HARY'S BLOG

Top 15 Ways to Build Your Subscriber List

2010-07-13T20:30:00.000-07:00

Email marketing can be profitable for any business, no matter what kind of product or service you offer. It is significantly cheaper than other advertising methods and, if done right, helps build loyalty and trust with customers. As a result, you generate more sales and more profits!

The foundation for successful email marketing is a targeted, permission-based email list. Marketers call contact lists their "goldmine" because it can generate much of their sales revenue. If you've built up a list of opt-in subscribers that are qualified and interested in what you have to offer, then you've completed the first step and are on your way. Now it's time to "mine" for gold!

Below you'll find several list-building and retention ideas that will help you get the best results from all your email marketing activities:

Provide useful, relevant content. Your visitors will not give you their email addresses just because they can subscribe to your newsletter free of charge. You have to provide unique and valuable information that will be of interest or use to them.
Add a subscription form to every page on your website. Make sure it stands out so it is easy to find. If it doesn't look cluttered, you may want to include more than one on some pages. For instance, if your opt-in form always appears in the top-left corner of your site, you may want to add one at the end of your most popular articles.

Add subscription forms to your social media pages. Make sure that you don't waste this valuable source of revenue opportunities. Integrate your sign-up forms with Facebook and more!

Make it easy for readers to sign up. The more information you request, the fewer people will opt-in. In most cases, a name and an email address should suffice. If it's not necessary, don't include it here. You can always survey them once they're customers! We do recommend that you provide a link to your Privacy Policy however.

Publish a Privacy Policy. Let your readers know that they can be confident you will not share their information with others. The easiest way to do this is to set up a Privacy Policy web page and provide the link to it below your opt-in form. (Note: If you don't have one, put the words "privacy policy generator" into a search engine and you should be able to find a suitable form to use.)

Provide samples of your newsletters and Ezines. This lets potential subscribers review your materials before they sign up to determine if it's something they'd be interested in.

Archive past newsletters and articles. An online library of past newsletters and articles is both appealing and useful to visitors and builds your credibility as an authority. In addition, if your articles are written with good SEO techniques in mind, they can increase traffic to your website through enhanced search engine positioning.

Give gifts subscribers can actually use. Offer an opt-in bonus for joining your subscriber list! Write an ebook or provide a PDF business report, or even hire a programmer to create downloadable or web-based software. But don't limit yourself to offering gifts to opt-ins. Give them out when your readers fill out a survey, provide a testimonial, success story, or a great product idea. Let them know when they can expect the next gift offer. Everyone likes to get something for free! And if you pass out "goodies" throughout the year, your subscribers will feel truly appreciated − and that's good for business!

Ask your subscribers to pass it on. Word of mouth is a powerful viral technique that works great with email marketing. If your subscribers find your content interesting, amusing or informative, they'll probably share it with their friends. This can be a great source of new customers, so make sure to remind them to "pass it on".

Let others reprint your newsletter as long as the content is not modified. If you're happy to share your content with the universe, then why not! Many webmasters and newsletter publishers are actively looking for high-quality content and, if they reprint your newsletter, you'll get new subscribers, and more traffic and links pointing to your site.

Include a "Sign Up" button in your newsletter. If you're using plain text instead of HTML, be sure to provide a text link to your subscription page. You may feel that this is not required because the subscriber is already on your list, but remember that readers will forward your newsletters to others, or reprint them online. Make it easy for them to subscribe!

Add a squeeze page. A squeeze page has one goal − to acquire opt-ins and build your list. Think of it as a mini-sales letter to go along with your subscription or opt-in gift. It should feature a strong headline and a couple of powerful benefits that should make subscribers salivate to sign up! Once created, use a service such as WordTracker to find hundreds of targeted keywords, and promote your offer using pay-per-click advertising from Google, MSN and Yahoo. Now that should make a splash!

Include testimonials on your squeeze page. This is crucial. Put one or two strong testimonials from satisfied customers on your squeeze page. This can be in any format, but you may find that multimedia (audio or video) is more "believable" and inspires more people to action. To further enhance believability, get permission to use actual customer names, locations and/or urls (Don't use "Bob K, FL"). Add a note inviting others to participate. After all, it's free publicity!

Blog religiously. Blogging is a great way to communicate with prospects and potential customers, and creates a nice synergy with your email marketing. Be sure to include your newsletter sign-up form on each page of your blog. You can start a free blog at Blogger or WordPress.

