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Recent Comments

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Comment by TW on Who is Winning the Robocall Wars? (November 20, 2024 09:17 PM)
@Jimmy When is spoofing illegal? Under the Truth in Caller ID Act, FCC rules prohibit anyone from transmitting misleading or inaccurate caller ID inf...

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Comment by Brian on Who is Winning the Robocall Wars? (November 20, 2024 06:49 PM)
We in the UK have the same problem with robocalls. I find that simple common sense is one of the best defence mechanisms. Just do not engage and if un...

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Comment by Wolf on Who is Winning the Robocall Wars? (November 20, 2024 05:36 PM)
This is another important article, which is very applicable as we have the holiday season approaching, and that is another time of the year that the s...

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Comment by Jimmy on Who is Winning the Robocall Wars? (November 20, 2024 02:53 PM)
Nuisance calls and texts abound. I usually do not answer and I delete unsolicited text messages. But if I think someone (at a plausible number) may be...

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Comment by john on Who is Winning the Robocall Wars? (November 20, 2024 01:26 PM)
I have nomorobo with my voip account. It usually works great. But lately, it is failing, I will get three calls in a row from three different random...

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Comment by Chris is NJ on Who is Winning the Robocall Wars? (November 20, 2024 11:27 AM)
I have a landline with an answering machine attached. Most robo-dialers can detect the answering machine and the call does not go through. With the ri...

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Comment by Renaud Olgiati on Who is Winning the Robocall Wars? (November 20, 2024 09:06 AM)
Living in Paraguay, any robocall hangs up quickly when I reply in English calls from unknown numbers......

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Comment by Wild Bill on Who is Winning the Robocall Wars? (November 20, 2024 01:35 AM)
I suspect (based on the number of calls to our landline and the near impossibility of tracking and apprehending the miscreants) that some of the 50% d...

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Comment by Erik S on [SCAM ALERT] Smishing is Getting Worse (what you need to know and do) (November 19, 2024 11:38 PM)
"WHAT IS MY NAME?" Whenever I have doubts, this is the question that I send back (in capital or regular letters). Not a single time so far h...

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Comment by Ernest N. Wilcox Jr. (Oldster) on Who is Winning the Robocall Wars? (November 19, 2024 11:00 PM)
I have MagicJack for y home phone. The service includes call screening, where a caller must enter a random number to complete the call. This feature h...

When things go bonkers with your computer, the source of the problem is often in the hard drive. One of the best things you can do to prevent computer problems and improve performance is to keep your hard drive in tip-top shape. Here are some of the most important tasks for hard drive optimization, plus some nifty (and free) hard drive maintenance utilities that make getting them done a breeze...

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Occasionally I hear from AskBob readers who say a virus “destroyed” their hard drive and they had to buy a new one. But are there actually viruses that can physically damage a hard drive? Is it possible for a virus to damage computer hardware, or is this an urban legend? Read on to find out the truth...

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One AskBob reader had this question about hard drives: “I just got a new computer with a big 2-terabyte hard drive and I'm wondering about hard drive partitioning strategies. A friend told me to create a very small C: partition for a swap file, put Windows on the D: drive, and create several other partitions for different types of data. That sounds complicated, so is this really a good idea?” Read on for my advice on hard drive partitioning...

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An AskBob reader says: “I accidentally deleted two folders that contained some very important files. I tried some of those free undelete programs, but they didn't find my files. Can you recommend a more powerful data recovery tool? I'm willing to spend a few bucks if it really works.” Yes, I do have a recommendation. Read on to learn about this data recovery power tool...

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A concerned AskBob reader says: 'Sometimes I hear a click-click sound from my hard drive, but it's only occasionally. Does this mean my hard drive is going to crash soon? Are there any tests I can run to check the health of my hard drive?' Read on to learn the tell-tale signs of impending hard drive doom, some things you can do NOW to protect your data, and what to do if it's too late.

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Have you ever accidentally deleted a file? Do you sometimes wish you could go back in time (a week, a month or a year) to see an older version of a document or spreadsheet? Wouldn't it be great if your computer automatically created backups to help in both of these scenarios? Your wish could be granted, if you turn on this little-known feature of your operating system. Read on...

