When you experience these types of problems, you will no doubt need a plan to recover your data. This can be accomplished in a few different ways. The first option is a data recovery technician who comes to your home or place of business. They will analyze the situation, first determining the cause of the hard drive failure. Data recovery is a highly specialized field and have trained computer technicians on staff who know a hard drive upside down and inside out.

A good specialist is one who can come to you nearly anytime you call. A technician who is not reliable should be avoided at all costs, especially when you are looking for a long-term relationship. Specialists that can be there immediately are working hard to show you that they are reliable. When you have a data loss or hard drive failure, time is of the essence and you will want someone who can appreciate that fact.

Software programs are another option available to you. The only downside to these great programs is you need to use them before you have a problem. Once your hard drive has failed, there is simply nothing to install these programs to. The key is to install the software before there is an issue and it will aid you afterwards. Most of these programs protect your data by keeping a separate file accessible even after a disaster.

If you happen to have hard drive failure, viral infection or a natural disaster, there are many ways to retrieve your data. Two of the most common options are data recovery specialists and data recovery programs. If your business is dependent on the information, you will likely want to go with the technician. These computer specialists can retrieve lost files, and even reconstruct your hard drive if necessary. When the issue is hardware related the software program would be little help.

Data recovery is a specialized area of computer repair and, as such, you should always consult a specialist. They are trained to fix most issues and most important they can restore your needed data. Nearly every town or city across America has a data recovery specialist and most times, they are on call 24/7. Their pricing can be extremely reasonable and will come to your home or business in case of an emergency. The bottom line is if you compare a technician with over the counter software data recovery specialist are far better.

Provided by Jim Horton - North Star Strategic IT
Your Denver source for IT computer support, network consulting and planning, voice over IP (VoIP) solutions, and so much more. Cisco Partner - VoIP and Unified Communications Microsoft Partner - Small Business Server Specialists Schedule time with one of our highly qualified network technology specialists

Help With Data Recovery

Here are a few ways to make the likelihood of becoming a victim of identity theft likely.

1. Don’t give out personal or financial information unless necessary. This includes store credit applications, doctor’s offices and any other service that you use. Blanks for a social security number may come standard on many forms but you don’t have to fill it in. if a place of business asks for it, request a copy of their policy regarding personal customer information.
2. Shred it like lettuce. Shredders don’t cost much and they can save you a bundle. Cross cut shredders cut documents into smaller pieces and on an angle so it is harder for a thief to put them back together. What should you shred? Before you toss old bills, receipts of any kind, medical and insurance forms or expired credit and insurance cards, send them through the shredder.
3. Use your debit cards as credit cards when shopping. If you do, there is no need to enter a PIN number on the keypad. This eliminates the temptation for a thief to look over your shoulder to memorize your number.
4. Be aware that thieves do go through your trash. It sounds nasty and foul but if they think they will find personal information about you, they will do it. Even junk mail that you don’t open can give them enough information about you to get them started on a crime spree at your expense.
5. Ask a trusted family member to pick up your mail or stop your mail delivery service when on vacation. A dead giveaway to identity thieves that the occupants of the home are away is the amount of newspapers that pile up in the driveway. Stop all deliveries to your home while you are gone. It is a federal offense to steal mail, but if no one sees, the thieves can’t get caught. And, it’s easier to steal from a home mailbox than a metal postal box or a P.O. Box.
6. Investigate identity theft protection with your credit card companies. Many companies offer programs to register your credit cards to protect against fraudulent usage. If not, look into an identity theft company. Many of the things that you can do for free will protect you but if you can pay for the added protection it wouldn’t hurt.

Each year, thousands and thousands of people become the victim of identity thieves. Protect yourself with the above suggestions to make it that much harder for criminals to profit at the expense of your good name.

Provided by Jim Horton - North Star Strategic IT
Your Denver source for IT computer support, network consulting and planning, voice over IP (VoIP) solutions, and so much more. Cisco Partner - VoIP and Unified Communications Microsoft Partner - Small Business Server Specialists Schedule time with one of our highly qualified network technology specialists

How to Protect Yourself from Identity Theft

Your computer has a hard drive. And, that hard drive has a certain amount of memory on it. It is a good idea to buy a computer with hard drive memory in mind so multiple applications or multiple files won’t slow your system down. Sometimes, you need external storage for more versatility.

A flash drive is another form of storage device. They usually connect to your computer via USB ports. They can range from 256MB to several gigabytes in storage capacity. You can have huge external hard drives with terabytes of data storage space, but we will concentrate on the flash drives for now.

