So, what's your Crash Plan?

You never really know when your precious data may be lost, and this can be devastating, especially if these files consist of your different projects or your own personal memories. What you need is an effective system that can solve your problems. These involve file management and even data backup in case of any untoward accident you don't want to happen!

For anyone's cup of coffee, here's insight on why you should try out Crash Plan and the benefits that come along, especially with a neat 30-day free trial available. When it comes to data backup systems, then here's what I found out.

How to Get your Online CrashPlan Backup Rolling

To get your backup system in action, simply download the file and install things as you would do with any other software. The 30-day-free trial is available for you check out, especially if you want to learn about the program tweaks. But, before that, here's what I've learned from Crash Plan.

Crash Plan Overview and Offerings

Before I even downloaded the program, I just checked that the program updates itself whenever there is a new release. Now, that is appealing, especially since you won't have to go through all that trouble finding the website and downloading all over again.

online backup - crashplan interface" /> Installing the program was relatively smooth to do, especially with the eye-friendly graphical interface. Everything was straight forward, and I was already itching to try out this back up program.

The interface was straightforward, so to speak. The menu buttons you see allow you to back up your files either on a local drive or online (supported by the paid plans). You can try the online feature with the 30-day free trial once you've downloaded the file.

Interface Impression

Once opening the program, I immediately know what to do because I can conveniently find the buttons placed in the side, as you can see from the screen-shots. This accessibility makes the program friendly to use and accessible for those new to the whole system.

Overall Usability - Basic but Effective

The panel is basic, with all the options available for you to check out. As you can see, I can easily back up my folder with the streamlined interface. Including that, I have other options to choose from that makes Crash Plan a powerful back up software for my files.

Cross Platform Flexible

The one thing I noticed about Crash Plan is its functionality. I tried downloading the program on my Mac and I witnessed the same quality it offered for my PC. This convenience really provides me with the satisfaction that Crash Plan is indeed multi-platform functional.

Three Plans You Can Try Out Yourself

online backup - crashplan running" /> After trying out the 30-day free trial, the other offers of Crash Plan are as follows:

1. Crash Plan - this service comes with no cost at all where all your files are stored on a separate local disk in your computer. The benefit of this form of Crash Plan is that the service is light enough to maintain your file management through data encryption that effectively stores your personal files. This is downloadable through the website and it has around 50 megabytes of free space!

2. Crash Plan Central - An upgraded form of Crash Plan, your files are stored online, on dedicated servers that ensure your data is kept safe and sound. At a low cost, you can maintain your files as you update them and back up your important data every now and then. A cool feature is the 30-day free trial where you can enjoy the many features existing within this data backup system. This service offers you the amenities of an online backup system with ads on the management interface.

3. Crash Plan Pro - A more sophisticated version of Crash Plan Central, this premium version offers you a wide array of services such as 448-bit encryption. Also, this service is ad-free and conveniently stores your files with the highest security measures taken.

Which Plan Works for You? CrashPlan vs Crashplan Pro

After checking out CrashPlan, it seems to have the potential of being a complete personal backup system or even a business-based one. The off-site security (for the paid plans) really helps a lot, especially if you need information kept safe.

For those of you that really wish to go serious with online storage, especially for business owners, you can buy the premium service, which features 448-bit encryption and dedicated servers. Your files won't be easy to crack, especially when these are confidential business information.

Whatever floats your boat, Crash Plan gives you exactly what its name says. Crashing can cause unwanted effects for your computer files, whether they are personal photos or critical projects. Your files may become corrupt or even deleted altogether. With Crash Plan, you have a friendly interface that is easy to navigate yet powerful enough to back your files up in a very streamlined fashion.

Computer Backup

Computer backup involves the process of storing data in a location apart from your hard drive, on any possible medium in order to ensure that you always have a copy of that file. We all know that damage can come to a computer resulting in a loss of data, and having proper backups can greatly ease the pressure off of us in the event that such a thing does occur. If you have a loss of data on your machine for any reason, you can easily restore these files through the use of your previously made backups.

Zen and the Art of Computer Backup

Zen is an ancient Asian philosophical system which arose in China and then traveled to Japan. It is a combination of the teachings of Siddhartha Gotama, the Buddha (enlightened one) from India and the Taoist philosophies which had grown up in China from the teachings of Lao Tzu and the Tao Te Ching.

One might wonder how Zen could play any part in the modern technological world of computers, especially such a seemingly mundane task as computer backup. However, zen can play a great part in computer backup. Zen is the art of becoming one with that which you are doing. It is a form of meditation that puts you in a state where you are sure of exactly what is going on around you. It is a way of life, and can become a part of all aspects of your life, especially something as essential as computer backup.

Practicing Zen and the Art of Computer Backup

When you are backing up your computer, do not just consider it a mundane task that must be performed. Allow yourself to become one with your data, and with your computer. There are many different methods of computer backup, and you can practice zen with any different method of computer backup.

Traditionally, floppy disks were used in the performance of computer backup. However, floppy disks are becoming increasingly obsolete. After all, a floppy disk can only hold 1.4 megabytes, while a CD-R can hold 800 megabytes. It is easy to see why such a method would be seen as ineffective.

Zen is all about effectiveness, and living properly. While computer backup is a very important thing, and a practice that should be performed often, it merits us nothing to take much more time and disks to backup on floppy disks than to backup on a CD-ROM, DVD-ROM or other medium which holds a great deal more data.

Another form of backup that is becoming very popular is the use of what are called key drives. Key drives are tiny drives which can fit on your key chain but can still hold up to a gigabyte or more of data. You then plug these drives into your computer, and on most newer machines your key drive will automatically be read by your computer, without the need for any device drivers, the perfect conception of plug and play technology.