Post on other blogs. Post thoughtful comments and information on similar blogs with a link to your squeeze or opt-in pages. Also comment on others' blogs through trackbacks. In most cases, your comments will be posted on their blogs with a link back to your site. This is an easy way to generate new traffic and subscribers, and get your brand out there!

The Best Registry Cleaner Software

2009-09-01T00:18:00.000-07:00

Registry cleaners come in all shapes and sizes, all with their own claims and ideas. Although there are so many, there can only be one registry tool to help your computer in the best way possible. Having tested all the most popular registry cleaners out there, we've found a tool which works the best on all systems.

The problem with most registry cleaners is that most of them are not as powerful as you need, making them not very good. Although there are so many registry tools on the market, they have all been designed to do the same job, which is to clean out a part of your system called the 'registry'. This is a very important part of Windows, because it is a big database which stores all sorts of settings and options for your computer. Everything from your latest emails to your desktop wallpaper is stored in the registry, making Windows use it everytime you use your PC.

This is okay, but the problem with the registry is that since Windows constantly needs to use it to help it with what it needs to do, it's constantly using 100's of registry files to help it .... And this makes many computers confused, leading them to save a large amount of these files in the wrong way, making them corrupt and incredibly difficult to read. They basically become like books with all their pages mixed up, making them extremely hard to process, slowing your computer down and causing errors.

Registry cleaners have been created to fix this problem. They work by scanning every file in your system registry and then fixing any of the problems that they find. This allows your computer to read the files it needs, whenever it needs them, Allowing it to quickly read any registry file it needs. However, in order to be sure your computer has been fixed properly, you need to use a registry cleaner which fixes the most registry files ...

There are only a handful of cleaners which have the ability to fix your computer thoroughly, but we've tested them all and have not found one which is the best. A relatively new cleaner called "RegAce" is the most powerful registry cleaner we've used, and it's also one of the most popular as well. Being introduced in early 2009, it quickly became one of the most popular cleaners on many download sites, thanks to several powerful features which allow it to fix the most problems in Windows. These features include a complete backup facility (to protect your PC from any problems that might occur) and an advanced scanning engine (which finds and fixes the most problems on your computer)

Free cPanel Web Hosting with PHP5/Mysql

2009-06-15T06:36:00.000-07:00

If you wish to have a professional shared hosting quality in a free hosting package, come and host with 000webhost.com and experience the best service you can get absolutely free.

Founded in December 2006, 000webhost.com has a trusted free hosting members base of over 60,000 members and still counting! Offering professional quality hosting, support, uptime and reliability, we have a great community of webmasters, you'd love to be a part of!

Register now and get it all free:

1500 MB of disk space
100 GB of data transfer
PHP and MySQL support with no restrictions
cPanel control panel
Website Builder
Absolutely no advertising!

Join us now: http://www.000webhost.com

IE8: Browsing with the Keyboard

2009-04-30T23:44:00.000-07:00

Usually, browsing the Web site do with the mouse. How if you do not have a mouse. For example, the chance you take notebook, but the mouse is left behind. Internet Explorer 8 have Caret Browsing feature. With that feature, you can make browsing the Web site pages using the buttons [Home] [End], [Page Up], [Page Down], and the buttons direction arrows. Caret navigation is a kind of keyboard navigation where a caret is used to navigate within a text document.

How to use the Caret Browsing this feature :

1. Open Internet Explorer 8.

2. Then, press the [F7] on the keyboard or click the button [Page], and click the button [Caret Browsing].

3. Click [Yes] to enable Caret Browsing.

Video2mp3: Convert You Tube Video To MP3

2009-04-25T03:42:00.000-07:00

Video2mp3 is a free YouTube to MP3 Converter and allows you convert a YouTube Video to MP3 file online. So you are able to listen to your favorite YouTube tracks on every MP3 player.

This service allows you convert a YouTube Video to MP3 file online.
So you are able to listen to your favorite YouTube tracks on every MP3 player.

When you submit a URL, it will download the video and convert to MP3 format, and then you can download the converted file. The conversion is without loss, that means you will get the MP3 in the same quality it is saved in the video.

Internet And Business Online – The Act Of Interdependence

2009-03-06T06:36:00.000-08:00

The best role of business online is that of interdependency. We’ve all heard the old saying, “No man is an island.” When it comes to online business this is especially true.