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Computers and cars have one thing in common: both tend to accumulate junk in hard-to-reach places. Cleaning out your car can be a messy, sweaty job with plenty of opportunities for back injuries. Cleaning out a PC is a more civilized affair. Here are some free tools to clean up your hard drive, improve system performance, and make sure your backups run smoothly. Ready to jettison the detritus? Read on...

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How important is it to completely erase ALL personal data from a hard drive before disposing of it? Savvy users understand that deleting a file doesn't really make it go away. And even formatting a hard drive doesn't guarantee that your files are unreadable. So how can you be certain that every bit of your data is gone before selling, donating or disposing of your hard drive? Here's some good news on that front…

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'Yikes... I didn't mean to delete that file!' It happens to everyone... it could be a stray mouse click, a senior moment, or fumbling fingers. And the document, spreadsheet, or photo you just spent hours creating or editing is gone. Or maybe not. Fortunately, 'deleted' doesn't necessarily mean 'gone forever' on a hard drive. Here are some things to try when you want to recover a deleted file...

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When things go wrong with your computer, the source of the problem is often in the hard drive. One of the best things you can do to prevent computer problems and improve performance is to keep your hard drive in tip-top shape. Here are some of the most important tasks for hard drive optimization, plus some nifty (and free) software utilities that make getting them done a breeze...

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A concerned reader asks: 'My 4-year-old hard drive is making a persistent clicking sound. It started recently and seems to be getting more frequent. Sometimes I hear a repeated click-whir sound when starting or using my computer. Does this mean my hard drive is going bad?' Yikes! Hard drive clicking sounds are clearly cause for consternation. Read on to learn exactly what that clicking means, what Concerned Reader (and you) should do, if it happens to you...

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Occasionally I hear from readers who say a virus “destroyed” their hard drive and they had to buy a new one. But are there actually viruses that can physically damage a hard drive? Is it even possible for a virus to damage hardware, or is this an urban legend? Read on to find out the truth...

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An AskBob reader asks: “My hard drive was making a clicking sound, and now it won't boot up correctly. Should I try to fix it myself, or send it to a hard drive repair service?” Here is my advice...

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Occasionally I get a reader question like this: “I just got a new computer with a big 2-terabyte hard drive and I'm wondering about hard drive partitioning strategies. A friend told me to create a very small C: partition for a swap file, put Windows on the D: drive, and create several other partitions for different types of data. That sounds complicated, so is this a good idea?” Read on for my advice on hard drive partitioning...

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A reader asks: 'Sometimes I hear a click-click sound from my hard drive, but it's only occasionally. Does this mean my hard drive is going to crash soon? Are there any tests I can run to check the health of my hard drive?' Read on to learn the tell-tale signs of impending hard drive doom, and some things you can do now to protect your data...

...

A computer is like a car in one respect: both tend to accumulate junk in hard-to-reach places. Cleaning out your car can be a messy, sweaty job with plenty of opportunities for back injuries. Cleaning out a PC is a more civilized affair. Here are some free tools to clean up your hard drive, improve system performance, and make sure your backups run smoothly...

...

How important is it to completely erase personal data from a hard drive before disposing of it? Savvy users understand that deleting a file doesn't really make it go away. And even formatting a hard drive doesn't guarantee that your files are unreadable. So how can you be certain that ALL your data is gone before selling, donating or disposing of your hard drive? Here's some good news on that front…

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Two technologies are competing in the data storage market; one dates back to the original hard disk drive in 1956, the other became widely available to consumers about a decade ago. As you might expect, the latter is vastly superior in performance. Today, the price difference between them is narrowing rapidly. In this corner... The Venerable Hard Disk Drive (HDD) and its challenger, The Solid State Disk (SSD). Let the fight begin!

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Readers sometimes ask, “How long will my computer's hard drive last?” Lacking a crystal ball, I’m tempted to reply “Do you feel lucky?” What I can say is that certain factors can be monitored to provide you with early warnings that it’s time to get serious about making frequent backups and shopping for a new drive. Learn more about S.M.A.R.T. and other tools to monitor the health of your hard drive…

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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…

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One of the best things you can do to improve the performance of your computer is to keep your hard drive in tip-top shape. When things go wrong, the source of the problem is often in the hard drive. Here are some of the most common tasks that must be done with hard drives, plus some nifty (and free) software utilities that make getting them done a breeze…

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There’s a software tool that claims to make your PC or Mac computer indestructible. It does this by 'freezing' your hard drive, so your computer's software and settings can be returned to a pristine state every time you start it up. Let's take a look at how Deep Freeze works, and find out if it's a good solution for you...

