you should look through some others options. For example, if you like to use the Internet a lot then it would be useful for you to have a high speed internet connection. I understand that it is more expensive but it worthy. Among the other advantages is the possibility to open the web pages more quickly, as well as receive, download and send files and so on. Besides it is recommended to have an unlimited connection, so that you wouldn’t worry about your speed and the capacity you may use. To the best of our knowledge the fastest internet connection is a cable internet connection. This is the best option for those who works from home or in the office. But if you like to travel a lot there is nothing better for you than high speed wireless connection. As another option you may easily use high speed satellite internet. But for this type of connection you should find out which option it has. So, as you may see the better the speed of your Internet connection is the better your computer works.

Thanks for reading this. If you have any more concerns please comment and email me at jack_store@rocketmail.com

Few possible reasons why your computer might be acting slower and stupid!!!

We have every reason to believe that a modern man can’t imagine its life without a computer. Indeed it became an integral part of our life and when something goes wrong and our computer starts performing slowly we really don’t know what to do. You should not get frustrated. Actually all you need to do in this situation is research the cause for your computer to slow down. When you will know the reason you would be able to restore it back to normal performance. To the best of our knowledge, in fact there exist 4 possible reasons. So let’s look at them closer in order to understand how to get rid of them. So the first common reason is system registry error. As a matter of fact this is the main reason why your computer starts performing slowly. The main problem is that many users don’t know what a registry is, so they don’t know how to maintain it. It would be useful for you to know that registry keys are important part of the system. They consist of instructions which software and hardware should follow in order your computer run properly. However with time your registry entries may become messy. This is caused by the fact the computer not always restores the default settings. This means that the program will need more time to find the proper instructions. In order to get everything back to normal you will need just to clean up your computer registry. There are plenty of different registry cleaners available on the Internet.
The next option is viruses. If you are regularly downloading files from the Internet then there is a great possibility that your computer may be infected by viruses. Nowadays you may easily install any anti-virus software you like on your computer. In some severe cases when the viruses cannot be removed from your computer, then you will need to re-install your operating system. Don’t forget to make back up of all your data.
The other reason why your computer runs slowly is insufficient RAM. All you need to remove this problem is to upgrade it. If some time earlier it was sufficient to have the RAM of 512 Mb but now it is insufficient. In order to check much memory you have, you may do it by making right click on My Computer and choose Properties menu.
And the last possible problem is spyware and adware. The thing is that when you prefer to download files from free sites there is a high risk to get such software onto your computer. They are actually intended to track all your browsing habits. This information is gathered and then is sent back to their main sites. In order to remove them you will need anti-spyware program. Need anti-spyware softwares? Contact me at jack_store@rocketmail.com

Thanks for reading this.

Make your computer run smoother...

If you have a computer then with time you will have definitely some problems with it. If you want the latter to happen less frequently it is recommended to fulfill several simple steps. In addition it should be mentioned that you don’t need to be a computer expert in order to perform these procedures. Of course, your computer will never be the new again, but still you may prolong its life. 

The first thing you should do regularly is disk cleanup. It’s not a secret that each time you enter the Internet, delete some files, and open any attachments your computer records your activity. To the best of our knowledge, mainly these file are not harmful and they do not take much space. But, on the other hand, if you perform many actions every day sooner or later your computer will have not enough free space as it will be filled with these files. As the result your computer will slow down significantly. In order not to allow this you may use the Disk Cleanup program which comes with Windows. This utility will remove all unwanted and unused files from your computer. As the result you will get more storage space on your computer that may be now used by more useful files and programs. One of the important things for you to know is that you should perform such cleaning regularly. For example, if you use your computer every day and perform rather complicated actions, it is recommended to perform the disk cleanup at least once a month, and then your computer would run smoother.

As you should perform regular disk cleanup, you should do regular defragmentation of your computer hard drive. This procedure will help you to arrange your files. As the result your computer will start working more efficiently. The reason is that each time you add or create and then remove the program – there appear some free spaces. So next time when you try to add some program it will be written to the free spaces. That’s why the computer will need more time to perform the required operation. The Disk Defragmentation option you will also find in your Start menu. It is not recommended to use any other programs while defragmentation. Besides it is quite easy to operate and afterwards you will see that your computer runs smoother.

When you start noticing that strange things happen, as well as there appear the inappropriate pop-ups, some odd icons etc – this may mean that you have adware and spyware on your computer. These are the files that may be downloaded to your computer and you may not know it. Unfortunately they are here in order to steal some information: for example, your browsing preferences, as well as your passwords and credit card details etc. Mainly this information is provided back to the site or to the third parties. Besides, such adware and spyware significantly slow down your computer performance. But, don’t worry: you can easily remove them from your computer. Just use one of the free anti-spyware software. Or email me to receive the best anti-spyware software(or any protection software you need) just for $12.