If a business owner who takes their business into the online world determines they will be self reliant and never accept the help of anyone then that individual will not be in business long enough to change their minds.

It is accepted fact that the greatest tool for long-term exposure to your website is through Search Engine Optimization (SEO). Without it potential customers can’t find you. It is unreasonable to expect that you can adequately develop a website without optimizing your website for the best possible search engine ranking.

Search engines also place a high value on sites that have links placed on existing sites. These ‘backlinks’ demonstrate to search engines that others trust your site. By placing your link on their website these other businesses indicate a trust and recommendation for your site.

In effect the two strategies listed above rely exclusively on what others can do for you when it comes to your online business.

Shirley Temple once proclaimed in her movie Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm, “I’m very self-reliant.” American westerns are filled with lines dealing with pulling yourself up by your bootstraps and holding down the fort. Many of us have grown up to believe if we want something done right we have to do it ourselves.

This thinking is in opposition to the rules associated with an online business.

The online world can only exist because people share. Individuals share technology, but the also share links, reviews, blogs, forums and a wide range of other marketing strategies that find a commingling of interdependency.

In online business you are as dependent on others as they may be on you. Unlike the word ‘dependent’, the term interdependent indicates a mutual dependency. In other words you are depending on others to help provide links back to your site while they are equally dependent on you (or others) for the success of their business.

Have you really taken a proactive approach to networking? It’s possible you are reading this today and you’ve never considered asking someone else to place a link to your site on his or her online business site.

It can feel awkward depending on others to achieve online success especially if you’ve been lead to believe reliance on others is also a sign of imposing on their otherwise brilliant generosity.

I suppose it could be a deep-seated sense of pride that makes it hard to consider the need to ask others for help. However, the truth is depending on others is really what has made the Internet possible. The growth of this online world is comprised of a link of computers, networks and servers that are connected in a way that provides the maximum benefit for all.

Building an online business can feel a bit like trying to build a house of cards. Without the ability to rely on the other ‘cards’ around you it is virtually impossible to build.

Interdependence. This is the essence of online business.
(written by: Scott Lindsay)

Easy Seo Tips for the Professional

2009-03-03T21:44:00.000-08:00

Worried about not come enough visitors to your site? Do you want to improve your presence in net? One answer to all these questions! Your site needs SEO services.

SEO (search engine optimization) means optimization of a website to increase the visibility and usability to search engines such as Google. SEO services help in generating more visitors to your site which means that more interested customers, which translates to increased sales for your company.

A SEO consultant would you about what should be done to enable a higher placement in a search engine. We, a search engine optimization British company, offer a complete solution for all your SEO services.

The main advantages of SEO services can be summarized as follows. Read on to find out why you need search engine optimization.

Increase in traffic - search engines do better than any other media in motivating visitors to a site. Since approximately 85% of Internet users prefer search engines as the crucial method to start the search or visit Traffic from search engines is the most important traffic, since it consists of experienced visitors. These are the people actively looking for a product, service or information solution. So, your partner SEO will make certain that you can transport.

Improved Competitive Edge - opportunities to find out if your website are more, it means that your competitors are less likely to find. It means that directly if you have more customers, the more online market distribute you get. This is where we, UK SEO consultants help you reduce your competitors, so that your profits are higher.

Increased customer base - SEO consultants can help you the best search terms targeted not only more visitors to your site, but will ensure that visitors
are more likely to be strong potential customers for your company. Millions of searches on each day; websites appear at the top of search results will undoubtedly free web site promotion. In this way, your online market expands. The escalating your online market place your products and services to more motivate and interested customers.

Excellent return on investment - SEO an affordable package has been proven that accept a higher return on investment with a view to generating more visitors to your site, qualified sales leads and customer acquisitions. It offers a very low cost of Internet advertising with a probable high return or go on which guarantees a high return on investment. It works non - stop - SEO your partner works for you non-stop 24 / 7 It saves time and effort. After your site, it will continue to be crawled and indexed by search engines and is maintained with minimal effort.

The fact is an effective online marketing tool - they are also cheaper. High-level SEO services also enable online marketing of the site. For a SEO program that can help you the most targeted search term more visitors, the strong potential customers for your goods and services, you must look for a partner SEO, SEO offers premium services with their own originality.

