Summer is that time of year when everyone has their camera at the ready as they head out on holidays, to the beach, to music festivals and to the quiet backyard BBQ and whether you are a candid snapper or a seasoned pro there is nothing worse than losing your precious memories. We get several calls a month from people who have either accidentally formatted their memory stick before transferring their photos to their computer or who have lost their data though hardware failure and have not had a backup routine so we thought we would pass on some tips to keep your data safe:

1. Always verify that your data has copied completely before deleting from your device. This can be as easy as comparing the item count of the folder where you copied the data onto your computer (Right-click -> "Properties" for Windows | Ctrl-click -> "Get Info" for OSX) to the item count of the folder on your device. If they match, you're good to go!
2. If you do unfortunately delete your data from your memory card or USB stick, swap the card out immediately as using the card/stick again significantly increases the likelihood of part of, or all of your data being copied over and rendered useless. We have more success with data recovery if the card/stick has not been used again after deletion.
3. Consider buying a second card and rotating them so you can keep your photos just that little bit longer without having to delete them.
4. If you are using iPhoto on your Mac, make sure you close iPhoto immediately after you have imported your photos, this will save your photos to disk and decrease the chance of them being lost in the event of an unfortunately timed power or hardware failure.
5. Consider cloud storage. There are many cloud based storage applications that offer another level of redundancy. Dropbox for instance will automatically sync any file changes within a dedicated Dropbox folder to all the devices that you connect to your account. Dropbox is free for storage up to 2GB but you can gain more storage by referring friends to the service, several paid options are also available. Consider encrypting sensitive data on these services as the internet nasties see them as valuable targets, for obvious reasons. A service like TrueCrypt is a good, open-source encryption option.
6. Ensure you have a regular backup routine. There are several free backup options such as Sync Toy that will easily handle your backup needs. Sync Toy also handles Dropbox-like synchronisation between devices as an added bonus.
7. Never have a single copy of your photo's, either on your computer hard drive or on a external drive. Hard drive can and will fail, we see this a lot but having multiple copies will ensure you reduce your risk of losing your valuable memories.
8. Keep a copy of your photo's off site, at your parents house for example. Off site backup is a common business practice and can be easily replicated at home.
9. Be careful with your memory cards and external hard drives; they are sensitive to static discharges and damage through mis-use. Don't touch the contacts on your memory cards and try not to move your external hard drives till they are totally powered down. 
10. In summary: Backup and backup again, USB drives and computer hard drives are bulletproof and one backup is never enough for photos (or any important files). 

We here at Geelong Computer Help believe that a combination of several of these options will keep your irreplaceable data safe throughout the year.
 

A UPS (or Uninterruptible Power Supply) is a battery backup for your computers which keeps your machines running for a short time and allows you to shut your machines down safely in the event of a power failure. Due to the "power buffer" nature of the UPS, they also have the added benefit of shielding your system from power surges and brown-outs, this can prove to be invaluable to your data safety as a power fluctuation and failure has a very real potential to lead to data corruption and loss.

One of our clients in Newtown (Geelong) had a close call when they had a power surge, but thanks to the UPS in place, their servers and network devices were spared and they were able to continue business without any down time. Geelong Computer Help offers several UPS options to suit your budget and needs, call us on 03 5229 9557 to order.

Today we installed a Windows Small Business Server 2011 in Grovedale (Geelong Area) for a manufacturing client with a number of users. Giving them the ability to not only share files, calendars and have a centralized backup but also enables them to host their emails in-house as opposed to using POP accounts. Which increases their functionality and flexibility with what they can do with their emails.

One of the main improvements to using Exchange for emails instead of POP is the ability to centralize your emails. A good example of this is, if you check your mail on your iPhone, iPad and then your PC back at the office, you don’t need see all your mail 3 times. By using exchange, your emails are replicated on all 3 devices and what you do on your iPhone will automatically update back at your office.

Notice to all our clients and potential new clients;  If you have Googled Geelong Computer Help recently you may have noticed that the Ad result for the search will display "Geelong Computer Help - Computer Repairs & Support" with a link to the Geeks2U website (See image below). This appears to be a deceptive Google Ad by Geeks2U pretending to be Geelong Computer Help. We are in contact with Google regarding this issue but in the mean time wanted our valued clients to be aware that we are not Geeks2U.

