How to Combat Viruses to Reduce Computer Repair Cost

Malware (Viruses, Spyware, Adware) has evolved over the years from an amateur hobby to a professional profitable business focused on fraud and theft. In 2008, 83 million identities were exposed according to PrivacyRights.org.  The amount of malicious code created in 2008 rose to 1.6 million, a 460% increase from 2007 according to Symantec. The makers of malware have developed aggressive strategies to invade your systems leading to costly computer repair services or data corruption.

Below are four different methods to keep malicious code from infecting your computers and network.

Deep packet inspection w/ firewall – According to Symantec, by the end of 2008 over 5,000 websites per day were created with malicious content which can be installed on computers without any user intervention. Deep packet inspection defends your network against these attacks and others by dissecting and examining data packets as they travel through your network. During examination, the content inside the packet is scanned for malicious content and information is extracted, such as the computer it’s destined for and where it originated from. This is helpful because malicious content will be blocked and reports will inform you of which computers are requesting unauthorized content.

Sonicwall’s TZ models will work for small businesses.

Managed Email Monitoring – 1 out of 140 emails have malicious content, and 80% of email is considered spam according to Symantec. Managed email service providers eliminate 99% of spam and malicious threats. Managed email services filter mail for all email accounts and eliminate virtually all threats.

MXLogic will work for small businesses.

Corporate AntiVirus Software – Antivirus programs protect from costly computer repair created by malicious content that may have slipped through the network or loaded from some type of media (cd, flash drive, floppy, etc.). Most business owners understand the importance of installing antivirus software but don’t understand the importance of purchasing the corporate edition as opposed to the store bought home version. The corporate version is preferred because it uses less computer resources, provides a centralized location to mange antivirus applications installed on workstations, reports intrusions, downloads and pushes virus definitions to workstations, and manages license renewal.

Norton 11.0 will work for small businesses.

Employee policies – The best defense won’t work if you take the enemies’ hands and lead them to your command center and give them complete access. Setting clear guidelines for Internet and computer usage is critical to keeping malicious content off your computers. Windows group policies can be used to stop users from breaking computer policies, and deep packet inspection can be used to stop users from breaking Internet policies.

The best way to counter malware is to take an aggressive, proactive approach. Viruses will attempt to penetrate your computers and network. Will you be ready?

How To Open An EPS (encapsulated postscript) File

EPS, or encapsulated postscript, is a format for vector graphics based on the Adobe postscript standard.  EPS files are often used for figures and illustrations in books, magazines, and articles, although they can be used for pretty much any type of graphics.  Depending on what you need to do with your EPS file, you may need different types of software.

Viewing EPS Files
Viewing EPS files is pretty easy.  If you have a Windows or Mac computer, you probably already have at least one program that can open EPS files, and there are several other good ones.  Here are some:

• Microsoft Word can embed eps files in documents, so it can serve as a simple EPS viewer.
• Apple Preview can open EPS files.
• Adobe Acrobat can open EPS files on either platform.
• Fancier programs such as Adobe Illustrator can open EPS files.
• One great free solution is Ghostview, an open source program based on the Ghostscript postscript engine. Ghostview can view postscript, PDF, and EPS files.

Editing EPS Files

If you need to edit your EPS file, you’ll need some fancier software that probably costs money. Here are a couple of alternatives.

• Adobe Illustrator
• Adobe Photoshop
• CorelDRAW

Another alternative is to convert the EPS file to another format.  The above programs can do that, and you might also check out ImageMagick, which can convert from EPS to a wide variety of different vector and raster image formats.  Remember that if you convert an EPS to a raster format, you won’t be able to scale the image very well, so make sure you use an appropriate resolution to begin with.
Software To Open EPS Files

* Adobe Acrobat Reader
A free PDF and EPS reader.
* Ghostview
A free program to view postscript, PDF, and EPS files.
* Adobe Illustrator
A vector graphics editor.
* Adobe Photoshop
A raster graphics editor.
* ImageMagick
A set of programs for converting and editing many types of graphics files.
* How To Open An SVG File
SVG is a vector format similar to EPS.