In simple words, SEO services make a website to generate traffic from relevant search term queries. SEO an affordable package deals with aspects such as effective search engine optimization (SEO), pay-per-click (PPC), Internet marketing strategies and implementation to bring persistent visitor traffic to your site. Our British SEO consultants ensure correct implementation of search engine optimization, causing a marked influence on where your site is positioned against your competitors.
(written by : Mandeep Saini)

When You Should Not Attempt Data Recover By Yourself

2009-03-02T19:17:00.000-08:00

In the present world of computers, the data recovery is something we all are familiar with and count on to recover lost or missing data. The complication of data recovery practice depends upon the type of data loss you have. Sometimes the data recovery can be as easy as a general user can perform very easily.

There are two kinds of data loss- Logical and Physical. The logical data loss is the situation where all the hardware components of the computer are intact but the data are missing. On the other hand, in physical case of data loss, hardware components are broken but the data is intact.

Logical data loss is the situation which can be addressed by the user itself using the appropriate data recovery software. Data recovery software are the automated utilities which do not require much user interaction and don’t demand any sound technical skill from user’s side.

When it comes to the physical data loss, you should never attempt the data recovery by yourself. The physical data recovery needs special care as you have to interact with the internal parts of the hard drive which are very fragile. Physical data recovery could be achieved only by the data recovery experts.

Another reason behind not to attempt physical data recovery by yourself is the dust particles present in the environment. When you open a
hard drive in general environment, the sensitive platters of the hard drive could get damaged and the data may get separated for life. It requires clean surroundings of Clean Rooms.

In such circumstances, it would be better to send your hard drive to a data recovery software company which has a high standard Clean Room and a team of experienced and qualified data recovery professionals.

When you first send your hard drive to the experts, they will do an evaluation then get back to you and tell you regarding the problem and the cost. The cost could be somewhat high for the individuals but you should not compromise with the quality for a small amount of money as nothing could be more precious than your data.

Whenever something happens wrong to your hard drive and you lose your valuable data, you should always search for a good data recovery company. The specialized data recovery companies could recover the data and do it in the right way- which could save your time and money in a long run.

Stellar Information System Ltd is the most excellent data recovery company of the industry. The company has the controlled and safe environment of Class 100 Clean Rooms and a team of specialized and highly qualified data recovery professionals.

Tools and techniques used in the course of data recovery are highly developed and superior. Stellar has No Data No Charge policy in its data recovery service, means you will have to pay only for what you have got recovered.

How to make excellent Sales Letters?

2009-03-01T19:24:00.000-08:00

In this age of the Internet, fast web searching, and even faster email, good letters can be difficult to come by. With the convenience brought about by instant messages, as well as letters that can be sent halfway around the globe before you can breathe another word, the art of prose and proper letter-writing can get lost in the hubbub. In this age of swift questions and curt replies, good will certainly be hard to come by.

In the olden days of typewriters and the printed word, sales letters had to appeal to the recipient quickly you can visit He or she had to catch the gist of the letter, and then drop it by the last paragraph so that he or she could buy the product or purchase the service that the sales letter offered. The high cost of paper and printing made it all the more imperative for sales letter writers to make an art out of selling.

Today, sales letters can often be reduced to a few words sent through email, perhaps to the tenor of subtle pleading for a customer to get something online. To make a sale, many online marketing mavens preach, you have to be succinct and quick with your words. Can such exhortations mean the demise of truly good sales letters

Happily, good sales letters can still be had in this day and age. All you need to know is how to format the sales letter, and what to put in it so that your voice can easily be heard and listened to. In this world of get-rich-quick schemes and sometimes overblown but empty promises, a good sales letter can be a breath of fresh air for the recipient.

Good sales letters follow a print format, whether they are printed onto real paper or shown to you through your computer monitor. Mind you, such formats are not simply formalities: they give the reader a chance to get straight to the meat of the letter, simply because the reader will already know where the meat is if the letter is well-organized.

As in any letter, good sales letters begin with the name and address of the sender, then the name and address of the recipient. Placing a senders name before the entire letter can tell the recipient immediately what the lettermay be about and what the sender is selling. Placing the recipients name immediately after can show a sense of personal touch, so that the recipient knows that he or she is not simply receiving a shotgun marketing letter that many sales offices can blindly make.

The main letter then begins with an address, followed by the body of the letter. Good sales letters will often be only three to four paragraphs long. In the first paragraph, good sales letters greet the recipient and make the senders identity known. In the second paragraph, good sales letters identify needs that the recipient may have, and may perhaps ask questions related to such needs. For instance, some sales letters may ask: are you satisfied with how your house looks like right now? Or they may ask: Do you sometimes get tired of listening to your high quality music CDs on low quality speakers?

