The computer is used for various things from completing a school assignment to banking. It is therefore, extremely crucial to keep all your files secure in order not be have your personal information compromised.

Here are 5 tips on how you can keep your personal information and files secure.

Tip #1:

When using the Internet, always use a difficult to guess password on all websites. Avoid using a single combination of username/password for all websites.

If your password is too easy to remember, then it is probably not good enough.

Use Password Manager programs like KeePass to keep track of your passwords so that you do not have to crack your brain in order to memorize all your username/password combinations.

Tip #2:

Always make sure your computer itself is password protected. There are ways to configure your computer to auto login or remove the login functionality but you must never do this!

Your computer is the gateway to your personal information and access to the Internet.

Tip #3:

Use encryption software to protect sensitive data. Keep all your sensitive data in one main folder and use a software like TrueCrypt to create an encrypted volume.

We must protect our information from all eventualities. With encrypted volume to store all your sensitive data, even if you lose your laptop, your data will be safe.

Tip #4:

Always keep your firewall and anti-virus software up-to-date. Choose to auto-update so that you do not have to worry about scheduling a time to manually update it.

The computer firewall protects you from hacking attempts. You should also not visit suspicious websites or click on suspicious emails unless you are sure of the source.

Tip #5:

There are many public places offering Internet access. While this may be convenient, do not use such facility to access your private or sensitive information. Do not even open up your personal file using a public computer because you will not know if the computer has been compromised.

Use these 5 tips to keep your files secure. There will be moments where you are tempted to ignore these tips out of convenience. But always remember the value of your personal and sensitive information. Once they are compromised, the repercussions may be really damaging.

Author – Irman Surani has over 15 years experience in the IT industry – primarily in networking and project management. Born in Singapore, when he is not at work, he likes to be involved with Internet Marketing, web design, Facebook fan page design, Photoshopping and music. He also conducts training on Photoshop, Social Media and Web Design to his local community in his spare time.

Read his blog for tips on various other topics

Such as "what is your computer serial number"?

So you quickly scramble to try to look at the back of the computer, only to realize you need a moving crew to reach the computer. Instead, you open Windows System Information Tool, scroll up and down only to find….it's not there!

Uggh, why do computers have to be so difficult when were in a hurry?

Instead of getting frustrated next time, here are two tips for finding your computer serial number quickly.

Windows Tool For Finding Computer Serial Number

One thing that I like about running a Windows operating system, is the assortment of third party tools that are available.

Such as SIW  (System Information Tool), also known as the Swiss army knife of Windows utilities.

SIW provides a wealth of information about your Windows system, including the computer serial number.

Just download the portable SIW tool (no installation required) to your desktop, then extract the zip file -  siw_portable.zip to your Desktop.

Once the contents of the zip file are extracted, open the folder, named SIWPortable…

…and double click on the executable file, which will create a second folder, also named SIWPortable.

Inside that second folder, double click on the file SIWPortable.exe to run the portable tool (yes I know, a little convoluted, but it's better than installing more stuff on your computer).

When the tool opens, in the left navigation pane, scroll down to the Hardware section and click on System Summary to display your computer serial number.

As you can see, not only is the serial number displayed, but almost every piece of information about your computer (which will come in real handy during support calls).

Using The CMD Prompt

If you are more of a tech geek, and like to use the cmd prompt to find information about your computer (as well as execute commands), you are in luck.

Just open up a command window , and enter the following command at the prompt:

wmic bios get serialnumber

As you can the wmic command, (with the correct parameters) quickly shows the computer serial number. As a matter of fact the wmic is very powerful and can display more information about your computer using the following command:

wmic csproduct list

For more system information on what the wmic csproduct can display, simple use the help function with the command:

wmic csproduct /?

So the next time you need to cough up your computer serial number in a hurry, just use one of the two methods shown above with out getting frustrated at the tech support person!

As much of a tech geek that I am, I find printers annoying. There's always something wrong with them.

Which brings me to a common problem many home users have when it comes to their wireless network printers.

It worked yesterday, but not today.

Surprisingly this type of printer problem has a simple explanation with a solution that will have you printing again…today.

Now, before we go any further, this problem that I have seen many times, occurs when your wireless printer (including wired printers) is setup to use DHCP.

That means, your printer is not configured with a static IP address, but is assigned an IP address automatically by your wireless router.

And while it's convenient to use DHCP (which makes it easier to get your printer online quickly), there is a drawback with DHCP that causes those unexplained reasons many home users have when you suddenly can't print anymore.

The problem is really with your computer…not with your wireless printer.

Let Me Explain

Setting up your printer to use DHCP, automatically configures your printer with an IP address (when the printer talks to a wireless router).

Now, remember back, when you told your computer to FIRST use your printer?

Your computer used the IP address, which was assigned to your printer at that time, to setup and configure the printer.

From that time on, your computer was happy until it could no longer communicate with the printer.

That's when your printer was more than likely restarted.

When that happen, the printer then asked your wireless router for an IP address, but was assigned a new IP address.

And because your computer was setup with the original IP address that the printer was using previously, it no longer can find the printer on the network (it does not know the IP address has changed).

You see, when using DHCP, the IP address that is assigned to the printer is not permanent. It eventually expires (known as DHCP lease). That's how DHCP works.