Flash drives have several advantages. One, they are portable. You can use them anywhere you have a computer with a USB port. Your data is always with you when you need it.

Second, they are durable. You can hang them on a lanyard; place them in your purse or even in your pocket. Because of their size and lack of moving parts, a little jumbling is tolerated well.

Third, they can store massive amounts of data for almost instantaneous retrieval. Keep your pictures, music, videos and movies on flash drives to be used anywhere. They replace carrying around tons of folders in your briefcase.

Realistically, you only need as many flash drives as you have different tasks to use them for. For example, personal and business needs can be kept separate on two flash drives to avoid pulling up pictures of baby’s first bath at the monthly sales meeting.  Buying a flash drive, with future storage in mind, ensures the most memory for your buck.

It is easy to check to see how much memory you have on a flash drive to know if it is time for another one to be purchased. When you plug one in to your computer, you can access information on it and about it. From your Start menu, go to Computer.

Here, all of your computer storage media are listed. Under Removable Storage, you will see your flash drive listed according to the port it is attached to. Right clicking on the picture will reveal a menu. Choose Properties and view a pie graph comparing used to free space.

Flash drives are useful for portable storage when you don’t need to take your laptop along. This is great for PC users who can’t possibly drag their desktop everywhere with them. Buy flash drives with sufficient memory for present and future needs.

Provided by Jim Horton - North Star Strategic IT
Your Denver source for IT computer support, network consulting and planning, voice over IP (VoIP) solutions, and so much more. Cisco Partner - VoIP and Unified Communications Microsoft Partner - Small Business Server Specialists Schedule time with one of our highly qualified network technology specialists

How Many Flash Drives Do You Need?

North Star Strategic IT – Your Denver IT  Support company

Anti-phishing software works by searching for any phishing content that may exist in an email.  It is normally used as a complementary service to your email service in the form of a toolbar.  This toolbar will display the real name of any website you visit and any fake websites phishers tend to use.

This software offers a backup defense for blocking phishing attacks and sites that might have been clever enough to get through your browser’s built in protection.  Here are a few of them:

Earthlink Toolbar Scamblocker

• Earthlink provides a free toolbar for your browser that includes a Scamblocker, which is used to protect you from phishing scams and pop ups.
• It works by warning you if you attempt to connect with a page that is on Earthlinks blacklist of fake sites.
• It analyzes every site you visit and display the security rating of the web page on the toolbar.

Earthlink’s Scamblocker can be downloaded at this link:
http://www.earthlink.net/software/free/toolbar/

Netcraft Anti-phishing Toolbar

• Netcraft is provides a tight knit community where when one person reports a phishing email, the listed URL is blocked for all Netcraft members.
• By displaying the website’s hosting location, it helps expose fraudulent URLs.  For example, if your bank is located in the U.S. and the hosting location is listed as Poland, it is most likely a scam.
• The toolbar will also detect URLs that use certain letters or characters to deceive.

The Netcraft Anti-phishing Toolbar can be downloaded at this link:
http://toolbar.netcraft.com/

North Star Strategic IT – Your Denver IT  Support company

TrustWatch Toolbar

• Trust Watch offers a free toolbar designed to protect you from phishing attacks, identity theft, and internet fraud.
• It performs checks in real-time to inform you if the website you are attempting to visit has been verified by a legitimate third-party organization, and whether or not it is safe to send personal information through the site.
• It is equivalent to performing a credit check.

The TrustWatch Toolbar can be downloaded at this link:
http://toolbar.trustwatch.com/

Stopzilla Anti-Spyware 5.0

• Stopzilla is an ant-spyware program that detects and prevents phishing attacks, popup ads, spyware, adware, and any other form of malicious applications, as well as hijack protection.

Stopzilla can be downloaded at this link:
http://www.stopzilla.com/

Spybot – Search and Destroy

• Sybot Search and Destroy is a free to use anti-spyware program.
• The largest benefit of this program is that it will write-protect all of your computer’s host files, which is the main target of phishing spyware.

Spybot can be downloaded at this link:
http://www.safer-networking.org

Webroot’s Phish net

• Phish Net uses a dynamic blacklist that aids in protecting phishing attacks.
• It works by storing personal data (eg. Credit card numbers, bank accounts, etc.), and alerting you as to whether or not it is a trusted site when you attempt to enter personal information.
• It will also alert you to any redirects that may have happened during the transmission of your data, as well as make sure the site has an encrypted connection before transmission.

