How to Leave a Linkedin Group
Gosh, I wonder why I had to search for these instructions…
How To
How to Create a Backup Plan
June is backup awareness month, and the middle of the calendar year is the perfect time to review how your data is being backed up. Having a backup plan is critical for both businesses and home users. Everyone has data, and that data is important to them. Hard drives fail, accidents happen, and not having a good backup of your important files leads to an expensive lesson when shelling out hundreds or thousands of dollars to a consultant or data recovery service.
Gather information
Now that we have established the need for backing up, it is best to establish a plan for your valuable data. There are some questions you need ask and answer:
- What folders/files would you like to retain? (Ex. pictures, email, documents, databases, etc)
- Is all of that data on one computer/server or multiple machines?
- What is the size of the information you would like to backup?
- How often do critical files change?
- In the event of a disaster, how long can you function without access to all of your data?
Choose backup method(s)
Next, a method for creating and storing the retained data must be chosen. It is highly recommended that one backup copy is kept onsite (at the same location as the original data is located), and another copy is kept in an offsite location. The onsite copy allows for faster restoration in case of data loss. The offsite copy is needed for the possibility of the onsite backup being corrupted or fire/flood.
Image backups – Software takes a snapshot of an entire hard drive (or partition) and saves it to an external storage device such as a USB drive, NAS drive(s), or SAN.
Pros: All information on a particular machine including the operating system and installed programs can be backed up, fastest restoration from total data loss, many different options to scale from home users to large businesses, backup jobs can be scheduled and occur in the background
Cons: Restoring data can be hardware dependent, images are stored onsite, backup images taken during peak time can have a performance impact on the network or source device
Cloud backups – Selected files or folders are encrypted and copied to a service’s data center.
Pros: A cost effective backup method for home users and becoming a cheaper for businesses, backups are encrypted and kept offsite, backups occur automatically
Cons: Initial “seed” backup has a performance impact on network, possible long restoration time (depending on data size), does not backup operating system or installed programs
Device backups – Backup software is used to copy selected files to a backup device such as external hard drive or tape.
Pros: Devices can be rotated onsite/offsite, backups occur quickly, software interface can typically backup more than one computer/server, backup jobs are scheduled and occur in the background
Cons: Data growth does not scale well, backups only occur when the backup device is connected, typical backup jobs only occur once a day
Setup, test, and schedule backup job(s)
Create your first backup job and review it well. How long did it take? What is the size of the backed up data? Did it go as expected?
Next, decide how often you would like your backup job to run. Is it once a day? Every hour? The answer to this will depend on the backup method and amount of data. Create a backup schedule that works for you or your organization.
Document everything
Go through the entire backup process and document everything. Be sure to include:
- What files are being backed up
- Backup schedule, including information on which backup are full and which are incremental
- Any usernames and passwords required
- Exact location path to backup files
- Restore procedure
Test restoration of data
This is the part that most seem to skip. You have a backup plan, but to be prepared it must be tested. Start by restoring one or two files (that have not changed since the last backup) to examine the process. Compare against your documentation and update if needed.
Lastly, schedule time with an up to date and verified backup to create a disaster scenario. If possible, restore to a “test” machine and not the backup source. Restore everything, reviewing that all went as expected. It is better to test when planned, than to test in an emergency.
Review
Every three to six months review your backup plan.
How to Change the Hostname in OSX
I must have been multi-tasking when I setup my 13″ MacBook Pro, because when I opened up the Terminal I realized the hostname of my computer didn’t match my preferred system name. I opened up System Preferences -> Sharing and verified that there my computer was named “Cassandra”, however the Terminal was showing my computer’s name as “Rachel”.
Your computer’s hostname is how your computer is identified on your network and it is the hostname shown by Terminal that is broadcasted to the other computers in your network – so it is important to have it be correct. Modifying the hostname requires just a simple Terminal command to fix:
sudo scutil --set HostName machinename
You will need to enter your password to complete the command. Close and reopen the Terminal application to verify the corrected hostname.