Because DHCP cannot rely on computers, printers, etc, to it know they no longer exist on a network, a timer mechanism is built-in to the DHCP service that LEASES IP addresses to devices (instead of permanently assigning address). This way, DHCP will not run out of addresses and they can be reused.

So when the lease expires, DHCP will either assign the same IP address or a new IP address (each with a new expiration time).

The reason why a new IP address may be assigned, is if your printer and other devices were restarted at the same time (power outage is one reason to restart at same time),

The DHCP service (running on wireless router) may give the first device it communicated with, the old IP address your printer had been using).

Which means your printer now has a new IP address.

The Quick Fix

First you need to find the new IP address of your printer.

NOTE: Screen shots are from Windows 7, and should be similar for previous versions of Windows.

• Either access your wireless router administration interface and check the address that DHCP has assigned, or check your Printer menu display and navigate to the Network section.

• Once you have the new IP address, go to the Control Panel on your Computer and open Devices and Printers (Windows 7 and Vista) or Printers and Faxes (Windows XP).
  

• Next, right click on your printer and select Printer properties (Win 7 & Vista) or Properties (Windows XP).

• In the properties window, select the Ports tab (circled in screen shot below) then find the active port with the check next to it (arrow in screen shot below) and click on the Configure Port… button.

• In the next window, edit the Printer Name or IP Address: field with the new IP address and click OK to save the changes (close any remaining open windows).

You should now be able to Print once again.

Eventually you give up waiting, and go elsewhere, only to realize your browsing experience has slowed to a crawl.

No what?

Don't panic.

It's time to troubleshoot, using simple tools and common sense…

Checking Your Home Network

The first test I usually check, is to see if my home network is working properly.

First I will ping my router by typing it's default gateway address at a command prompt (this test applies to a wireless or wired connection).

To access the command prompt, in Windows 7 -  search for cmd from the Start menu search bar or for Windows XP, type cmd in the Run box.

Then at the prompt, type the following (using your default router IP address):

ping 192.168.1.1

If the "time" in "ms" (mili seconds) is similar to what is shown in the screen shot (under 15ms) then your network is fine.

TIP: If you don't know your router IP address, just type ipconfig at the command prompt and look for "Default Gateway" of the active adapter.

As a further test, you can connect to the router administration interface using a browser (for most routers, just type https://192.168.1.1) and take notice of how quickly (or slow) the page loads.

If the connection is slow or is broken, then physically check your router and see if it's powered on, or it has failed. For wired networks, don't forget to check the cable between your computer and the router.

It may also be possible that someone on your home network is downloading a larger file (or streaming a movie) and eating up bandwidth.

Once you are satisfied your network is OK, it's time to move onto the next step.

Check Your ISP

Using the command prompt, simply type the following at the prompt:

ping www.google.com

If the "time" response is high, it may be your ISP causing problems. You should also ping other authority sites (Yahoo, Microsoft, Facebook, etc) to get a good idea of what's going on.

If these sites respond quickly, it may be just the site you are trying to reach. If so, ping that site and check it's response times. If the response time is high, more than likely that site is having problems.

If no connection exists after pinging Google (and other sites), then a call to your ISP is needed to have them check your connection from their end back to your location.

Check DNS

If you are unable to reach a site or it is slow to load (and you give up waiting), sometimes DNS can be the culprit even when trying to connect to one site.

To easily clear up any DNS related problems on your computer, simply reset your network adapter.

From the Start menu run command, type ncpa.cpl.

In the Network Connections window, find your active adapter, then right click on it and select "Disable"

Once the "Status" column changes to Disabled (hit F5 to refresh if needed), right click on it again and select Enable.

By re-setting your network connection, you will wipe the DNS cache on your computer.

If things are still slow…it's time to move on to the next step

Using Online Network Tools

One of the great things about the Internet, is that you can test from a location other than your home network.

For example, visiting network-tools.com you can use their tools, such as ping and lookup (for DNS testing) that will allow you to troubleshoot and verify where connection problems exists.

The ping tool will "ping" sites and provide response times, while "lookup" will verify a site IP address. Another useful  tool is "traceroute" for checking a continuous path to the destination site.

Another great site is downforeveryoneorjustme.com. Just type the URL of the site you are trying to reach and it will tell if if the site is up or down (reachable or not).

By using this site, you are by-passing your ISP network and verifying if the site can be reached from downforeveryoneorjustme.com location.

Need to check your overall connection speed (bandwidth) and see if your ISP really is giving you your money's worth. Check out dslreports.com and speakeasy.net.

Another check I like to do, is to visit social sites or forums, and see if other people are reporting issues about a site. These site are great for checking out a problem with a site, before the site owner(s) realize THEY have a problem!

Hardware Problem

In the world of computers, hardware issues can easily mask a problem, making you think it's something else.

For example ISP's may update firmware revisions on their equipment that you are renting from them (routers, modems, etc…) which sometimes causes problems on those devices or create  incompatibility issues with your hardware.

In the case of incompatibility problems, make sure your network adapter drivers and router firmware are update. But before you do anything, contact your ISP and check with them if any changes were made before you go update happy with your hardware (simply use common sense in this area).

In some cases, you may have an old outdated router that just needs to be replaced. When this occurs, my favorite place for finding cheap prices for new hardware can be found here.