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Solid state drives (SSDs) are one of the few bright spots in the PC marketplace these days. Even though sales of PCs are trending downward, consumers are getting excited about SSDs, due to the benefits they offer over traditional magnetic hard drives. Here's what you need to know...

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An AskBob reader says: “I am considering dual monitors because my 17-inch monitor seems to be shrinking. Sometimes it seems like I spend more time scrolling and tabbing between programs than on actual work. But still not sure... should I upgrade to a big 30-inch monitor, or go with a dual monitor setup?” Here's my advice on dual monitor upgrades...

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I have written several times in recent years about the importance of completely erasing personal data from hard drives before disposing of them. Savvy users understand that deleting a file doesn't really make it go away. And even formatting a hard drive doesn't guarantee that your files are unreadable. So how can you make certain that ALL your data is gone before selling, donating or disposing of your hard drive? Here's some good news on that front…

...

Two storage technologies are competing in the hard drive market; one dates back to 1956, the other became widely available to consumers about a decade ago. As you might expect, the latter is vastly superior in performance. Today, the price difference between them is still significant but narrowing rapidly. Let’s take a look at the venerable Hard Disk Drive (HDD) and its blazing-fast successor, the Solid State Disk (SSD)...

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AskBob readers sometimes ask me, “How long will my computer's hard drive last?” Lacking a crystal ball, all I can say is that some factors can be monitored to provide you with early warnings that it’s time to get serious about making frequent backups and shopping for a new drive. Learn more about S.M.A.R.T. and other tools to monitor the health of your hard drive...

...

A reader asks: 'My 4-year-old hard drive is making a clicking sound. It started recently and seems to be getting more frequent. Sometimes I hear a repeated click-whir sound when starting or using my computer. Does this mean my hard drive is going bad?' Yikes! Hard drive clicking sounds are definitely a harbinger of hard drive hardship. Read on to learn exactly what that clicking means, and what you should do if it happens to you...

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A concerned reader asks: 'I am getting rid of an old computer, and I want to make sure NONE of the data on the hard drive can be be accessed. (Don't ask me why) What is the best way to destroy a hard drive and ALL the data on it?' There are plenty of options, read on for my advice...

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Partitioning your hard drive is like putting up digital fences, splitting your hard drive into distinct sections, each for a specific purpose. A parition manager allows you to install multiple operating systems, or just keep different types of data in their own little containers. Here's the scoop on partition managers, and my advice on when you should (and should not) partition a hard drive. Read on...

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Are you running low on hard drive space? Does it take forever to find your files or do backups? Do you have lots of duplicate files? Maybe you're getting that annoying LOW DISK SPACE message. Don't ignore it, or your computer could soon begin to malfunction. Here are some free tools to clean up your hard drive and make sure your computer is running smoothly...

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PrivaZer is a computer clean-up utility on steroids. It gets rid of junk files and wipes away traces of activity that could compromise your privacy. Maybe you think that sounds like some other program you've been using, but trust me, PrivaZer does MUCH more. Read on to learn how it works, and why you should try it...

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Sometimes I hear from readers who say a virus 'destroyed' their hard drive and they had to buy a new one. But are there actually viruses that can physically damage a hard drive? Is it even possible for a virus to damage hardware, or is this an urban legend? Read on to find out the truth...

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A common question is "How long will my hard drive last?" It's a very good question, but it might be the wrong question. Read on for some stats on the life expectancy of a hard drive, and find out the more important question you should be asking yourself...

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When your hard disk drive is crammed full of data, or the buzzing of the bearing says it’s nearing the end of its life cycle, then it’s time to consider a new drive. That used to be a simple matter of choosing a bigger drive; maybe one that spun faster; or one with speedier I/O bus. But today, your options are multiplied and decisions are more complicated. Read on...

...

Here's a common reader question: “I just got a new computer with a 2-terabyte hard drive and I'm wondering about hard drive partitioning strategies. A friend told me to create a very small C: partition for a swap file, put Windows on the D: drive, and create several other partitions for different types of data. Sounds complicated. Is this a good idea?” Read on for my advice on hard drive partitioning...