Oooommmmmm....

Wonderful Ways to Have a Handy Backup of Your Files

Do you always want to carry a handy backup copy of your website, photos or music collection? Let's face it, some users want to have the ability to have a backup copy of their files so that they can show their friends their latest photos wherever they maybe. Whether it's at an internet cafe or the local library, a lot of people wishing they had their files don't because carrying around a large CD-R just isn't very handy. Especially now that everything is being digitized or delivered digital. When is the last time you shot a picture with film? Those who still have a lot of old media are quickly moving them to digital with services like "Scanning Pros" (a slide scanning service).

Luckily, the recent years have lead to an explosion in handy little ways to allow you to always be able to carry a backup of your files.

First off are the little flash memory sticks that are being produced by literally every computer company on the face of the earth. Most are smaller than a pack of Wrigley's chewing gum, but have the ability to store tons of data. Talk about handy!

Handy flash memory based keychains starting at around fifteen dollars are perfect storage mediums for backup files.

Starting at around fifteen dollars, a user can go out and buy a 128 megabyte memory keychain. Plug it into your computer's USB port and boom; easy access to your files.

Since the memory keychains utilize the USB port for their power, users do not need to worry about carrying a power pack, or replacing batteries. The small flash memory units are extremely handy because you can literally take your backup files anywhere you go. If you are saying to yourself that 128 megabytes is simply not enough for your backup file, then continue to read on.

The handy size of the keychains allow users access to gigabytes of space for their backup files.

In under the size of a pack of gum, flash memory keychains exist that have the ability to store gigabytes of data. Not just megabytes, but gigabytes. Although one gigabyte units start at fifty dollars, they are extremely handy when compared with large CD-R discs.

Business card sized CD-Rs are another handy media for transporting backups of your files.

If you are against the whole flash media brigade for whatever reason, and wish to stay with good old CD-Rs, then business card CD-Rs are for you.

Business card CD-Rs are handy little CDs that are kept in a small protective case the size of a business card. While they can easily be stored in a wallet, they have a limit of around fifty megabytes for your backup files.

Also, users utilizing the handy sized CD-R discs for their backup needs should also be very cautious about using the media in their CD drives. A lot of CD burners, as well as normal CD-ROM units do not support the disc. Always check the manual of your CD-ROM drive to see if it supports business card sized CDs, otherwise you may loose your disc in the unit.

While business card CD-Rs ultimately look cool, they just aren't as handy as flash based memory keychains. While the keychains are more expensive, they are more durable, have much more space for your backup needs, and are supported in a lot more computer systems than the card CD-R counterparts.

What is Backup, Anyway?

Backup should be an essential part of your computing experience if you spend great amounts of time on your computer and/or use your computer for important personal or business dealings. There are too many stories of people who have lost all of their files due to system crashes or computer viruses to ignore. When you backup your files, you are storing your files separately from your computer.

In this way, if your computer crashes or is infected with a virus that results in a loss of files, you will still have access to your files on backup disks or whatever other backup program you choose to use, such as online backup. You can then restore your files to your computer proper from these backup sources.

Why Do I Need to Backup My Files?

Don't fall into the old paradigm of "it will never happen to me." While there is certainly a chance that you will never have a need for the backups you make of your files, if something does happen to your computer you will certainly be glad that you have them. And you do not have to backup your entire computer, although this is certainly something that many people do, but only the files that are of the most importance to you.

Some things are easily replaced, and there is no need to backup these sorts of things, but those irreplaceable documents or files that are yours and yours alone should be saved in a place where they cannot be damaged. That way, no matter what happens to your computer, you can have security in the fact that all of your files are available in backup.

So How do I Backup My Files?

There are many possible methods for backing up your files. Floppy diskettes are a very common way, although this is somewhat falling by the wayside as computers are using floppy drives less and less. It is not uncommon to not see a single computer with a floppy disk drive on display when you go to the computer store to buy a new computer. CD-Rs are an excellent method for backing up your files.

CD-Rs and CD-RWs allow hundreds of times more storage space than a floppy disk could ever hope to have, and with increasingly faster CD burners they are becoming faster and easier to use all the time. It is possible to save 800 MB of data onto a CD in only minutes, and for many people they can backup every file of import on their computer onto a single CD.

This is far easier than have stacks of floppy disks lying around your computer desk which you must dig through any time you are trying to find a particular file that you have saved in backup.

Online backup is another excellent method for the backing up of your files. This allows you to store your files online, where there are no need for disks or CDs, and you can simply download your files back onto your computer whenever you want.

Whatever method you choose, remember that backing up your files is very important, and make sure that you do so to protect against the worst.

What is Data Backup?

Data backup involves the storing of files from your computer in another location. In this way, if there is ever any loss of data on your primary machine, you still have your data in backup in order to restore those files. In the world of computers loss of data can be devastating, and while there are possibilities for recovery of data after a disaster it is far easier to restore your files from backup than to attempt to find your data on a crashed hard drive.

Why do I Want to Backup My Data?

Data backup is easy to do and can save you great amounts of time as well as ensure that your data is secure in the case of disaster. Data recovery is a very difficult, time consuming and expensive process, and it is not even assured that you will be able to recover your data from a system crash.

Backup does not take much time, as it is easy to put your files onto another medium, and is not too expensive, depending upon what mediums you use to backup your data. There are many different options for data backup, and you will have to choose the one that is best for you.

What is the Best Data Backup Option for Me?