Geelong Computer Help will always be a locally owned and operated business, and we are proud of it! If you would like to contact us, call us on 5229 9557 - it's a Geelong number.

"Imitation Is The Best Form Of Flattery" - Charles Caleb Colton
 

The team at Geelong Computer Help will be taking part in Run Geelong to raise funds for the Geelong Hospital Children's Ward.


If you would like to donate to our teams efforts, click here and make a donation to the Children's Ward.

Also, for any new likes on our Facebook Page between now and the race, we will donate $1 to this worthy cause.


If you would like to donate to our team, you can just head to this link:


Thanks for your support.


- Mark Walsh

Helped a client move from her old PC to a new iMac this week, it's so great to able to point all the great features the Mac OS offers! It amazes us how many people are heading towards a new Mac, we seem to be configuring a new Mac almost every week for a client these days. Supporting Macs has been one of the best moves we have ever made and if you need a hand with a new Mac (or an old one :) we can help!

 - Reyan Fernando

Configured a VPN (Virtual Private Network) for a client in Moolap (Victoria) today, enabling them to connect remotely into their network and access their files and exchange accounts. Great way to give access to local files from anywhere outside the office and great for mobile staff too, they just pop in a mobile broadband stick into their laptops and they are connected in minutes.

Had 3 call outs to the Bellerine Peninsula today, it amazes us how we can have so many to the one area at the one time. Barwon Heads and Ocean Grove were our hot spots today,  glad to get 3 new clients down the peninsula and we were able to get them up and running pretty quickly. Also managed to get an XBOX 360 back up and runnig on XBOX Live after a modem had to be replaced, nothing like a firmware update to clear things up quick fasts. At least the kids will be happy!

We setup a brand new iMac today for a client in Highton, Victoria. Setup went as planned, with the installtion of Boot Camp for Windows 7 and VM Fusion to run it through Mac OS. Was able to have both Windows and Mac running without a hitch, the 16GB of RAM the client put into paid off for sure. May need to get one for our office.

Facebook, Four Square and Twitter... Oh, My!

Things have changed, things have changed a lot! Gone are the simple days when online social networking didn't really exist and you didn't have to enter all your personal details into a website and no one really cared about where you had dinner last night.

We've seen Facebook take off and become an everyday part of people's lives. Four Square (and Facebook Places) enabling you to let all your friends know where you are and Twitter give you a taste of peoples thoughts on just about anything and everything. Though with every new social media avenue we use, it feels like we lose a bit of that old fashioned face to face contact we used to have.  

"What's on your mind?" - Well, basically where will it end? Already at dinner parties you'll have someone tweeting or updating their status while in the company of family and friends. We see so many tweets from people about things that shouldn't be aired in a public domain, relationship problems and workplace issues for example.

We are too free with what we put out there and really need to watch what we say and do online. I totally embrace social networking and in fact am guilty of tweeting at dinner parties, but I can't help but add up the time we lose keeping up the many social networks out there. I don't think there is a real fix for it and we are far to addicted to give it up. All we can really do is try and balance it out and not lose our selves too much.

By Reyan Fernando

At GCH we have had a few busy months recently and we have had to skip our April newsletter and bring out a supersized May/June combined newsletter for you guys. Hope you enjoy it...

Microsoft News: Bing Beta (www.bing.com)

Microsoft has launched it's new search engine Bing, which their hoping will give Google (and Yahoo) a run for their money. Only time will tell how well Bing will cope with the popularity of Google and how entrenched it has become in our daily lives. I personally would utter the phrase "Google it!" on at least a daily basis, if not more.

At first look Bing does look and feel a lot like Google, with it's simple interface and it's category based searches such as Image and Video searches. But when you dig a little deeper you find a few little nifty features that make your life a lot easier. Here are just a couple we have found:

Image Searches - A lot less cluttered and you only the extra information when you mouse over and image you are interested in seeing.

Video Searches - Video's start playing when you pause your mouse over them, which means you can see quick previews without having to leave the result page.

You also have the option to attach your Windows Live account with Bing, which allows you to have all your account features nearby which searching.

Unfortunately, like all things Microsoft, there are a few negatives too. The main one being the lack of localised searches for the Australian market. But because it's in it's Beta stage, we will probably have to wait and see how things progress for this new search engine.

