WebDunnRight Design & Troubleshooting

In an earlier post I had information about what copyright is and isn’t (see A bit on Copyright (©)).  I have also given some information on the RIAA (Recording Industry Association of America) in yet another post that dealt with the subject (see More P2P – Parents, are you listening?).  Today, let’s bring the two together.

In a story posted by the TimesOnline – by Mike Harvey – we get the deal condensed in the headline ‘Single-mother digital pirate Jammie Thomas-Rasset must pay $80,000 per song‘ (if that link does not work, click here).  If you read through the story you will find this person chose not to settle for the smaller amount to end the case and instead let her case go through the system.  It was a gamble, and the law was upheld with a much higher penalty.

It brings us back to violating copyright.  What cost are you, your family, your business, your church, your good name willing to pay for violating it?  The story deals with the use of Kazza (before it got sued and became a pay for play area) and file sharing.  What’s the harm?

On the TimesOnline, many folks were outraged that RIAA would do this.  They make their case by saying the artists aren’t starving or out of work or struggling to make ends meet, so they probably have no problem with sharing the music among ‘friends’ or others.

After making a few posts on this on my blog – what do you think about it?  Should the lawsuits continue because folks were caught violating copyright laws?  Should the penalties be reduced, capped or revoked?  Should copyright laws be unenforced or reviewed and revised?  Do artists (and indeed, all works covered by copyright laws) have the right to make a living by selling their work?

Leave a comment with your thoughts.  I do know this – file sharing hasn’t slowed down a bit.  Almost 100% of the computers I’ve been fixing have Limewire or some other file sharing program on them – and most (if not all) of these folks just want to ‘get some free music / movies’ – and folks think nothing of it.  Or the risk they open their computers up to.

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Partition (noun) – A vertical structure that divides or separates (as a wall divides one room from another).  Well, yes they do!  If you stick to that definition you will be sure not to miss the similarity of the meaning for computers!  It is: (computer science) the part of a hard disk that is dedicated to a particular operating system or application and accessed as a single unit. (for more information on disk partitioning, check out Wikipedia)

Knowing this could be vital when troubleshooting problems with hard drives, or even when setting up your own computer for use.  Other companies certainly know about this (and use it to their advantage for support reasons).  Take Dell for example – there is a fine article (Inside the Dell PC Restore Partition: An Exploration by Dan Goodell) that details many of the features Dell uses so a customer can restore their machine to the ‘as built’ state.  And for some that have used this, there may be groans since you actually did the restore while on the phone with a Dell technician and found it worked – but all your data / settings / programs were gone.

But look at the value of this to the company – many hours of installs, having disk after disk of software, patches, and drivers for hardware – it’s a thing of beauty.  Alas, I digress…back to partitions.  The way Dell pulls this off is to take the hard drive and divide – or partition – it.  Once the partition is created, it can be formatted and used for many purposes.

But I think I need to give you fair warning.  Messing with partitions can be tricky business.  Think of moving walls in your house (especially if you are already living in the house).  When you build the house from scratch, you have a plan to go by to construct the partitions.  Once built, you will need a plan to add a new wall or remove and existing one.  You’ll need to know what file system (FAT, FAT32, NTFS, etc.) you want to use, and how much space you’ll either gain or need to carve out for the new volume.  Remember – it’s your data, files and software you are working with – so plan (meaning BACKUP everything because there is always a chance that something could go wrong).

Once you have a plan, you need to understand what tools you may need to use.  Many folks using Windows use the disk management tool that is built into the operating system.  There is a good article on how to do this on Microsoft’s site (titled How to use Disk Management to configure basic disks in Windows XP, KB309000).  If you wanted to just look at your partitions, right-click on your ‘My Computer’ icon and select Manage.  Once there, you will find ‘Disk Management’, and clicking on that reveals how your hard drive is set up.  Below is a shot of how mine is configured (and I’m using Vista to view this, so it may look different on your computer if you are using another flavor of Microsoft’s operating system).

View of Disk Management

Now for the question ‘what if I need to mess with them’.  As stated earlier, plan and then move forward.  There are some free tools you can use, such as the one offered by EASEUS called EASEUS Partition Master Home Edition.  It may not do everything you need to accomplish, so make sure you read about it before using it.  Personally, I purchased a product to use and have been happy with it – Partition Magic (I’ve owned it for a while – before Symantec purchase the company).  However, there are others you can use that are decently priced.  It depends on your needs and – frankly – how often you use the software and your level of comfort with performing this type of work.