The traditional floppy disks of a few years ago have become essentially obsolete, and it is not surprising considering the limitations of that medium, and the new technologies that have become available in the meantime, such as CD-Rs, DVD-Rs, online backup and key drives. These are all very powerful tools which can hold far more data than a 3.5 inch floppy could ever dream of holding.

One of the most powerful new data backup utilities is the key drive. These key-chain sized drives can hold up to a gigabyte more of data, depending upon the size purchased, and will not scratch or damage as easily as a floppy disk or even a CD-ROM or DVD-ROM. You can purchase a key drive for as little as $20, and it will plug directly into you computer and be able to be immediately be used.

CD-R, DVD-R versus CD-RW, DVD-RW

CD-Rs, CD-RWs, DVD-Rs and DVD-RWs are also very powerful tools for data backup. CD-Rs and DVD-Rs are very inexpensive, costing less than a dollar a disk oftentimes. However, these devices do have the limitation of only being usable once. Once your CD-R or DVD-R is finalized, it is finished. You can access data from the disk, but you cannot write any more data onto the disk.

This is not the case with CD-RW and DVD-RW. CD-RW stands for CompactDisk-ReWritable, and unlike a normal CD-R they can be rewritten any number of times. However it should be pointed out that they are not as manipulable as a traditional floppy disk, where you can save and take off files very easily. Each time you want to rewrite your disk, you must rewrite the entire disk and go through the entire burning process.

However, this is still an excellent way to backup your data as a CD-RW or DVD-RW can hold hundreds of thousands of megabytes, respectively. You need to backup your data, and there are many ways that you can do so.

Choosing Suitable Backup Software Does Matter.

Choosing suitable backup software is as important as choosing the right house or the right car - you will have to live with it daily. Choose a good backup software package and you will get regular and reliable backups, with the wrong one you will get unreliable backups or none at all.

Why Buy Commercial Backup Software?

The simplest answer is that you only get what you pay for. Freeware is available, most operating systems have some sort of backup software, and most backup hardware bundles some basic backup software package. This is frequently a stripped-down version of a commercial package tempting you to upgrade to the full version. They work, but are much less full-featured than the commercial package. You can always try free software to see if it meets your needs.

Backup Software Features to Look for.

Media Spanning: Seen by many as the definition of 'real' backup software, media spanning is the ability to backup large files onto multiple pieces of media.

Backup Verification: Any decent backup package must have a verification mode. To ensure that the backup is correct and viable, the software compares every file that it backs up to the original file on your hard disk.

Scheduling and Automatic Operation: A helpful feature found on most commercial software. The backup will run automatically at a preset time, so you don't have to be around to do it.

Wide Device Support: How many hardware devices does it work with? As a rule, software support for new devices is less common than for established ones. Check if they provide updates as new drives hit the market; some do not.

Operating System Support: Does the package support all the features and requirements of your operating system?

Backup Type Selection: Even basic software should provide full, selective and incremental backup options, good ones allow the use of search strings or patterns to select files and directories.

Disaster Recovery: An important feature mostly limited to more expensive products, with names like one-step recovery, single-step restore, or similar. With this, a disk is created with a special recovery program that lets you restore your system without reinstalling the entire operating system. This can save a lot of time and trouble.

Compression: Software compression is very useful, saving space on your backup media.

Media Append and Overwrite: You should have options to always append to the existing files on the backup media, always overwrite, or prompt the user.

Tape Tools: If you backup to a tape unit, will the backup software allow you to format, rewind, retension, or view the catalog on your tape? The tape drive manufacturer often supplies software that does this, but it is more convenient if the backup software supports it.

Security: Can you password-protect your backup set?

Backup Configuration Profiles: You will probably want to do different types of backups for different situations, better software packages allow you to avoid changing the settings every time by saving different profiles.

What is an Online Backup?

An online backup offers an alternative to optical or tape backup solutions. While traditional methods can be very effective, they require capital to set up and staff to operate them. An online backup system avoids these problems.

Online Backup Works Like This

The online backup provider supplies a software agent to be installed on the computer to be backed up. This busy piece of software allows the user to select the files to be backed up, manages the internet connection, encrypts and compresses the data before transferring it across the internet to a secure, remote location, and allows the user to view and restore the backed up documents.

The Benefits of Online Backup

Online backups offer several advantages. The main one is the disaster recovery offered by offsite storage but there are also several advantages in terms of ease of use.

No capital outlay is required for purchasing new equipment. There are no ongoing media costs or staff costs, running costs are limited to paying a monthly fee. Setup and installation is a simple matter of downloading the software, and takes only a few minutes to set up. Data recovery is equally fast, as there is no searching for the right tape or waiting for IT staff to recover lost data.

The backup process itself is completely automated which ensures that it gets done, and the backed up files can then be accessed by anyone with permission, allowing file sharing with traveling colleagues, clients, or home PCs.

The Limitations of Online Backup

An intrinsic characteristic of online backup is that it relies on an internet connection. For smaller data volumes a dial-up connection may be adequate, but permanent broadband connection able to handle significantly larger volumes is a necessity in most cases.

Whatever type of connection is used, the initial backup will take a long time. A complete copy of the data must be encrypted, compressed, and copied. This initial copy could possibly be unrealistically long if a large amount of data is being sent over a dial up connection, although most online backup providers will allow the user to break off and resume the backup later. Once this initial backup is complete, subsequent backups will only backup files that have been changed, making them a lot faster.

Security of Online Backups

Though some may have understandable concerns about a third party holding their most valuable data, in reality online backups are very secure. Before being transferred, the backup data is encrypted to 128-bit level - military grade - making it effectively impossible for any one to intercept or decrypt the data. The user is the only person who can read it.