Trouble Opening PDF Files from E-Mail or Disc?

It can be incredibly frustrating when you’re trying to open a file at work from a client or trying to view your grandchild’s pictures. Sometimes, the files just won’t open!

Most Common File Extensions
Some of the most common file extensions that you will run into problems with are listed below. Understanding what programs these files belong to are the first step to diagnosing your problem (maybe you don’t have the appropriate document viewer or program). Don’t worry, most document viewer programs are free. For example, if you are trying to open up a .pdf file, all you have to do is download the free document viewer from Adobe.com. Install & view your document, simply as that!

Trouble Opening Microsoft Office Files
Ever since Windows Vista came out, the new Microsoft Office suite saves typical office documents such as excel files & word files differently. This can cause a wrench in some folks document viewing and editing!

Instead of using the typically .doc (Office Word) & .xls (Office Excel), these files are now saved as .docx and .xlsx. Opening these ‘X’ files can sometimes be difficult when it comes to compatibility.

Quick & Simple Fix
One very simple trick that sometimes works and sometimes doesn’t work is to simply change the file extension on a .docx file to .doc. I can’t tell you why it sometimes works and sometimes doesn’t, but it certainly is the easiest fix and you should try it first.

Download a Document Viewer Direct from Microsoft
This software will only allow you to view .xls and .xlsx files, you will not be able to edit them. In order to do so, you will have to purchase the latest edition Microsoft Office or consider using a free office suite software called ‘OpenOffice’.

Excel Viewer 2007
If you cannot download the software and change the extension, your last option is to simply contact the source that sent you the files and ask them to use the “Save As” feature in their version of Microsoft Office to save it in an earlier version format that will be compatible for you.

Trouble Opening Files from Disc
Opening files from CD or DVD discs can sometimes present a problem. Chances are, the disc itself wasn’t burned correctly and the files are not accesible. Sometimes, certain computers can open burned CDs and some cannot. It all depends on your CD or DVD drive. So, before you contact the person who gave who the disc try the following solutions:

• Instead of directly clicking on files in the disc’s folder, drag those files to your computer’s desktop. Then try opening them straight from your hard drive (this usually works!)
• Clean the CD-Rom or DVD-Rom – Something as simple as a tiny scratch or greasy finger print can greatly affect the ability for your disc drive to read the disc correctly.
• Try it on a different computer. Most households have two computers. Or, you could try it and a friends house.
• If you burned the CD yourself – try burning it again and make sure that no programs are running while you are attempting to burn the image. Running multiple programs can sometimes ruin the quality of data that is burned to a CD or DVD.

Trouble Opening Files from E-Mail

• Trying to download files from your e-mail can sometimes be very frustrating. Since there are many e-mail programs out there, here are a few generic suggestions that will help you open up e-mail in a variety of programs.
• The file may be infected and your e-mail program is trying to protect you. Do you see a message anywhere stating the file isn’t safe? (sometimes this message is hard to find or it could’ve tried to pop-up in a new window).
• The ‘Save/Open’ dialog box might pop-up in a new window…make sure your pop-up blocking software isn’t preventing this from happening.
• You can’t open your file if you don’t know where you saved it to! Make sure that you use the ‘Save As’ feature when downloading the file instead of ‘Run Now’. Save the file to your desktop so you can easily locate the file later. Otherwise, it might get saved in a temporary folder and you might waste a lot of time trying to find it.
• Do you have the appropriate software to view the file? Many times, folks get confused as to why a .pdf file won’t open and it’s because they don’t have the free pdf reader software installed on their computer.