Now that you know how to track down slow connection problems on the Internet, the next time things slow down, you won't have to guess who is causing the bottleneck.

However, when it comes to safeguarding our business from internet security threats, the dangers range long and wide and should be taken seriously.

To protect your business from these threats is not as daunting as one might think. With a little foresight and some proactive preparation, any business no matter how large or small can arm themselves from predatory attacks that risk compromising sensitive data about the company, clients and employees.

This article will address 6 tips to keep your business secure from online threats.

1. Operating System Updates

We all see those Microsoft updates from time to time as we are ready to shut down our computers and call it a day. No matter how much of a rush we are in to get home, those Microsoft updates are critical to keeping your computer’s operating system up to date with the latest security patches.

Hackers – both small and big time – literally spend their days trying to find vulnerabilities in Microsoft programs in order to do harm – even if for the sheer enjoyment of “finding a Microsoft bug”. Microsoft then tasks their programmers to fix that vulnerability, and they release it in the form of an update to the masses.

2. Software Updates

Similar to the same concept of Operating System Updates, software updates are put out by businesses who sell their own software. It could be a company like Microsoft that releases a Word or Outlook update, or it could be a small company that sells picture framing software to a niche market.

Any company that sells software will inevitably offer software updates.  This is very common with anti-virus software programs which must constantly keep updating their software anytime their software is attacked.

Other  important pieces of equipment to keep updated are your firewall and router settings. These are pivotal areas in which if not updated, can be an open door for intruders.  Keep these up to date and install all the proper updates in a timely manner.

Not all software updates are necessarily a reaction to security threats.  Software updates also include improvements to existing features – or adding new functionality.  Bottom line – keep up to date with your software.

3. Passwords

It seems everything today requires a password – from email to voice mail to online banking and the list goes on.  As mundane as it may sound, periodically change your old passwords to new passwords is a smart way to keep your accounts secure and private.

This is especially true with any accounts that contain sensitive information, such as bank account numbers, social security numbers, credit card numbers, home addresses, etc.

4. Encryption Software

For businesses which require enhanced security protection, investing in encryption software can be used to protect consumers’ financial data from theft.   This type of software can encrypt anything from individual files to an entire partition on your hard drive, or even a storage device – for example thumb drives, flash drives or USB drives.

If you have particular folders or sections of your hard drive that contains extremely sensitive information, using encryption might be a good idea.   Should someone steal your hard drive and gain access they will not be able to read those important documents.

5. Secure Web Pages

For businesses conducting credit card transactions online, it is required to process financial transactions through a secure server. These webpages which are on your secure server have a certificate that is used to verify its legitimacy.

You can determine if a page is secure by looking at the URL in the web address bar in the browser. If the “http” has an “s” on the end like this:  https://www.example.com, then it is running through a secure server.

Never submit your credit cards over any connection that does not have a secure connection. It is also a good practice if you are purchasing a product from a company you have not done business with before, to check and see if they have a customer service phone number. If they do not, it might be a red flag that the company is not legitimate.

6. Limit Inter-Office Access.

Wouldn’t it be wonderful to trust everyone that ever walked through your office doors? Of course it would – but in business this isn’t always the case.

No matter how small a company, it is standard practice (or at least it should be) to have policies in place which address expected security guidelines and protocol employees (and owners) must adhere to.

Some common office practices are:

a. Shred all documents with a cross shredder. It is important that all paper copies of sensitive data such as contracts, drafts, proposals, price quotes, etc., are properly disposed of.  Using a shredder is a practical solution to destroying these documents. Make sure to incorporate a schedule where these shredded documents are taken out for recycle or for the trash.

b. Have a schedule for updating passwords. Changing user passwords for systems which contain customer or company information periodically can help keep old passwords that have been floating around out of reach by potential hackers – or even former employees. The more sensitive the data, the more frequently the passwords should be changed. All computers should be password protected as well.

c. Anti-virus software should be installed on all employee computers. Make sure the software is set to receive updates and is renewed annually.  If emails are handled through an internal server make certain the server is protected with anti-virus and other security software designed for servers.

d. Encrypted phone lines or SIP trunks.   For companies which rely on extremely confidential conversations such as lawyer offices, medical offices and financial institutions, it is important to encrypt data and voice lines. There are some industries such as health and banking, which are required by law to adhere to specific security measures according to HIPPA, and Sarbanes – Oxley.

Following these rules and guidelines are just the beginning to keeping your business secure from internet and even internal threats.

These practices must be continually refined as new threats arise and employee turn over occurs. By taking as many precautions as possible, you will be able to better guard your assets from those who threaten to take them from you.

This post was contributed by EtherSpeak, Inc., a certified SIP Provider for Microsoft Lync and other Unified Communications systems. In the ever growing world of cloud based systems and applications, online phone communications is just one of the areas where security and privacy is often overlooked. EtherSpeak recognizes the need for security and educates their users about the need for company wide security standards  – and hopes you found this article beneficial and useful.

In today's world of technology, we are no longer tethered to the Cat5 cable at the end our Internet accessible device. With each new and improved device manufactured, wireless access is now the norm.

So how do you protect yourself, your data and your identity when using a standard that is inherently flawed in its security?

