Recent Comments
Comment by Brian on The Click That Could Cost You (December 28, 2024 02:44 PM)
(please see previous post) Just re-checked the page and it now shows the correct https protocol. Panic over, but mystery remains... ...
Comment by Brian on The Click That Could Cost You (December 28, 2024 02:38 PM)
My Firefox browser does not show "https://" for this web page but a man's silhouette with a red bar across it, suggesting that this very page is unsaf...
Comment by Kenton Eggleston on [WOW] ASCII Artwork - An Internet Treasure (December 23, 2024 02:08 AM)
I am an ardent fan of Ask Bob, and I reside north of your alleged remarkably porous border. I too date all the way back to the Tourbus days, and while...
Comment by Betty Ross on [WOW] ASCII Artwork - An Internet Treasure (December 22, 2024 09:46 PM)
We made ASCII pictures using manual typewriters during the 1950s through the 1970s. I taught typewriting and had many pages of instructions for diffe...
Comment by chris on [WOW] ASCII Artwork - An Internet Treasure (December 22, 2024 02:38 PM)
Speaking of ascii pictures. You could turn the DOS blinking cursor into an ascii coded symbol or pic. So, instead if just a blinking dash you could ...
Comment by Renaud Olgiati on [WOW] ASCII Artwork - An Internet Treasure (December 22, 2024 10:46 AM)
but remember if you try it that it only works with fixed spacing fonts......
Comment by Reed Davis on [WOW] ASCII Artwork - An Internet Treasure (December 21, 2024 02:05 PM)
I was also a bus rider and worked the midnight shift which gave me time for unsupervised mischief. Time spent printing off ascii art. As I recall(?!...
Comment by DBA Steve on [WOW] ASCII Artwork - An Internet Treasure (December 21, 2024 12:00 PM)
My introduction to these types of pictures pre-dates the general use of ASCII. When I was introduced to this sort of thing it was created using ...
Comment by Donna Sue Fraley on [WOW] ASCII Artwork - An Internet Treasure (December 21, 2024 07:14 AM)
Ohhhh gosh, how this brought back memories! I was a rider on the Bus when it first came into being! And I do indeed remember when the squirrels starte...
Comment by howard on [WOW] ASCII Artwork - An Internet Treasure (December 21, 2024 02:34 AM)
I remember the days long ago when Steve and Johnnie, were on the overnight show on WGN radio, one day a week he would be on answering callers computer...
Backup Articles
A Different (but very important) Kind of Backup
I’ve pontificated before on ways to backup your hard drive, email, mobile devices and social media content. But what about when the power goes out? How can you keep your computer and internet online when you lose power? Read on for my tips on backup power, and how it relates to keeping your data safe...
...Your CD and DVD Discs May Fail Sooner Than You Think
If your precious memories or important files are backed up on CD, DVD or Blu-Ray discs, you might want to go looking for a medium that will protect your documents, photos and videos a bit better. Would you be surprised to learn that a U.S. government study concluded that standard optical discs have an expected lifespan of just 3 to 5 years? Would you like to learn about a data storage solution that promises 100, or even 1000 years? Read on...
...Have You Backed Up THIS Important Thing?
I’ve written frequently here on ways to backup your hard drive, email, mobile devices and social media content. But what about when the power goes out? How can you keep your computer and internet online when you lose power? Read on for my tips on backup power, and how it relates to keeping your data safe...
...Backup For Gmail and Other Webmail Accounts
An AskBob reader says: “I've been using Gmail for over a year, and it works great. But I'm a little nervous that there's no obvious way to backup my contacts and email messages, just in case. Is there a solution you can recommend?” Yes, read on to learn how to back up your Gmail, Yahoo and Outlook.com email data.
...File History... and Bacon?
If you've used Time Machine on a Mac (or had to listen to a Mac owner brag about it), and wished there was something similar for Windows, here's good news. File History is a cool feature available in Windows 10 and 11 that can save your bacon by automatically making multiple backup copies of your important files. Here's how it works...
...Beep Beep Beep... World Backup Day Is Coming!