...

Have you ever lost an important file because of a finger fumble, brain freeze, software error, or computer crash? I know I have. But fortunately, 'deleted' doesn't always mean 'gone forever' -- and there are tools that can help you recover those lost files. Some of the best file recovery tools are free. I strongly recommend adding one or more of these to your toolbox, BEFORE you lose a file...

...

Solid-State Drive (SSD) technology has been taking over the hard drive market rapidly, as economy of scale results in lower prices. But there's always been uncertainty about the useful lifespan of a solid-state drive, as compared to a traditional magnetic drive. Will your SSD conk out suddenly, or will it last for years? Read on...

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One of the best things you can do to maintain or improve the performance of any computer is keeping your hard drive in tip-top shape. When things go wrong, the source of the problem is often in the hard drive. Here are some of the most common tasks that must be done with hard drives, plus some nifty (and free) software utilities that make getting them done a breeze...

...

Readers sometimes ask me, “How long will my computer's hard drive last?” Lacking a crystal ball, all I can say is that some factors can be monitored to provide you with early warnings that it’s time to get serious about making frequent backups and shopping for a new drive. Learn more about S.M.A.R.T. and other tools to monitor the health of your hard drive...

...

Two storage technologies compete in the hard drive market; one dates back to 1956, the other became widely available to consumers less than a decade ago. As you might expect, the latter is vastly superior in performance. Today, the price difference between them is still significant but narrowing rapidly. Let’s take a look at the venerable Hard Disk Drive (HDD) and its blazing-fast successor, the Solid State Disk (SSD)...

...

I have written several articles over the years about the importance of completely erasing personal data from hard drives before disposing of them. Savvy users understand that deleting a file doesn't really make it go away. And even formatting a hard drive doesn't guarantee that your files are unreadable. But here's some good news on that front...

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Which make and model of hard drive should you buy, and how long can you expect a hard drive to last? These questions come up on a regular basis. Read on to get the latest scoop on hard drive reliability, from a company that has kept stats on tens of thousands of consumer hard drives...

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It's a very good question. But it might be the wrong question. Read on for some stats on the life expectancy of a hard drive, and find out the more important question you should be asking yourself...

...

Solid State Drive (SSD) technology has been taking over the mass storage market rapidly. But there's always been uncertainty about the useful lifespan of a solid state drive, as compared to a traditional magnetic drive. Will your SSD conk out suddenly, or will it last for years? Read on...

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One commonly asked question is “How do I transfer everything from the hard drive on my old computer to my new computer?” If you bought a new computer, or just a new hard drive for your old computer, you'll need to transfer the files. Here's how...

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Keeping your hard drive in tip-top shape is one of the best things you can do to maintain or improve the performance of any device that has a hard drive. When things go wrong, the source of the problem is often in the hard drive. Here are some of the most common tasks that must be done with hard drives and free software utilities that make them a breeze...

...

Solid state drives are one of the few bright spots in the PC marketplace these days. Even though sales of PCs are trending downward, consumers are getting excited about SSDs, due to the benefits they offer over traditional magnetic hard drives. Here's what you need to know…

...

A reader once asked me: “I just got a new computer and I'm wondering about hard drive partitioning strategies. A friend told me to create a very small C: partition for a swap file, put Windows on the D: drive, and create several other partitions for different types of data. Sounds complicated. Is this a good idea?” Read on for my advice on hard drive partitioning...

...

A reader asks: “My hard drive was making a clicking sound, and now it won't start up at all. Should I try to fix it myself, or send it to a hard drive repair service?” Here is my advice...

...

I have written several articles over the years about the importance of completely erasing personal data from hard drives before disposing of them. Savvy users understand that deleting a file doesn't really make it go away. And even formatting a hard drive doesn't guarantee that your files are unreadable. But here's some good news on that front...

...

Have you ever lost important files because of a finger fumble, brain freeze, software error, or computer crash? I know I have. But fortunately, 'deleted' doesn't always mean 'gone forever' -- and there are tools that can help you recover those lost files. Some of the best file recovery tools are free. I strongly recommend adding one or more of these to your toolbox, BEFORE you lose a file...

...