While my list of best practices is not all-inclusive, it's a start down the road to your wireless security:

1. Know that security is a process not a destination. Security is an ongoing process. Today you may be able to say you are secure, but tomorrow, the entire landscape could change.

Think of your security as you do your vehicle. It must be maintained and monitored.

2. Educate yourself. Your security is YOUR responsibility as a citizen of the global Internet community. When you do not maintain proper security, you put the entire Internet community at risk!

Never place your total trust in one vendor, manufacture, or service provider. You should always know what's running on your system and network and why!

3. Always maintain your software updates, security patches, and service packs on ALL your software. You may have other software running on your device besides a Microsoft operating system (OS). Make sure you're maintaining updates on iTunes, Java, Adobe Reader, Flash and other non-OS-specific software. Every software developed has updated from time-to-time and many fix known security issues.

Remember, within 24 hours of a patch being released, someone out on the Internet has already started exploiting the problem the patch fixed. Prompt updates insure you are not a victim.

4. When using wireless, make sure you are using a secured wireless connection. If that is not practical at the time, and you must use free WI-FI or an unsecured connection, follow these practices for safe computing.

• Use a browser to access web-based mail. Even if you are on your personal laptop and have Outlook or Windows mail available, do not use it. Standard mail programs send your passwords in plain text, meaning anyone on the unsecured connection with you can capture that information. Web browsers encrypt passwords when you access the web-based email.
• Do not pass any identifying information through an unsecured website when using open wireless. While shopping online, not all secured connections are fully secured! Sometimes, credit cards are not encrypted as well as other form data you may enter.
• Always err on the side of caution and assume someone could grab your information.
• If at all possible, reserve your shopping and financial transactions for a time when you are on a secured wireless or hard wired connection on your own network.
• Use a good antivirus and good firewall protection. And no, Microsoft is not one of them.
• Many of the security software vendors have special encryption toolbars for wireless connections. Trend Micro is one of them. It senses when you are using wireless and automatically engages the encryption keyboard for use in your browser. Most hackers and identity thieves don't want to have to work hard so by encrypting your information, you make it harder for them and they will move on to the next person who's giving away their information easily. A good firewall will block any suspicious incoming packet – a good thing to do when on unsecured wireless.

Good security practices when using wireless is not rocket science. You just have to be trained in what that means, and anyone can learn to be safe online. I've taught thousands to do it over the past 15 years so I speak from experience.

I want to give you two more helpful hints. The biggest security risk you will face is the social engineer. This person can engage you a conversation and get a lot of information from you freely.

For instance, if you show someone your cell phone don't let him or her see your code to unlock it. Most hackers and identity thieves know that you probably use the same 4-digit code to unlock your phone and your PIN number on your debit card or credit card. It's just one more piece of personally identifying information you give away without realizing it.

Be careful what you say over your cell phone when others are within listening distance and never volunteer information even in casual conversation. I have heard people call their credit card company on their cell phone in a crowded commuter train and give out all the numbers and security question answers to the entire train car!

A healthy dose of paranoia goes a long way when it comes to security. Get some!

Author – Debbie Mahler is the owner of a 100% woman-owned a full service technology and training company ( http://mice.org ) specializing in technology strategies centered on the needs of individuals, solo-preneurs, and small-to-midsized businesses. We are your IT department without the overhead. From web & graphic design, to computer support and training, we're here to help you navigate the new digital landscape! If you liked this and other articles, please sign up for our free Tech Tips & get the free eBook: Why is my PC so slow? http://mice.org/lists/

But to be honest, some of the desk organization problems I've seen (including mine) are not the fault of their owners. It's mostly because we all love our monitor…or two.

Which is a big reason we have less space on our desks. Were not going to downsize our monitors for more desk space.

Going Back In Monitor Time

Back in the day (it's been that long ago?), having one monitor was cool if it was 17 inches. Fast forward to now, having dual 22 inch monitors makes you wonder how we got along with just that one tiny monitor.

Glad I don't remember the CRT display days…

As the old saying goes, bigger is better, but not when it takes up so much desk space!

The Hunt For A Solution

So it was time to get things on my desk back under control and find a solution.

I always knew what needed to be done, but as simple as it sounds, procrastination keeps us from making things easier. I had to get those big monitor feet off my desk once and for all.

And so the search for a dual LCD monitor stand (mountable) was about to start.

There's More To A 2 Monitor Desk Mount Stand Than You Think

As I found out, not all monitor stands are the same. And since I never had to buy a stand (stands usually came with every monitor I had), I was surprised to find how many types of lcd monitor mount options are available!

There are ones that have clamps, or can bolt to the desk, adjustable arms, sliding arms, features such as tilt and swivel, and lets not forget Versa complaint.

NOTE: If you are unfamiliar with monitors being Versa compliant, it's a standard interface, which means a hole pattern on the back of the monitor measuring 3"x3" or 4"x4". Many flat screen monitor manufacturers have agreed to provide flat panel monitor mounting interface standards for displays in order to facilitate monitor mounting.

So after doing a little research and searching around I settled on TsirTechTM 24" Dual LCD Monitor Stand with a desk clamp (you can see it here at Amazon).

And I couldn't be any happier.

