If you’re a fan of Dropbox but don’t have friends who share the same feelings about it as you, and don’t feel like installing a new program.  Here is where File Stork comes in.  File Stork works alongside of Dropbox to deliver secure ways of sending files to friends or family, and setup is easy! It’s so easy in fact that no software is needed to install at all.  Simply go to http://filestork.net and click the “Get Started” button.  From there just connect with your Dropbox account then send a request for files. Give the unique link to your friend/family member you are sharing files with.  (As an option you can password protect the link as well so not just anyone can have access to upload files.) Have the person upload their files, and once they are finished being uploaded they will then be accessible to you from your Dropbox account. And if you have Dropbox installed on your PC at home, the files will then automatically transfer to your PC as well.

Recuva is a file recovery tool that allows you to recover deleted files from hard drives, flash drives, MP3 players, and much more. What is even better is they have a full install version and a portable version. This program is free to download and works on most Windows Operating Systems.

Cryogenic FileSplitter is a simple file splitter program with a real easy to use drag and drop interface. You can specify how many sections you want the file to be split into. It also displays each segment size so that you can see how big each segment is going to be before you split it.

Cryogenic FileSplitter is a free portable application and will work on most Windows Operating Systems. I personally tested it on Windows 7 and had no issues.  

USB Safe Guard is a free portable program that will encrypt all of the files on your flash drive very easily, anyone can do it. You can also set this tool up to shred your files in case you lose your flash drive.

To get the program installed onto your flash drive you simply download it from the following website http://usbsafeguard.altervista.org/download.html, then you drag the program onto your flash drive. From here all you do is launch the software from your flash drive, then you should be prompted to create a password. Once you do you are then able to encrypt the entire flash drive or specific files or folders, in which all you do is drag into the interface. This program also gives you options on what to do when someone tries to access your data and does not know the password. You can set it to shred all of the data, leave it alone, plus a few more options.

 You can also enter in your phone number or email in case your lose your memory stick. Most other programs like this do not have this option, which is very nice to have when you leave your flash drive at a clients site. This program will work on Windows XP, Vista, and Windows 7.

Toshiba has just released their new portable hard drive lineup that is mainly used for easy to use computer backups.  This USB drive weighs in at only 6.3 ounces, and stacks up to be 3.1 inches wide and 4.7 inches long.  Five colors and four storage capacities are currently available which include: 500GB, 640GB, 750GB, and 1TB which start out at $120 and goes to $200.  The drives comes pre-loaded with Windows NTI BackupNow EZ software which allows users to make backups of their system and/or files, as well as better file searching and a simple solution to restore "lost" or deleted files.  The option to completely backup your Windows system, allowing users to restore selected files even if Windows becomes corrupt and will not start is probably my favorite feature.  Way to go Toshiba! 

Windows operating system has a utility called system restore that allows you to restore your computer to a previous day and time.

The only thing most users do not know, in the event that your system becomes infected, chances are the system restore files are infected as well. The latest malware infections that claim that your system is vunerable, and you must protect it, can be hidden on your system for an extended period of time. To just restore the system to an earlier day and time will not remove the infection. It will more times then not be restored along with all the other files. Your best bet is to have a Tech Expert remove the infection.

When will it stop.

It seems that the rouge antivirus programs have been finding their way everywhere. I have seen infections before, but this one keeps on making itself known, over and over again. I can not stress the importance of watching every window that pops up and be careful. The malware that can infect you happens so quick, you have to pay attention, and realize what they are trying to do. They are trying to infect your system. It is like a bad practical joke. I just wonder... when will it stop. 

Ryan's post below explains the latest is hard drives. But the one thing you do not want to hear is click, click, click.

What you have to understand is the hard drive is one of the few moving parts in a computer. And any engineer will tell you "moving parts are prone to fail". And when your hard drive fails, more than likely you will hear a clicking noise from it. This clicking is usually in a steady beating pattern. The best advice I can give you is to use the tools you were born with. Listen and if you hear strange noises from your system, get it checked right away by a professional, before failure happens.

In the world of technology, this old saying is truly words of wisdom.

My fellow Expert Guys here on this site have written more than one blog about the importance of backups. I would like to call attention to the fact that at least 95% of the clients I deal with have only one backup in place, which is done right in their office and one has to wonder "is that backup happening and can I restore data from it". Any attempt at a backup is better then none at all. But we offer a service, at Tech Experts, that is very affordable for even the smallest backups. Online offsite backups allow you to relax and rest assured that your data is being backed up and will be ready, if and when needed at a moments notice.

These backups occur automatically and require no interaction on the clients part. But the best part is the data is being backed up to a backup and recovery device that is located in a different location. In addition to all local backups, this service offers peace of mind, and it is truly "out of sight".  

Over the weekend, I helped a friend out who had one of those catastrophic system failures, and he thought he had lost everything. 

Being one of the many users who has no backup solution whatsoever, he was very thankful for the Windows Complete PC Backup and Restore utility built into the Windows Vista Ultimate operating system he is running.  Unable to start Windows up from his hard disk, we booted from a Windows Vista installation CD, and proceeded with the system restore. 

The feature had been correctly utilized, giving a comprehensive image of the total system.  Everything from the operating system, all user data, and even all installed programs.  In about 2 hours, we were able to get his system back up and running, like it had not even had a problem.  In this case, but not all, no data nor programs were lost, so a it was complete success story. 

If you're one of the folks guilty of having no backup solution in place, take a minute to run through this great tool implemented in Windows Vista as well as the newest version of the Windows platform, Windows 7.  This can save not only your precious data, and programs, but a great deal of time when you're in a pinch.