Check a Website for Malware Infections
The most likely cause of a computer to become infected with malware is a visit to an infected website. We visit websites seen on social media sites, sent to us via email, linked on other websites, found on search engines, etc. Even websites that look benign to the end user can in the background be running malicious scripts.
If your current anti-virus doesn’t have a component built in to scan links automatically for you, consider using the AVG Online Web Page Scanner. The AVG Online Web Page Scanner also can check links using shortened urls.
AVG also offers LinkScanner as a free software download to Windows users.
Check a Website for Malware Infections
The most likely cause of a computer to become infected with malware is a visit to an infected website. We visit websites seen on social media sites, sent to us via email, linked on other websites, found on search engines, etc. Even websites that look benign to the end user can in the background be running malicious scripts.
If your current anti-virus doesn’t have a component built in to scan links automatically for you, consider using the AVG Online Web Page Scanner. The AVG Online Web Page Scanner also can check links using shortened urls.
AVG also offers LinkScanner as a free software download to Windows users.
Check a Website for Malware Infections
The most likely cause of a computer to become infected with malware is a visit to an infected website. We visit websites seen on social media sites, sent to us via email, linked on other websites, found on search engines, etc. Even websites that look benign to the end user can in the background be running malicious scripts.
If your current anti-virus doesn’t have a component built in to scan links automatically for you, consider using the AVG Online Web Page Scanner. The AVG Online Web Page Scanner also can check links using shortened urls.
AVG also offers LinkScanner as a free software download to Windows users.
Show Hidden Files in OSX
There is no way to enable the displaying of hidden files or folders from the graphic user interface on a Mac, but it can be done via Terminal. To enable the displaying of the hidden files open the Terminal and type:
defaults write com.apple.Finder AppleShowAllFiles TRUE [press enter]
KillAll Finder [press enter]
If you are done viewing the hidden files and would like to stop viewing them, open the Terminal again and type:
defaults write com.apple.Finder AppleShowAllFiles FALSE [press enter]
KillAll Finder [press enter]
How to Control Alt Delete in Remote Desktop
I use Remote Desktop to access all of the servers I administer. I can troubleshoot or perform maintenance on the servers without having to visit each client’s office, not to mention work in my pajamas.
When remotely working on a server, nothing is more panic enducing than a server freezing on you. If you are in front of the server working at console level you would be able to press control, alt, and delete keys to bring up the Logon Information Box which can take you to the Task Manager.
But how do you do that when accessing a machine via Remote Desktop:
Control, Alt, and End keys bring up the Logon Information Box in a Remote Desktop Window
More Remote Desktop Shortcuts (via Technospot)
- ALT + PAGEUP : Switch between programs left to right.
- ALT + PAGEDOWN : Switch between programs right to left.
- ALT + INSERT : Cycle through programs in most recently used order.
- ALT + HOME : Display Start Menu.
- CTRL + ALT + BREAK : Switch the client computer between a window and full screen.
- ALT + DELETE : Displays the windows menu.
- CTRL + ALT + Minus Sign (-) : Place a snapshot of the active window in the client the terminal server, same as PRINT SCREEN on a local computer.
- CTRL + ALT + Plus Sign (+) : Place a snapshot of the entire window in the client the terminal server, same as PRINT SCREEN on a local computer.
Customize the Windows 7 Logon Screen Background
You can easily change your user picture in Windows 7 from the control panel, but there is no GUI way to change the background image to the Windows logon screen. Thoosje released the Windows 7 Logon Screen Editor to easily allow you to change the background image, and even preview it before committing the change.
For a customized background to be available it must be located in the C:Program Files (x86)Thoosje Logon EditorLibrary directory. I suggest using a background image that is the same resolution as your monitor.
Assign a Process or a Program to a CPU in Windows 7
In Windows 7 on a dual-core or multiprocessor system, after a program is already running there is an easy way to assign the program or process to a specific processor. Windows normally decides which processor to use automatically, but you may want to reassure yourself.
- Bring up the Task Manager
- Right click on the process and select Set Affinity
- Check or uncheck the processors based on your preference. Leaving all the processors and <All Processors> checked will allow Windows to manage this for you.