Now this is just a primer, and introduction perhaps, to partitioning.  I find it useful in organizing my files in a different area than my operating system and programs, as well as getting space when I need to ‘grow’ in either of those areas.  I hope this gives you some information on what a partition is and food for thought on how it may be useful for you.  Thanks for reading!

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Well, it’s happened.  I’m not sure what happened, but I do know right now I can’t get into my computer.  No, I can’t even get it to boot!  Is there anyway to get up to where I can get some files off?

That’s a hard conversation to be listening to when someone calls me for advise or assistance.  Where do we go from here and what can we do?  First of all, if your machine is not responding, I’m going to assume we have a software issue and not a hardware issue (hard drive gone bad or some other component that results in the computer malfunction).  Hey, we’ve got to draw the line somewhere so we can try to get you information on getting the data back!  If it is a hardware issue (hard drive failure), and you must have the data – it may be that you will need to send it off to a specialty company to retrieve your files (like OnTrack Data Recovery or DriveSavers Data Recovery).  But be forewarned – this option is not inexpensive!

Mobile Shout Out? (Call a Friend…)

Perhaps you have someone that is revered as a computer person.  It’s possible you could call them for assistance.  And let me tell you, they will try their best to get your data back and your computer functioning again – but don’t expect miracles.  Often times, it is the computer person who has the correct set of knowledge and tools in their arsenal that get the job done for you.  That may not be your friend, or your kids, or your kids friends.  Don’t get me wrong, in this day and age, everyone has a need to cut back and trim where they can – but when you do this with your data, I would meditate on this – ‘Plan for the worst, hope for the best.’

There are times where getting your data back is a tricky business.  Because something is wrong, the risk factor for reversing the stuff that is incorrect has risen and now tilts over to more potential for data recovery not happening.  It’s like performing surgery (in a manner of speaking) while being blindfolded and having your ears plugged – the patient is out cold, and doing things to get it to respond could cause unintended damage!

I’ll Try It Myself! (I’ve got nothing to lose…)

I thought this may be where you really wanted to go.  There are lots of tools out there on the market to get at data on drives.  Some cost money (and those are usually the ones I would use since I have purchased copies of many different programs just for this purpose).  But for those reading this post, you may be more interested in the free (or close to free) selection.

Again, let me reiterate – if you are having problems and are looking to fix them using any of the tools listed here, I am not responsible for your actions (you are!).  Using tools or tricks of the trade without a good working knowledge is a bad idea!  The wrong tool used can do more damage than leaving things as they were and consulting a professional!

Sabrent USB-DSC5 Serial ATA or IDE 2.5-/3.5-Inch to USB 2.0 Cable Converter Adapter with Power Supply is a must have if you want to do any of this work. Why? It allows you to remove the hard drive and slave it into your machine via a USB port.

EaseUs offers some cost-effective solutions for data recovery.  While this is not free, it is robust and may be a good solution for some of the more typical hard drive and data recovery scenarios faced by the majority of computer users.

Recuva (by Priform) is a freeware Windows utility to restore files that have been accidentally deleted from your computer.

Forensics Software may be something you are interested in or need.  Be careful here, this link goes to a page that breaks this down by OS and what the tool does.  You may need to make sure some of this software does what you need since it is time consuming recovery (and can be costly as well for the software).  One of the leaders in this area is Digital Intelligence – but you can certainly search Google and find many more in this industry.

There are so many items to choose from (and so many I didn’t list!).  Look around to find a tool that meets your needs, or better yet consult a professional – or for the best solution BACK UP YOUR IMPORTANT FILES so this is not a huge issue!  I hope this helped, thanks for reading.

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One of the most challenging things I hear from folks that bring me their machines to look at (help with) is making sure they still have their _______ (you fill in the blank, pictures, files, documents, presentations, music, bank or business data).  It always makes me wince a bit, since I can’t guarantee that they will have those items!  The standard response I have is this – you do have a copy of your _______ on some backup medium, right?