How To Eject And Remove A Stuck CD Or DVD From A MacBook

After I had burned a new DVD of a video I edited up one day, I wanted to make sure that it would actually play on a Mac, so I did the same thing that I always do when I want to watch a DVD — I pushed it into my MacBook’s SuperDrive (what a cool name). As my MacBook made the weird noises that it always does when I put in a DVD (is that necessary?), I noticed that the SuperDrive showed up as an icon on my desktop and that the DVD was spinning around and around, which seemed pretty normal as well.

Unfortunately my DVD burning skills aren’t quite up to par because the DVD didn’t end up playing, which isn’t the first time that my computer skills haven’t quite been as sharp as I would like them to be. But, it didn’t bother me much and I figured that I would just eject the defunct DVD and try to burn another one — no big deal, right? Wrong. To my surprise, when I tried to eject the DVD from my MacBook nothing happened. It was like my Mac didn’t want to give me back my non-working DVD and it wasn’t budging on the matter. I couldn’t get my DVD back and I had no idea how to eject it.

Luckily, after searching around on how to get my MacBook to part with my DVD I finlly figured it out and I finally got my hands on the DVD that didn’t even work in the first place. Just in case you have the same problem that I did, I listed out some ways to get your stuck DVD or CD to eject from your MacBook too so that you don’t panic like I did.

Press And Hold The Eject Button

OK, this might seem like a no-brainer, but the fact that I am a fairly new Mac user, it took me a couple minutes to figure out that I needed to press and hold the eject key if I wanted to eject a DVD from my MacBook. The eject button is usually the key that’s located at the top-right corner of your keyboard. Most of the time pressing and holding this eject button will do the trick, but sometimes you need to pull something else out of your bag of tricks. Keep on reading if you this option doesn’t work for you.

Drag The SuperDrive CD Icon To The Trash Can

If hitting the eject button doesn’t work for you and your DVD or CD is still stuck in your MacBook a good second option is to drag the SuperDrive icon that appears on your desktop to the trash can. On my MacBook the trash can is located in the bottom right-hand corner of my desktop, so dragging down the icon is pretty easy. The SuperDrive icon should look like a CD and should have the name of your DVD or CD listed below it.

Once you drag the CD icon into the trach can, your DVD or CD should be ejected from your Mac. If not, it looks like you might need to keep on reading. Don’t worry, this option didn’t work for me, either.

Holding In The Mouse Button During A Reboot

Believe it or not, this is what finally did the trick for me when I had a stuck DVD in my MacBook. All you need to do for this to work is reboot your MacBook and as it’s rebooting keep your fingers pressed down on the mouse button that’s actually on the laptop. This might work with an external mouse, but to be honest I haven’t tried. As you’re pressing the mouse button and your MacBook begins to reboot, your DVD will eject before your desktop appears. I’m not sure how this happens (and I don’t really care), but it actually works. Maybe it’s some type of Mac magic or something?

I’m not saying that this method always works, but I know that it has for a few MacBook owners and at this point if nothing else has worked, it’s worth a shot. I mean, desperate times call for desperate measures, right?

Over here on this blog I read about how this guy used a credit card to somehow get a CD out of his MacBook’s SuperDrive. It took him a few tries, but he did it by simply sticking the credit car in the SuperDrive’s slot, pressing the eject key and once he felt pressure on the card he pulled it out, along with the CD. Seems kind of crazy, but hey, it worked and might be worth giving a shot if none of these previous methods worked. If this does actually work, be sure to leave me a comment and let me know.

Run Windows XP Without Hard Disk

You can run windows XP without hard disk with the help of windows Live CD. Whether or not there is installed windows XP in your PC, you can run windows with windows Live CD. It may be called portable operating system. Without hard disk you can do many task with windows live CD.

You can find windows live cd in internet and download it and write into a blank cd. But you can also create your own live cd by yourself. In doing so, download “Pebuilder” software and install. Run the software and you will find the way of creating windows live cd easily. Pebuilder software will show you the way of creating live cd.

You can add other software for portable windows when creating it, such as winzip, Nero, Open office etc. when you will run windows from Live CD, those attached software will also run without installation. Before writing “Live CD” on tour blank cd, save it as ISO image.

