PC Memoirs

Windows 8 has many new features like Metro Style Apps and Microsoft Account Integration. Now we are hearing that there is something missing- The Start Button! It used to be located in the Metro User Interface and provided the user access to the settings panel, devices, search options and share options. Now you have a ‘start screen’ where with the mouse or your touchpad, you can switch between the desktop and the Metro UI with no trouble at all. This means a better seamless experience.

If the news that a Windows staple from 1995 will no longer be seen is not comforting to you, then you will be happy to know that the ‘super bar’ has all the features from Windows 7. What you might also like is the ramped up ‘charms bar’ with its quick access icons. You could consider it a replacement for the missing Start button since it serves the same purpose.

The reason behind the move is the company’s belief that the Start menu’s scope is limited and that it is not a good fit for better applications usage. The start screen is not a mere standby for the Start menu but instead intended to be a ‘launcher and switcher’ when it comes to apps, a sort of bulletin board filled with handy notifications that can be personalized to fit your needs. With the screen, you get access not only to applications but also to news about events, people and activities. Since the screen comes with the customization option, users now have more control over tools and how they can be used in groups with commonality. Once done, the apps resemble a folder and you can move from one group to another.

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Ever wondered why data recovery professionals are in demand? Simple…if there is one inescapable truth about the data stored on our hard drives, it is this– you’ve no idea how important and valuable it is until you lose access to it.

Like it or not, we live in world today where the buck often starts and stops with cutting-edge technology. In fact, we have become so reliant on technology that our day to day life can come to a standstill, owing to the most common of failures that can make critical data inaccessible. From basic domestic living to high-end corporate environments, we store our lives( figuratively) and other things that are important to us in these tiny little boxes of fragile components – then we wonder what on Earth to do ‘when it all goes south’.

Truth is, you’ll probably have come across thousands of DIY programs and guides, showing just how you can have a go at the job all by yourself. But then, we’re dealing with very critical data day in and day out, and when the ‘disaster’ strikes you need to make sure you recover the lost data safely and securely. Read on to find why professional data recovery is, by far and wide, the best and the safest choice.

Loss of data can lead to:

• Monetary Loss • Legal Issues • Inability to Replace Precious Archives • Loss of Trust in Business Environments

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I recently received a call from an individual purporting to be from “Windows Support” informing me that my PC was sending notifications to their support center and that I had a virus that they would like to help me to fix. Now, this was an obvious scam but it’s interesting to note the techniques that they used. First, they guided me to various registry keys. They repeated one of the “clsid” entries to me and asked me to confirm if that was what I could see on screen. Now obviously it was, because that particular entry is the same on all PCs, but to a non technical user, this would provide further credibility to the claim that they were being called from a genuine company or that the PC had in fact been transmitting an ‘ID number’ to this company.

They then guided me to the event log viewer, and asked me to look at the application log. Of course, this contains a number of errors and warnings as is to be expected, however they pointed out to be that these were all the viruses present on the PC. To gauge their reaction I actually told them that I’d just clicked ‘Clear Log’ and that everything had now been cleared and so the PC was now clear of viruses, but the scammer told me that they would reappear again as they had not been correctly repaired.

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Email is a vital part of your online identity. Everyone in this day and age has to have one. It’s the first step to social networking, online shopping, pay pal, subscribing to newsletters and updates, contacting clients, banking and the list goes on. So in short, whether you’re a teenager who uses email just for the sake of having a Twitter account or a marketing manager for a company sending out important brochures, you really can’t make do without having an email account.

The problem is email security. It is just too easy to break into an email account, for instance with a simple keylogger. No one wants theirs hacked even if it exists for the sole purpose of receiving an e-paper. The fact remains that it is a virtual niche one has created for their own needs and having that taken away is not a pleasant experience. Explains why so many are uneasy when it comes to employee monitoring software for emails at work. Since the recent Hotmail security flaw which caused innumerable accounts to be compromised, email security is not to be taken so lightly.

Until free web services decide to strengthen their security, here are two simple steps people can take other than having to resort to paid email services.

Spread Yourself Around

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QuickBooks is a reliable and bug-free small business accounting product. It incorporates a handful of web-based features, such as online banking and reconciliation, remote payroll assistance and outsourcing, remote access capabilities, etc. It also includes options for importing data from Excel spreadsheets, pre-authorizing electronic funds, etc. It helps to easily manage and handle different aspects of your business.

However, Quickbooks users may face issues from time to time. The QuickBooks company (.QBW) file may get corrupt owing to several vulnerabilities. This file may contain a number of corrupt entries that could make other company information inconsistent, leading to a complete loss of business data. There are few ways that can help you reduce the risk of corruption in your company file:

Examining the Product Information Window:

The Product Information Window gives you a fair idea about your client’s data file, i.e. version of the file, number of items in the client’s lists, number of customers, vendors, employees and other names, etc. You can find out the growth of the file and the projected growth of the company by comparing the most recent data files.

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