Webroot’s Phish net can be downloaded at this link:
http://www.webroot.com/consumer/products/

North Star Strategic IT – Your Denver IT  Support company

Provided by Jim Horton - North Star Strategic IT
Your Denver source for IT computer support, network consulting and planning, voice over IP (VoIP) solutions, and so much more. Cisco Partner - VoIP and Unified Communications Microsoft Partner - Small Business Server Specialists Schedule time with one of our highly qualified network technology specialists

Denver IT Support: Anti-phishing Software

What is an anti-spam filter?
This refers to a special program used for detecting and blocking dangerous emails. It looks for words and phrases or other things that may indicate an email is spam. It is based on the assumption that email containing certain details is spam.

It also has the capacity to remember which email addresses have previously send spam and block these. Mail from approved sources is delivered without question. These are referred to black lists and white lists. The anti-spam filter updates these lists. If the software perceives an email to be spam, it is added to the black list. If the user checks the email as safe it will be taken off the black list and treated as a trusted address in the future or white listed. The filter catches most email with unwanted adult content or pornography, referred to as “sporm.”

What to Look for in Anti-Spam Filter Software

You need to think about some other features you may find important:

• Make sure the anti-spam filter you purchase will work with your email client. This software will not necessarily work with all email providers.
• Make sure you will be able to use the software after you buy it. Some software programs are difficult to understand and use. If you buy an anti-spam filter you cannot use, you will be wasting your time and money.
• You should be able to set your own preferences in the program for your email filtering. You need to be able to choose options for what you want to block and what to allow in your inbox.
• It is good to get one that allows you to create your own white list. This will ensure you will receive all email you wish to allow without any problems. You would not want an important email to be blocked or even deleted.
• The anti-spam filter software should download and install with no problems. You may need to register the software before use or download additional updates before using it.

It is a good idea to buy a program that has some user reviews or other assurance that it is stable and fully developed. Look on the packaging for the latest release date. You may not want to buy a product that is still in the beta testing stage.

Spam email is a nuisance and time consuming to delete. It can also be very dangerous to your computer. You can protect yourself and your PC by purchasing the anti-spam software that is best for you and your email provider.

Provided by Jim Horton - North Star Strategic IT
Your Denver source for IT computer support, network consulting and planning, voice over IP (VoIP) solutions, and so much more. Cisco Partner - VoIP and Unified Communications Microsoft Partner - Small Business Server Specialists Schedule time with one of our highly qualified network technology specialists

How to Choose Anti-spam Filter Software

Everyone knows that it is a good idea to back up data on your computer every so often, however did you know you should check that backup? It will compound your frustration to find out what you thought was adequately backed up is not functioning correctly when you need it most.

Data loss can happen to anyone, even the most perceptive computer user or business can experience this problem. The problem is people tend to think their computer is perfect and that is not the case. After an extended period, your hard drive can malfunction or crash leaving you with a blank screen and severe data loss.

This is not the end of the world however; there is data recovery to help you out. Data recovery can retrieve files, information or anything else you have stored on your system over the years.

Most likely to recover your data you will be required to send your hard drive off to a company or individual that specializes in the field. First, they will run tests to determine what happened and how much damage has been done, this will tell them what they must do to recover your data.

Expect the process to take about a week, give or take a few days, depending on what happened. You should also be aware that the cost could quickly rise depending on the service you use. Generally speaking, the more experience the company has at recovering lost data the more you can expect to spend.

If you can afford them this is the best route you can take because, the more experience they have, the more likely they are to be able to recover your lost files and data. That does not mean that a cheaper service cannot be helpful, nevertheless if you are a company with highly sensitive information that you must recover you will want the best assistance money can buy.

In a case where the hard drive is not a total loss data recovery companies can rebuild your hard drive. If your hard drive is totally fried, it may be able to be rebuilt but it will take an extreme amount of time. Either way data recovery technicians can usually find a way to recover your lost data.

No matter who you are, you will likely suffer a hard drive crash or failure that leads to lost data. When it occurs, try not to get bent out of shape and upset. Be prepared and expect these things to happen.

Data can normally be retrieved, but you should still create back up files on a regular basis just to remain safe. That way should the worse occur you could continue to work with the data you saved while your hard drive is being fixed.

Store your important information and files on a CD using a burner or writer. This is the simplest and cheapest way to back up your data or files and will keep you prepared for the worst-case scenario. Now if your hard drive quits on you unexpectedly you will be prepared.

Prepared individuals will sleep like a baby if and when their hard drive crashes. Preparation is a great plan even if nothing ever happens to your hard drive. Computers are constantly changing and getting better, but that does not mean they are infallible.