Too often we chose not to backup our important files.  I can’t quite figure out why we make that choice!  So let’s redefine this in a more understandable way.  If the data was important enough for you to create in the first place, and is important enough for you to continue to need as time moves on, then you will take the time to recreate that data once it is lost (and you don’t have a backup). Now, I realize that is a general rule (how can you go back in time to take the exact same pictures of the same people / place / event), but you may find that it is true for most cases.  So a better rule of thumb is to back up your data so you can recover quickly and not have to recreate everything from scratch.

Give Me A Strategy

You may need to employ a strategy that works for you!  First, perhaps some reminder using a calendar feature to let you know every couple of weeks or month to backup.  For me, I backup on the 15th of the month to my local hard drive and on the first of the month to my external hard drive.  That is what works for me!

Then, you need to figure out what to backup.  Again, find something that works for you.  I put all of my important documents in one folder (of course, there are multiple folders within that single folder, but all of the stuff I can’t do without starts in that single folder).  That makes it easy for me to backup everything in one area!  I don’t need to fret about what folder in what area I need to make sure I get backed up.

Then, use the backup software of your choice.  Windows comes with a built in backup utility that you may want to use.  Mac users have a built in backup utility as well.  Or you could look to other utilities, I favor a free one from KarenWare.com called Replicator, but there are many others that are no cost or minimal cost (and for the curious, I do support KarenWare and have paid for her free disk of utilities – she does a great job!).

Lastly, secure your backup – somewhere!  If your strategy is to keep it on the same hard drive the files are currently on, and that hard drive fails, then what do you have?  Not much!  Write that backup to CD, DVD, or an external hard drive for safe keeping.

But I’m Having Issues Now!

Yeah, that might be why you are reading this!  So look for a post in the very near future that gives a bit more detail on options you have in your attempts to recover data.  If you don’t back up, please start!  And if you do back up, is it time to back up again?  Take care!

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This is a response to the April 14, 2009 column in my local paper titled ‘MS WINDOWS IS A THREAT TO NATIONAL SECURITY’ (link).  It’s a catchy headline (got me to read it), but … it’s about as practical and honest as those on the Green bandwagon saying ‘PLANET IN DANGER DUE TO CONSUMPTION OF GRASS BY BOVINE’.  It’s hogwash.

As a commenter pointed out:

Windows is not a threat to National Security. It is incredibly difficult to write secure and correct code. In fact, problems with secure coding remain an open academic problem. The problems with Windows can be found in all software. You need only look to the regular reporting of flaws found at www.uscert.gov and the National Vulnerability Database (http://nvd.nist.gov/ ) to see that there are problems with lots of other products, including Linux flavors. Attackers focus on Windows because it is the most prevalent and provides the widest avenue of opportunity. Many compromises occur due to flaws in code. But ask yourself, why do they persist? The main reason is that we poorly manage our systems. Do you know the size, signature (i.e. cryptographic hash), and function of every type of software module on your system? Probably not. Most people do not. It is this lack of knowledge that is our doom. The real problem with the security of our systems is a lack of prudent management.

Those are good comments.  And those are great links to know about.  But reading the story gave me more pause as to what the real issue may be – it’s Windows!  So let’s lay some items on the table.

Your Computer Is As Secure As…

How should we fill in those dots?  I’d say they are as secure as YOU make it.  Once you get it, it is YOUR job to apply patches (and don’t let Mac folks fool you – visit Google and search ‘mac patch’ or visit Apple’s support site for various patches for security issues and other nuances) and YOUR job to secure your computer.  And that means YOU need to stay up to date on these issues.

To do otherwise is to be like the person driving the car that you just purchased new from the dealer.  I challenge you to not change the oil, check the tire pressure, and fill up the tank with gas.  How far are you really going to get and how long will that vehicle last without YOU knowing how to maintain it?  Not as long as it could last, that is certain!

The I’m a Mac Guy thing…

After reading the article, I was a bit perplexed.  We moved from one of the latest security threats, one that exploits a Windows security issue, then somehow make the leap of faith that this makes all Windows a National Security threat.  Break it down a bit, use some logic, not leaps of faith.