Keeping your hard drive in tip-top shape is one of the best things you can do to maintain or improve the performance of any device that has a hard drive. When things go wrong, the source of the problem is often in the hard drive. Here are some of the most common tasks that must be done with hard drives and free software utilities that make them a breeze…

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Which hard drive brands are the most reliable? And what is the likelihood that your hard drive is going to crash and burn in the near future? Read on to learn more about hard drive reliability and diagnostic tools...

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Fear of hackers and government snoops drives many people to encrypt their data. There are lots of tools you can use to encrypt data, and many of them are free (for personal use, at least). Here are some of the most popular encryption tools...

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A reader asks: 'I am in the market for a portable hard drive, and considering a solid state drive (SSD). What are the benefits of an SSD over regular portable external drives, and are there any specific SSD models you can recommend?' Read on for my advice on buying a portable solid state drive...

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Have you ever lost important files because of a finger fumble, brain freeze, software error, or computer crash? I know I have. But fortunately, 'deleted' doesn't always mean 'gone forever' -- and there are tools that can help you recover those lost files. Some of the best file recovery tools are free. I strongly recommend adding one or more of these to your toolbox, BEFORE you lose a file...

...

Solid State Drive (SSD) technology has been taking over the mass storage market rapidly. But there's always been uncertainty about the useful lifespan of a solid state drive, as compared to a traditional magnetic drive. Will your SSD conk out suddenly, or will it last for years? Read on...

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Solid-state hybrid drives (SSHDs) are emerging as the future of mass storage. Combining the blazing speed of flash memory with the low cost of traditional magnetic media, SSHDs provide significant performance improvements that ordinary laptop and desktop users can afford. Here's what you should know about this new tech that can rev up your old computer...

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Here's good news for those who waited to buy a solid-state drive (SSD). Dozens of vendors have jumped into the SSD hard drive market, fueling competition that's good for consumers. Capacities of SSDs are ballooning. Prices are plummeting. And SSD maximum speeds are stagnating. Find out why that's a good thing, and get some tips on buying a super-fast SSD hard drive...

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It’s surprisingly difficult to permanently and securely delete data from a Solid State Drive (SSD) or USB flash drive, some researchers have discovered. If you have a portable USB flash drive, or a laptop with an SSD hard drive, here's something you need to know...

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When your hard drive is crammed full of data, or the buzzing of the bearing says it’s nearing the end of its life cycle, then it’s time to consider a new drive. That used to be a simple matter of choosing a bigger drive; maybe one that spun faster; or one with speedier I/O bus. But today, your options are multiplied and decisions are more complicated.

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What's the best external hard drive? That depends on how and where you want to use it. They're great for backups, for freeing up space on your computer's internal drive, or for adding portable storage to a laptop, tablet or smartphone. If you're looking for the biggest, the fastest, the most durable, the most secure, or just the best value in an external hard drive, read on…

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Readers often ask me, 'How long will a hard drive last?' The answer is indeterminate, as I’ve explained in the recent past. But some factors can be monitored to provide the user with early warning that it’s time to get serious about making frequent backups and shopping for a new drive. Learn more about S.M.A.R.T. and other tools to monitor the health of your hard drive...

...

It's a good question. But it might be the wrong question. Read on for some stats on the life expectancy of a hard drive, and find out the more important question you should be asking yourself...

...

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...

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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...

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Are you running out of space on your hard drive? Does it take forever to do backups? Maybe you're getting that annoying LOW DISK SPACE message. Don't ignore it, or your computer could soon begin to malfunction. Here are some free tools to clean up your hard drive and make sure your computer is running smoothly...

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A reader asks: 'Sometimes I hear a clicking sound from my hard drive, but it's only occasionally. Does this mean my hard drive is going to crash soon? Are there any tests I can run to check the health of my hard drive?' Read on to learn the tell-tale signs of impending hard drive doom, and some things you can do now to protect your data...

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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...

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Unlike diamonds, hard drives are not forever. It's very likely that someday you'll start your computer, and instead of the familiar startup screen, you'll see one of these ominous messages: DISK BOOT FAILURE... NO FIXED DISK PRESENT... ERROR READING FIXED DISK... or HARD DRIVE FAILURE. Don't panic just yet, there may be hope for recovery of that damaged hard drive...

