When Is a Backup A Backup?

With the increased threat of ransomware and hacks of systems I thought it timely to examine backups and explore exactly what is meant by this often misunderstood word in the tech world. It is vital you understand, no matter what device we are talking about, what the different type of backups mean and how they can be used to recover from the many pitfalls which can befall any device.

Factory Recovery Backups

If you have ever purchased a laptop or desktop computer in the past the option to create recovery media was presented to you. In many cases I find that either this was never done or the original media has long disappeared into the some space or location we can’t remember.

Factory Restore Backups(FRB) are vital to create. I cannot over emphasize this fact. If you have a serious issue with your pc it can mean the difference between dumping the pc and repairing it. This is even more true on windows 8 and Windows 10 machines where the Windows product license is no longer printed on a sticker on the machine but is embedded in the hard coded memory (bios) of the machine. Incidentally if you own a windows 7 machine don’t be tempted to peel or scratch this sticker off and if it is wearing take a good quality photo of it and store it with your Factory recovery media.

Caveats On Factory Recovery Backups

There a few caveats with Factory Recovery backups that you should be aware of:

#1 Never use the FRB without consulting a qualified technician.

This is one of the most common mistakes I come across. FRB’s are the very last option to be employed when you run into trouble on a computer not the first. Restoring a computer to factory default installation with an underlining problem can result in the machine being unusable. I see it most often being employed to attempt to fix a machine that has slowed to a crawl. In many cases this is caused by a hardware issue. A FBR will NOT correct a hardware error but it will in some cases paper over it for a period and in many cases the next fail of the system will be catastrophic.

#2 Factory Recovery Backups can wipe your hard drive.

I never do a factory recovery unless I am completely satisfied I have ALL of the users data secured. I simply will not take the chance of the recovery backing up the data on the hard drive (which may be faulty) and then restoring it. You must backup your system and data before you attempt to use this feature. Incidentally most qualified technicians won’t even work on your original drive when using these backups. We clone the drive and work off the cloned drive to ensure if anything goes wrong we can start over.

I will continue on this topic in my next article.

Oliver Reidy is a computer technician and has been in the industry since 1981.You can contact him via email at help.desk@reidyonline.com or at the telephone numbers listed on this page. This article, and all previous articles, are available to view online at http://reidyonline.blogspot.ie/ or www.reidyonline.com/blogspot.htm

Drowning in a Sea of Mis/Disinformation

When it comes to making technology decisions and purchases you as the consumer are entering a minefield of disinformation and misinformation. Some of it is due to ignorance or hubris on the part of the person providing it but a large portion of this “fake news” is designed to ensure you are shielded from the truth on the products you intend to buy.

Buyer Beware

Most people are not reckless when it comes to spending their hard earned money and will avoid wasting it particularly when we are talking at a minimum 500 euro. The technology market and the sellers who operate in it are more than aware of this and will appeal to those tried and trusted baits – the bargain price and or the “as good as” argument.  To avoid these traps you need to have the maximum reliable knowledge about what you are buying at your fingertips or you’ll be sucked in and in many cases regret the purchase for the life of the product.  Sir Francis Bacon is attributed with coining the phrase “knowledge is power” and in today’s technology marketplace I would suggest the addition of the phrase “provided it is true”.

All That Glitters

Recently I did some consulting on TV purchases and this is one of the areas where you better have your wits about you. With the correct information you can get an excellent state of the art TV from a reliable manufacturer and eliminate all but one of your remote controls. In addition the correct TV will open up your viewing choices and make the long winter months more bearable. Price differences I encountered varied by as much as 350 euro between suppliers and it many cases the shops were hawking their own name brand models which are in my opinion not a spot on the more reliable and feature rich models.

The Growth of NRU’s (Non Repairable Units)

As users of technology we are all familiar with the NRU’s (non repairable units). Virtually all non technological devices in your house are NRU’s from your washing machine to your microwave. In computer technology the growth of NRU’s is on the increase and one many consumers are not familiar with. If you have been a computer user for more than 7 years you are used to the idea that when your computer breaks it can be repaired, albeit at a cost. This is no longer the case with all new computing devices and again sound advice and knowledge is key before you shell out your cash.