Thanks for reading this. Email me if you have more concerns at jack_store@rocketmail.com

Do you think viruses are only bad programs that can damage your computer??? Learn about Spywares and Adwares and protect your computers from them!!!

It’s not a secret that we cannot imagine our modern life without computer and Internet. These are, perhaps, the best inventions of the humanity. Here you may find any kind of information just by one click. You may freely communicate with your friends, relatives, colleagues and other people. But not everything is perfect here as not all users have verifiable credentials. Sometimes with the internet there come some unwanted programs or as they are also called adware and spyware. The thing is that they may be in your computer and you wouldn’t know about it. They may do harm to your computer and you personally as mainly they track your browsing preferences and ma even steal you password or bank and credit card details and provide it to the interested parties. To the best of our knowledge, mostly such interested parties are advertisers, who use this information in order to send you then spam. That’s why in many cases it is quite urgent to find the right software which would remove such spyware and adware from your computer. Besides, if there some adware and spyware on your computer it may significantly slow down the performance of your computer. In some cases these software may change your files and data. Unfortunately most people think that such programs may be found on the specific so-called adult sites so such people are not careful while using other sites, that’s why their computers are potentially at risk. We have every reason to believe that even big corporations like to use such information in order to understand the purchase and spending habits of their clients. That’s why they have so-called public privacy policies. So when you think that you are just safely visiting a site, actually there is a great chance that this site has scanned your habits without your knowing it. It would be useful for you to know that every time you enter any site it collects some common information and this may influence upon the performance of your computer. Of course, you cannot compare the impact of the adware with the virus but in fact it will slow your computer performance and in severe cases, may even render your machine virtually unusable.
You can easily understand that you have adware and spyware on your computer, if during browsing of the site there appear different pop ups. The latter are intended to direct you to the other site by some attractive picture or so. But as soon as you will visit this site, the spyware or adware gets to your computer. Sometimes even you may send your friend a link with the spyware without you or your friend knowing about it. That’s why it is rather important to protect your computer. Of course you may be cautious while opening e-mails and especially the attachments. But as well you may install anti-spyware software and scan your computer for the presence of such programs and remove them from your computer.

Ways to protect MS Windows systems from viruses

Nowadays as the Internet and other networks are greatly developed computer viruses are distributed rapidly and intensively. Everyday several new viruses capable to damage considerably your computer system arise. Anti-virus specialists work hardly to make updates their software against new viruses as soon as possible. The viruses can get inside computer in different ways. That is why there is no simple method to protect system. Only series of measures can give you reliable protection from the infection. Below are 9 steps to protect MS Windows based PC system from viruses.

1. Make regular backups. It should be said that there is no absolutely safe way of protection. Virus creators regularly find holes in new computer products to use them for infection of computer systems. Some dangerous viruses can considerably damage data files or even erase entire file system. Make regular backups of your data files to separate file storage device. It can be separate hard drive, flash card, compact disc or another file storage device which you choose. To ease the procedure you can use some automatic backup software. And be ready if the system will die because of virus infection.

2. Be ready to reinstall your system if it dies because of viruses. Get distributives of your operation system and distributives of software which you use and keep them together, for instance, on a set of CDs not far away from you. In this case if virus infection will cause unrecoverable system failure you can rapidly reinstall your working medium.

3. Protect your network connection with Firewall. Firewall is a software which blocks suspicious potentially dangerous connections to preventing viruses from network to penetrate into your system. Windows XP system has quit simple but reliable built-in firewall. You can enable it as follows. 1) in Control Panel, double-click Networking and Internet Connections, and then click Network Connections. 2) Right-click the connection on which you would like to enable firewall, and then click Properties. 3) On the Advanced tab, check the option to Protect my computer and network.

If you need more flexible control of connections with network you can get and install more advanced firewall software like Norton Personal Firewall or Outpost Firewall. If you use this software you have ability to permit or to block particular connections and to monitor network activity.

4. Use antivirus software. Install antivirus software which will scan your system searching and erasing viruses on a regular basis. Click this link to find about the best anti-virus protection you will get today.

5. Regularly update operating system. Windows has built-in automatic update service. It regularly contacts Microsoft server to find updates and notifies you if updates are ready to be installed. Updates are important because hackers regularly find holes in operating system which are often used by virus creators.