Windows is the largest target because?  It is the most used.  It is often purchased (by businesses) FOR the security features (ability to use group policies and work with nested security)!  There are a myriad of reasons businesses have not switched to other operating systems (price, lack of support, etc.).  So it seems logical that the most used is the one that is most attacked – that is where the potential payoff is for the crook or ne’er-do-well.

Continuing down the path of logic – no operating system is perfect – NONE.  They all get patches and updates.  Some are due to enhancements, most are due to bug fixes and flaws that can be exploited.  So to be perfectly safe and secure, you need a Helen Keller machine – one that is deaf, blind and dumb to the rest of the computing world.  That is not a realistic scenario in today’s world.

What’s the Answer?

No matter what your operating system, patch it.  Maintain a security stance by installing supporting software (firewall, anti-virus, anti-malware, etc.) to assist in warding off attempts by hackers to exploit KNOWN security issues.  Those are things YOU can do!  At the end of the day, YOU are responsible for the security of your machine.  Make sure you take the necessary steps to keep your data and equipment free from issues that are known exploits.

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This is a follow up to previous posts (titled ‘Must Have Software to Keep Your PC Safe and Secure‘ and ‘Nasty Malware – Good Advice‘) where I speak to having some key software on your machine.  Once you have it there, what do you do with it?  Note, all the information below is for the free editions, which are for non-commercial home use only (read the EULA for each of these items).

AVG Anti-Virus

This software can be found at http://free.avg.com.  Once it is installed and updated, it should automatically update as you either boot up and connect to the internet, or you can open it up and select Update Now as shown below.
Frequency of updates needed: Daily
Frequency of running this software: Scan Hard Drives Weekly

Update Now in AVG Anti-Virus

CCleaner

This software can be found at http://www.ccleaner.com.  After it is installed, you will need to open the program and run it as seen below.

CCleaner Interface

Frequency of updates needed: Check for program updates monthly
Frequency of running this software: Weekly

Spybot

This software can be found at http://www.safer-networking.org.  After it is installed, you will need to open the program and select update as seen below.

Spybot - Check For Updates

if new updates are found, select a download location and download them.

Spybot - Downloading Updates

Once this is done make sure you immunize your browsers.

Spybot - Going To The Immunization Screen

Once you are at that screen, make sure you click on Immunize as seen below.

Spybot - How To Immunize

Finally, go to the Search & Destroy screen and scan your computer.

Spybot - Search & Destroy!

Get rid of any items this software finds.
Frequency of updates needed: Weekly
Frequency of running this software: Scan Hard Drives Weekly

Ad-Aware

This software can be found at http://www.lavasoft.com (make sure you get the FREE version).  After it is installed, you will need to open the program and select update as seen below.

Ad-Aware - Update

Frequency of updates needed: Weekly
Frequency of running this software: Scan Hard Drives Weekly

Malwarebytes

This software can be found at http://www.malwarebytes.org.  After it is installed, you will need to open the program and select update as seen below.

Malwarebytes - Update and Scan

Frequency of updates needed: Weekly
Frequency of running this software: Weekly

A Final Reminder

As always, I recommend backing up your important data (if you choose not to do this, then be prepared to recreate it when something goes wrong or fails).  Hope this helps you in your quest for keeping your computer trouble free from malware!

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Connecting computers in your home should not be a hassle – and it shouldn’t be something you are afraid of!  This could be a very useful thing to do since there are benefits to having your computers on a network.  Among these benefits three I would like to point out are:

• The ability to set up file shares on various computers in the network (or just setting up one on a designated computer that acts as a file server for other computers on the network)
• The ability to set up a shared printer on a computer so other computers on the network can print to it
• The ability to set up Internet access through a single computer for other computers on the network

Let me start by saying this is not at all complex – at least not as complex as it was before Windows XP hit the market a while back.  That does not mean it may not take a phone call from a trusted techie friend at times, but for the most part you can do this all yourself.

Review Hardware Needs

It is pretty common for all computers over the last few years to come with a NIC (Network Interface Controller).  This is the area that a network cable plugs into.  If your main computer has a NIC card, you may want to consider purchasing a wireless router for other computers (either desktop or laptop), or you could do that from the start for all computers in your network!  That is especially helpful for those folks that have broadband or high speed Internet access.