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If you're actively using your computer to try out new software, or you download music or movies from the Internet, you'll eventually end with some unwanted clutter on your hard drive. Here are some tips to run a 'search and destroy' operation on those large files that are just taking up space on your hard drive...

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External hard drives and USB flash drives are convenient, portable ways to back up and transport data. But because they're portable, they're obviously vulnerable to loss or theft, so it's important to protect your data with encryption, passwords, and other security measures. Here are some external drives that help keep your data secure...

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I've heard conflicting advice on when and how often to defragment my hard drives. Some say never, while others say weekly or monthly. They can't both be right, can they? What's your advice on defragging a drive?

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Sometimes I hear a clicking sound from my hard drive, but it's only occasionally. Does this mean my hard drive is going to crash soon? Are there any tests I can run to check the health of my hard drive?

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Security research firm Sophos found malware on two-thirds of fifty USB flash drives that had been lost aboard Australian trains. That might suggest that you should avoid computing on Australian trains, but the broader lesson is that USB flash drives are highly vulnerable to malware infections. Here's what you need to know, and how to protect your computer from viruses that may lurk on flash drives...

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I am in the market for a portable hard drive, and considering a solid state drive (SSD). What are the benefits of an SSD over regular portable external drives, and are there any specific SSD models you can recommend?

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I need a new hard drive for my laptop, and just came across something called a hybrid hard drive. It sounds cool, but I'm not a techie. Can you explain how hybrid drives are different, and if the increased performance justifies the higher price tag?

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I've recently heard about wireless portable hard drives, and am thinking about using one as a backup drive. I love the idea of doing wireless backups from all the computers, tablets and smartphones in my home, to a single storage device. If you have any advice on the wireless backup storage devices available, I'd love to hear it...

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I've read that solid state hard drives (SSDs) are much faster, especially when starting up the computer. But other articles claim they are less reliable than traditional magnetic hard drives. Should I consider upgrading my system with an SSD? I'd appreciate your perspective, thanks.

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“I’m buying an external hard drive for my backups, as you have often recommended. But I’ve bogged down in the details – capacity, transfer speed, USB vs. Firewire, etc. Can you give me some tips on choosing an external drive for backups?”

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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?

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So, you finally replaced your computer's old 80 GB hard drive with a faster, more spacious one. Great! Now, what do you do with the old drive? One option is to convert it into a handy, portable external hard drive. It's easy, here's how...

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I'm a commercial artist and need to carry around my work in digital form. I don't want to keep the files on my laptop, because it could be lost or stolen. I'd prefer a portable storage gadget that I can keep in a pocket or handbag. What type of portable hard drive would you recommend?

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I'm building my own home computer from the motherboard up, and I want the best and fastest hard drive available. But the lingo is confusing - should I be looking at RPM, seek time, transfer rate or some other combination of drive specs?

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Unlike diamonds, hard drives are not forever. It's very likely that someday you'll start your computer, and instead of the familiar startup screen, you'll see one of these ominous messages: DISK BOOT FAILURE... NO FIXED DISK PRESENT... ERROR READING FIXED DISK... or HARD DRIVE FAILURE. Don't panic just yet, there may be hope for recovery of that damaged hard drive...

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I'm a legal consultant who travels with an external hard drive, and it stores a lot of sensitive data. I'm very careful about physical security, but still I'm thinking about using encryption to secure my data, just in case. What do you recommend?

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You may want to buy a hard drive for any of several reasons. Your current drive may be getting old or overcrowded. Perhaps you want a new hard drive for backup purposes, or for more speed when reading and writing large files. Whatever your reason for buying a hard drive, here are some shopping tips...

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If you need to reformat a hard drive using Windows 7, the method you should use depends on whether you want to reformat a bootable drive or a secondary drive. Here are the steps for both procedures...

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Hard drive errors slow the performance of your computer and may render some data unreadable. Windows 7 includes utilities that can check your hard drive for errors and fix some of them. Here's the scoop on hard drive errors and how to repair them using Windows 7...

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I've had two hard drives die on me since the beginning of the year. Can you share some tips that will help me keep my hard drives running reliably?

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Windows 7 users (of all editions) have an ace in the hole in case their hard drives crash. It's called the Windows Recovery Environment (RE), a bundle of automated and manual system tools that can repair a corrupted hard drive to recover data or make the drive bootable again...