Once a need is identified, the recipient’s curiosity is piqued. The third paragraph can then go on to describe what the sender is selling, and at what price. Sometimes, a fourth paragraph can give the recipient incentives if he or she buys the product or service immediately. The final paragraph will then give instructions on how the productor service can be purchased, and from whom. Often, good sales letters give the recipients reassurance that they are purchasing the best product or service, that they can get their money back if they are not satisfied, and that they will do themselves a disservice if they do not buy or service.

Writing down all this is easier said than done: in fact, sales letters have to contain all these and be very brief and terse or visit within the first fifteen to twenty words, good sales letters grab the reader; in the next hundred, good sales letters should convince the reader to buy the productor service. Good sales letters are also no more than a page long, or a page and a half if the product or service has to be described in detail.

If you want to write good sales letters, practice selling simple things to your friends. Read sales letters that you might have received in the past, and pick the ones that grabbed you and made you want to buy the productor service. In this day and age of digital communication, good sales letters can still exist if the senders have good consumer and marketing sense. (written by : Jaspreet Singh)

1Click Backup : Backup Utility Software For Windows

2009-02-28T22:32:00.000-08:00

“CSEP Technologies creates a new revelation in backup utility segment with its product 1Click Backup that can take backup in just ONE CLICK” See More

CSEP Technologies, the leader in delivering Creative Solutions @ Economical Prices, comes with yet another utility that delivers “Value For Money” to its users. This time CSEP unveils a backup utility named 1Click Backup that allows users to take backup of all their confidential data in just SINGLE CLICK. Along with the product, the company also offers 100 MB of free space on its company server, just in case the user wishes to take extra security measures to protect his data.

Supported by its advanced backup logic, 1Click Backup offers easy and reliable backup option for its users especially those who are wary of complex backup utilities that demand extensive settings and pre backup configurations.

1Click backup uses the concept of backup task option to provide users with easy and reliable backup option. The user just need to create a backup task once that contains links to desired files and folders he wishes to take backup. The application automatically takes backup of all the selected files and folders with just ONE CLICK. 1Click Backup also provides an option to include important items like Internet Explorer, Outlook Express Mails, Windows Fonts, Favorites, and Address Book etc in the backup task.

To enhance data security, 1Click Backup offers the user with an option to store backup on LAN or any remote location. To facilitate further, he can also take backup on external storage device connected to his system. And with its split data option, the application takes care of large data and splits it into small packets to come in a single floppy.

Restore data from the backup list is as easy task as taking backup. The user just has to select the backup list and click on Restore button to restore his important data. The user can restore the full backup list or only a section of the backup list depending upon his requirement.

1Click backup also offers Schedule Backup option. The user can schedule 1Click Backup application to take backup daily, weekly, monthly or any allotted day and time and can create multiple schedules if he has more than one backup requirement in future.

1Click backup application is a small, yet effective application and assist in taking backup with just a single click. May be that’s why, it’s fair to say “Backup is just ONE CLICK job!!!”
(written by : Manis Kumar)

Create Successful Business Website

2009-02-28T02:36:00.000-08:00

Congratulation, you finely decided to upgrade your business with a website. This is really important step which can take your business to a new level structurally and financially.

1. Well built and properly advertised website can bring you hundreds of new customers who wouldn't have heard about your business otherwise

2. Most of people do not search for services on yellow pages no more but open Google , Yahoo, MSN, etc. Therefore your presence on the net is a very important strategy to earn new clients.

3. Website is your face when it comes to clients who arrive to you via the net. If your website is well built, even if you are a small business owner, clients will be more willing to work with you.

Now that we understand the importance of a good, reliable website for a business, let's go over some basic steps to make sure your website will be a success story:

Determine your budget:

Website building can cost you nothing or cost you thousands of dollars. I think that the best site is the one which benefit will excel its cost. Therefore every business owner must determine his appropriate budget .

Some companies offer absolutely free websites. There are some advantages and some disadvantages in such a website. The first and the biggest advantage is the zero cost. If your website turns out useless , you don't lose any money. The main disadvantages of free websites are usually the limited storage space (which means you can't build a large website) and limited bandwidth (if many users enter your site at once, it might become slow or even unavailable).