If you don’t have a NIC card, then you may need to open your computer, see if you have any available slots for additional PC cards.  If you do have a slot, you may need to order a card that fits your slot (it will be either a PCI card slot or a ISA card slot – or for more slots you can learn about them here).  There are loads of cards you can order, but make sure you have the right one for your computer! (PCI cards or ISA card)

Set All Computers To The Same Workgroup

This is the first step to networking your computers.  This isn’t hard to do at all, and will need to be done to all computers on the same network (actually, the same workgroup).  So how do you do it?

Find your My Computer icon (it’s either on your desktop or under the Start menu items) and right-click on it.  Select ‘Properties’ from the menu that appears, and you will be presented with a screen that allows you to select from multiple tabs.  Click on the Computer Name tab (as seen below).

Workgroup Naming

Notice that the workgroup above is named OUR-HOUSE.  You will want to select a name for your workgroup and enter it by selecting the Change… button.  After you do this, you will need to reboot your computer.  That was easy!

Review Firewall Settings

While I do not know what firewall you may be using, it is my hope you are using some firewall!  Windows XP, with Service Pack 2 applied, places the Windows security center in your control panel along with the Windows firewall.  While that would not be my recommended one (if you have a personal computer being used for non-business purposes, I’d look into Zone Alarm or Comodo), it may be the one you are using.

Here, you will need to make sure you allow network traffic over the IP address range you are using – especially if you are sharing files across other computers in your home that have other IP addresses.  While I won’t go into detail on this, basically you go to your computer run area and type in CMD then hit enter.  That will open up a black command prompt window.  You type in ipconfig and find the IP address for your machine.  Since you are probably set up on your network for your machine or router to dole out addresses using DHCP, you will want to write down the address so you can set up each firewall (on each computer on the network) to allow traffic across the range of potential IP addresses.

So, if you have an IP address of 192.168.1.101, you probably want to allow traffic over the range of 192.168.1.1 – 192.168.1.255.  That opens up the range for communication.  If you are unsure how to do this, please consult the firewall help files for the firewall you are using.

Set up Network & File / Printer Sharing

This is 2 separate things that could easily tak a whole post each!  But here’s the quick and dirty look at this.  Find your My Network Places icon (it’s either on your desktop or under the Start menu items) and right-click on it.  Select ‘Properties’ from the menu that appears, and you will be presented with a screen that shows you your Network Connections.  I then selected the LAN connection (but could have selected the wireless one as well) and right-clicked this and then selected ‘Properties’ from the menu that appears.  Make sure that you have the File and Printer Sharing for Microsoft Networks is there (as seen below), if it’s not there, install it.

File & Printer Sharing Screen

That will enable you to get to other items (like a printer installed and shared on your computer) across the network so you can use them.  It will also be needed to share out file folders.  This can be useful when putting pictures or other files in a single folder so you can share them with others on your home network.

To start this, you need to have a folder created on the machine you will be sharing it from.  Below, I chose to put the folder on the root of the C drive, but you could place it in other places if needed.  Note that I called the folder MySharedFolder.  I then right-clicked on it and selected Properties from the menu that appears.  From there, select the Sharing tab (as seen below).

Enable File Sharing - Step 1

I want to avoid the wizard (you can run through it if you’d like), so I picked ‘If you understand the security risks but want to share files without running the wizard’ option.  What you’ll get is seen below.

File Sharing - Step 2

Here, I select ‘Just enable sharing’ since Windows insists on being helpful.  Once that is done, you should reach the screen seen below.

File Sharing - Step 3

As you can see from the image above, I then selected Share this folder on the network and allow others to change my files (since that is what suited my needs).  Select these item as appropriate for your situation and needs!

File Sharing - Step 4

Once it is all said and done, you will notice the folder icon has changed from the regular icon, to one with the hand under it (as seen in the screen shot above).

From this point, you could reach this folder from other computers on your workgroup by navigating there (using your My Network Places navigation through Windows Explorer).  Convenient!

There are many other places you can review, here are but a few of the links you may want to review:

http://www.duxcw.com/faq/network/xpnet.htm

http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/using/networking/default.mspx

http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/437471/windows_xp_how_to_network_your_home.html

As always, I look forward to your comments.  This doesn’t cover every possible step, but will head you in the correct area!  Take care.

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If you haven’t heard about this one, you must spend way too much time under a rock.  Many major news outlets have been discussing this on the television, radio, and (gasp) on line (for a sample, click here for a Google News search).