I personally will be sticking with Google and can't see my self actually uttering the words "Bing It!" anytime soon. But if you haven't seen it yet, it's worth a look and who knows you might prefer it.

Apple News: iPhone 3G S & OS 3.0 Software Update

Apple has announced the new iPhone 3G S, which is due to come out on the 26th of June. It boasts the following new features for us to drool over:

• "The Fastest iPhone Ever" - up to 2X Faster.

• The ability to shoot videos with a 3 Megapixel Camera

• Voice Control - Answer you iPhone with a voice command!

• A Compass! (It may come in handy)

• The ability to Cut/Copy/Paste! - Finally!

• A whole lot more...

For more information, visit:

 http://www.apple.com/au/iphone/

For all you iPhone plans who have been losing sleep over not being able to copy and paste on your iPhone, the wait is almost over. On June 17th Apple will be releasing iPhone OS 3.0 which will add the following functionality to your iPhone:

• Cut, Copy & Paste

• Landscape Keyboard

• Send MMS

• A whole lot more...

For more information, visit:

http://www.apple.com/au/iphone/softwareupdate/

Recently we have been noticing an increase in computers having problems due to fragmented hard drives. Problems such as:

• Music breaking up during playback

• Computer not booting into Windows

• Computers slowing down

• Slow transition between programs

A simple way around this is to run the Disk Defragmenter that's part of Windows. Running it regularly, such as on a monthly basis, you can prevent a lot of the issues mentioned above.

If you have any questions about your computer please do not hesitate to contact us on 03 5229 9557.

March 09 Newsletter

GCH Security Tip: Conficker or April Fools Worm

"The Conficker worm is a computer worm that can infect your computer and spread itself to other computers across a network automatically, without human interaction."

For further information from Microsoft please follow this link: http://tinyurl.com/ckofpu

For a cleaner from Symantec please follow this link:

http://tinyurl.com/8nbwux

As a further precation, please update your Internet Security and run scans of your entire system.

If you are still having issues, please don't hesitate to contact us on 03 5229 9557.

GCH Tech Tip of the Month: Computer Health Issues

In the case of the computer pictured above, the mouse decided to use the computers motherboard as a toilet and the client had to replace it and reload the entire system.

Finally if you have any issues with your computer, please don't hesitate to contact us on 03 5229 9557.

by Reyan Fernando GCH

GCH Tech Tip of the Month: Microsoft Windows 7

Microsoft has announced the next flavour of Windows and has gone back to a simple naming convention and called it Windows 7. At first glance it looks a lot like a newer version of the dreaded Windows Vista but it's a lot more like, what Windows Vista should have been.

With a more configurable User Account Control  (See Image Below) which bugged all of us in Vista and better support for drivers than Vista means that we can look forward to a better transition into this new Windows.

Microsoft has also taken the unusual measure of allowing just about anyone to test run Windows 7. This allowed for many of the early bugs to be ironed out dramatically faster, meaning that when it is released later this year or in early 2010, we can expect a more stable and reliable operating system.

All in all Windows 7 is a lot faster and lot less in your face as Vista was. I would advice people to stay away from the current Beta version unless you are testing it on a spare PC. Once the Beta test period ends, it will lock your install, so it wouldn't be worth using it on your primary  computer.

For more information and updates go to:http://www.microsoft.com/windows7

by Reyan Fernando GCH

You can now follow us on for hints and tips and IT know-how. Also great fun to watch us stress out every now and again. To follow us, go to: http://www.twitter.com/geelongcomphelp

The tech's at GCH had a field day when Apple announced the new 17-inch MacBook Pro with up to 8 hours of battery life, making it one of the greenest 17-inch notebooks around.

We were blown away by the resolution on the massive screen and the graphics that are packed into it. Also worth checking out is the new iMac and MacMini which are touted as greener and faster, for more information go to:

http://www.apple.com/au/

January 09 Newsletter

GCH Tech Tip of the Month: The difference between domain registration and web hosting.

Domain Registration is the process of securing a website domain, such as www.yourcompany.com.au by a business or an individual. Once registered, the domain becomes your virtual property for the period of the registration, usually two year for a .AU domain and before registration expires it must be renewed, or the domain becomes available to anyone.

Web hosting is a service that allows a company or individual to have a web site that is accessible by the general public  via a world wide web. Allowing them to use a registered domain as their website address and giving them the ability to use the domain for both web and email purposes. Web Hosting is usually paid yearly and is necessary to make full use of a registered domain.

