Primer in Computer Terminology

Computer Care: RAM from ROM — Some basic PC terminology

By Arthur Glazer
arthur@glazerthepctech.com

POSTED May 15, 2010 1 a.m.

Writing is a family tradition. Both of my daughters write and my wife has a biweekly column here in The Times. When I meet people around town, I often hear that they read our columns - and enjoy hers. It's just that mine is too technical for them to understand.

I try not to use much techno jargon, but I can't stop using the necessary terminology. I can try to help you understand it, yet I need to refer to components like the processor as such. I can't call it "the thingy that makes the computer run."

So let's have a brief primer in computing technology. There won't be a test at the end, but take notes anyway.

Since you use computers, there are certain terms you should be familiar with. It will help you when you need to troubleshoot your system. If you don't know your RAM from your ROM, F Keys from F-Stops or drag and drop from cut and paste (I could go on), then keep reading.

RAM is your system memory. The acronym means Random Access Memory. It is your computer's temporary storage in that when you power down, what is in RAM is lost.

Your hard drive is your permanent memory or storage device. When you save a document, that's where it goes. In today's PCs, you might have 2 gigabyte of RAM with a 300 GB hard drive.

ROM is Read Only Memory. That's what a DVD has when you get one with a movie on it. Your optical drive, the CD/DVD reader/writer, may say DVD ROM if it only reads DVDs.

Drag and drop is what you do with Windows files when you want to move them from one place to another. Let's say you have some photos on your desktop. Open your My Documents folder and find the My Pictures folder. Click and drag each photo on your desktop (holding the left mouse button down) on top of the Pictures icon and then let go. You just moved the photos there. If you use the right mouse button, you'll have the option of move or copy.

Cut and paste is when you highlight some text or an address to place somewhere else. Position your mouse at the beginning of the text and holding the left button down, go to the end of the text desired. Then right-click, choose Copy, or go to Edit from the top menus and choose Edit -> Copy.

Put your curser where you want to move or copy the text and then right-click again and choose Paste or go to Edit -> Paste. Alternatively you can use keyboard shortcuts Control + C for copy and Control+ V for paste.

The F Keys are the top row of keys, usually in blue. They are accessed in combination with the FN (Function) Key on the bottom left of your keyboard. They change things like screen contrast, toggle the wireless on and off or allow an external monitor. Just look at the icon on each key. Computers differ as to the function of each key.

F-stops are the aperture sizes on your camera's lens. That's another column altogether, but I did mention it.
Let's continue. You've heard about modems and routers. Some Internet service providers combine these two devices into one unit, but let's say you have two boxes. The modem, which means modulate, demodulate, gets the signal from your wall and your provider. The router spreads it around your home to various computers.

A flash drive, thumb drive, USB drive or whatever you decide to call it is that tiny storage device on your keychain. It usually holds anywhere from 1 to 16 GB. It is cheap, has no moving parts and will be the type of hard drive in computers in the very near future.

The processor is the actual chip that does most of the work. It is the CPU or Central Processing Unit. It could be Intel or AMD, single, dual or quad core. It is currently measured in gigahertz GHz (1-3) noting the speed of the processor.

Hardware is a tangible component in or on a computer. Software is a program it uses.

An e-mail client is Outlook, Outlook Express Windows Mail or Incredimail. Web Mail uses the Internet and online programs like Gmail, Hotmail and AOL Mail.

An attachment is something you send with an e-mail, whether it is a document or a photo.

Photos are often referred to as jpgs or jpegs, as that is a common file extension for a photo image (myphoto.jpg). Movies on the other hand are often called mpgs or mpegs as that is their extension. There are others for both.

If you take even this little bit of PC knowledge with you next time you computer shop, you'll know what the sales guy is talking about.

There will be a test next time.

Arthur Glazer is a freelance writer and computer technician in Gainesville. His column appears biweekly on Saturdays. Arthur welcomes your computer questions and ideas for future columns.