Oliver Reidy is a computer technician and has been in the industry since 1981.You can contact him via email at help.desk@reidyonline.com or at the telephone numbers listed on this page. This article, and all previous articles, are available to view online at http://reidyonline.blogspot.ie/ or www.reidyonline.com/blogspot.htm

Avoiding Slow Performance - Part 3

Parts one & two of this article can be found at the blog links at the bottom of this page.

Laptop/Desktops  Performance Issues

#4 Not enough Ram (memory installed)

Insufficient RAM (random access memory) on any computing device can severely impact both the performance and more importantly the life of the device. Understanding the relationship that ram plays in your device is quite often misunderstood. This area of understanding has become muddied by the advent of the tablet and smart phone.

Most computing devices consist at the most base level of three components –

#1 The Processor – aka cpu central processing unit or brain if you like,

#2 Ram (random access memory) provide an area to run apps.

#3 Storage for your information, the operating system and your apps.

The processor runs your apps and loads these apps into ram when you require them. If you had only one app then this would be a very simple process and unless the size and you would have a blazingly fast device. Obviously this is not the case so the cpu uses swapping to overcome this issue. Swapping involves moving your apps in and out of ram as needed. To do this the cpu and creates temporary files on your storage device and this process takes time. The more apps you run the slower your system will become as it must manage the swapping process as you pop between your apps.

Thus the more ram a device has the less swapping that must occur. It’s as simple as that. Adding additional ram to desktops and laptops was usually possible but like everything this option has become less available with the move to cheap throw away laptops. Smart phones and tablets cannot have ram upgrades. Before you rush out and buy more ram its important to understand that ram alone is not the only issue. The power of your cpu and the storage on your device are part and parcel of the package. There are also other considerations which to avoid confusion I won’t go into!

The swapping process requires energy and energy creates heat. Heat kills devices. It is vital to keep your device as cool as possible. When it comes to laptops and desktops regular checks by a qualified technician will ensure all the components in your computer that ensure it stays cool are working effectively. Finally a note on storage, the cheaper laptops now available have less than 1/10 of the storage capacity of computers I worked on ten years ago. Progress ? You decide on that one.

Next Month, God willing, I will continue on this and the other topics listed.

Avoiding Slow Performance - Part 2

Part one of this article can be found at the blog links at the bottom of this page.

Laptop/Desktops  Performance Issues

#2 Full or nearly full hard disk drive (not as common as you might imagine)

One of the common myths floating about computers is the “full” hard drive problem.

I rarely see this problem apart from those customers who are movie download junkies and insist on keeping all 6 series of “The Walking Dead” on their hard drive. (not sure if there were more but anyway). Modern computers, excluding brand new models, were equipped with large hard drives and if you are getting messages about your hard drive been full it should be investigated but it is rarely a case of the drive being full. More common for me to find is that the customer has downloaded one of the total rubbish “speedup” apps that are epidemic on the internet. If I had a euro for every time I came across one of those apps I’d not be writing this article from Bettystown.

I love good apps that help keep your system in tune and organized but I can assure you it is unlikely you know the names of them as they are not bandied about on every site you browse. If you suspect you actually have this hard drive full issue seek professional assistance from a real flesh and blood qualified technician and avoid so called “free” system cleanup apps. You might also want to avoid wannabe experts although I am shooting myself in the foot telling you that as the aforementioned “experts” generate a good deal of work for me fixing their repairs.

#3 Overloading the device with too many memory resident apps.

This particular problem is very, very common and is usually not the fault of computer users. In case you are in any doubt the aim of some many apps is to always be active on your computer and where possible to drive or direct you to specific web pages when you do some browsing. Commonly called junkware or spyware they are not produced by some random teenage computer whiz but by corporations in the business of generating advertising revenue from their sponsors. They are paid on the number of visitors visiting their clients websites and you may be a victim of this apps.