When you will complete writing Live CD, insert the CD into your DVD ROM and windows xp will run automatically if there is no hard disk in your computer. All the best.

How to Remove Windows XP’s Messenger

There are alot of the programmes which you get bundeled with your OS but does that mean that all of them are really worth while for you or you really use them, if yes its cool but if there is a no no then why do still you want to retain them, as having any of them is making you compromise on your processing resource.

One of them is your Windows XP messenger, if you are looking forward to get ride of thes one here is a piece of step that can get you out of this unwanted bundled application you have on your system.

Fire up the Windows Explorer and navigate your way to the %SYSTEMROOT% \ INF folder.
In the INF folder, open sysoc.inf.
Look for the line containing “msmsgs”.
Near the end of that particular line, you’ll notice that the word “hide” is not so hidden.
Go ahead and delete “hide”.
Save the file and close it.
Now, open the Add and Remove Programs applet in the Control Panel.
Click the Add / Remove Windows Components icon.
Watch out for “Windows Messenger” in that list.
Remove the checkmark from its box. and you are done to get the heck out from your operating system.

Note: Before getting started backup the files you are going to edited so if you have a nightmare you get the situation in your control

If still you need a help Get a Microsoft Support Professional to work it out for you. visit Windows XP Support

Keeping your computer healthy and working

If you have computers at home or office, remember that keeping your computers healthy is very essential. Like humans, these computers also need proper care and repair at proper intervals for better use. If you are not keeping your computer healthy, it can often result in data loss, slow performance and random crashes. Just spend 10 minutes in a week or so to keep your computer in good working condition. Process for keeping your computer healthy Start your computer up and click on Start option then go to Programs, Accessories and then “System Tools”. At last, click on “System Information”. In case your computer is unable to start up properly then follow these steps – Start your computer and hold on till it says “Starting Windows”, now quickly press F8 button and select “Safe mode”. Your computer will now get started. To get into System Information, follow the process given below: In System Information, just click on tools and you will find many Windows System Tools that will help in diagnosing and keeping your computer healthy.

1. “System File Checker” is a program that can act handy when you come across any errors or crashes while starting or running your computer. This program checks all the files in your main system for integrity. System File Checker should be used when you suspect that there might be a problem with one of the Windows XP system files. You might get a dialog box that appears saying there was a “.dll error” or a similar message box. That is an example of a way to tell Windows has found an error in one of its system files, that are crucial to how the operating system works. To start the process go to Start then Run and type in the following: sfc /scannow

2. “Scandisk” is one of the precious pieces of software. Scandisk searches for hard disk problems on your computer. Once the Scandisk has started running, you will be asked some questions like which drive you want to scan and whether you would like to do a standard or careful examination etc. So to begin with, pick drive C, do a standard assessment and ask the program to automatically correct any problem that it finds. Again click on start and see that the program goes through the motions and shows you a progress indicator. You must try to do a thorough scan whenever you have spare time in between working hours – Just start the process and then leave the computer till it finishes the task. You can also use the same program to check or scan any other hard drives on your computer or any floppy disks for errors. You must understand the importance of keeping your computer healthy for better utility or output. If you do not care for your computer, it will not give you effective results and will not have long life.

Keeping the computer up-to-date

You may be aware that new medicines are continuously invented to counter new diseases.  Similarly, the computer industry keeps updating the versions of antivirus software and similar products to counter new viruses, worms, and spyware.  You need to keep you computer up-to-date with updated versions of security software to ensure better protection of your computer.

The Microsoft Windows Update Web site provides you with security updates that are necessary to protect your computer’s operating system.  You can download these security updates from this Web site and install them on your computer.  If you find it difficult to keep track of the security software that you need to update, you can automate this updating process by configuring your computer.

You can keep your computer up-to-date by downloading system updates and other security software from the Microsoft Windows Update Web site.  This Web site provides you with necessary security updates that help protect your computer from security threats.  When you visit this Web site, Windows Update scans your computer and informs you about the updates that you can download and install on your computer.