World Backup Day (March 31) is fast approaching, so today I'll continue my 'Backup Day' series to promote awareness of this important subject. Yesterday I wrote about iDrive, the online backup service that I believe to be the best of the bunch. But what I didn't mention is that iDrive is only one piece of the total picture when it comes to making sure that ALL your important files and folders are securely backed up. Read on for the rest of the story...
...It's Coming... World Backup Day 2022
There's a long tradition on the World Wide Web to celebrate 'World Backup Day' on March 31st, as a way of promoting backup awareness. So I'll be publishing a series of articles this week to join in the fun. The first will highlight iDrive - one of the oldest online backup and storage services, which traces its roots back to 1995. But that doesn’t mean the service is outdated. On the contrary, iDrive has won the PC Magazine Editor's Choice award for Best Backup EIGHT YEARS IN A ROW. iDrive continually refines its features and offers at least two that no competitor has, to my knowledge. Read on to learn more about the online backup that I use and recommend, and how to get a 95% discount on iDrive...
...Do YOU Have a Backup Strategy? (here is mine...)
I want to say a big THANKS again to all those who have sent comments and questions about backups. I'm really excited about the launch of my new ebook 'Everything You Need to Know About BACKUPS' and since I mentioned it last week, lots of you have been asking how and when you can get it. I'll answer that question in today's issue, but I also want to share some Backup Success Stories and talk to you about my Personal Backup Strategy. Read on!
...[ANSWERS] Should You Backup EVERYTHING? (must read...)
I can only say THANK YOU... and Wow! Since my Wednesday post laying out Nine Good Reasons for Backups, I have received so much positive feedback about my upcoming ebook 'Everything You Need to Know About Backups'. Since we've covered the WHY, today I'm going to talk about WHAT you need to back up. (Do YOU have all the bases covered?) Read on...
...Back It Up? Here Are NINE Good Reasons (and ANSWERS to YOUR backup questions)
That's a really good question... why should you bother to make backups? It's especially understandable if you've never experienced any sort of data loss (yet). But I've got a list of NINE reasons, some of which may surprise you. Read on for that list, and ANSWERS to some of the best questions I've received about backups...
...[SHOCKER] CD and DVD Discs May Fail Sooner Than You Think
If your precious memories are backed up on CD, DVD or Blu-Ray discs, you might want to go looking for a medium that will protect your documents, photos and videos a bit better. Would you be surprised to learn that standard optical discs have an expected lifespan of just 3 to 5 years? Would you like to learn about a data storage solution that promises 100, or even 1000 years? Read on…
...Recovering Deleted Files on Windows 10
'Wait... I didn't mean to delete that file!' It happens to everyone... a stray mouse click or fumbling fingers, and the document or spreadsheet you just spent hours creating is gone. Or maybe not. Here are some things to try when you want to recover a deleted file...
...De-Geekify-ing the Backup
The simple sounding task of backing up one’s data is not so simple when you start reading advertisements and reviews of backup software. “It does full, partial, and incremental backups; mirrors and clones disk drives…” If that makes your head spin, let's take these terms and explain them all in plain English. Read on!
...Will Your Files and Photos Last 1000 Years?
You might be surprised to learn that standard CD and DVD discs have an expected lifespan of just 3 to 5 years. If your precious memories are backed up on optical discs, you might want to go looking for a medium that will protect your documents and photos a bit longer. How about a solution that promises 1000 years? Read on...
...Should You Backup Your Google Account?
If, like many people, you use Google’s suite of online services heavily, you may wonder if data stored on Google’s servers needs to be backed up elsewhere, just as data stored on your local drives should be. Nobody expects to lose their data, but stuff happens. Let's take a look at some of the best Google backup solutions out there...
...What is YOUR Backup Strategy? (I'll show you mine...)
I want to say THANKS again to all those who have sent comments and questions about backups. I'm really excited about the launch of my new ebook 'Everything You Need to Know About BACKUPS' and since I mentioned it last week, lots of you have been asking how and when you can get it. I'll answer that question in today's issue, but I also want to share some Backup Success Stories and talk to you about my Personal Backup Strategy. Read on!
...[HELP] Google Backup and Sync Stopped Working
A reader, Dave, is having a peculiar problem. Ever since the April 2018 Update of Windows 10 (version 1803), Google Backup and Sync has been acting erratically, he says. Now he cannot get it to run at all. Should we blame it on the software or call it user error? Let’s see if we can help Dave...