Other offenders in this category include Microsoft and Google both of home produce apps that stay resident for somewhat legitimate reasons but in reality could be a lot less memory hungry. Promising benefits to you in return for eating your precious memory resources I personally find the trade off not worth it. Amongst the specific apps are Google desktop and Microsoft Skype. How often do you actually get an unscheduled call on Skype? For me it’s rare so I shut it down most of the time. Whatsapp and other voice apps on smartphones have mostly superseded Skype in most cases so consider getting rid of it if you don’t use it.

Next Month, God willing, I will continue on this and the other topics listed.

Avoiding Slow Performance

Quite often I hear from customers “my device is now so slow I think its time to change it”. Before you dump a device it might be worth giving this article a scan to see if your device is suffering from avoidable slowdown issues.

Laptop/Desktops  Performance Issues

The most common causes for poor performance in laptops/desktops are:

#1 Defective or failing hard disk drive

#2 Full or nearly full hard disk drive (not as common as you might imagine)

#3 Overloading the device with too many memory resident apps.

#4 Not enough Ram (memory installed)

#5 Virus/Spyware infections

#6 Non Functioning or Poor Performing Anti-Virus

#7 Defective or slow broadband connection

#8 Operating system upgrades that were not viable (Windows 7 to Windows 10)

#1 Defective or Failing hard disk Drive

On laptops and desktop the hard drive is one of the few moving parts in the device. The only other devices that physically move are the cd/dvd drive and the fans used to cool the device or the parts installed therein. Thus hard drives do wear out over time and contributory factors that shorten the length of time they last include most of the items listed 2 to 8 above. A failing hard drive will cripple your system and it is surprising the new leash of life you will receive when a new drive is installed to replace it.

Failing hard drives were never a huge cause for concern with technicians up until recently as , unless you had a catastrophic failure, with the right equipment and software all of the contents could be retrieved. This era unfortunately is ending due to the introduction of solid state hard drives into laptops and in some cases desktop computers.

Solid State Drives

You are all, unwittingly, familiar with solid state technology. If you operate/own a tablet or smartphone that’s the technology that enables you to store all those precious apps and photos filling your phone. Fast and efficient solid state technology is memory which when the device is powered off does not lose its contents. There are no moving parts and you would think this is a panacea for desktop/laptop computers. The truth is a little less palatable as that truth is that when the solid state fails it fails spectacularly and usually all data resident there on is lost forever.

Next Month, God willing, I will continue on this and the other topics listed.

Oliver Reidy is a computer technician and has been in the industry since 1981.You can contact him via email at help.desk@reidyonline.com or at the telephone numbers listed on this page. This article, and all previous articles, are available to view online at http://reidyonline.blogspot.ie/ or www.reidyonline.com/blogspot.htm

Technology PitFalls

This month I will outline some of the more common pitfalls around with the increased use of newer technology. The items listed in this article are by no means the full list but they represent some of the more common pitfalls.

Smart Phone Scamming

The promise of the Android and Iphone operating systems was that they would be impervious to virus attack from installing themselves onto the device. Unfortunately, while that may have been true when first they were introduced the scammers and virus writers have adapted the way they target you so that it is no longer necessary to actually get the virus on the device to achieve their goals.

As there are few anti-virus/anti-scam products available for smart phones you are wide open to being scammed in a variety of ways when internet browsing or using mail from your phone or tablet. Even worse the device may be used to get you to share one or more of your passwords and from there the scammer can access your cloud storage, email, and also other devices you use.   It is not uncommon for myself and other technicians in my group to find that the original breach of security in companies and personal computers originated from a smart phone or tablet.

Exercise extreme caution when browsing from phones and working with your email.

Scammers are smart and if you drop your guard will get you.  Remember the scammers are always two steps ahead of Microsoft and Google so do not rely on the safeguards promised by these companies.

Browser Hijacking

This is increasingly one of the methods used to hijack smart devices. The user is fooled into believing they must download or install an app and the hacker gains virtual control of the device. This type of hack is being used by the ransomware writers to target smartphone users.

Rooting Android

This involves disabling the built-in security on android smart phones and it is increasingly becoming common for users to do this. The reason is usually because some app or other that enables illegal viewing of media requires or suggests it. Once you root your smart phone or allow someone else to do it you have opened the door to the scammers. Don’t do it!

Oliver Reidy is a computer technician and has been in the industry since 1981.