6. Don't install and don't run suspicious software. Check new programs which you are going to install with anti-virus software. Don't download software from suspicious websites. To download software always seek website of software creator or official distributor. Do not open applications received by email from unknown persons.

7. Limit access to your computer. Protect enter to system with password.

8. If you use Internet Explorer, consider moving to another browser. As IE is the most distributed browser today virus creators actively use defects in its security system to infect computers. Infection may arise if you will visit webpage which contains invisible harmful code. You are more safe if you use less known browser only because virus creators do not pay much attention to it. Major IE competitors Firefox and Opera browsers provide now the same comfortable interface and range of services for working on the Web.

9. Use spam protection. Viruses are often distributed via email. Switch on spam filters in your email box to block spam receiving. If you need assistance with using of the filters you can ask your email service provider.

Something about Image Resolution and its concerns

A question I’m currently receiving on a weekly basis is ‘how many pictures will I be able to fit on this’ when a customer is referring to the size of memory card or USB Flash Drive.  Understanding image resolution and size is important in this digital age and although the intricacies are incredibly complex, the basics are pretty easy to get to grip with.
What is Image Resolution?
A pixel is a unit of programmable colour on a computers display and by combining many of them together we are able to create an image; the term resolution typically refers to the number of pixels that are used in this process.  On the whole, the quality of the image will increase with a greater number of pixels as we are able to store a greater amount of detail.
How is Resolution Measured?
Resolutions are generally expressed in two different formats – either the pixel dimensions of the image are given or the total number of pixels used in its creation.
Most digital cameras express their maximum resolution in terms of megapixels (millions of pixels) that can be used to create an image; an 8 mega pixel camera would be able to break a picture down in to 8 million pixels hence giving a higher resolution that a 5 mega pixel camera.
The resolution of a computer image on the other hand is usually expressed by giving the number of pixels present on a line and the number of lines used in the image.  For example, an image measuring 1600 x 1200 would contain 1600 pixels per line and a total of 1200 lines giving a total of 1,920,000 pixels (1.92 mega pixels).  As the image contains a greater number of horizontal than vertical pixels we can assume this picture would be landscape rather than portrait.
How does Resolution affect File Size?
The more pixels an image contains the larger the file is likely to be; this is due to the fact that storing information relating to 10 million pixels is liable to require more space than saving a lower resolution 1 million pixel image.
There are several other very important factors to consider:
File Format – Over the years there have been many different image file formats, each introducing new advantages and disadvantages and covering them all would take an article in itself.  The two you are most likely to come in to contact with when using a digital camera are JPEG (smaller images that often include compression) or RAW (Completely unprocessed images files which are of a higher image quality but also substantially larger)
Colour Depth – Along with the total number of pixels that constitute an image, we also have to consider the potential number of colours each pixel could be.  If, for example you save your image as a ‘line art’ image where each pixel can be either black or white then the amount of data required to store this information is less than if you set a colour depth of ‘true colour’ where each pixel could be one of 16,777,216 potential colours.
Compression – Many image formats, such as JPEG allow you to adjust the amount of compression that is utilised when saving the image.  Compression can work in a number of different ways but ultimately it works to minimise the amount of data required to save the image.  This is usually achieved by looking for areas of commonality (for example a shape or pattern) and saving the description of that area which the computer can then later reproduce when reloading the image rather than defining each individual pixel.

Thanks for reading this. If you have any more concerns then please email me at jack_store@rocketmail.com

Talk on 802.11n Wireless Networking

It’s been years in development of 802.11n Wi-Fi that have quite changed our experience with the wireless network.