The Specs

Since I have two 22' LCD monitors, this desk mount stand fit my needs

• Holds up to 22 inch lcd wide screen monitors
• Fully adjustable
• Easy to install Desk clamp
• Durable and sturdy
• Quick setup
• Can hold up to 13lbs each (26lbs total)

Oh, and one other thing I really liked about this monitor stand, it didn't cost more than either monitors that I have.

Quick Setup

The stand was easy to mount on my desk by simply attaching the clamp bracket to the pole using the supplied hardware and hex tool, then clamping it to the desk (the bracket can also be bolted to a desk instead).

NOTE: See setup instructions here in image 5.

Next, I just attach the monitor arms to the pole and tighten the screws. Because the stand is Versa complaint, attaching the arms to my monitors (also Versa compliant) was a snap as the brackets and screws fit with out any problems.

All total, I had everything setup in about 15mins (also accounting for moving my desk back and forth carefully).

Adjusting the monitors to my preference took a little more time, only because there are many ways to adjust the monitors. The stand is very versatile as you can adjust each monitor (independently if you want) for height, pan left or right, tilt, and rotate side-to-side.

Not Much To Complain About

This dual monitor stand was a pleasant surprise, as I was skeptical before purchasing, even after reading many positive reviews.

The only drawback I can see with this stand, is if your desk needs to be pushed up against the wall. This may be a problem if you can't move it out a few inches to accommodate the monitor arm "swing elbow" that will protrude beyond the back of the desk, when pushing the monitors away from you.

Conclusion

I wished I had purchased a dual mount monitor stand a long time ago. But then again, I may not have found anything like this one, which is very good quality and highly adjustable, at a price that can't be beat.

Now that I have tons of space back on my desk, I don't feel stressed out and can enjoy working on the computer.

And the next time I'm fixing someone computer and can't find room on their desk for my tools, I'll be sure to give them this tip on how to get more desk space.

Which I'm sure they will be  happy to hear that they won't need to downsize their monitor!

For the cheapest price, check out TsirTechTM 24" Dual LCD Monitor Stand at Amazon.

Just about every device from printers, external hard drives, keyboards, mouse, memory cards and cameras are all USB enabled, are all begging to be plugged into that last USB port on your computer.

With so many ports needed to accommodate these devices, what can you do to add more available ports quickly and easily with out the need to add more hardware inside you computer?

The answer is to just plug in Cables Unlimited USB1870 USB 2.0 7-Port Desktop Hub (see here).

With Cables Unlimited USB 1870 hub  you can easily connect up to seven devices quickly, without the need to open up your computer case.

Installation is quick and easy. Just plug it in to any available USB port on your computer and let Plug and Play find the device.

So What Makes The 1870 Hub Stand Out From The Competition

With many other USB hubs, most are 1.1 and 2.0 compatible. But not when you plug in a mix of 1.1 and 2.0 USB devices at the same time.

When you do mix the two, hubs will slow down all connected devices to the slowest speed, which will be 1.1. or 12Mbs (mega bits per second).

Note: USB 1.1 has a maximum transfer rate of 12Mbits/second while USB 2.0 maximum transfer rate 480Mbits/second.

To solve this problem, Cables Unlimited USB1870 is a multi-TT hub which allows each device to run at it's designated speed.

A Multi-TT (transaction translators) USB hub allows each connected device to run at it's own designated speed, because there is a TT for each port, thus eliminating the "slow down to the slowest speed" for all devices, that other cheap USB hubs will do.

Essentially, a TT hub has a dedicated processor inside that serves classic speed devices by translating their traffic from either low-speed or full-speed. you won't be dealing with any bottlenecks.

Of course if you have two very-very busy devices, you may experience some slow down, since the hub itself is sharing one port on the computer. This should be expected with any hub.

No Lack Of Power For Your USB Devices

You may be thinking with all those device connected, your computer may run out of power.

The Cables Unlimited USB 1870 hub solves that problem by providing a power adapter that will supply power to the ports instead of relying on your computer own power and allowing you to plug in more devices.

Compared to an unpowered hub, more devices plugged in (or heavy-duty accessories), can  cause the computer processing speed to slow down substantially.

By supplying power,  better power distribution is achieved across ports. Also your devices will continue to charge (MP3 devices)  even is the hub if disconnected from your computer.

Other Features

• Saves desk space with stackable, slim-line design
• Supports hot swapping of all your USB devices
• Supports both PC and MAC computers
• LED lights to show hub is powered (red), and when each port is powered (green).
• Connect up to seven devices quickly and easily (supports plug and play.
• Dimensions: width: 6.05 inches, height: 3.50 inches

Ok, What About The Cons?

With many great features, there always SOMETHING wrong.

Well if you considered the hub will look like an "octopus" with seven devices connected to it, and since it is light-weight, it may move around at times, I'll take a flawlessly working hub over these minor nuisances any day.

How Much Should You Pay For A Good USB Hub?

Most good USB powered hubs will cost in the $25 to $35 range. That's not bad considering you are getting the latest technology and simple installation with out the need to crack open the case. Usually the best price can be found at Amazon.

This is one device, you'll be glad you got. I am.

Sure, I guess cleaning up old files will get me that much needed disk space back…only on a temporary basis. Sooner, than later, I'm just going to find other music mp3's, video files, what ever, and download to my computer, that will once again…you got it, fill up hard drive space.