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I know I'm supposed to defrag my hard drive, but I'm a little fuzzy on the particulars. What exactly does a defrag accomplish, what's the best tool for defragging, and how often should I do it?

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Your hard drive crashed, but there's no need to panic. You have a backup copy of your data; good for you! Now the only question is, how do you restore your data? Read on for tips on restoring your files from a backup...

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A hybrid hard drive - also called a hybrid hard disk drive (HHD) or just hybrid drive - combines familiar magnetic media with non-volatile RAM to achieve much faster read/write performance without increasing costs very much. Hybrid drives are an intermediate storage technology between electromechanical hard drives and pure solid-state drives. Here's what you need to know...

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I want to upgrade my computer with a SATA hard drive, because they're supposed to be faster. My PC has only IDE hard drive ports on the motherboard, but I understand it's still possible to install a SATA drive. Can you tell me the best way to handle this hard drive upgrade?

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To clone a hard drive means to make an exact copy of every single bit on 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 bit of data on the original drive is preserved. Cloning a hard drive is useful in several ways....

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My laptop has run out of space on the hard drive and I want to replace it, but I've never done anything like that. Can you give me the steps for replacing a laptop's hard drive?

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Nearly every digital photocopier sold since 2002 stores images of whatever it copies on an internal hard drive. This enables conveniences like printing copies of frequently needed documents without re-scanning them. But stored documents can also be a security or identity theft time-bomb. Consider what may be on that copier's hard drive when you or your employer trades it in or otherwise disposes of it...

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Hard drive recovery usually means recovery of data stored on a hard drive. If the drive mechanism is damaged, it's usually more cost effective to replace the drive than to repair it. But if the data on a hard drive is irreplaceable, hard drive data recovery is critical. Here's how it works…

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How can you tell if your hard drive is damaged before it completely crashes? It's important to detect hard drive damage before it grows into a catastrophic failure. Here's how to check under the hood of your hard drive for signs of damage...

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I'm getting rid of an old computer, and I want to make sure the data on the hard drive can't be be accessed. What's the best way to destroy a hard drive and all the data on it?

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Most hard drive crashes give some early warning signs, providing you time to backup your data and, in some cases, correct the problem(s) before the hard drive fails completely. Pay attention to your hard drive's behavior and avoid the calamity of a hard drive crash. Here's what to watch for...

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I have a problem with my USB flash drive. When I plug it in, Windows says 'USB device not recognized' and I can't see my files. Is there any way the data can be recovered? The system does not recognize the flash drive at all.

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Magnetic hard drives are the workhorses of mass storage. Virtually every computer has a hard drive. There are dozens of hard drive manufacturers worldwide. So it's not surprising that competition, along with technology improvements, has driven hard drive prices to all-time record lows. That's good news. But are cheap hard drives truly a bargain? Read on…

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When the hard drive in your computer crashes and all of your digital possessions seem to disappear, have faith. Faith is the ability to not panic. It's very unlikely that all of your stuff is gone forever. Here are some tips on recovering data from crashed a hard drive...

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When your hard drive won't boot, you need an emergency backup operating system on a bootable removable medium. CDs or DVDs fill that role most of the time. But optical media has its drawbacks. Here's how to make a reliable boot disk on a flash drive, to use when hard drive problems arise...

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A portable hard drive is one of handiest inventions ever. But what's the best portable hard drive for your particular needs? Let's look at the various factors that go into making that decision...

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Replacing a hard drive in your desktop or laptop computer is pretty simple. You just have to pay attention to a few details. Here's a step-by-step guide to replacing your hard drive...

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Flash drives are an increasingly popular form of portable storage. Some people predict that flash drives will replace hard drives in time, just as optical disks replaced floppy disks. But are flash drives as safe as other mass storage media for long-term archiving of irreplaceable data? Do flash drives ever wear out and have to be replaced? Are all flash drives created equal -- except for their capacities -- or are there differences in quality and durability to consider?

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I'm getting ready to buy an external hard drive for backups, but I'm confused by all the terminology when it comes to connecting the drive. Should I go for USB, Firewire, or eSATA? What are the pros and cons of each?

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When you replace a hard drive, what do you do with the old one? Most people give their surplus drives away to friends or charities. Some just throw them in the trash. But what about all the data on that old drive? Even if you deleted files or formatted the drive, your data might still be readable. Here's how to securely and completely erase every last bit of data from your hard drive…

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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?