Another common concern is about the security of the data storage center itself. These are invariably class-A facilities equipped with fire suppression, security cameras, personnel access controls, backup electricity generators, using multiple ISPs, high-end firewalls, and clustering and mirroring techniques to ensure the stored data is always available to clients. Except in exceptional cases, the storage premises will be more secure than the client's own premises.

An Overview of Online Backup Services

Online backup services are perfect for users who are answer yes to the following questions. Do you have several small files that you need to always have access to? Perhaps you have important documents from your work, or school assignments that you need to have accessible on every computer?

Online backup services are better than traditional backup media such as CDs, because you always have access to them.

Several options exist, as you can put the files on a CD, floppy disk, or one of those little flash drive key chains. But what happens when you forget your CD, floppy disk, or key chain at home?

Enter the world of online backup. Thanks to the internet, there are now several online services that offer free or low cost backup services. With these such services you can easily upload your files to a server, and later access the same files from literally any computer that has internet access.

Online backup service providers offer users the ability to gain access to their files from literally any computer, anywhere.

Most online backup providers have really simple yet powerful services. Not only are the services simple, and powerful, but they are also easily accessible in any web browser window. What this means is that you can do all of your sending and receiving of your files through a web browser. You do not need any special software, or drivers installed.

What's more is that several online backup services have some really nifty features for their users. Features such as the ability to email anyone a copy of your files can really come in handy in a work environment. Other really nice features include the ability to password protect your files, and the ability to share your files with anyone.

Online backup is not for everyone. It is made primarily for small files, unless you are going to be connected to the internet with a really fast connection. Also many online backup service providers also give their users a limit on the amount of space they may use. So even if you have a really fast internet connection, you still won't be able to use the services to create an online backup of your three gigabyte file.

Remember to consider all of this information when you use a online backup service. Each service provider has their own policies, along with their own amount of space given to users, as well as their own pricing plans.

Be sure to shop around to find the best bang for your buck service. Also make sure that each service you look into offers a service which fully fits your needs. It's not a wise move to use an online backup service to store digital video, when the service provider only gives you fifty megabytes of storage space.

Free trials often exist for many online backup services.

Be sure to try them out to see if they meet your needs. Finally see if the online backup services that you are interested in offer a free trial. Some services will offer a seven day trial, while others (such as .mac) will offer you a sixty day trial. Be sure to use the trial to see if ordering a subscription to the service would be worthwhile.

Weaknesses in Computer Forensics

Within the field of computer forensic science, as in any relatively young discipline, there are weaknesses to be found. In computer forensics the main culprits are training, operational standards, and international standardization.

Computer Forensic Training

There are many private organizations offering computer forensic seminars and classes. With the growth of computer crime, computer forensic training is a worthwhile investment for any organization - but who should receive it? Computer forensic evidence is very volatile, to preserve it law enforcement personnel should be trained to handle it. Network operators should also be trained, to improve their abilities in intrusion detection, and lawyers should receive some training to give a basic understanding of computer evidence.

Operational Standards in Computer Forensics

Computer crime, perhaps more than any other, can be international in scope. There is a need for basic guidelines for the evidence collection process to be established worldwide. This ranges from broad principle that apply to nearly every investigation, through organizational practices so that a minimum standard of planning, performance, monitoring, recording, and reporting is maintained, to recommended procedures, software, and hardware solutions.

International Standardization of Computer Forensics

Different countries each have their own computer forensic methods, standards, and laws. What is acceptable evidence in one country may not be in another. This is a serious problem when dealing with international crimes, as computer crime often is. The Internet may have no boundaries, but law enforcement does. Investigations that leap from server to server, from country to country, crossing many borders on the way are complicated not only by evidence handling differences, but also by political differences and legal differences.

There are some countries in which the networks are owned and controlled by government agencies, who may have little or no reason to cooperate with foreign governments investigating a crime. What is considered to be hacking in the US is not considered to be a crime in other countries, protecting the individual that committed the crime. Fortunately efforts are being made to bring some standardization to procedures regarding digital evidence. The G8 group has recommended six principles for digital evidence gathering:-

1) All standard forensic and procedural principles must be applied.

2) Upon seizing digital evidence, actions taken should not alter the evidence.

3) People accessing the original digital evidence should be trained to do so.

4) All activities relating to the seizure, access, storage, or transfer of digital

evidence must be completely documented.

5) Individuals are responsible for all actions taken while the digital evidence is

in their possession.

6) Any agency that is responsible for seizing, accessing, storing, or transferring

digital evidence is responsible for complying with these principles.

This is a start in standardizing computer forensic evidence gathering procedures but there is still a long way to go. Many countries have not adopted these recommendations, and probably will not if they do not have the necessary training resources. The sting in the tail is that these are the countries that pose the greatest computer crime threat.

Windows Backup Software

The Backup programs in Windows 98 and Windows Me where originally created by Seagate Software, now Veritas. They are relatively simple but, not surprisingly considering their origin, work well with removable magnetic media such as tapes and floppy discs. As these programs come free with Windows 98 and Windows Me, they are ideal for a low-cost data backup strategy.

Although these backup programs were developed before the widespread availability of CD-RW drive and are incapable of media spanning, they can be used for CD-R and CD-RW backups if you do not need to backup up more than about 600MB at a time.

Using Windows Backup

To run Backup in Windows98 or Me, click Start, Programs, Accessories, System Tools, then select 'Backup'. Alternatively right-click the hard drive icon in Windows Explorer, select Tools, then 'Backup'. To actually backup your files, select 'Create a New Backup Job', then 'Backup Selected Files', and select the folders you want to backup from the list. If this is first time you create a backup job, select 'All Selected Files'. For subsequent backup jobs choose 'New and Changed Files Only' .