So it was time for me to get a bigger internal hard drive that I thought would never prevent me from running out of disk space.

One problem, I just didn't want to go through the hassle of adding an internal hard drive to my computer (unplugging everything and digging the computer out from my desk).

Instead, it was time to find an easier solution to my disk space problem.

What solution did I need?

An external USB hard disk that was a snap to add to my Windows computer. But not any USB drive, something that was fast, had tons of capacity, simple to use and allow me to "just" plug it into any computer so I can take my data with me, and is CHEAP.

After searching around on the Internet, I found the Western Digital 1 TB USB 2.0 External Hard Drive (WDBAAU0010HBK-NESN) at a great price (check it out here at Amazon).

At 2.2 pounds, it's light weight design allows for a massive 1 terra byte of storage capacity.

All I had to do was plug in the AC adapter and connect it to one of my USB 2 ports, and in a matter of seconds I just expanded disk space on my computer to an extra 1tb! No screw drivers or dis-assembly needed.

The one thing I love about the Western Digital 1 TB USB 2.0 External Hard Drive is that it does not come with any annoying bundled software. It truly is "plug n play" and already formatted as NTFS. Sweet!

Ok, so now it was time for the big test – transfer speed. I had approximately 335 gb of data to copy and was able to copy all that data in about 3.5 hrs. Not bad for an external USB drive. Sure there may be faster drives out there but not at this price.

Another key item that I noticed about the Western Digital 1 TB USB 2.0 External Hard Drive, is that it does not get hot and stays warm to the touch.

Other features that I like about the drive are:

• Drive shuts down when USB port or device goes on standby saving power and life of the drive.

• Low Power usage and heat dissipation (good for laptops running on battery power)

• Silent drive, No FAN no Noise!

• Takes up a small foot print (width – 4.9 inches, height – 1.4 inches, 8 inches deep)

• Activity LED is behind the HDD enclosure

• And this is worth re-peating again: No software needed, No bloat-ware included!

• 1 year warranty

So if you are running out of disk space and want a reliable external USB hard drive, that won't cost you an arm and a leg, check out Western Digital 1 TB USB 2.0 External Hard Drive (WDBAAU0010HBK-NESN) at Amazon (they also have free shipping).

But don't take my word. Do what I did and check out the reviews first. You won't be disappointed.

However, what about the many gigabytes of.dat files? Are these safe to delete, or will it cause your computer to crash?

The extension.dat stands for data file. These are used by many applications so you can't know what it stands for without knowing the application that created it. Thankfully, even if you don't recognize the extension, the following steps can help determine if any file type is safe to delete.

1. Back up the File: Copy it to a hard drive, CD, another computer, anything. Just make sure to save the file first so you can get it back if you actually needed it.

2. Rename the File: After you rename the file, (remember to record the original name), use different applications on the computer and then reboot. If an error occurs due to the missing file name, you know what the file did and you can decide if you need to replace it. If no error occurred, move on to the next step.

3. Delete the File: First, make sure you've saved the file in step #1. After that, delete the file in question. Then, use your computer for a while, reboot, and experiment with different applications. If an error occurs, you know what the file did and can assess the situation from there. If no error appears, you're probably off the hook. Still it is important to keep the back up. An error may occur later if the file is connected to an application you rarely use.

4. The computer may not allow you to delete or rename the file. This indicates the file does matter. Use a tool, such as Process Explorer, available from Microsoft's website, to learn which application is using it. Then you can decide if you need to keep the file.

Bottom Line? Always back up any file in question before you delete it and remember where you saved the back up. You will save a lot of unnecessary time and money if you need the file later on.

Get more free tech help and advice from Leo Notenboom by visiting http://ask-leo.com With over 30 years of industry experience, including an 18 year career as a software engineer with Microsoft, Leo gives real answers to real questions from ordinary computer users at Ask Leo! Subscribe to Leo's weekly newsletter now and receive a free ebook: "Internet Safety – Keeping Your Computer Safe on the Internet", a collection of steps, tools and concepts you need to know to keep your computer and your information safe.

Fortunately, there are some simple tips that most laptop users will benefit from to get more life out of their battery.

The harder a laptop has to work while running on its battery, the faster the battery is going to drain. To preserve battery life, demand less from the computer until it can be plugged back in. Stick to simpler activities, like checking email, over more demanding processes, like online gaming or streaming videos. To conserve power, it is always better to run programs off the hard drive than the disc drive.

Multitasking will also cause the battery to drain much faster. Shut down any unneeded programs, such as iTunes or multiple web browser windows.

Things like USB devices, Wi-Fi, webcams, and external monitors should not be used when trying to prolong battery life. Use a wired connection to access the Internet, if necessary. Turn off anything not being actively used. Trying to charge your MP3 player while on battery power is going to have you looking for a power outlet to plug into very quickly.

Configuring your laptop's power settings can help substantially. Dim your laptop screen and have your display turn off when not in use, instead of running a screensaver. It can also help to reduce the time it takes before your display turns off when not in use.

If you're going to be away from your computer for more than a quick trip to the kitchen for a glass of water, consider putting your laptop into hibernate mode, instead of just sleep or standby. The longer your computer will be inactive, the more power will be saved from choosing hibernate over standby.