Computers already infected by the worm are supposed to be automatically updated with some unknown software component on April Fools Day. That’s more or less the sum of what computer experts know about the rhyme or reason behind this worm, but it hasn’t stopped pundits and the press alike from issuing ominous warnings…Security software maker F-Secure has put together an interesting and entertaining FAQ on Conficker, which I highly recommend that anyone worried about this threat go read. F-Secure also has a free cleaning tool available at that link.
(from Conficker: Doomsday, or the World’s Longest Rickroll?)

There are many writings on this, one of my favorites has been posted on Lockergnome (’How Do I Know If I’ve Got The Conficker Virus?‘).  There the author brings up important issues as well (messages that pop up saying you need a newer set of codec’s to play media files or need to upgrade flash player).  I always recommend keeping your operating system and software programs up to date, but be mindful that every message that pops up may not be from a trusted source!

Since April 1 is right around the corner, why not take the time to make sure your Anti-Virus is updated and set up correctly (scanning as per either the default settings or to your preference, but make sure it is functioning!).  While you’re at it, check to make sure your operating system and applications are up to date with all the applicable security and update patches.  Don’t forget your firewall and other malware programs you may be using, check on them as well!

While many writing about this particular virus run the gammet between crying wolf and doomsday predictions, the ultimate security for your machine is – YOU!  Be informed, and take all necessary precautions.  Happy Computing!

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Site statistics are what many folks want, but it seems to be a mystery as to what to make of them.  Most hosting providers offer web statistics along with their hosting packages.  But – what does it all mean?

Web Analytics

Web analytics is the measurement, collection, analysis and reporting of internet data for purposes of understanding and optimizing web site usage.
(Wikipedia)

As the article goes on, there are many different nuances for analytics and statistics.  It is not uncommon for a client to ask me about analytics.  Understand that each client has preconceived notions of what they want to measure, what others have told them they are measuring, and the best way to measure something (from their perspective).  So – once again – as a web designer you need to be prepared to assist them in fettering out what measurements mean and how to best obtain them.

Below are some key terms for the discussion (as seen on Wikipedia):

• Hit (internet) – A request for a file from the web server. Available only in log analysis. The number of hits received by a website is frequently cited to assert its popularity, but this number is extremely misleading and dramatically over-estimates popularity. A single web-page typically consists of multiple (often dozens) of discrete files, each of which is counted as a hit as the page is downloaded, so the number of hits is really an arbitrary number more reflective of the complexity of individual pages on the website than the website’s actual popularity. The total number of visitors or page views provides a more realistic and accurate assessment of popularity.
• Page view – A request for a file whose type is defined as a page in log analysis. An occurrence of the script being run in page tagging. In log analysis, a single page view may generate multiple hits as all the resources required to view the page (images, .js and .css files) are also requested from the web server.
• Visit / Session – A series of requests from the same uniquely identified client with a set timeout, often 30 minutes. A visit contains one or more page views.

These are just a few of the measurements you can get with your web hosting service.

The Days of Hit Counters

There was a time that this was the de facto measurement of how many folks have visited your site.  Many folks still want this on their site, and the reasons I mostly hear about is so they can go to the home page and see how many folks have come.  Again – with each hit counter you can choose what to measure, so is it visits, hits, or page views that are being displayed?  It depends on how you set it up.

I don’t recommend that customers put hit counters on their sites.  The statistics that come with their hosting package offers so much more for the site owner!  I would rather see where my hits are coming from, how they were referred, and what keywords or terms they used in a search to find the site.  That is information that adds value to my understanding of how effective the site is in reaching its intended audience.

Hosting Statistics

This is where your hosting company has a way to parse information in the server’s log files to show you information about where your web traffic is coming from (and where folks go once they enter your site – and even where they exit your site from).  As an example, GoDaddy.com offers hosting, and you would anticipate they offer some statistics.  To learn more about what they offer, you could visit their site to review what they use and how to use it. (Again, this is just an example, you could do this with any hosting company you may be interested in using.)  This is the most common way to learn all about where your traffic is coming from and how it is getting to your site.