If you are backing up to a CD-RW drive, you should first format your disc with DirectCD or similar software, but do not enable compression during the formatting. When you select files for backup, make sure that they will fit on the media and specify a File on the CD-RW drive as the target for the backup.

Your selection of settings under 'Options' can make a big difference to the completion time of your backup. You can opt to Never compress the data, Compress to save time, or Maximize compression to save space. If time is an issue you can turn off the 'verify' option during the backup. Verify compares contents on the hard disk with the backed-up data, which doubles the time taken without a measurable improvement in the backup integrity.

Possible Drawbacks with Using Windows Backup

The first possible drawback with Windows 98/Me Backup is its lack of media spanning ability. Backing up a large folder to CD-R or CD-RW means that you have to create multiple backup jobs no larger than the capacity of the discs. The second is if you upgrade from Windows 98 or Windows Me to Windows XP. The backup programs in Windows XP Home and Windows XP Professional are not compatible with Windows 98 or Windows Me, this can cause problems if you want to move data backed-up by Windows 98 or Me to a system running Windows XP.

If this all seems like a bit too much work then you should probably just download one of the freeware tools we review at our backup software roundup where you can find a buch of great tools like EaseUS Todo Backup Free reviewed.

Transferring Windows 98/Me Backups to XP

As Windows 98 and Windows Me Backup were both developed by Veritas, it is possible to use the commercialy available Veritas Backup Exec software to restore your Windows 98 or Me backups to a Windows XP system. The latest version sold for home or small office use is called Back Up My PC, and it supports Windows 98SE, Windows NT 4 with SP 4, Windows 2000 Workstation, Windows Me, and Windows XP.

Using the Undelete Command in Windows 98/95, DOS

Early Windows users, as well as DOS users have a really great undelete tool built in to their systems. A lot of computer users are still running Windows 98, or below. While Windows XP has been on the market for more than three years now, some people have been hard pressed to make the upgrade, while others have found themselves completely happy with their Windows 98 setup.

Undelete is not available on Windows XP systems; only DOS and Windows 95-ME.

A really cool program that was in previous versions of Windows, as well as certain versions of MS-DOS is not available in Windows XP. The tool, Undelete is a DOS command prompt program that allows users to literally undelete the files that they had previously deleted.

The major limitation of the software is the fact that is can only recover files if no new files or changes have been made. So, basically the undelete command will allow you to recover files if you accidentally delete them, but it will not be able to recover files that you deleted a week ago.

Users should be experienced, as the undelete utility does not have a graphical user interface, and relies on text commands.

Undelete isn't a flashy program. There are no graphics, and the program is not very user friendly. To start the program, you'll need to activate a DOS prompt in your Windows operating system.

To do this, click the start button and select "Run". Type in "command" and press enter. A black box with white text will soon be visible. This is the DOS prompt, and you will soon be able to use 'Undelete' to undelete your files.

In order to use Undelete properly, you will have to learn the options for the program. As mentioned before, Undelete is a text based program, and does not have any spectacular user interface.

Undelete offers the user several different options to help recover your deleted files.

To gain access to the commands of Undelete, type in "Undelete /? " at the DOS prompt, and press the enter key. The following text will be displayed on your screen;

/all - Automatically recovers all of the files you specify.

/list - All available files are listed (but files are not recovered).

/DOS Restricts recovery to those files that meet the file specifications (filespec) in the disk directory table.

/DT - Restricts recovery to those files found in the Delete Tracking File.

/DS - Restricts recovery to those files found in the SENTRY directory.

/load - Loads the Undelete memory-resident program into memory using information defined in the UNDELETE.INI file.

/unload - Unloads the memory-resident portion of the Undelete program from memory, turning off the capability to restore deleted files.

/purged[d] - Deletes the contents of the SENTRY directory.

/status - Displays the type of delete protection in effect for each drive.

/S[d] - Enables the Delete Sentry level of protection and loads the memory-resident portion of the UNDELETE program.

/Tdrive[-entries] - Enables the Delete Tracker level of protection and loads the memory-resident portion of the UNDELETE program. The optional entries parameter specifies the maximum number of entries in the deletion-tracking file (PCTRACKR.DEL). It must be a value in the range 1 through 999 with the default value determined by the type of disk being tracked.

After you have read through 'Undelete' program options, you will need to goto the specific directory of where you wish to undelete the files. Below is an example;

C:> cd Downloads <- cd "change directory"

C:\Downloads>

Once you are in the appropriate directory, rerun the 'Undelete' program, only this time fill in the correct options. For example, if you wanted to restore all files in the directory, you would use the '/all' command. Below is an example;

C:\Downloads> undelete /all

The above command will allow the undelete software to safely recover your deleted files.

Now that you have an understanding of how the undelete software works on your operating system, the next time you find yourself worried about deleted files you can simply remember what you learned about the undelete command.

Using Divx Technology to Backup Your Dvds

Most DVD players incorporate some kind of protection against playing backup copies of DVDs, as well as DVDs from other regions. However what are you supposed to do if you want to make backup copies of your movies, but you do not have a DVD burner on your computer?

Users without a DVD burner on their computer system are still able to make backups of their movies.

A lot of commercial DVD players will play Video CDs, and Super Video CDs which are just regular CDs encoded with video. While a lot of software exists on the internet that allows you to backup your DVDs to these formats, you sacrifice quality, and instead of just one disc the movie is split into several discs; a real hassle for most users.