...Do I Really Need a System Image Backup?
I recently did some Spring house cleaning on my computer the other day, furiously sweeping away the detritus of years of web browsing, software downloads, photo editing, grocery shopping lists, and other geekly pursuits. My hard drive was clean, shiny, and well organized. And then I asked myself 'How can I keep it this way?' Read on for the answer to that question, as well as some tips on scrubbing and optimizing your own hard drive...
...[NEW] Google Backup & Sync
Google Drive just got a lot more useful and user-friendly, with the introduction of an app called Google Backup & Sync. It combines features of the Google Drive and Google photos apps, and adds some finer controls over what is saved to the cloud and when. Let’s see how it works...
...Yes, You Need Image Backups (and here's how)
Did you know that online backup services like Mozy or Carbonite don't backup ALL your files? If your backup strategy only covers what you've got stashed in your Documents folder, you could be in for a rude awakening if a data disaster strikes. It's the same with manual, haphazard "pick and choose" local backups you make on a flash drive or external hard drive. Here's what you need to know about system image backups...
...Should You Backup Your Google Data?
If, like many people, you use Google’s panoply of services heavily, you may wonder if data stored on Google’s servers needs to be backed up elsewhere, just as data stored on your local drives should be. Nobody expects to lose their data, but stuff happens. Let's take a look at some of the best Google backup solutions out there...
...Windows 8 File History
If you've used the Time Machine feature on a Mac (or had to listen to a Mac owner brag about it), and wished there was something similar for Windows, here's good news. File History is a cool feature in Windows 8, that can save your bacon by automatically making multiple backup copies of your important files. You should know how it works, even if you haven't moved to Windows 8. Here's the scoop...
...Free Online Backup and Software Options
Did you know... March 31 is World Backup Day? You know you need to backup your computer, but who has a lot of money to spend on getting it done? Here's some good news -- I've got some FREE options for online backup, and free backup software that you can start using today. Read on to learn more about backup options now...
...Demystifying the Backup
The apparently simple task of backing up one’s data is not so simple when you start reading advertisements and reviews of backup software. “It does full, partial, and incremental backups; mirrors and clones disk drives…” Let's take these terms and explain them all in plain English...
...Ten Free Cloud Backup Services
All of the best-known cloud backup and storage services give you a free taste of a few gigabytes, but most users want more and that can cost money. However, there are a few lesser-known cloud storage services that offer very generous or even unlimited space, subject to a few rules. Read on to learn how you can get over a terabyte of free online storage that you can access without ever whipping out your credit card...
...Back Up Your Social Media and Webmail
Stop and think about your social media and webmail accounts. How important to you are all the conversations you have had, all the photos you have saved, all the contacts, friends and followers you have made? If the answer is 'pretty important' or better, you need to back up that data just as much as the data on your local hard drive. Here's how...
...Online Backup or Local: Which is Best?
When it comes to backups, you have two fundamental choices: local or online backup. Local means making backup copies on removable or external media that you keep nearby. With online backup, you're transferring your files over the Internet to a remote server. Here are the pros and cons for online backup, local backups, and two things you MUST back up, in addition to your hard drive...
...Free Tools: Recover Deleted Files
There is almost nothing worse than losing important files when you experience a finger fumble, brain freeze, or computer crash. But never fear, there are tools that can help you recover those lost files, and some of the best ones are free...
...HOWTO: Clone Your Hard Drive
To clone a hard drive means to make an exact copy of it. This is more than simply backing up data files; even hidden, protected operating system files are copied in a clone operation, and the exact position of every file on the original drive is preserved. Hard drive cloning (also called imaging) is useful for backup, disaster recovery, and other applications. Read on to learn more...
...Five Easy Backup Drives
A reader asks: 'I am so confused about backups. Do I need to back up everything on my hard drive, or just certain user files? Backup software is complicated and I don't understand all the tech terms that are tossed around. Isn't there a backup device that just plugs in and does the job automatically?' Well, yes, actually! Here are five external hard drives that are easy to use...