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How long will your hard drive last? Is it giving you subtle signs that a data disaster is looming? How will you know when it's time to buy a new hard drive? Here are some things you can look for...

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So you were working on that big presentation for the boss, when suddenly the power went out and your computer shut down. And when you restarted the computer and ran your software it said Cannot open file; file corrupt or some equally sickening thing. Now what?

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If you do everything just right, you'll end up with a perfect hard drive. Your operating system will be bug-free; your applications will play well together; your data will be neatly organized in folders; everything will be just perfect. And then it will change. That's why you need a backup image of your hard drive…

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My hard drive was making a clicking sound, and now it won't start up at all. Should I try to fix it myself, or send it to a hard drive repair service?

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I've been thinking about buying a terabyte hard drive. Right now I have a 500GB drive. Are the terabyte drives as fast and reliable as smaller drives?

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I'm checking out laptops, and some say they have a solid state hard drive. Is this a good thing? How does a solid state hard drive compare to a regular hard drive?

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If you have noticed your computer running a little sluggish and slow lately, it might be time to defragment your hard drive. Your hard drive does need to be cleaned out regularly and defragmented in order to keep everything working better. Here's the why and how of defragging...

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“A tech support guy told me my system is running FAT, and advised me to convert my hard drive to NTFS. I didn’t really understand his explanation… can you explain the difference and when it makes sense to convert FAT to NTFS?”

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Windows is giving me a warning that says 'You are running out of disk space on Local Disk (C:).' My friend told me this is not important and offered to disable the warning popup for me, but I'm not sure. Can I safely ignore these 'Low Disk Space' warnings?

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I've heard that a RAID hard drive is the best solution for automatic backups. What exactly is a RAID, and what are the pros and cons of RAID systems?

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I just saw an ad for a Terabyte hard drive. What exactly is a terabyte?

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I have photos, MP3s and some Word documents on my hard drive. How can I share my hard drive online so that just certain people can access my files? My colleagues have Internet access but we do not share a computer network. Can I share my hard drive folders and files over the Inernet?

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I downloaded Cute Partition Manager and was just about to delete the restore partition from the D drive of my old computer. I just want to make sure that doing so won't mess up the info on the C drive. Drive D is formatted FAT32 and drive C is NTFS. I really could use the extra space, but can't afford to lose the files on the C drive...

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I want to install the hard drive from my old computer as the secondary hard drive of my new computer. The new computer is an HP with a SATA hard drive. My old hard drive is a Seagate Ultra ATA/100. How do I add this hard drive to my new computer?

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I was trying to fix a spyware problem and it seems I messed up my computer. Now when I start Windows XP, I get the 'MBR Corrupt' and 'Error loading operating system' messages. What should I do?

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After reading about the sounds that a dying hard drive makes in Click of Doom, long-time reader MmeMoxie sent me a link to something absolutely hilarious. It's music based on the sounds of hard drive failures...

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Adding a second hard drive to a computer system is an easy way to get around storage problems, and also a good way to protect valuable data. With the cost of hard drives dropping well below $1 per gigabyte, it makes good financial sense to increase storage capacity by adding a second drive. But what kind of drive? And are they easy to install? Read on for buying tips and installation help...

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If I reformat my hard drive, will my Windows XP cdrom act as a boot disk and allow me to reinstall all my programs?

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I have a Maxtor 160GB hard drive that has crashed and won't boot up. So I figured I would put in another hard drive and load up XP on it to boot and make my old hard drive a slave. After booting up, the old drive shows in My Computer, but Windows tells me it has not been formatted yet. I don't want to formate this drive because it has data I need. How do I get this data off the old hard drive and onto my other drive or a CDROM?

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When I buy a new computer, how do I transfer everything from the hard drive on my old computer? I enjoy the Tourbus and appreciate all the information you provide.

If you bought a new computer, or just a new hard drive for your old computer, you'll need to transfer the files. Here's how...

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My computer is 5 years old and it freezes up and shuts down on me at times. So I am considering buying a new one. How do I get rid of any files on it before I donate it to a school?

Since you asked this question, you probably already understand the fact that simply deleting files on your hard drive doesn't actually remove them permanently...

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