By Emile Greyling
Opting to stick with older technology might seem like a cost-saving measure initially, but it often ends up draining your business profits. In this article, we’ll delve into the repercussions of relying on outdated technology and the toll it takes on your bottom line…
By Scott D / Ryno De Jager
Importance of cleaning your Laptop and Computer.
As reliable as laptop or desktop computers may be, eventually they will get dirty and dusty – two things that can affect not only how your machine runs but also its lifespan. Ensuring your computer is clean and dirt-free as possible is something any owner can accomplish. Here are some tips on how to physically clean your computer.
By Scott D / Ryno De Jager
Best way to Prevent Viruses.
The best way to protect yourself against Viruses is by being aware of whats happening on the internet and email. Be careful on what you click, what attachments you’re opening and what you’re downloading, as this can be a Virus or Malware!
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By Scott D / Ryno De Jager
Every other day an new update, Why?
Every other day your computer or phone is bugging you about some update that you need to download? Some updates seem huge, with massive interface redesigns and stylistic changes, while others don’t seem to do anything at all.
However, the updates that visually do the least, might actually be the most important ones to download.
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By Tom Nelson / Marco Horn
Picking a UPS (Battery Backup) for Your Mac or PC
Protect your Windows or Mac computer from power surges and outages.
A UPS (Uninterruptable Power Supply), also called a backup battery, is a wise investment for any Mac or PC user.
Even if you use software to back up your files, a UPS can be a lifesaver if you unexpectedly lose power.Information in this article applies broadly to a wide range of devices.
Check the specifications of individual products before making a purchase.
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By Marco Horn / Jeremy Laukkonen
When your USB ports suddenly stops working, the problem can always be tracked down to either a hardware or software failure. Some of these problems are the same across both Windows and Mac, while others are unique to just one or the other.
By Marco Horn / Jordan Baranowski
One of the best ways to keep printers and scanners working at optimal levels for longer is by giving them regular cleanings. If you notice streaky, blurry, smudged, or otherwise distorted images when printing documents or scanning images, here’s how to clean a printer or scanner yourself before opening up your wallet for a costly fix or replacement.
Ever wish you could undo all the changes your staff or kids have made to a PC? Or maybe you would like to install some software on your system to test it before purchasing, but you don’t know exactly what it will do?
Wouldn’t it be nice if you could just restart the computer and all the changes made were simply wiped out? Luckily, there is a way to do this using a program called Deep Freeze by Faronics.
Now you would be right if you looked at that page and thought that this is a program that is used by big companies or institutions. However, those are not their only customers. They sell a standard edition of the program which is cost-effective considering the benefits.
We’ve spent a lot more on software and have normally been disappointed. That’s why nowadays we only use freeware or purchase subscription software like Adobe Creative Cloud. However, this is one program we can recommend purchasing because there simply isn’t a freeware that can do the same thing in such a convenient way.
It’s worth noting that we have not been asked to write this review by Faronics. We decided to try it out on our test PC that we use for installing test software and it’s made life a lot easier.
How can you encrypt sensitive files that are stored on a flash drive or external hard drive?
Flash drives are easy to lose. And anything lost can fall into the wrong hands. So if you’re carrying around sensitive information in your pocket, you need to make sure those files are encrypted.
Below are three easy solutions:
1. Buy an encrypted drive
You can buy a flash drive with built-in encryption, such as the DataTraveler Locker+ G3. When you plug the Locker+ in, it comes up as a 13MB, read-only drive. But once you launch the program file on that drive and enter the password that you previously setup, another drive opens up with all the storage space you paid for.
That drive, of course, is inaccessible without the password. The software runs off the drive, and it can be used on multiple computers and operating systems.
But I strongly recommend against using this drive’s optional cloud backup feature. It uses Dropbox, OneDrive, or whichever cloud service you pick, which at first glance seems like a nice convenience.
But this feature uploads the files without its own encryption. That means you’re trusting your sensitive files to the encryption capabilities of Dropbox and similar 3rd party services and you have no control over the encryption methods. Find another way to backup these files—preferably one where you can can control the encryption.
The DataTraveler Locker+ G3 starts at about $15 for the 8GB drive, and we've looked at other encrypted USB drives as well.
2. Install specialized software on your drive
Factory settings also known as Factory Defaults, mean getting the computer back to the state when you first bought it. This includes the OS with all the third-party software they like to install with it. However, this may not be the most ideal choice.
Another option to think about, is to perform a clean install of the operating system, so that you are working with a bare bones version of the OS, then setting it up to your needs. The difference is that the clean install not include any junk or third party software.
Alternatively, performing a system restore reverts the OS to a previous state, which is like a clean install, but could help you get your system working properly.
There is also a repair install, which replaces all of the Windows system files, but keeps your data intact. This is a good option if your system has become infected with a virus or malware you can’t remove, but your data is clean. Windows and all apps will be wiped, but your data will be kept.
We'll expand on each one of these methods in the article below.