Avoid starting up your laptop if it is significantly above room temperature. Heat can cause a laptop to work harder than usual, causing a decrease in battery life. Let the laptop cool down before starting it up.

It is also important to keep your laptop's air vents clear for better function and battery life. A soft cloth can remove dust. Be careful when using canned air, which can easily damage internal computer parts. Keeping your work station free of dust and debris can proactively keep your laptop from becoming internally clogged.

When using your laptop away from your desk, be aware of soft things, like blankets or pillows, that could block air vents and cooling fans. Blocked air vents could cause a laptop to overheat and lead to a much shorter battery life. It is also helpful to use a cooling pad when working with your laptop on your lap.

Lithium-ion batteries should be fully drained and recharged approximately every 30 charges. Older nickel-metal hydride batteries should be fully discharged every other week to keep the battery in top shape. Remember to keep the battery contacts clean if you remove the battery.

Don't forget to fully charge your laptop before you leave if you plan to use your laptop away from home or the office.

James hopes that found his tips useful. He works for a company who provides tamper proof labels suitable for tagging laptops and asset labels for marking netbooks. Take a look at his site for more information.

Read on to learn how SSDs are better than conventional hard drives and who should upgrade their desktop or laptop hard drive with an SSD.

Conventional hard drives are built using mechanical, moving parts that limit the computer's speed, consume excessive power and have delicate parts that break down or are easily damaged. Solid State Disks offer better performance, consume less power and boast extreme reliability and durability…among other benefits.

For Example: When you click to open a program like Internet Explorer or Microsoft Word, you often are waiting for the hard drive to find and retrieve the program while you wait for it to open. The same thing happens when you start up your computer from a powered off state. SSDs, however, have no moving parts to slow it down. Instead, they are built using electronic memory chips that allow for much faster performance, lower power consumption, extreme reliability and durability…among other benefits.

Here are Five Reasons SSDs are better than Conventional Hard Drives

High Speed Transfer Rates:

SSDs provide up to 45% Faster Boot time for Windows XP and 67% faster application load time. That means less time waiting for your computer and more productivity. Transcend, a trusted manufacturer of quality SSDs, claims a laptop running Windows XP that starts up in 37 seconds with a mechanical hard drive will but as fast as 20 seconds using an SSD. Although the speed varies with each SSD model and capacity, this gives you an idea of the difference you may experience.

Technically speaking, Transcend SSDs boast 0ms Latency and 0.2 ms Access Times for a more responsive experience.

Longer Battery Run-Time:

Transcends SSDs use up to 46% less power, allowing your laptop battery to last longer.

Resistant to Impact, Vibration & Extreme Environments:

SSDs are many times more resistant to damage caused by an impact (such as dropping your laptop) and vibration exposure. Transcend's SSDs can tolerate extreme environments due to a wider operating temperature range of around 32 – 158 degrees Fahrenheit (versus conventional hard drive range of 41 – 131 degrees Fahrenheit).

Cool & Quiet:

SSDs produce zero noise and vibration and run 20% cooler. Less heat means less energy is needed to for internal fans cool the system. This allows for greater protection against damaging heat produced within the system. Since the fans run less, this extends the battery run-time even further.

Light-Weight:

SSDs weigh 50% less, lightening your laptop instantly.

Who Should Switch to SSDs?

Virtually anyone who wants to speed up their existing Desktop, Laptop or even Netbook computer would see benefits in switching to an SSD for their primary operating system drive. SSDs come in various sizes and speed classes to fit just about any computer or need. Transcend produces SSDs with various interface connector types, including IDE SSDs, SATA SSDs, and mini-PCI-E and ZIF SSDs, including the very affordable MLC and the faster performing SLC speed drives for each type. For operating system installations, Transcend recommends the faster SLC SSD drives.

SSDs easily replace your desktop or laptop computer's hard drive and offer better performance and durability. Most SSDs are built on the 2.5 inch size that is commonly used in full-size laptop computers. Desktop PCs may require an optional, but inexpensive adapter bracket to fit the 2.5 inch SSDs into their standard 3.5 inch drive bays. See the 2.5 to 3.5 inch Drive Bay Adapter Kits at www.theupgradeplace.com.

Author – Deanna Albertson – If you need help choosing the right SSD for you, Contact our SSD Upgrade Experts for assistance at 800-338-1531 at The Upgrade Place.

To answer the question, it is important to first understand the difference between a recovery disk and installation disk.

• The recovery disk, typically included with your system, contains information to recover your system. However, the disk relies on information still stored on your hard drive to do so.

• The installation disk contains all the information necessary to install system software, such as Windows, or application software, such as Quickbooks, on your hard drive. It doesn't require additional information from the hard drive to work.

Can you see the problem? A recovery disk works great to restore your system if you delete an application or corrupt the system. For example, if you accidentally deleted Windows, the recovery disk could find a copy of Windows in a hidden partition on your drive and use that to re-install your system from scratch. However, if your hard drive crashes, your recovery disk has no information to draw from. Now, you need either an installation disk, or image type of back up that backs up everything on your hard drive.

Here's the complicated part: installation disks aren't always included with your computer. If you don't have an installation disk, insist on one from your computer vendor. It is worth the extra cost. When you receive the disk, make sure to save it, and its product keys, in a safe place.