The Microsoft Windows Update Web site lets you view the list of updates already downloaded on your computer.  The Web site also provides you with answers to frequently asked questions or FAQs and the necessary help and support to solve problems related to Windows Updates.

To benefit from the latest security updates available on the Microsoft Windows Update Web site, you need not keep visiting the Web site.  You can automate the process by configuring the settings in the Windows Security Center.  The Automatic Updates option enables your computer to automatically download and install security updates from the Microsoft Windows Update Web site.  This downloading process does not stop you from downloading other files and it does not interrupt your work.  However, you may be prompted with a message if an update requires you to restart your computer.  When you click the Automatic Updates link present in Windows Security Center, the Automatic Updates dialog box opens.

You can choose from the four options in the Automatic Update dialog box to decide when to download and install the security updates.

When you use the first option, the updates are automatically downloaded and installed on your computer at 3 a.m. everyday.  You can change this time and frequency.  Remember that your computer needs to be connected to the Internet at the specified time for the update to work.

When you use the second option, your computer downloads the updates automatically, but does not install the updates on your computer.  Instead, you receive an alert after the updates are downloaded.  You can install the desired updates as soon as you receive the alert, or at a time more convenient for you.

When you use the third option, your computer does not download and install security updates automatically.  Instead, when an update is released, you receive an alert.  You can then choose to download and install the desired updates at any convenient time.

If you select the fourth option, the updates are not downloaded or installed automatically and also you do not receive any alert when updates are available.  It is recommended that you do not use this option because this may leave your computer vulnerable to security threats.

You can also use the Automatic Updates dialog box to visit the Microsoft Windows Update Web site by clicking the Windows Update Web site link.

After configuring the settings on the Automatic Update dialog box, you must save the changed settings by clicking OK.  If your computer has additional security software, such as antivirus and antispyware installed on it, remember to follow the procedures to keep the software updated. In this demonstration, you learned about the options available to keep your computer automatically up-to-date with latest security software.

Summary of the procedure to be taken
1.    To Achieve:  Keeping the Computer Up-to-Date.
2.    To open the Microsoft Windows Update Web site, click Start, point to All Programs, and then click the Windows Update.
3.    Notice the links displayed under Options.
4.    The Windows Security Center has been opened for you.  To automatically download and install security updates on your computer, click the Automatic Updates link.  The Automatic Updates dialog box opens.
5.    Notice the four options in the Automatic Updates dialog box.
6.    To automatically download and install security updates at a predefined time and frequency, click Automatic (recommended).
7.    To receive an alert after security updates are automatically downloaded, click Download updates for me, but let me choose when to install them.
8.    To receive an alert when security updates are ready for down load, click Notify me but don’t automatically download or install them.
9.    To turn off Automatic Updates, click Turn off Automatic Updates.
10.    Notice the Windows Update Web site link available in the Automatic Updates dialog box.
11.    Click OK to close the Automatic Updates dialog box.

Top 10 Tips to Tune Up Your Slow PC

Is your PC slower than the day it was born?

A new PC is a joy because it is fast and efficient which makes it fun to use. Over time, that PC gets slower, and slower and can eventually become a chore to operate. There are steps you can take to restore some of that “new PC” performance.

Get Organized
Print these steps for a PC tuneup checklist. Make notes as you go; it’ll be easier to get assistance if you need it. Reserve enough time. Review the Related Links for more details on some of these steps. Follow these steps in order, where practical.

Make Some Backups
You need a fall back position in case bad things happen. Create an XP restore point. Consider saving: Email files and account settings, desktop and favorites, My Documents, other files? You’ve been meaning to backup anyhow, haven’t you?