Provided by Jim Horton - North Star Strategic IT
Your Denver source for IT computer support, network consulting and planning, voice over IP (VoIP) solutions, and so much more. Cisco Partner - VoIP and Unified Communications Microsoft Partner - Small Business Server Specialists Schedule time with one of our highly qualified network technology specialists

Losing Your Mind with Data Recovery

This wire free technology enables a broad selection of devices to be able to exchange information with the help of 2.4 GHz short-wave radio signals within a range of up to 120 feet. Devices like video game consoles, mobile phones, PCs, laptops, PDAs, MP3 players, stereo headsets and printers all can be connected to each other through Bluetooth.

Technology has made our lives so much easier and Bluetooth is one such invention. The best thing about Bluetooth is that you can connect any two devices without using any wires. The wiring of the computer with various other devices like the fax machine, printer, Internet server can sometimes be a nuisance.

Thanks to Bluetooth technology, pesky wires are no longer required. This technology can connect laptops, headphones, PDAs, cell phones and printers. And now, you can set up your own PAN (Personal Area Network) where you can be linked to other laptops, cell phones, printers, etc. as long as the other devices used are also Bluetooth enabled.

The Bluetooth keyboard and mouse are some of the best applications of this technology, as it makes it easy for people to use their computers. With Bluetooth technology you can have hands free communication; you can now take your phone calls while driving, cooking, jogging, etc. and you can listen to your favorite tunes within the house without that cumbersome cord getting in your way.

Even if the appliances and devices that you already have at home do not have in-built Bluetooth technology, you can upgrade them with the help of a USB Bluetooth adapter, commonly known as the Bluetooth dongle. Bluetooth technology is excellent for multiple users sharing a common device. For example, a good number of computers can use the same printer without having to be connected to it with wires.

The Bluetooth technology products are also very reasonably priced and everybody can afford them. Because 2.4 GHz, the radio band where Bluetooth operates in, is an unlicensed industrial, scientific, medical (ISM) radio band, there is no cost for the use of Bluetooth technology. You pay for your device and it is definitely worth every penny.

Provided by Jim Horton - North Star Strategic IT
Your Denver source for IT computer support, network consulting and planning, voice over IP (VoIP) solutions, and so much more. Cisco Partner - VoIP and Unified Communications Microsoft Partner - Small Business Server Specialists Schedule time with one of our highly qualified network technology specialists

Bluetooth 101: The Magic Of Wireless Technology

This process usually involves selecting a mass mailing service with a high rate of successful email deliveries, and lower ‘bounce rate.’ This service then sends a designated amount of emails promoting your product or service to random email account holders, and some of the recipients may become potential customers to your company.

However, this might be too much of a risk to take since, inspite of their claims, these services may not actually possess an extensive number of valid email addresses, hence the deliverability problem, which means that even if your mass mailing service provider sends the predetermined number of emails, the chances that they will reach potential customers or generate interest are extremely low.

Instead, you might want to follow an alternative internet marketing solution that allows you direct contact with your clientele as well as potential customers through a few simple steps that you yourself can carry out without having to go through an intermediary service.

Start by selecting a target group, or a particular set of customers who have a specific need for the product or service that you offer, and make sure your marketing techniques appeal to them.

You can lay the foundation for a symbiotic relationship between you and your customers by winning their interest and trust in your business through sales and adequate after sale service. Once you have an established set of customers, you can begin the wider publicity process.

Email deliverability, however, continues to be a hindrance even if you decide to handle the marketing process yourself, since you may be faced with innumerable spam blocking software in attempting to interact with existing clients as well as new ones. To get around this problem, consider setting up a private mailing network, which provides you with a way of blocking out spam while simultaneously having the opportunity to interact directly with your customers through the internet.

Make use of your mailing list of your customer base, as well as the database of your registered online customers and provide your valued customers with personalized email accounts within your existing domain. You can also design the mailing accounts to bear your business domain name so that your business becomes an obvious part of their online identity. This account can then be used by your customers for all purposes. Employ specialized help to carry out the function of linking up your network to whichever email server you customer uses. This simplifies matters a lot for your customers since they can now receive their personal emails directly from their default email service.

This will also allow you to have the added advantage of having exclusive and uninterrupted access to these email accounts, and the option of contacting your customers anytime you need.

Adopt these straightforward steps to help eliminate the uncertainty regarding email deliverability that comes with employing mass mailing services.

Provided by Jim Horton - North Star Strategic IT
Your Denver source for IT computer support, network consulting and planning, voice over IP (VoIP) solutions, and so much more. Cisco Partner - VoIP and Unified Communications Microsoft Partner - Small Business Server Specialists Schedule time with one of our highly qualified network technology specialists

Take Control of the Email Deliverability Problem

In addition to personal preferences that might dictate how you want the display on your monitor to appear, there are certain medical reasons lying behind the need to change these settings. For example, computer eye strain can often be minimized when optimal text size settings has been incorporated.