If you have a large sum of money to put on your web site, you may go to a custom Web Design firm. They will usually offer you two or three unique design sketches which they embed in their Content Management System and a directions about how to enter your content into it. The problem about this option is it's high cost.

There is no second chance to create a first impression:

Design is naturally one of the most important aspects in website success. Website design must represent your business as a prosperous, impressive and trustworthy therefore there is no place to disregard it.

Quality content:

In order to be found in search engines and attract serious visitors you must fill your website with high quality content. We suggest you enter information about yourself , your business and products. Professional articles and further information from your field of interest might add more value to the website and present you as an expert in your field.

Keeping in touch:

Once you have earned clients you better keep in touch with them. There are number of fast and cost effective ways to do so:

1.By mail. Today spam mail is a felony, but once a customer signed up at your website and gave his agreement to receive your e-mails, you should keep in touch with him , informing him about new products, services and sales.

2. By SMS. If your business is very dynamic you might use the SMS technology to keep in touch with your clients at real time.

3. Keep in touch with your clients by blogs and forums where you can offer them technical support.
(written by : Gally Reznor)

How to clean your Mother Board

2009-02-27T02:12:00.000-08:00

If you have not done the inspection mentioned in the previous article - How to Clean your Case, now is the time to do so. Look at the blades of the fan in the back of the computer. Also look at any vents. Is there clusters of dust there? Is there grime caked on to it? If so, the inside needs to be cleaned. If the fan blades are clean but it has been several years since you have cleaned the motherboard or if the computer is around cigarette smoke, it probably should be cleaned anyway. Dust and particles in the air (like cigarette smoke) can build up on the circuitry of the motherboard and cause it to heat up and/or corrode.

The first thing that you need to do is unplug your computer. Then open up the case to get access to the motherboard. Cases open differently. If you don't know how to open your case, look on the back of your computer along the edge for some screws. These screws may hold on side panels or an upside down U shaped panel that covers the sides and top. Removing the screws will allow you to take off the cover. Other cases have the screws on the front of the computer. To get access to these screws, you must first remove the front panel by pressing a hidden latch. The cover is there to give easy access to the inside of your computer, so if you look hard enough, you should be able to figure out how to remove it.

Remember that if you touch anything on the motherboard, you should be grounded by either touching the metal frame of the computer with your other hand or by wearing a special grounding device.

The goal of cleaning the motherboard is to remove all dust and debris from the motherboard and all components inside of the case. This can be done using one of three methods.

The preferred method is to use a can of compressed air to blow it out. Always hold the can in an up-right position to prevent the propellent chemicals which can damage or corrode components from coming out. Dust and dirt should be blown away from the motherboard and out of the case.

Another way to remove dust is to use a vacuum. The common advice is to only use a battery operated vacuum because an AC powered vacuum causes static and static can ruin the motherboard. I have used an AC powered vacuum (before I knew that it was not recommended) to clean my motherboard many times and it has never caused any problems, but I may have just been lucky. When using the vacuum, keep the nozzle a couple of inches away from the motherboard or any other components so that it does not come in contact with them and so that any small parts are not sucked into the vacuum.

If you do not have a can of compressed air or a vacuum, you can use a dry cloth and brush to clean the motherboard. Be careful not to dislodge or break anything using this method.

While cleaning the motherboard, be careful not to unplug any cables or connections or to dislodge any loose components, such as, jumpers.

Methodically clean the whole inside of the case going over all of the motherboard from one end to the other and all other components. Don't forget to clean the fans and heat sinks. Do not open up the power supply box or stick anything in it beyond the fan. If you do, you could get a shocking surprise and ruin your computer.

If your computer does not work when you put it back together, something was obviously dislodged during the cleaning. Open the case back up and push all connections and cards into their slots. Look for anything that may have become disconnected.

Cleaning the motherboard is probably the most dangerous form of cleaning but it is necessary to prevent an early death of your computer.(written by: Ray Geide)

DVD Backup Made Easy

2009-02-25T18:52:00.000-08:00

If you are running backups on a regular basis, you have probably come across the problem that CDRs or CDRWs are simply to small for some backups. While you could split your backups to multiple CDs, this is not a very good solution if you have to backup 10GBs of data. The solution to this problem is to use DVDRs or DVDRWs instead. Since a DVD can easily store as much as 7 CDs, you could backup 5 to 10 GBs to a single DVD with a little compression. Using DVDs instead of CDs will speed up large backups considerably and will also greatly simplify storage.