Add Memory (Not enough memory and how to get it)
New programs are larger and tax the memory of an older PC. To effectively operate today you need at least 1 GB of RAM. When I spec a new PC I usually include 2 GB of RAM. Check your RAM size and seriously consider an upgrade; easy to do and could have a big impact. {Start -> Control Panel -> System, to see RAM installed}

Eliminate Malware

Get ride of malware on your pc malware includes adware and spyware. Malware has decreased somewhat as a public nuisance, but is still a likely suspect when your PC slows down or acts strangely. The average malware can be removed by the average user.

Tips:

• Create a restore point;  (How to create restore point in windows xp)
• Turn off System Restore;
• Run at least two removal programs;
• Run the removal programs while in Safe Mode;
• Turn on System Restore.

I recommend three spyware removal programs:

• Microsoft Defender;
• Spybot Search and Destroy;
• Ad-Aware.

Is your security suite screwing you up?
Consider disabling or uninstalling security suite software. Some security controls can choke the performance out of a PC, while safeguarding it. Try disabling the features, one at a time to see if your PC performance improves. MacAfee makes it’s suite difficult to uninstall! Try uninstalling in Safe Mode.

Consider an alternative approach, such as a good antivirus program and a separate anti-spyware program.

De-program
Uninstall unneeded programs. A new PC comes with demo software and freebies that are seldom used. Then we add programs that we end up not using. Sometimes a desired installation slips in other software we don’t need/want. Yahoo, Adobe, and others often slip things past the casual installer.

Uninstalling programs will recover space, and as a bonus, may also free up some operating resources and speed things up. {Start -> Control Panel -> Add or remove Programs}

Clean up your browser
Delete stored cache files. Reduce the amount of space set aside for browser files. Your browser will perform better and you recover lost space. {Internet Explorer -> Tools -> Internet Options -> General Tab -> Settings, to reduce the space allocated, and delete Files} Also, consider reducing the amount of history you retain; enter zero (0) if you don’t use the browsing history.

Clean out file debris
Windows has a disk cleanup function to empty recycle bin, delete temporary and working files, etc. {My Computer -> C Drive Properties -> Disk Cleanup -> Check all boxes, OK and Yes}

Scan your hard drive
Windows has a tool to scan hard drives. This can resolve file location errors and other disk management issues. {My Computer -> C Drive Properties -> Tools -> Check Now -> check to “automatically fix…” and to “scan for…”, then Start} This test requires you to restart your PC. This can take a while on a large hard drive so it’s a good task to run overnight.

De-fragment your hard drive (What You Should Know About Disk Defragment)
Over time, the files on your hard drive become fragmented. The files are still there and usable, but they are scattered all over the hard drive and become inefficient for the operating system to access and move around. Think of it as a messy drawer – everything is there; it just takes longer to locate things. Windows has a tool to regroup your file pieces (defrag) and reorganize the hard drive. {My Computer -> C Drive Properties -> Tools -> De-fragment Now -> select the C drive -> De-fragment} This can take a while so it’s a good task to run overnight.

Check hard drive capacity (after you do all the cleanup steps)
When you bought the PC, that hard drive seemed big enough and it probably was. In the last couple of years, data file sizes (e.g. pictures and audio/video clips) have exploded. New programs also take more space. You need a minimum of 15% free space, and should really have more (25-50%) to operate efficiently. Open “My Computer” to see the capacity and free space on your C drive.

Stop unnecessary services (How to Disable Services in Windows Xp/Vista)
Many programs install and run services for their convenience. Sometimes these services are running unnecessarily and can slow things down. Places to check for unnecessary services: System Icon Tray (lower right of Start line where time is shown), the Startup Folder {All Programs, Startup) and run MSCONFIG to see all services and programs started by the operating system for you when you start your PC (you will probably be surprised at the things that are running).

Repeat these steps periodically

Accumulated digital debris caused your PC to slow down in the first place. Don’t wait so long before doing a good cleanup on your PC. It will pay off in better performance and you will get to know your PC a little better. Pick a schedule (monthly? quarterly?) that you are comfortable with.