Remember, every recovery disk is created differently. There is no standard for what recovery disks should contain or what information it needs from the hard drive to restore your system. Just because the disk worked for one failure does not mean it will work for all.

For ultimate security, it is essential to back up your information with a reliable image back up. Taken regularly, image back ups protect your computer and can replace the need for an installation disk.

Get more free tech help and advice from Leo Notenboom by visiting http://ask-leo.com With over 30 years of industry experience, including an 18 year career as a software engineer with Microsoft, Leo gives real answers to real questions from ordinary computer users at Ask Leo Subscribe to Leo's weekly newsletter now and receive a free ebook: "Internet Safety – Keeping Your Computer Safe on the Internet", a collection of steps, tools and concepts you need to know to keep your computer and your information safe.

The short answer is yes. It could be very easy for you to be found by just your email address… or it could be quite difficult. Exactly how difficult it might be depends on three things: how you've used your email address, what information you've put in public places, and whether or not you've broken the law.

You can test the security of your email address by searching for it on the internet. Most search engines don't let you search for your exact email address, as they treat "@" and "." as spaces, but it's still a good place to start (especially if your email address is unique). Now realize that everything your search just returned can just as easily be found by anyone trying to track you down.

The worst case scenario would be a standard "name and address"listing, which includes your name, email address, physical address and phone number.

If this information has been posted online(by you or someone else) then absolutely anyone can find you with a quick and easy search.

If someone is trying to track you down it's more than likely they already know several other things about you in addition to your email address. They probably know your name and at least your general location.
Add those two bits of information and your tracker has even more to go off of.

When it comes to protecting yourself social networking sites are often overlooked. And it's not just Myspace and Facebook- it's other niche sites as well. With any of the information above (usually name and city are enough), there is often a lot of information available to the public. Try this: log out of any social media sites you are a member of, search for yourself by just name and city and see what information is available to anyone about you now.

If you have a fairly unique email address or perhaps unique handle for logging into some sites, people might not only find out where you live, but perhaps also view pictures of you, learn where you work or go to school, and see what sites you've visited recently. And they can do it in about 5 minutes. A more dedicated searcher could find even more.

The real concern is not what people can find, but rather how easy you've made it for them to find it. So what can you do?

Use a "throw-away" email address when doing things like placing ads or using any public site where the contact could eventually lead to meeting new people, or people wanting to find you for some reason. This throw-away address should be completely unique, unrelated to you, and should be created with completely fake information. That way at least the casual searchers will find very little from just that email address.

But what do you do about the not-so-casual searchers?

If you've broken the law even a throw-away email address may not be bullet proof.

Just like IP address tracing, it is possible that in the course of investigating a crime, authorities could use a court order to get additional information from the email service you've used for your throw-away account. They can get the IP address or other information about the computer or location from which the account was created, and they could potentially use it to locate you. It's not something that's taken lightly, but if crime warrants it, it is certainly possible.

The bottom line? Be aware that your email address may not provide you with the anonymity you think; used in conjunction with other readily available information much can be discovered about you. When it's important, risky or otherwise prudent make sure to take steps to appropriately anonymize the trail back to the real you.

Get more free tech help and advice from Leo Notenboom by visiting http://ask-leo.com With over 30 years of industry experience, including an 18 year career as a software engineer with Microsoft, Leo gives real answers to real questions from ordinary computer users at Ask Leo! Subscribe to Leo's weekly newsletter now and receive a free ebook: "Internet Safety – Keeping Your Computer Safe on the Internet", a collection of steps, tools and concepts you need to know to keep your computer and your information safe.

One way to find out is by shutting down your computer and crack open the case. Unfortunately, that is easier said than done if your desktop computer is buried or the thought of opening your laptop, without breaking any tabs, more than once is something you rather avoid.

Instead, there is a much easier way to see inside your computer…without touching it.
While several tools exist that will report the amount and type of memory installed in your computer, the tool I use frequently is Crucial's Memory Advisor.

• Just go to Crucial site (http://www.crucial.com) and click on the "Scan My System" button at the top of the home page.

• On the next page, check the terms and condition box, then click on "Download The Scanner" and save the file to your desktop.

• Now, locate the CrucialScan.exe file and double click on it to begin (no installation is required).

• Next, you will see the scan in progress page…

• …followed by the scan results. As first it looks a little confusing, but if you scroll down to the second boxed results on the page, you will see your computer memory information, including the number of memory slots used and available.

As you can see on my laptop that I am using, both memory slots are being used.

Additional information can be found such as the type of memory to use, max amount of memory that can be added, are matching pairs needed, etc.

While Crucial provides great information, it doesn't identify the exact type of memory that is currently installed.

To find that information, I like to use the awesome SIW (System Information for Windows) tool.

Just go to SIW site and download (http://www.gtopala.com/siw-download.html) the SIW Standalone version, which requires no installation.

After downloading to your desktop, double click on the siw.exe file to run it, then using the left navigation pane, scroll down to the Hardware\Memory section.

Here you will find the type of memory that is currently installed in your computer, including manufacturer, part number, speed, etc.

Once you have gathered all the information using both tools, you can now easily add more memory to your computer the right way without any guess work and get the cheapest price for memory here.