Compression
In order to use the DVD media more efficiently you will probably want to compress your backup before writing it to the DVD. Compression can often reduce the size of a backup by 50% or more, doubling the capacity of your DVDs. A DVDR can usually store 4.7GBs of data and with compression you should be able to store about 10GBs on a single DVD. If you have ever tried to compress a 10GB file you probably know that this will take a lot of time. If you have a 20GB harddrive you might also have a problem storing the temporary uncompressed backup file. Since WinBackup compresses files on-the-fly backup operations are performed considerably faster. The built-in compression also reduces the need for a large temporary storage location and makes it much easier to run large backups to DVD-R or DVD-RW.

Encryption
When storing backups on CDs or DVDs, security can easily become a problem. Since DVDs can easily get lost or even stolen, you need to protect your backups from unauthorized access by using some kind of password protection or even encryption. A backup often contains emails, important documents and other sensitive information. In fact, if you backup your entire harddrive, your backup could even contain passwords to computers and websites. WinBackup allows you to password protect and encrypt your backups with up to 256 bit encryption, making it virtually impossible for anyone without the correct password to access your files. Since encryption can be performed automatically on all backups you do not need to worry about security every time to save a backup to DVD.

Integrated DVD Writing
Even though many pc owners have a DVD writer installed in their computer, surprisingly few use it to backup important data. One reason for this could be that many users feel that writing to DVDs is a little complicated. With WinBackup this is no longer true. WinBackups integrated CD/DVD writing features makes it easier than ever before to write backups directly to CDs or DVDs without knowing anything about DVD Writing. Storing your backup on a DVD is as simple as inserting an empty DVD-R, DVD-RW, DVD-RAM, DVD+R or DVD+RW into your DVD Writer and clicking on "Run Backup". You can even leave a DVDRW in the DVD writer and schedule WinBackup to automatically update the contents daily. WinBackup also makes it easy to backup emails, documents or internet favorites with built-in shortcuts to important user data. (written by : Emil Malmberg )

How To Backup A PC

2009-02-25T08:21:00.000-08:00

Everyone thinks, ‘it won’t happen to me’. But what if it does? All your files, pictures and documents gone, in an instant. Sure, you can reach for the disks that came with your computer to reinstall the applications but what about the most important component, your data? Data backup is something too many computer owners ignore. There are a number of things that can bring down your computer, some of which include a power surge, hard drive crash, careless mistakes, viruses, a fire or theft. If your system did not come with a recovery disc, you should consider making a backup disc as soon as possible. This is important should you ever need to rebuild your system to its “as bought” condition. How often you back up your data varies from person to person. It depends on the volume of data input, frequency of change, and the nature of your data. A general rule of thumb would be to back up anything that would be difficult and time-consuming to re-create. How to backup data: If you have Windows XP, it includes backup software; however, if you’re running on Home Edition, it isn’t installed by default. Once the software is installed, go to the Start menu and choose “accessories”, then “system tools”, then “backup” in order to run the backup wizard. On the final screen, you can press the “advanced” button which will allow you to automatically schedule recurring backups. The wizard also allows you to create a system recovery disc which will enable you to boot and rescue your data should Windows get damaged. At the end of this article, you will find a list of programs and software that can do the data backup for you. You may think you’d like to back up everything you have in your computer. However, there is no need to back up software and applications since these can be reinstalled with the original discs. Most Windows programs now have a default for storing data within your user profile. Backup programs: There are a number of programs that perform data backup for you, some of which are described here. Ghost 9.0 creates full drive images, IBackup copies files to remote databases, and Dantz’s Retrospect Professional 6.5 is a traditional backup tool. There is also free software available for data backup. For instance, Backup4 protects your data and features an easy backup wizard that allows you to schedule backups whenever you like. Disk Tools Image Maker is an easy-to-use disk imaging tool which allows you to create exact images of your entire drive. It works directly from within Windows so there is no need to boot from a floppy. Handy Backup is another software which makes an automatic backup of critical data to any type of storage medium. Backup Tips: Here are a few tips to keep in mind regarding data backup: Don’t procrastinate. Most people decide to back up their data only after they’ve experienced a loss! Try to find a backup software that can hold twice as much as your hard disk so that you’re able to schedule backups when you’re not there. Back up only what is necessary. However, if you’re not sure, back it up ... better safe than sorry! (written by : Marisa Pellegrino)

What is Anti Virus Software and Why Do I Need It?

