Recently a computer was brought to me that had severe problems with its hard drive which basically necessitated reloading from the manufacturer-supplied disk image.
Since the user was relatively unsophisticated, it was decided that the reload would be such that the user would have minimum interaction with the operating system and that the computer would be set up to be essentially as self-maintaining as possible.
So the computer was set up in the following manner:
● After initialization and bringing all of the Security Patches and Optional Software current, setting the computer to check daily for updates was permitted. This would get the Security Patches, but would not cause the Optional Patches to be installed. As there is no Microsoft mechanism to have the Operating System download the Optional Patches, that probably will not happen at all.
This absence would have to be a flaw in the Microsoft Operating System — that there is no mechanism to cause the owner to be automatically prompted when Microsoft non-security programs need to be updated.
This brings out one of the key failings: Many people think that because they have opted for the automatic installing of Security Patches, that their entire computer is Microsoft protected in all ways – a thoroughly false assumption.
● Then we moved on to the installation of a copy of Perfect Disk which defragments the chosen drives, in this case at 10:30 at night as Perfect Disk contains a scheduler. In this case, the first run of Perfect Disk brought the fragmentation from over 29,000 to just 9. The computer ran much faster.
● Then, to assure that there would always be a backup of the work on the computer, Acronis was installed to assure that a proper backup was always available.
Because it is relatively complicated, I prefer to accomplish the install and setup of Acronis on a computer to assure that it is working properly.
The first thing to do is to download from Acronis a 30-day trial version of Acronis 2010 home and cause it to be installed. Then using UGAUG09 as the code, go to www.uga.com and pay for the Acronis download.
● Then Acronis is set up to cause a full backup and to then cause an incremental backup about 10 p.m. each day (or a more convenient time for the local needs).
The way you do this is to manually set up Acronis with all of the parameters to cause an incremental backup to be created, and then cause the first run to be initiated. Even though the first run is supposed to be an incremental run, since the Acronis program finds that there is no existing file by the requested name, a full backup is created the first time and then all subsequent runs are created as incremental backups.
This system works out just fine, but after no more than about 30 incrementals, it is time to start a new string, so the Acronis backup file date is changed and the cycle begins all over again. This means that when months have gone by and the HDD is getting full, chunks of old data can be identified and deleted as no longer useful.
Why go though all of the rigmarole?
Consider the objective: A backup every night that has the day’s transactions. A backup that can be taken apart by the Acronis program such that the data and file structure can be moved to the “C” drive. This is Acronis’ main capability that sets it apart – the ability to go into its own condensed files and present individual files or directories without relying on total partition restores. Picking out a single file from a months-old incremental file is a great advantage.
It should be noted that the above programs generally do not cause perceptible slowdown in the context of the usage of the computer. You are unaware that they are running and in general do not slow the computer perceptibly.
Then there is the installation of Crossloop.
Crossloop permits support of the computer from afar; literally, anywhere in the world. Crossloop Is a desktop remote viewer. When someone needs advice, you can be invited onto the computer and solve the problem. Crossloop should be on every computer.
Windows Update and Microsoft Update work well on Microsoft software.
What about non-Microsoft software?
The answer is Secunia – a program that will scan your computer for about 25,000 programs being current and reporting that to you. Secunia should be run once a month on every computer in your possession. Since Secunia likes to stick around in the interim, it is best to go to MSCONFIG and stop Secunia from running until you need it again.
As a matter of convenience, installing a copy of PrintScreen2000 is a great aid. With just two keystrokes you can print a copy of what is on the screen and cut the printout to just the essential portion.
CCLEANER is used to cull worthless files and temporary files from the Microsoft product. Great for cleaning up the chaff!
And don’t forget to run the Decrapifier at least once on your computer to get rid of the myriads of programs that the manufacturers put on because they are paid to do so.
While you are at it, review the hints in the February ’09 SPAUG website on how to clean up the internals of XP that other programs do not address.
There is one last topic that should be considered: As you upgrade your computer (has to be a desktop) and you go from a 17” monitor to a 24” monitor for the readability and good pricing, don’t dump your old monitor, but merely make the new monitor your main monitor and make the old one your secondary upon which you put things that you would like to see all the time but are not going to have to modify much.
For instance, while most of my editing and browsing is accomplished on the 24” screen, the “old” screen is usually showing MailWasher’s view of the incoming mail progress. As the email arrives, I see at a glance the quantity, whether it is ‘colored’ spam that has made it past the ISP’s filters (which are very good), or whether it is from an entity from which I am anticipating a response.
As a separate issue, I use MailWasher to allow me to preview mail items that need arbitrage at a human level – an invaluable function that I refuse to give up. With all of the “social engineering” going on, having preview capabilities is the only way to control spam and that old monitor is too valuable for this purpose to just recycle it.
To keep that old monitor useful and thus add to your viewing pleasure, all you need is a dual-head video card for about $60 which includes all software, cables, and adapters. What is really sexy about the setup is that when some email comes in that is too small to read, I grab the left monitor contents with the mouse and slide the whole panel’s view over to the bigger monitor and then deal with the larger screen for the duration. Then I slide the results back to the smaller monitor where I don’t need the acuity any more. A great use for that “old” obsolete monitor!