Divx technology allows users to make near DVD quality backups of their DVDs on normal CD-R discs.

Luckily a technology known as Divx is starting to be incorporated into DVD players. Divx is a compression format for movie files that allows DVD quality movies to be stored on normal CD-R discs. Because of the hardware demands of Divx (to uncompress the video) most standard home DVD players are unable to play movies that are backups of this format.

While the bargain priced DVD players ($30-$50 price segment) do not have the abilities to decode Divx movies, several players are now available at prices well under $100.

With this being said, anyone who wishes not to deal with all of the backup hassles of DVDs can now easily utilize a Divx supported player and easily create backup copies of their favorite movies, as well as download Divx content off of the internet.

While the number of Divx compatible players is still relatively small, an interested consumer can easily find a unit on the internet at a bargain price.

The Denver DVD-438 is an excellent DVD player which allows the user to watch backup movies in the Divx format.

One of the best deals around for a Divx compatible DVD player is the Denver DVD-438 from Denver Electronics. The DVD-438 is not only cheap in price, but also plays a wide variety of different formats as well as supports subtitles for Divx discs!

The Denver corporation also supports the DVD system very well, as they have released several new versions of the firmware allowing users to have access to several new features with every release.

While you may have a difficult time of locating this particular unit at an electronics store, you can easily find one by using your favorite search engine.

So any computer user who does not have a DVD burner, or is uncomfortable with making backup DVDs, the option of Divx is an excellent choice. Even if you have a DVD burner, CD-Rs are a lot cheaper in price than DVD-Rs, and if you create a bad burned disc, it is always a lot better to throw away a few cents (for the CD-R disc) than a few dollars (for the DVD disc).

Disaster Recovery, a race against time!

Data keeps changing with passing time, which makes keeping pace with the changing data one of the most important challenges before data security/disaster recovery officials. In the case of any enterprise, logical environment is something that is in a state of constant flux, being changed and redefined with the passage of every hour depending on the various requirements of time.

One of the important aspects of any disaster recovery plan is a sensible backup plan for making redundant copies of all critical files of the company database. Apart from making constantly updated backups, the disaster recovery plan should also take into account all the critical changes in the logical environment as it might be of supreme importance at the hour of reconstruction after a tragic disaster and data loss.

Backups can become obsolete, making disaster recovery impossible

The fact that logical environment composed of various bits and pieces of data are ever changing means that there is all the possibility of backup becoming obsolete unless extreme care is taken. This problem of obsolete backup marring the prospects of successful disaster recovery can be avoided only if there is a real time backup. This calls for the right installation of right infrastructure in place, which everybody can afford to, especially small business houses that is willing to set aside only meager sums for data security budget!

Take for example the common scenario of new software being installed at the instance of a particular department in the enterprise for a specific purpose. It could be new accounting software or new human resource management software. With the installation of such a new software the logical environment undergoes a critical transformation and the backup plan may need to be updated and refined to take into account the new development. Only such a refined and updated backup that accounts for the changes in the logical environment will be useful in a picture perfect disaster recovery.

Not just the backup but also the entire disaster recovery plan needs refining and updating

Like in the instance of backups, the change in logical environment as well as other relevant factors, the disaster recovery plan needs to be constantly updated and refined to be of any constructive use during crises. More often than not, what happens is that once bare bones disaster recovery plan is in place, those concerned with it tend to push it to the freezer and get on with things of "greater importance"!

But know this now, and without any delay that a workable and up-to-date disaster recovery plan is as important as any other work in a logical environment consisting of large amounts of critical data. Considering the mere existence of a disaster recovery plan to be enough can prove to be a costly mistake in the event of a disaster. Even a seemingly successful disaster recovery may not be able to reconstruct the logical environment as it was before the disaster struck, unless the disaster recovery plan was reviewed frequently to incorporate necessary changes.

What is Undelete?

Undelete is any data recovery program which will allow you to restore files onto your computer that have been deleted in any way, shape or form. If you are a Windows user you already have a minor undelete program on your computer: the Recycle Bin. This program allows you to restore files that are in your recycle bin before they are permanently erased from your computer. However, recycle bin has its limitations, and cannot restore files that you have deleted from the recycle bin.

Types of Undelete

Undelete is a general term, and there are many different forms of undelete programs that you can use on your computer. Executive Software has an undelete program which replaces the recycle bin on your computer. This recovery bin is far more powerful than the normal recycle bin which comes on your computer. It will hold all files that are deleted from your computer, even ones that the recycle bin would not normally get such as large files to big for the recycle bin to handle. You can then undelete any file that you wish from the recovery bin.

This software also has features to allow you to recover files that have been previously deleted from your computer. This is a very powerful tool that can allow you to regain files that you thought you had lost forever. As an added bonus, if there are sensitive files that you want removed from your computer forever, there is a secure delete function which will allow you to permanently remove any file that you wish.

Most undelete software will either perform a function similar to that of the recovery bin of Executive Software's undelete software, or they will allow you to search through your computer in an attempt to recover or undelete files that have been previously deleted from your computer.

How do I Get Undelete Programs for my Computer?

There are many different undelete programs on the market, and even many freeware programs which are available to you to use for free. One excellent source for undelete programs as well as a variety of other utilities is www.download.com. You can search through their database for undelete programs, and see what they have to offer. They will offer reviews, information about using the programs as well as a download of the program right on their site.

It is important to remember that while all of their downloads are free, not all of the programs will be freeware to you. Some are time trial versions, others are simply demos which have only a few features included, some are shareware. However, even if you do not find a freeware utility that you believe will solve your data recovery needs, you can still find free downloads of programs that will allow you to try them before you buy them.