2009-02-24T05:45:00.000-08:00

Anti virus software is important for your computer's (and your) wellbeing and the Internet can help out with some free utilities.

How long have you been on the Internet? And you don't have any Antivirus software? That's certainly a big risk. Antivirus software utilities are expensive? Yes, it is true. Many of these programs are expensive, but they are absolutely essential.

Once installed on your system, and if kept properly updated of all virus definitions, an antivirus software utility will scan all files and separate the suspicious from the safe. It will alert you if a file is infected and either delete it or quarantine it so it cannot cause havoc with your machine. That way you system is constantly protected from the destructive behaviour of viruses. You will not be at risk of infection and, since a virus replicates itself, you will not risk infecting your friends.

Still, if your budget is too limited to include some of the heavyweight antivirus solutions such as Symantec's Norton, McAfee or Kaspersky, there are some free options available if you know where to look.

You basically have two options when it comes to free antivirus protection. You can use a free antivirus software package or you can do an online virus scan. Choosing an online virus scan is basically a good introduction to a product. Trendmicro.com scans your hard drive for free using its House Call antivirus software program. You allow the program access to your hard drive. It scans, locates and clean your infected files, if any, but won't collect personal information or log you IP address.

Do a quick web search for Free Online Virus Scan to bring up some other websites that offer the same service.

You ultimately need to install good antivirus software right on your computer. The most important thing that such software does is real time scanning. This means that whenever you download email or enter a website it is scanning the files and programs you may be downloading and checking to see that they are virus free. If a virus is detected the software will warn you right away, before you open the file and infect your computer.

There are options. If you type Free Anti Virus Software Downloads or Free Antivirus Utilities you'll bring up various results. Products like ClamAV, AntiVir Personal Edition, AVG Anti-Virus software, avast!, BitDefender are all free. As with any antivirus software utility you need to keep it updated regularly of all virus definitions so that it can do its job properly. The utility needs to be informed of the all active viruses so that it knows how to protect your system.

A virus seeks out users with a slack awareness of their computer's security needs. Be informed. Do a virus scan today.(written by : Dean Erickson)

How To Keep Your Computer Virus Free

2009-02-23T06:13:00.000-08:00

Computer viruses can and do strike at any moment.
They assault your computer by destroying data,and
rendering your system useless.The very first line of
defense is to boost your knowledge of these well
hidden malicious codes.

Malicious codes come in three basic formulas.Viruses
are small programs that reproduce themselves for the
purpose of causing some damage.

Trojan Horses are disguised as gifts which may come
as an attachment in your email.Once ran its purpose is
to cause do harm to your system as well.

Then you may come in contact with does worms which
cause damage by copying themselves over networks
as wells as individual systems.These codes alters not
just one system but several within a network.

After you enhance your knowledge of malicious code,
know the symptoms of an infected system.Strange
PC behavior,an increase or decrease of data in a file,
pop up messages,random graphics,and files being
deleted are some symptoms of your system having
a virus.

The best way to find and remove viruses is with the
installation popular anti virus software from Norton
or McAfee.These programs readily identify infections
as well as promptly remove them.

Norton Anti vitus installs easy and a configuration
wizard runs after the computer has been re-booted.
This software offers several options that give you
the best virus scanning options.Use the neat update
feature to keep up with all the new viruses.Their user
friendly configuration leave no doubt in what and how
you want this software to perform.

What should you do to prevent virus infection if you
don't have anti virus software installed on your PC?
We should all give a word of thanks for the Internet.
Rush over to one the free virus scanning services
which will scan your hard drive for malicious codes.

Trend Micro's Housecall scans your drive for viruses,
trojans and worms.They ask you to register first but
you can scan without registering.Why not go over to
http://housecall.trendmicro.com where you can go
Visit Symantec's Security Check site and download
their scan for viruses software which check your PC
for possible infections of any malicious codes.Go to
http://security.norton.com/ssc/vc_scan.asp.

Don't do it.Don't say,yes,I will get anti virus protection
soon.It will be when you wait one day too many and
realize your computer must have a virus because it is
deleting files,randomly showing graphics,performing
one task when it should be performing another task,
and other strange things.Take the time or invest the
money for virus protection right now.
( writen by Otis F. Cooper )