It is important for you to understand that the default setting is designed to provide optimal performance. Therefore, you can always revert to these settings if you are unsure of what to do.

How to Adjust the Text Size in a Windows-Based System

The specific version of the Windows operating system that you have installed on your computer determines exactly what steps you will be able take to change the monitor settings for your text size. The variations in directions are minor however.

1)      Close or minimize all programs.

2)      Right click on the desktop.

3)      Select the option, Properties. It should be located at the bottom of the small menu that appears.

4)      The Display Properties dialog box appears. Select the Settings tab from the options that are listed across the top of the box. It should be on the right-hand side.

5)      Locate the Screen Resolution section and move the slider to change the size of text and pictures. If you move it to the left side, you will decrease the resolution and increase the size of the text. If you slide it along to the right-hand side, you will increase the resolution and decrease the size of the text.

6)      Select Apply from the lower right-hand corner to create the change.

7)      The Monitor Settings dialog box might appear. If it does, it gives you the opportunity to see what your changes to the settings have done. If you like the changes, simply click on the yes and if you don’t like the changes, click on the no. If the Monitor Settings dialog box does not appear, you can look at the display that appears in the existing display and make your choice accordingly.

8)      Select ok.

You can also access these settings via the Control Panel. Select the display properties dialog box. Select the Settings tab to access the Screen Resolution slider bar that will allow you to tweak the size of the text display.

How to Adjust the Text Size in Internet Explorer

If you have connected to the Internet, you can easily change the size of the text that you are viewing. Simply select View from the menu that goes across the top of the screen and make your changes accordingly. This will change the size of the text and pictures that you view while browsing the Internet.

Intro: While the desire to adjust the text size for the monitor screen can have different reasons behind it, it is an easy task to complete. Use the simple directions provided here to tweak your display.

Provided by Jim Horton - North Star Strategic IT
Your Denver source for IT computer support, network consulting and planning, voice over IP (VoIP) solutions, and so much more. Cisco Partner - VoIP and Unified Communications Microsoft Partner - Small Business Server Specialists Schedule time with one of our highly qualified network technology specialists

How to Adjust the Text Size of Your Monitor

Bandwidth
Spam costs everyone valuable internet bandwidth that is used for spam instead of legitimate business or personal use. Bandwidth is the rate at which data is transmitted, particularly the amount that can be transmitted in a specific amount of time. The lower bandwidth rate, the slower information travels.

Think of it as a traffic jam on a major highway, the more spam there is the more delays there are in the transmission of important business information. Internet service providers must then increase bandwidth to handle the larger volume. This is not free and you can guess where the additional cost will end up – on your internet bill.

Viruses, Worms and Malware
Viruses have become commonplace and devastating. Spammers will include viruses and malicious software in the messages they send out disguised as attachments. Some of these viruses will silently install on your machine and give the hacker any vital information stored in your system. Identity theft is perpetrated many times this way.

Viruses are also created with the single purpose of destroying property. Consumer reports recently studied the cost of damage that has been done to computers in this manner. The cost is over eight billion dollars worldwide in the past two years alone. This number does not include costs of anti-spam and virus software that consumers have felt compelled to purchase.

Productivity
While spam is irritating, it also eats up your valuable time just filtering through it to find your real email among all the spam. For businesses that receive hundreds or thousands of important emails daily, the cost in productivity is substantial. Spam calculators, like the one available at cmsconnect.com, estimate the lost time to be nearly 50 hours per employee and almost $1000 per person per year. That is a significant amount of money and time.

Lost Messages and Data
Spam blockers and filters that are supposed to be protecting us from the bad emails often grab legitimate correspondence as well. Even one lost important email from a client or supplier can cost money and relationships.

Identity Theft
The latest in the long line of schemes to bilk you out of your money are phishing frauds. Phishing uses what looks like an official email from a company you do business with. The message will be worded in such a way that the spammer hopes you will input your personal information, thereby allowing them the opportunity to steal your identity and more. This scheme alone has wound up costing victims billions of dollars.

Spam has become a drain on society, at least from an economic and productive standpoint. Everyone but the spammer is paying an extreme amount of money for his or her actions.

Provided by Jim Horton - North Star Strategic IT
Your Denver source for IT computer support, network consulting and planning, voice over IP (VoIP) solutions, and so much more. Cisco Partner - VoIP and Unified Communications Microsoft Partner - Small Business Server Specialists Schedule time with one of our highly qualified network technology specialists

The Costs of Spam