Undelete programs are expensive utilities, generally costing 100 dollars or more, and you will want to make sure that you are getting a quality program before you spend this sort of money on undelete software. It will also allow you to download your software immediately and start undeleting your files today.

What is Undelete?

Undelete is any software utility which allows you to essentially undelete or recover deleted files from your computer. This is the most basic form of data recovery, as it allows you to recover files that you thought that you had lost from your computer. If you work with Windows or other similar operating systems, you most likely already have a basic form of undelete on your machine. The recycle bin is a program which allows you to recover files that you have deleted.

When you delete a file, it is first sent to the recycle bin, where you can then permanently delete it manually or wait until the recycle bin cycles itself and deletes the files for you.

Why do I Need Undelete for my Business?

Undelete is a very important utility for any business. In this computer age, data can be as precious as gold and if you need access to a file that has been deleted for any reason, you will want to have your hands on a powerful undelete utility that will allow you to recover your files. Data can be lost for any number of reasons: accidents, viruses, system crashes, etc. Anything that causes a loss of vital data can be harmful to your business, and you will need to be able to restore it if the case requires it.

How do I Get an Undelete Program?

There are many different undelete programs in existence, made by many different companies. There are two basic forms of undelete software. One, like the recycle bin of Windows operating systems, must be installed prior to the deletion of a file. Executive Software makes an excellent undelete program of this variety. They replace your recycle bin with what they call a recovery bin.

Unlike the recycle bin, every single file that is deleted from your computer will be placed into the recovery bin, from which you can undelete it if necessary. It is a very powerful tool, and one which could greatly help your business.

Other undelete tools may be installed after the event of deletion. When you delete files, even if you cannot necessarily see it, it is oftentimes still within your system somewhere. These undelete programs will search out the likely places that your file is, and if they can find it will restore it to your computer so that you can access them and manipulate them as normal.

There are many different sources of undelete software. You can try the web site of Executive Software, found at www.execsoft.com. You can also try www.active-undelete.com, which is another powerful undelete tool. If these do not suit you, however, another excellent source is www.download.com. They will have information on a number of different undelete utilities, as well as trial downloads and even freeware versions of undelete programs. This will allow you to get a free undelete program or try an undelete program before making the monetary investment to purchase it for your business.

What is Undelete?

Undelete is the most basic form of data recovery. It is exactly what its name implies: the restoring or undeleting of files that you have previously deleted. One of the most basic undelete programs is recycle bin, which is included with Windows operating systems. Normally when you delete a file, it is not actually removed immediately from your computer, but is placed into the recycle bin.

You can then delete the files from there so that they will be removed from your computer, or the program will automatically empty itself at certain intervals. This allows you a chance to restore files that you might realize that you actually need or deleted accidentally.

What is Data Recovery?

Undelete is a part of data recovery. Data recovery is the process wherein you recover data that is seemingly lost from your computer. This can be caused by a variety of different catalysts: system crash, physical damage to the disk, computer viruses, etc. Undelete is a basic form of data recovery, but there are far more advanced methods for recovering lost data.

What Programs Are Available for Undelete Data Recovery?

There are many different undelete programs out there, beyond the recycle bin. They come in two fundamental kinds: some, like the recycle bin, must be installed prior to the deletion of a file, and will allow you to recover deleted files from the program. Executive Software makes a very powerful undelete utility that works along these lines, and replaces your recycle bin with a recovery bin.

Unlike recycle bin, which only accepts some files that you delete, the recovery bin will hold every file which you delete from your computer, allowing you to undelete them easily and quickly. It also has a secure delete function which will allow you to delete a file and know that it is no longer on your computer.

Other undelete programs may be utilized after data has already been deleted. Oftentimes when we delete files, these files are still in existence somewhere on our computer, we are just not able to access them. More advanced undelete programs will allow you to search your computer and find these files to restore them on your computer, if they are still there and accessible.

How do I Find an Undelete Program For my Personal Data Recovery?

As mentioned before, there are many different undelete programs out there. One of the best ways to find undelete programs for your personal use is through www.download.com. Many undelete programs are actually freeware utilities, which cost you nothing to use. You will be able to find these on www.download.com. They will have reviews on different programs, and you will be able to determine which you think is the best for you.

If you would like to work with a more advanced, non freeware program, you can also find trial and shareware versions of many programs on download.com. This will allow you to try a program prior to making the monetary investment to purchase one for yourself. This is an excellent way to make sure that you buy the best program for your undelete needs.

Why would I ever want Data Recovery!

Data recovery can be your headache when it is the last thing you want. A typical scenario leading to you scrambling around for data recovery experts could be something like this: One fine morning, you start your system to work on your tax worksheet. You are adding the data about the current month's tax returns on your database of tax payment. Out of the blue, there is a power failure, when you least expected it.

In fact, you were almost done with the data entry part when the power blacked out. Now after an anxious wait for the power to come back, you switch on the system only to be informed by the operating system that a certain part of your hard disk has become inaccessible. So not only is your current month's tax data lost, but the whole tax database has become inaccessible.

So how to go about data recovery

Ok, so data recovery can be your share of worry any time of the year! So how do you go about it? What do you need to do? Do you recover the Data? Questions start crowding your agitated brain. Here are a few simple things you can do. Immediately stop using the problem hard disk as any further use of the disk can jeopardize data recovery. Don't even try to run the basic scan disk or disk check to see if you can fix the corrupted part of the hard disk. Look up a simple Data Recovery software from the internet. Several of them are available and some of the are even free to try.