Third-Party Providers

If server statistics isn’t the correct approach for your customer, why not look into other providers?  Services like Webstat, Statcounter and Google Analytics offer free (and paid versions) to use.  Others like WebTrends are perennial powerhouse tools for enterprise use.  Often these tools will require code insertion in your web page for tracking purposes.  Get with your customer and find out their needs, then offer them the right solution!

There are tons of tools to use in this area, so your knowledge is important here.  Do your homework and research!  But don’t forget the needs of your customer as well.  Get with them, find out what they need to measure and track, that way you can meet their needs.

This is just a primer on statistics and analytics.  It is certainly not intended to cover all the bases (because each area could have a very detailed post on it just to scratch the surface and raise issues / solutions / questions).  I hope it has given some information and food for thought to you.  Thanks for reading!

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Of all the things to write on concerning computers (and electronic devices in general), you would think we would get more ink on power.  The simple fact is these devices need power to operate, but we are usually so focused on the devices that power is the last thing on our minds.

The Problem With Power

We take power for granted.  I mean, you plug something in, and it’s pretty much a done deal.  But is it?  I recently went through a great white paper (The Seven Types of Power Problems by Joseph Seymour & Terry Horsley) that detailed many of the power issues we face, but probably don’t give much thought to.  The summary of the paper is ‘many of the mysteries of equipment failure, downtime, software and data corruption, are the result of a problematic supply of power. There is also a common problem with describing power problems in a standard way. This white paper will describe the most common types of power disturbances, what can cause them, what they can do to your critical equipment, and how to safeguard your equipment.’

Our power – at times – is the cause of some of our issues.  The inconsistency of the power delivered to your equipment, spikes, brownouts, and quick outages can wreck havoc on many of the devices we use everyday.

Computers and Power

One of the things I heard early on in my computer journey was to get a surge suppressor.  In fact, I think that is what many, if not most folks do (that is the extent of any thought that goes into power when we purchase equipment).  Now, if that is all you do, I won’t knock it (it is better than nothing).  But what are you protected against?  Surges.  So, if you get a close lightning strike, or the power company experiences some abnormality that results in a surge to your home, you should have a reasonable level of protection against it.

Even for folks with laptops, don’t make the mistake of maintaining this minimal level of protection.  I would certainly invest in surge protection for travel devices so you can carry it with you wherever you go (hotels, airports, anywhere you may to power up your device).

What Surge Protectors Don’t Do

These devices are great at what they do – but they may not do enough for you.  They do not condition power in any way (disclaimer – if you are going to purchase one, read the manufacturer’s specifications for that device, improvements and enhancements are always ahead).  For a good definition of what these are:

Power or line conditioners regulate, filter, and suppress noise in AC power for sensitive computer and other solid state equipment.  Power conditioners typically consist of voltage regulators in combination with output isolation transformers and transient voltage suppression circuitry. They provide electrical isolation and noise and spike attenuation to ensure the quality and consistency of power to sensitive medical, laboratory, computer, and other high technology equipment. (cited)

So we may want to think about supplying our equipment with power that is consistent if possible – and that is where conditioned power comes in.

What About The Best of All Worlds

That choice may be a UPS (Uninterruptible Power Supply) Battery Backup for many readers (here’s the Wikipedia on UPS).  The one I use for my desktop is not only serving as my power conditioner and surge suppressor, it also protects my network line to my NIC and is monitored via a USB link.  So I can see what has happened to my computer via a icon in my system tray (power fluctuation and outages).  And if the power goes off, the UPS battery provides power for a time (if the power comes back on – computer keeps running) until it has only enough power to start to shut my computer down in it’s normal fashion.  And it does it automagically – sweet!  That way, my computer doesn’t have a hard shutdown when power is lost, and my data and operating system still work just fine when I start it back up.

Only Computers?

No!  I use UPS for my home entertainment system – not that I want to keep watching television, but I do want time to shut things off as they were designed, not just unplug them and risk circuitry damage.  Another benefit of this is the protection the UPS with coax offers to the signal coming from the cable company (in the event there is a power surge from that wire and not the power company).  I also use a UPS with our gaming system as well, to protect these units from potential damage due to power issues.

Protect your electronic investments by using some form of power protection!  If you have ideas or recommendations (or stories of your experiences) in this area, leave a comment.  And as always, thanks for visiting!

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