Presently the majority of the wireless hardware you will buy (routers, wireless network cards, printers etc) will use a networking specification called 802.11g which has a maximum speed of 54Mbps. This maximum speed is being increasingly seen as inadequate as applications become more complex and require more bandwidth.
The successor, 802.11n is being ratified to increase both the speed and range of wireless devices however it should be noted that due to the time the IEEE Task Group n have been arguing about the intricacies, equipment manufacturers got bored and decided to run with the draft specification. As a result, the fact that 802.11n is becoming ‘official’ is unlikely to change a great deal as hardware utilising the new standard has been available for some time now. Although these devices have been produced working on the draft specification, the reality is that there are very few differences between this and the anticipated final ‘official’ release.
Essentially based on the current 802.11g standard, 802.11n uses some new technology and tweaks to give Wi-Fi more speed and range. The most notable part of this technology is called ‘multiple input, multiple output’ or MIMO for short. MIMO uses several antennas to transmit multiple data streams simultaneously rather than a single antenna transmitting just one stream of data. This allows more data to be transmitted in the same period of time while also increasing the potential range of the network.
Other technologies include payload optimisation which results in more data being transmitted in each packet and channel bonding which can use two separate non-overlapping channels at the same time to transmit data. The result is all this is achievable data transmission rates of around 100Mbps and double the potential range of 802.11g.
There are no security enhancements as they simply aren’t needed; the WPA2 encryption standard provided by existing network hardware is considered by most to be ‘extremely secure’.
It’s worth checking the box of any network equipment you have purchased in the last couple of years as you may find it is already compatible with 802.11n and simply needs setting up correctly. It goes without saying that in order to benefit from the faster speed both the transmitting and receiving devices both have to support 802.11n; A 802.11n router working with a 802.11g laptop will result in slower 802.11g speeds.
At present ‘n’ rated hardware is more expensive than the older ‘g’ standard however not prohibitively so; our ‘n’ rated wireless router typically retails for around a tenner more than the £25 ‘g’ rated equivalent. Of course, if you are already happy with your wireless network and the upgrade will mean replacing perfectly functional hardware it is certainly worth considering whether your needs warrant the faster hardware.
At present 802.11n will only be required by those with blisteringly fast broadband connections or those that regularly copy large volumes of data across a wireless network however it will soon become the norm. If upgrading your hardware, therefore, it may well be worth paying a couple of extra pounds now to ensure that you remain future proof.

Thanks for reading this. If you have any concerns please email me at jack_store@rocketmail.com

Small story about Apple... The iTouch effect!!!

In a time when everybody suddenly seems to be looking to Apple for the next exciting piece of new technology, I’m forced to look back and wonder when everything all of a sudden started to go ‘right’ for them.

Things haven’t always been this rosy for Apple; back in 2001 the ailing technology company posted a year loss of $25 million on revenues of $5.3 billion however, just 7 years later, they posted a $4.8 billion profit in 2008 based on revenues of $32.5 billion.
Such a turnaround is quite remarkable and seems to coincide very much with the release of the iPod; a revolutionary portable media device which enjoyed its first full year of sales in 2002. Initially released in October 2001, the iPod was easy to use and included a large hard drive which had an incredibly large storage capacity compared with the flash media based players of the time. Suddenly, rather than just being able to store a couple of albums on their media player, users were given the ability to store thousands of songs on a device small enough to fit in the pocket.
Over the years the line has been revised several times with the largest commercial available iPod created topping out at a 160GB storage capacity which is enough to hold around 40,000 songs. The current series of iPod touch units feature a touch sensitive colour screen, motion sensor, Wi-Fi and a more realistic maximum 64GB of storage.
Presently Apple claim to dominate the portable music device market with a 73% market share, having sold over 210 million units to date. On top of the revenue generated by the sale of hardware, there is also the huge revenue generated by iTunes which is the associated song download site for the iPod. Having signed the five major record companies up to its service, iTunes boasted total sales figures of over 6 billion songs at the beginning of this year. The service now also offers video content such as TV shows and movies for users of newer machines.
The most interesting point to note is the halo effect that has occurred with other areas of the Apple business following cultural acceptance of the iPod as a ‘cool’ piece of technology. Users appear to have subscribed to the Apple brand and very few analysts would deny that the tremendous uptake of the iPod has had a positive effect on other areas of the business.
The most notable spin off has been the Apple iPhone which since its release in June 2007 has sold over 21 million units. Although we cannot attribute the high number of sales directly to the iPod, there are strong similarities between the two devices in terms of design and desirability.
If we look at the Apple Mac computer, suddenly it has been accepted as a sexy alternative to the boring PC. The market share is still at a relatively small 11% worldwide however this compares favourably with the 4.1% figure that was circulating back in 2001.
I think it is fair to surmise that Apples current good fortune in recent years is predominately down to the new found desirability that allows the products to command their high price tags. In order to ensure this status isn’t lost tomorrow they will need to build on this momentum so that products of tomorrow remain more than simple items of technology, but rather objects of desire.