If you are comfortable working with it then try and let the software scan your hard disk to evaluate whether data recovery is possible and if possible how much of it can be recovered. If you think you can safely recover the data you want from the problem hard disk, then try doing it without further disturbing the files on the disk.

If you think, it is beyond you, or if you think data recovery is an expert's job, then look up a data recovery expert from the yellow pages or with assistance from your hardware supplier.

What to expect from Data Recovery Experts

Well, so finally you managed to get hold of a supposedly good data recovery expert. Now the question is can you blindly trust your data recovery expert to wave his magic wand and come up with all the lost data like a magician produces rabbit from his hat! Well, to be frank, you are best advised to take the data recovery expert's claims with a large pinch of salt.

How much data can be retrieved and the accuracy of recovered data depends on how much writing/over-writing activity has happened on your hard drive after the data loss. Another important factor is the nature of the damage that has happened. If all the relevant factors are favorable, then you can safely expect your data recovery expert to come up with your entire tax database intact! Good Luck!

Disaster Recovery is 'make or Break'

Research shows that most firms hit by a catastrophic event, without no disaster recovery plan, go out of business within two years. Even a basic disaster recovery plan will increase the chances of recovery.

Disaster Recovery Tips

1. Store your system passwords in at least two separate secure locations. only one of which is in the same building as your IT equipment. At least two staff have should have access to them.

2. Document, document, document! Make sure that the whole recovery process to get you up and running again is documented, and includes the locations of system recovery and other critical discs. Make sure that key key staff are familiar with with these.

3. Establish an automated system to notify critical staff of disaster by text. These staff should be thoroughly trained so that they can perform basic disaster recovery/back-up tasks unsupervised. You may be able to do this through an arrangement with a third-party service provider.

4. Practice your disaster recovery plan on a quarterly basis or more. This not only hones your disaster recovery team's skills but it will also familiarize new staff with the procedure, and ensures that your disaster recovery strategy is kept up to date by revealing any issues with new equipment or software.

5. No matter how good your disaster recovery plan, it cannot recover data if you neglect to back it up. Make sure there is a routine for backing up data regularly, and ensure it is done. Using at least Raid Level 5 (Raid Level 10 if the budget allows) to ensure data duplication ensures fault tolerance. Build as much redundancy in your system as possible to remove any single points of failure. This includes a multi-path data route to the system, so that you can still access your data if one path fails.

6. Arrange to have spare hot hard disk drives already in the system, or at least physically available in the same room as your storage system.

7.A tape archive strategy is crucial. Tapes used on a daily basis should be replaced every six to nine months to avoid deterioration - backups are no use if they cannot be recovered. Other tapes should be replaced on a regular, less frequent, schedule based on the frequency of use. Being able to back up to a remote location is worth almost any price, a fireproof vault is not an alternative to an off-site location.

1. Get yourself the best, longest-life, most uninterruptible power supply you can. Then get an additional battery back-up for your cache to go with it.

2. Don't neglect to protect yourself from random theft, vandalism and employee malice, they can be just as disastrous as anything else. At the very least ensure that the door to your data/server room is locked, day and night.

3. An automatically closing fire door to the data/server room will keep fire and smoke out of the room for a surprisingly long time

Common Faults in Disaster Recovery Plans

Most disaster recovery plans that fail do so from lack of backups, lack of practice, or lack of documents. A basic but documented plan with recent backups and practiced staff will work better than a grandiose scheme let down on any of these points.

Three Reasons for Online Remote Backup

Online remote backup has risen in popularity the last few years. For a reasonable fee all types of businesses are entrusting their data to travel across the Internet and storage of that data in a remote location. Whether this is because of the rise in terrorist threats or the further developments of encryption and security is debatable. For whatever reason, online remote backup services are popping up all over the technology landscape and for three solid reasons.

Online remote backup has advantages over traditional backup solutions, its security features are often better than most in house data security and it can mitigate risks and threats to your critical data.

Online Remote Backup Advantages

Backup and recovery plans can be expensive to invest in. There is the cost of hardware, the cost of the software, and the cost of hiring trained employees to handle the process. In addition there is the time, which equals cost, of performing the backup process. Depending on the amount of data your company warrants as critical to backup and the amount of data you generate on a daily basis the time for backup can be extensive. Online remote backup can reduce this cost dramatically.

Through its automated process, its need for little or no additional investments, and the quick and easy availability for data recovery, you should see immediate results in your bottom line.

* Online Remote Backup Security

In house backup plans can sometimes overlook the obvious need for security. Many do not see the need to secure the backup data when the data is kept inside their own walls. There are statistics that speak to the need to do so. Employees often perpetrate damage, destruction, and loss. Curiosity or revenge can push people to enter an arena they normally would not go into. Data can draw this type of response. Protecting and securing your data has a lot to do with protecting your employees.

When one employee has committed a crime, everyone is subject to questioning. It does not make sense to leave the door open and online remote backup can close that door.

Online remote backup sends your data encrypted with a key only you hold. The backup process cannot be initiated except through authentication. You will know who requested the backup because you have identified and authorized certain people to do so and a log will tell you who performed the backup. In addition, once the data has arrived to the remote location, You should have the added security any online remote backup service would provide along with trained staff and a 24/7 customer service policy. Can you say the same for the backup data located in your office?

Online Remote Backup Mitigates Risk

Online remote backup data is sitting on a server in a far away place. Your connection is the Internet and only through authentication and authority can someone download or retrieve the data. The data is not open to your network, therefore technical disasters cannot affect the data. It stays clean and trouble free until you solve your technical issues, human disasters, or natural disaster. When you see the need to recover safely your data is waiting for you, unharmed and clean from the risks and threats at hand.