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Vol. 6, No. 20
5-11-06
1 Backups, Part 2
2 “You deleted WHAT!?!”
3 Critical updates, flying pigs, PA vs. MySpace, DVD sniffers
4 $50 iPod binge
5 Mother’s Day warnings
6 Computer calls
Last week I talked about different hardware needed to make good backups of your all-important data. Since then reader Paul Lassanske pointed out that I failed to mention online backups (Paul uses http://www.ironmountain.com/US/digital/) and several readers asked why I didn’t mention USB flash drives.
I didn’t bring those up because the cost of online backups is kinda steep (Iron Mountain charges over $200 a year for 4GB of storage) for home users and flash drives are still fairly new and so far haven’t proven to be very durable. Both are legitimate options but not ones I would depend on.
With that out of the way, I’m going to go ahead and warn you that this is a much bigger project than I originally thought and will likely take four or five total articles to cover the basics. This week I’m going to point out where data resides on the average Windows machine, next week I’ll cover third party programs like Quickbooks, Firefox and Eudora with the following issue dealing with automating the process.
For purposes of simplifying things for the most part we’re going to be manually copying raw files to the My Documents folder, which is the most obvious folder to back up. The internal backup functions of programs like Money and Quicken will come into play next week but for now we’re just grabbing stuff to copy and paste.
Despite what many people think, the My Documents icon on the Desktop or located in the Start Menu isn’t the actual folder. In XP the location is C:\Documents and Settings\Your profile name\My Documents, in 98 simply C:\My Documents. This is the default folder used by most programs including Word, Excel, Kodak EasyShare, Windows Camera and Scanner Wizard etc. Email messages, favorites, the Address Book, Works documents etc. are NOT stored in My Documents and we need to fix that.
For Works you’ll want to open My Computer and the C: drive (where we’ll start for the rest of this series). Some of the backups we’ll need to click on Tools at the top of the C: window and click Tools and Folder Options, then the View tab. Tick the circle next to Show hidden files and folder and uncheck the box next to Hide extensions for known file types. Click Apply and OK.
Browse to C:\Program Files\Microsoft Works\ and right click on the Documents folder. Minimize this screen and open My Computer and the C: drive again and browse to you’re My Documents folder, then click Edit and Paste. Leave the My Documents window open and click the Works entry on the Task Bar. You’ll notice that both Windows are accessible from the Task Bar, which will make the process pretty easy.
Click the Works window and browse to C:\Documents and Settings\Your profile name\ and right click on Favorites. Copy, open the My Documents window, click Edit and Paste. Right click and Copy in one Window, Edit and Paste in the other. Now that you’ve done a couple you know the drill so here are the locations for the other folders to grab:
For Outlook Express:
C:\Documents and Settings\Your profile name\Application Data\Microsoft\Address Book
C:\Documents and Settings\Your profile name\Local Settings\Application Data\Identities\{buncha characters}\Microsoft\Outlook Express
For Outlook:
C:\Documents and Settings\Your profile name\Local Settings\Application Data\Microsoft\Outlook
If you store files or folder on the Desktop:
C:\Documents and Settings\Your profile name\Desktop
Now I’m talking entire folders here, don’t actually go into the ultimate targets. C:\Documents and Settings\Your profile name\Desktop means get as far as \Your profile name\ and copy the entire Desktop folder, don’t open Desktop and copy individual files.
Next week, more programs!
Kevin Mefford, Editor
Terry Wise
Tech News of the Week
There are new
Windows security patches out, so get them if you need
them--never mind; you
need them:
http://www.itjungle.com/two/two051006-story02.html
BitTorrent?
Warner Bros.? Working together? Was that a pig that
just zoomed
by?
http://news.com.com/Can+BitTorrent+thrive+in+the+mainstream/2100-1025_3-6070357.html
Pennsylvania
is working to ban minors from MySpace, this month's Most
Evil Thing Out There
That Is Stealing Your Kid's Soul:
http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,1895,1960869,00.asp
DVD-sniffing
anti-piracy dogs. Still no cure for world hunger:
http://www.betanews.com/article/MPAA_Employs_PiracySniffing_Dogs/1147373267
Send
it to us wrapped in coffee,
Matthew Dattilo
thepcgurus@gmail.com
www.mattstodayinhistory.com
Contest of the Week
The ubiquitous iPod has taken over the music scene among technophiles. If you’re among that group, iPodBinge.com has a monthly contest for $50 in iTunes downloads and accessory purchases.
Enter at http://www.ipodbinge.com/contest/.
Website of the Week
Mother’s Day is just around the corner and like years past the sending of e-cards will undoubtedly increase this year. You know, those sites where you can send a musical animated greeting with a personal message instead of spending money on a phone call or a stamp ;)
The problem with these services is that many are vectors for malware and spam. http://blog.siteadvisor.com/2006/05/10_ecard_sites_to_stay_away_fr.shtml hosts a list of ten to definitely avoid, as well as four that are safe. Or you could just buy flowers…
Email Question of the Week
Q: Gentlemen: For over a year I have been receiving a computer call once or twice every two weeks at my home from an unidentified source (on my Caller ID) but it always leaves a 1-888 call back number. This has become very irritating, especially while caring for a 91-year-old mother who has several serious health problems! Further I don't want to give them the satisfaction of me returning their call. Now, there is a new twist, in the last few weeks my phone doesn't even ring – but the caller ID shows the call back number. Besides calling from some business or pay phone to satisfy my curiosity, do you where I could look up the owner of this number on the web? You guys are the greatest! Many thanks…
A: Here is a list of sites that offer some
"reverse lookup" services:
http://www.dvorak.org/phonelinks.htm
You could always use the *67 option to hide your number when dialing the 1-888 number.
Good luck,
Art Maley
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