Geelong Computer Help both registers domains and offers web hosting packages. If you would like more information or would like to register a domain, please contact us on 03 5229 9557.

By Reyan Fernando

Microsoft New Operating System - Windows 7 Beta!

This year Microsoft has released a new Operating System called Windows 7 (Beta) and their giving the general public the ability to test and asses it till the 1st of August, 2009. After which it will no longer function and would have to be removed from the computer it was installed on and does not give you access to the files on your computer.

We don't recommend changing to Windows 7 (Beta) unless you are comfortable with backing up data and installing Windows. As it's still only in its Beta state and because it expires in August 2009, it should not be looked at as a replacement of Windows Vista or a permanent upgrade of Windows XP.

There are still a number of bugs in the software, one major one which corrupts all your mp3 files it finds. For more information about Windows 7 Beta visit the following website:  http://www.microsoft.com/windows/windows-7

For more information or if you are having problems with Windows 7 please contact us on 03 5229 9557.

GCH Supports Apple Mac

Geelong Computer Help now support and repairs Apple Macs. If you have a Mac or thinking of going to a Mac, rest assured that we can now support your needs.

If you have any questions about Apple's or if you are interested in "Upgrading" to an Apple Mac, please don't hesitate to contact us.

November 08 Newsletter

GCH Tech Tip of the Month: What is a System Reload (rebuild)?

System Reloads, it's something we do every week and it's always hard to explain properly. We though we would give you a insight into what we do at GCH and go behind the scenes of a System Reload (Windows Based).

Backup: Before we do anything to your system we back up all your files and settings by making an exact copy of your hard drive. This way if anything goes wrong we can take it back to the day we received it. After we back it up we scan the entire drive with spyware and virus scanners to ensure that no badies are transferred back during the file transfer stage.

Operating System Install: We format your drive using the Windows installation CD/DVD and install the Operating System using all the correct settings. Clicking prompts as it goes, we ensure that everything is configured correctly. Proper configuration at this stage, makes life a lot easier down the track.

Driver Install: Once Windows is installed we install all hardware drivers so that the Operating System knows how to communicate with your PCs hardware. This is vital as it's how your computer knows how to play a sound, who you all the colours your video card can display and is able to communicate via the Ethernet port/modem and get you onto the internet.

This stage is either completed by using provided CDs or by downloading drivers from the Internet.

Windows Activation & Updates: We install all Windows Service Packs ( Windows XP SP3 & VISTA SP1) and updates before we proceed to ensure that your PC has all the required patches and fixes when you get it back.

Internet Security Install (Optional): We recommend highly that our clients install a Internet Security Suite, either one they provide or Trend Micro Internet Security that we provide. If neither is chose we install AVG Free 8.0 on our clients PC to give them a basic level of protection.

Software Install: At this stage we install all software requested by our clients and this range from Microsoft Office suites to book keeping programs like MYOB and Quicken. We don't install games or P2P software, as these aren't essential.

Files Transfer: We then transfer all your files and ensure they are back in the same location as they were originally and in some cases we move files to the correct location to ensure that it's not missed by anyone.

Configure Setting: Once all the files are transferred we configure all the required settings. This includes email settings, Internet setting, favorites etc. We try our best to setup as much as possible but something can't be replicated, such as email passwords.

System Check & Spyware/Virus Scan: Once everything has been configured, we do a final system check. Ensure everything is in it's correct place and that all settings that can be configured are configured. We then run a final system scan for badies and return the PC to you.

The above description, although long, is still on a summary of a system reload, if you have any questions or require a system reload, please do not hesitate to contact us on 03 5229 9557.

By Reyan Fernando

Geelong Computer Help has hit the Geelong airwaves:

Starting in mid November, GCH will be advertising on BayFM. So if you tune into BayFM (93.9 FM) and hear our ads, please let us know what you think. Your feedback will help us greatly in ensuring that our ads are hitting the mark every time.

GCH Supports Apple Mac

Geelong Computer Help now support and repairs Apple Macs. If you have a Mac or thinking of going to a Mac, rest assured that we can now support your needs.

If you have any questions about Apple's or if you are interested in "Upgrading" to an Apple Mac, please don't hesitate to contact us.