...Secure Backup: Solves TWO Problems
A backup copy of your data is not insurance against viruses and other malware infections, if the backup copy is also infected. The obvious solution is to scan and clean your files before they get backed up. Now, a popular Internet security developer makes that easy, and throws in cloud storage as well. Here's what you need to know...
...Backup for Smartphones
I have an iPhone and my wife uses a Samsung Galaxy Android phone. We're both a little nervous about losing all the data we store on our mobile phones, such as contacts, messages, and apps. Can you recommend any good backup utilities for smartphones?
...BACKUP: Carbonite, Mozy, or Crashplan?
Online backup services are becoming quite popular, but it can be daunting to sort through all of the options. Can you get by with a free backup option? How much backup storage do you need? And are there any gotchas if you exceed your storage allotment? Read on to learn more about three popular cloud backup services...
...How to Backup iTunes
If you've spent years (and your hard earned cash) building your iTunes library, it makes good sense to ensure that it's safely backed up. There are several ways to make backups of your iTunes library. Unfortunately, some are incomplete or cumbersome. It’s important to understand the differences in order to choose a backup method that’s right for you. Here's what you need to know about backing up your iTunes music, movie and audiobook collection...
...Free Tools to Recover Deleted Files
There is almost nothing worse than losing important files when you experience a finger fumble, brain freeze, or computer crash. But never fear, there are tools that can help you recover those lost files, and some of the best ones are free...
...Save Your Bacon With Acronis True Image Backup
One of the most important tips I can offer any computer user is this... sooner or later, something terrible will happen to your hard drive. But if you have a backup, there's really nothing to worry about. For years, I've used Acronis True Image to backup and restore my own hard drive. Here's my review of the latest version, and some alternatives you should know about...
...Carbonite, Mozy, or Crashplan?
Online backup services are becoming quite popular, but it can be daunting to sort through all of the options. Can you get by with a free backup option? How much backup storage do you need? And are there any gotchas if you exceed your storage allotment? Read on to learn more about three popular cloud backup services...
...Backup Your Text Messages
How many text messages are stored in your phone? Which ones are important enough to keep? What if some are deleted accidentally, or you lost your phone? You never know, so it's a good idea to backup your text messages. But how? Here are some text message backup solutions for Android and iPhone smartphones...
...Free Online Backup With CrashPlan
In the crowded field of online backup services, Crashplan is often overlooked. Crashplan is a bit cheaper than most of its competitors, and it has a couple of unique features that make it worth a look. You can even use Crashplan to do unlimited online backups for free. Here's how it works, and what you need to know…
...Backup Your Device Drivers?
Is it necessary to backup my device drivers? I do backups for my important documents and photos, but I've never been convinced of the need to do a full hard drive backup. I can always re-install Windows if my hard drive fails. But I read recently that it can be very difficult to find all the correct drivers after doing so. Is this true, and if so, how do I backup my device drivers?
...Carbonite Versus Mozy
Which online backup service is best? I'm convinced that I need to back up my hard drive, but not sure which backup service to use. Have you done a comparison of pricing and features for both Mozy and Carbonite? If so, do you have any recommendations?
...Should You Backup Or Sync?
What's the difference between backing up my files and syncing? If I sync files from my desktop computer to a laptop or website, isn't that basically the same as a backup? I'd like to know if there are benefits to one approach or the other...
...Windows 7 Backup and Restore
Microsoft has a long history of bundling really bad backup software with its Windows operating system. That's why many people are pleasantly surprised to learn that Windows 7 Backup and Restore is actually pretty good. Here's how it works...
...How I Got Hacked... And Why You MUST Have a Backup!
Last week I heard from a friend who thought she might have been infected by a virus. When she visited her own website, it was redirecting her to another web address. It sounded like a simple Javascript redirect, so I assumed it would be safe to visit her site and see where the problem was. Turns out that was a BIG mistake! Find out what happened to my computer, and how I finally managed to recover from the damage...
...Hard Drives Are Not Forever
Yesterday during startup I got an error that said 'Drive Seek Failure' but then it seemed to start up okay. Now I'm worried that my hard drive may be failing. What do you recommend for backing up my files?
...How Do I Backup My Gmail?
I've been using Gmail for over a year, and it works great. But I'm a little nervous that there's no obvious way to backup my contacts and email messages, just in case. Is there a solution you can recommend?
