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Picture Keeper

Keeping Your Computer Safe

JM Perez By JM Perez2 min read480 views

In ten years I owned three laptops. My first laptop was a Fujitsu. It was the best and lasted a little over 7 years. Towards the last year it started freezing, slowing down (regardless of my Internet Speed) and the number of pop-up ads per second was astonishing. A few months after Cloning its Hard Drive; it died. My second laptop was a Dell. It served its purpose while it lasted; though a total disappointment as it died on me less than a year. Fortunately for me, I was able to retrieve data from it. My third laptop is an ASUS. I heard so much about it and after reading the wonderful reviews, I decided to give it a try. So far, so good.

We have a Desktop Computer in the house that no one has touched in months. It got worse since my children got hooked on their tablets. Once in a blue moon however, I turned it on to get the latest security and other important updates from Microsoft automatically. As I checked my hard-drive space, I noticed that I had less space on my C: Drive even though I just installed the essentials. This afternoon I decided to reinstall the Operating System without formatting the hard disk during installation, which resulted in data files saved to a Windows.old folder on my C: Drive which I immediately deleted as it wasn’t needed and was too large (115 Gigabytes).

I made sure the Computer was running the most up-to-date version of all the Software. As I read and consented to Skype licensing agreements, I didn’t see a notification of adware of any sort. Once the software was installed however, I ended up with additional unwanted adware which got installed along with Skype.

Java Print Screen.
Java Setup window Print Screen.

Some Software such as Java will give you an option to install Adware or not (see picture above) and others will not. Though often harmless, some of these Adware can become a nuisance. Spyware on the other hand will pose a security risk. Always make sure that you do not need a program before uninstalling it as some programs depend on others to work properly. To check your list of installed programs, simply click on Start → Control Panel → Uninstall a Program (located under the Programs category).

Uninstall a Program.
Installed Programs Print Screen.

Some Preventive Measures

  • Install Antivirus, Antispyware Software and check for updates
  • Keep your Firewall turned on
  • Enable your Pop-up Blocker
  • Check your list of Installed Programs daily
  • Keep your Operating System up-to-date
  • Be very selective and only download the Programs/Applications you need and want on your Computer
  • Always read licensing agreements before you consent to an installation
  • Whenever possible, choose secure networks over Public Wi-Fi
  • Constantly check your Programs and Features to make sure that everything is in order
  • Backup your Data (Online, Hard Drive, … etc)
  • Scan and turn off your Computer when you’re done using it

Consider purchasing Picture Keeper, a photo storage and backup device or a Portable External Hard Drive to protect your pictures and other irreplaceable files.

Computer Data Retrieval

JM Perez By JM Perez2 min read562 views

I have been up most of the night, updating and transferring data from my old computer Hard Drive into the new one. Though it took me a while, I’m happy. I now have all the information I need in one place and I am relieved. The best part about this process is the amount of knowledge I gained along the way.

I owned a Fujitsu Laptop for over 7 years, which I really liked. I finally parted with it because its video chip was getting bad and couldn’t be replaced. I got a Dell as a replacement. Just as I was creating more memories; I placed it into hibernation mode one afternoon early this month and it never came back up. I had it for just a year and it gave up on me. You would think that with the advancement in technology, devices would last longer and perform better. Older computers, though slower, tend to be more reliable.

I bought a new Laptop replacement and ordered a USB 22 Pin SATA Adapter Cable to allow me to transfer all the content from my Dell Hard Drive into the new Laptop. As you can see on the picture below, I had to use a computer monitor to access the content of the old Hard Drive because my current laptop only has one USB port on each side and the Adapter Cable wasn’t long enough to reach both sides.

Computer Data Retrieval.

What you need:

  • A computer
  • Two USB ports
  • USB 2.0 For 2.5″ HDD Hard Disk Drive Laptop to SATA 7+15 Pin 22Pin Adapter Cable

How to proceed:

  • Take out the old hard drive from the Laptop.
  • Connect the Adapter to the Hard Drive being careful not to touch the underside of the Hard Drive since it has its electronic circuit exposed.
  • Connect the 2 USB connectors to your computer/laptop and let it recognize it.
  • Double-click the Hard Drive icon and access your files.

My advice to anyone is to always back up your data to an external drive (weekly, monthly and in extreme cases, daily). It’s quite a scare and nightmare when you suddenly lose all your data or can’t access your important information because of a computer crash/malfunction.
Turn your Firewall on. Get an Anti-Virus software and a Registry Cleaner to protect your computer files from malicious software and from being broken into as well as to  help keep them safe.

Consider purchasing Picture Keeper, a photo storage and backup device or a Portable External Hard Drive to protect your pictures and other irreplaceable files.