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PC Fear Factor: The Ultimate PC Disaster Prevention Guide

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PC Fear Factor: The Ultimate PC Disaster Prevention Guide

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Description

  • Copyright 2003
  • Edition: 1st
  • eBook (Adobe DRM)
  • ISBN-10: 0-7686-6430-6
  • ISBN-13: 978-0-7686-6430-0

What would you do if the hard drive containing a year's worth of financial data and your wedding photos suddenly stops working? What would you do if Internet hackers run off with your credit card numbers and rack up several thousand dollars in 1-900 calls? Most people never even remotely consider the possibility of a computer disaster, but instead take it for granted that their computer will always work. Inevitably, disaster strikes in various forms, from hardware failures to hackers, fires, floods, and even simple human error. PC Fear Factor: The Ultimate PC Disaster Prevention Guide is the first line of defense in keeping safe from these all-too-real situations. This book provides non-technical computer users with the ability to prevent computer disasters wherever possible, and the ability to recover from unavoidable disasters quickly, easily, and completely.

Sample Content

Table of Contents

(NOTE: Each chapter begins with an Overview.)

Introduction.


1. The Root of All Computer Disasters.

Inconvenience or Disaster? The System Administrator As a Bodyguard. Understanding Your Hard Disk. What Could Possibly Go Wrong? How Do You Know When Things Are Going Wrong? What Should You Do When Disaster Strikes?



2. The Threats and the Tools.

The Tool Selection Process. How to Make Your Purchases. Required Tools—Hardware. Required Tools—Software. Recommended Tools—Software. Recommended Hardware: A Residential Gateway. Optional Tools—Software. Optional Hardware: Uninterruptible Power Supply.



3. A Disaster Prevention Plan for Your New Computer: Part 1, Before You Buy.

The Importance of Buying Value. Weighting the Purchase Criteria. The Myth of Local Support. Your New PC: Selecting a Hardware Vendor. Buying the Right Features. The Benefits of a Single Computing Environment.



4. A Disaster Prevention Plan for Your New Computer: Part 2, Before You Try.

Before You Use Your New Computer. Preparing Your New Computer for Use: A Step-By-Step Guide. Preparing Your Old Computer for Disposal or Redeployment.



5. Protecting Your Computer from Cyber-Terrorists.

Viruses: The Number One Computer Killer. Configuring Norton AntiVirus 2002. How to Use Norton AntiVirus. Why Virus-Protected Computers Are Still Vulnerable to Viruses. Tips for Avoiding Virus Infections. Other Situations That Can Leave You Vulnerable to Computer Viruses. Protecting Your Computer Against Hackers. Configuring ZoneAlarm. How to Use ZoneAlarm. Other Hacker Prevention Measures. Spyware and Adware: The Newest Hacking Threats. You Aren't the Weakest Link.



6. Backing Up Your Data.

Backup Terminology. The Fundamental Technical Flaws in Any Backup Strategy. The Importance of a Data Backup Protection Strategy. The Importance of a Data Storage Strategy. Selecting a Backup Strategy. Preparing for a Data Backup. The Drag-and-Drop Approach: Step-by-Step Instructions. An Introduction to Backup NOW! Deluxe. Using Backup NOW! to Back Up Your Data. Using Backup NOW! to Restore Individual Files. Testing Your Backup. Destroying Old Backups. Progressive Revisioning: Protecting Your Data from Irreversible Human Error. Backing Up Across a Home Network.



7. Backing Up Your Hard Disk.

Preparing for a Hard Disk Backup. Norton Ghost: The Author's Perspective. Norton Ghost: Creating Boot Discs. Norton Ghost: Backing Up Your Hard Disk Directly to CDs. Working Around Norton Ghost CD Writer Compatibility Issues. The Importance of Tracking Changes to Your Computing Environment. An Alternative Backup Strategy.



8. Disaster Recovery.

Troubleshooting Computer Disasters. Restoring Your System.



9. Keeping Your Computer in Top Shape.

Should You Keep Your Computer Up-to-Date? Keeping Your Computer Up-to-Date. Stop Sluggish Performance and System Crashes.



10. Tips for Avoiding PC Disasters.

Before You Read. Don't Change Your Operating System. Don't Install Freeware. Avoid High-Risk Changes Wherever Possible. Don't Be Bold. Preach What You Practice. Implement Procedures to Minimize Risk. Incorporate Redundancy into Everything You Do. Avoid Self-Inflicted Disasters. Don't Let Somebody Talk You into Doing Something Stupid. Use Your Old PC As a Playpen.



Appendix A. The System Restore Feature.

What Is the System Restore Feature? Activities That Trigger the Automatic Creation of Restore Points. How Do I Know if an Application Is System Restore Compliant? Manual Restore Points. How Windows Manages Restore Points. Limitations of the System Restore Feature. Enabling the System Restore Feature. What Files Are Included in the System Restore Snapshot? Using System Restore.



Appendix B. How to Install and Remove Programs from Your Computer.

Avoiding Disaster Before You Buy. Downloading a Trial Version. Purchasing the Product. Installing the Software Package. Uninstalling the Software Package.



Glossary.


Index.

Updates

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