Consider a new PC
Try these steps first and you should get back some of the missing speed and performance. It may not be enough. Consider carefully the cost of additional memory, new hard drive and service costs, versus the cost of a new PC system.

Tips

• For Windows XP, create a restore point before making any changes to your PC.
• Be organized – have a checklist and take notes at each step. This will give you more control over the process.
• If you need more detailed information on the steps suggested, refer to the External Links.
• Allow enough time – don’t rush and you’ll make fewer mistakes. Some steps can take an hour or more and will be ok to run overnight.
• Pay attention. The computer jargon and procedure steps can seem confusing and sometimes intimidating. However, the average user can work through most of this and get the desired result by staying focused.

Warnings!

• Back up! You should be doing backups anyhow. This is a perfect time to catch up.
• Be sure you know what program you are dealing with before uninstalling any program. Research it if you are not completely sure.
• Be sure you know what service you are disabling in MSCONFIG before disabling any startup operation or service. Research it if you are not completely sure.
• Be sure you know what files you are dealing with before deleting any files. Research it if you are not completely sure.
• Unplug your PC from the electrical outlet before opening the PC case to add memory or clean it out. Be properly grounded. Be careful what and where you touch. Follow the manufacturer’s instructions, which might involve reading the manuals.

Top 4 Backup Software Programs

Backing up your important files, or perhaps your entire hard drive, is one of the most valuable maintenance tasks you could possibly do on your computer. With your data backed up, a hard drive crash or accidental deletion won’t be nearly as painful.

Backup software makes backing up your data automatic – a must-have feature of any successful backup plan. Here is a list of some of the most popular backup software titles available.

1. Norton Ghost 14.0

Norton Ghost 14.0 is the latest incarnation of a long time favorite PC backup program. With Norton Ghost 14.0, you can schedule automatic backups of your complete system or individual files and folders.

Easy to use configuration wizards make setup a snap for the novice and advanced options will please even the professional technician. If you want the complete backup package in one easy to use program, Norton Ghost 14.0 is an excellent choice.

Norton Ghost 14.0 is currently priced at $69.99USD and is available for Windows XP and Windows Vista.

More information on Norton Ghost 14.0

2. Acronis True Image 11 Home

Acronis True Image 11, like the other popular backup software programs profiled here, is a complete backup solution for your home computer.

The backup configuration process isn’t quite as user friendly in Acronis True Image 11 as it is in some of the other programs, but it has a huge number of advanced, unique features including email notification of completed backups, a hard drive eraser tool, a pc cloning utility, and much more.

Acronis True Image 11 Home is currently priced at $49.99USD and is available for Windows 2000, Windows XP, and Windows Vista.

More information on Acronis True Image 11 Home

3. Norton Save & Restore 2.0

Think of Norton Save & Restore 2.0 as Norton Ghost “Lite”. Norton Save & Restore 2.0 has all the great standard features of it’s more powerful sibling minus some of the extras like event-based backups, compression, and some other advanced options.

If you’re looking for a backup program that’s simple to use and you don’t see yourself needing some of the more advanced features available in Norton Ghost, Norton Save & Restore 2.0 is probably a good choice for you.

Norton Save & Restore is currently priced at $49.99USD and is available for Windows XP and Windows Vista.

More information on Norton Save & Restore 2.0

4. Genie Backup Manager Home v8.0

Genie Backup Manager Home v8.0 is yet another excellent choice for your home backup needs. Like other backup programs, you can backup your entire system, certain files and folders, or even certain types of files like music, music, etc. – whatever is important to you.

Backup and restore wizards make it easy to keep your data safe and restore it after an emergency. Compression capabilities, email notifications, online backup options, and preconfigured backup sets make Genie Backup Manager Home v8.0 an excellent value-priced choice for advanced users.

Genie Backup Manager Home v8.0 is currently priced at $49.95USD and requires Windows 200, Windows XP, or Windows Vista.

More information on Genie Backup Manager Home v8.0