Thanks for reading this. If you have any concerns please contact me at jack_store@rocketmail.com

Something about the ISO Format

One of the most common file types used in the distribution of software over the Internet is the .ISO format; these single files contain within them an exact copy of an entire CD or DVD disc. They are ideal because rather than having dozens, hundreds or even of thousands of files to transport you only have one.
There are of course other methods of achieving the same goal; some of you may be familiar with .zip or .rar files which have the added advantage of being able to not only take many files and store them temporarily as one but also compress the data, making the total file size smaller. Unfortunately, when using this method on a media disc you strip out important characteristics of the original such as boot code, disc structures and file attributes which can often prevent an application from running.
As a result of this exact copy process, the format has become a popular method of transporting pirated software – the ISO file is an exact match of the original and as such there is no reason the software would realise it had been copied and refuse to run. There are plenty of legal uses for the format, however, and it is highly likely that even the most legitimate users will come in to contact with an ISO file at some stage sooner or later.
Unfortunately they are not the most user friendly file format; you can’t simply complete the download then double click to run the application as they first have to be returned to their original format. There are typically two methods that can be used to complete this process; burn the data back to a physical disc or create a virtual drive on your computer.
The first method relies on a piece of disc burning software such as the fantastic and free CDburnerXP (www. cdburnerxp.se). Simply click ‘burn an image to disc’, point the application in the direction of your ISO file, insert a blank CD or DVD and your computer will then spit out an exact copy of the original media as if it had come direct from the manufacturer.
The second method uses a piece of software such as the free Alcohol 52% (www.alcohol-soft.com) to create a virtual drive that can simulate an actual CD or DVD disc. By asking Alcohol 52% to ‘mount’ an ISO file downloaded from the Internet, Windows will be tricked in to thinking there is a physical drive connected to your computer containing the original disc. You simply access it through Windows Explorer as you would any other regular drive connected to your computer.
This latter method prevents us from having to waste a blank CD or DVD which is especially handy in instances where it would have only been used to install the application before being discarded. We can also keep the original ISO file and mount it whenever it’s required rather than having to store and locate a physical disc when the data is required again in the future.
There are additional benefits, especially when it comes to speed. Not only does it take seconds to mount an ISO file, rather than the minutes it would take to burn it, but in addition the speed of reading the data is exponentially faster. A virtual CD for example will read at 200x speed whereas the fastest CD drives on the market are limited to 52x speed.
Some users may also appreciate the ability to create multiple virtual drives that can function simultaneously; this is useful if you have more than one disc that you need frequent access to without the need for multiple readers. You can create copies of your own discs and load them up on to multiple virtual drives in this fashion and as long as you own the original it is perfectly legal.

 Thanks for reading this. If you have any concerns please email me at jack_store@rocketmail.com

Windows 7 Hidden Secrets – Additional functionality!!!

I have been using Windows 7 for quite a while now and I have actually found some hidden secrets or the hidden gems that people might be interested in to use. Here are some of them:


Aero Shake
In Windows 7, when you click on the title bar of any window and shake it every other open window gets minimised straight back in to your taskbar, reducing clutter on your screen.  This allows you to focus on the one window and then when ready shake it again and the other windows will reappear.
There are additional Aero user interface related features which make a welcome debut.  These include Aero Peek which allows you to immediately see what’s going on in an application just by hovering over the icon in the task bar and Aero Snap which quickly allows you to rearrange your desktop by slamming any open window against the left, right or top side of your screen; try it!
Sticky Notes
Proof, if needed, that some of the simplest applications make the largest differences to the end user experience.  One of the most commonly used applications on my PC used to be the incredibly simple ‘notepad’ as I find that my working life works a lot better if I simplify everything down in to lists.
Rather than jotting notes on random pieces of paper that will almost certainly get lost throughout the day I used to dump everything in notepad and ensure that every line was eventually cleared so I was left with a blank page before I went home.
Sticky notes have a similar application.  To get started click on the start menu and type in ‘sticky’ and begin typing tasks for the day or things to remember in to little post it notes that stick to your screen.  When complete either close or minimise the application to get back to the job in hand, safe in the knowledge that once Sticky Notes are reopened, these tasks will reappear exactly as you left them.  When a task has been completed or the note simply isn’t needed, it can be deleted with one click of the mouse.
Improved Calculator
Windows 7 calculator has improved considerably; now rather than being an arithmetic only affair, it can be operated in four modes – Standard, Scientific, Programmer and Statistical.  It can also perform unit conversion, for example grams to ounces, metres to feet and Celsius to Fahrenheit along with a couple of unexpected features such as the ability to calculate the number of days between two dates or the value of your mortgage repayment.   Surely in the next version of Windows the calculator application will finally gain graphical capabilities.
Windows Disk Image Burner
For some time now the preferred method of copying and storing CD’s and DVD’s has been by using an ISO file; a single image which includes the contents of an entire disk.  Reading these files used to require a specific application (the likes of which I’ve covered previously in Click) but every version of Windows 7 now includes support for these straight out the box; simply double click on the ISO file that you wish to burn, insert a blank CD or DVD and you’re done.

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