...Free Online Photo Storage and Backup
Digital photos, like all important files, need to be backed up regularly. But rather than hide your photos away in an online vault, why not share them with friends and family? A host of online photo storage and backup services double as photo sharing tools. Here are some tips for storing and sharing your photos online...
...How to Backup, Sync and Share Your Bookmarks
I have several computers, a smartphone and various web browsers running on them. I'm tired of trying to keep my bookmarks in sync. So I'm wondering if there is a way to backup my bookmarks to a central location, and then have each device pull from there. What do you recommend?
...Backing Up Multiple Computers
I have three computers in my house, and only one external hard drive. How can I create backups for all three computers, and still keep the data separate? I've thought about using an online backup service, but the amount of data I have would make it difficult. What do you recommend for a multiple computer backup solution?
...How To Backup Thunderbird
I've been using Thunderbird for my email program almost a year, and it's a big improvement over Outlook Express. But now that I've got all these emails, contacts, custom filters and settings, how do I back it up, just in case?
...Recovering Data From Online Backup
Online backup services, such as Mozy and Carbonite, may seem like the perfect solution to your data backup needs. But online backup has limitations that may not be apparent until it's time to restore your data. Here are some things to consider about online backup and restore services...
...Should I Backup ALL of My files?
Every so often I backup my documents to a CD, but I worry about losing my programs and carefully tweaked system settings, in the event of a hard drive crash. Should I backup my entire hard drive, or is it sufficient to keep copies of just certain important files?
...Online Backup or Local Backup?
When it comes to making backup copies of data, you have two fundamental choices: local or online data backup. Local means at your desktop, making backup copies on removable or external media that you keep nearby. Online backup involves transferring your files over the Internet to a remote server, which might be on the other side of the planet. Here are the pros and cons to online backup versus local backup...
...Online Free Storage
Online free storage is one of the greatest innovations to arise from the Internet. There's no need to buy a bigger hard drive or burn stacks of CDs; just upload your photos, videos, documents, and other files to someone else's storage space for free! Here's the scoop on free online storage...
...Backup Storage Devices
Having learned (perhaps the hard way) that backing up your data is a vital chore that must be done regularly, you may be looking for the best backup storage device. Here are some tips to help you find the right choice for your needs...
...Are Online Backup Services Safe?
The recent hack of Google by Chinese espionage agencies has raised concerns about the security and safety of online backup services. Is the protection provided by Mozy, Carbonite and other popular backup services enough to keep your files safe from prying eyes?
...Backup Software
Do I really need backup software? Hard drives are so much more reliable now than years ago, so a good drive should last longer than the useful lifespan of a computer. Right?
...Free DVD Burning Software
I want to create a backup of my photos and home videos, but I have several gigabytes of data, so I want to put it all on DVD discs. Can you recommend any free DVD burning software?
...External Hard Drive For Backups
I'm planning to buy an external hard drive to use for backups. What hardware and software do you recommend for reliable and simple backups?
...Backup Your Mobile Phone
Recently I lost my phone, and along with it, all my contacts, music, text messages and apps. It's been expensive and time consuming to reconstruct everything, so I'm looking for a way to back up all the data on my cell phone. What do you recommend?
...Is Cloud Storage Safe?
I'm using cloud-based services like online backup, web-based email and document sharing. But I really don't know much about the safety and security of cloud computing. How vulnerable am I?
...Which Online Backup Service Is Best?
If you listen to talk radio, you've probably heard online backup services like Carbonite, Mozy and iDrive advertising incessantly. Let's take a look at each of them, to see what they offer...
...Free Online Storage
I'm running out of storage space on my hard drive. On a tight budget, I'm considering using a free online storage tool to offload some files. But which ones do you recommend?
...Automatic Backups
My hard drive failed last week, and my latest backup was a year old. So I lost pretty much ALL of my important files. Can you recommend an AUTOMATIC backup that just works?
...What is a Terabyte?
I just saw an ad for a Terabyte hard drive. What exactly is a terabyte?
...Backup Outlook Express
How can I backup my Outlook Express emails and address book? I tried the Export function but that doesn't work. I can't even drag and drop from the Inbox folder to a diskette or CDROM. Help!
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