Safe Mode for Self-Support

Computer Care: Safe Mode helps you track down system problems

By Arthur Glazer
arthur@glazerthepctech.com

POSTED May 1, 2010 4:28 p.m.

Before you call a technician to fix your computer, there are a couple of things you could try on your own. System Restore is one option, but we covered that in a previous column. Safe Mode is another option. The former loads an alternative version of the registry, one when everything was working the way it should.

When you can’t boot normally into Windows, the latter lets you into a version of the OS with only the absolute necessities running, allowing you to attempt repairs. You will not have sound, Internet or printing capabilities and the display will look different. It will load with only 16 colors and a resolution of 640 x 480, making everything look larger. Although limited, you will have enough functionality to troubleshoot your problem.

Once there, you’ll be able to destroy malware, eradicate viruses, address system conflicts and repair your registry, if it warrants it.
So how do you get there? Reboot your computer and tap the F8 key immediately after the initial messages appear on screen. If you get to the Windows logo, you missed your window of opportunity. Reboot and try again.

You’ll see a window entitled “Advanced Options Menu” if you did it correctly. The top option is Safe Mode, but there’s another one you should try first.

Halfway down the list, find “Last Known Good Configuration” and click on it. It is a form of System Restore that will take you back to better times. It may or may not work for you, but it’s worth a try.

After booting into Windows with that option, if nothing has changed reboot and try again. This time hit the top Safe Mode option. You’ll get a confirmation pop-up advising you that you’re about to enter Safe Mode. Click “Yes” to continue.

If you get a password window and don’t have one, just hit enter and continue. You’ll see a black screen with scrolling text. This is normal. When it settles down and you are in Windows, you’ll see the words “Safe Mode” in all four corners of the screen.

If this didn’t work for you, there is another way to get there. From inside Windows, click “Start,” and then “Run” in XP or use the Search box in Vista or 7. Type “msconfig” to bring up the System Configuration Utility. Under the Boot.ini tab, check the box next to “Safeboot” and make sure the “minimal” option is also checked. When you reboot, you’ll be where you need to be.

Now it’s time to get to work. You’ll need to play detective and try to figure out what changes to your system stopped it from working properly. Determine if the culprit was newly added hardware, software or an updated driver.

When you add these things, it’s important to be certain they are compatible with your particular operating system. Windows is not Windows. If you have Win 7, make sure the box or Web site you got it from says, “Compatible with Windows 7.”

Use the proper delete method for whatever you are getting rid of. Control Panel has Add/Remove Hardware and Software utilities or you could use third-party applications.

Uninstall that new program, reboot and see if it helped. Then try uninstalling the printer or mouse you just added, reboot and see if that helped. Then try the drivers. Do it in steps.

If you want to roll back a device driver, go to Device Manager and double-click on the mouse, for example. Then choose to roll it back to a previous version.

To get out of Safe Mode, you only need to reboot normally, unless you had to use the System Configuration Utility. In that case, go back and uncheck the box you initially checked for Safe Mode.

If all of this troubleshooting fails to remedy your problem, it’s time to get out the big guns. Find your Windows CD.

If you boot to it, you can choose to initiate a Windows repair. If you’re not careful, you’ll be reinstalling Windows, which you may have to end up doing anyway, but not yet.

The second time you’re asked, hit “R” to run the repair module. It will appear as if Windows is reinstalling, bit in fact it is just copying and replacing files. When all is done, you’ll still have your programs and documents.

Don’t abort this process. You’ll only be asking for more trouble if you do and will have to finish it later anyway.

If the repair didn’t take, the last thing to try is a complete and full reinstallation of Windows. That WILL delete your files and you’ll be starting from scratch. But at least everything will work as it should.

Don’t jump to conclusions so fast though. That’s why there is Safe Mode. It will let you in to fix the system when you couldn’t normally. Try using it first. It could save you both time and money.

We techs are always here if you need us.

Arthur Glazer is a freelance writer and computer technician in Gainesville. His column appears biweekly. Arthur welcomes your computer questions and ideas for future columns.

File sharing instaed of file attaching

Computer Care: File sharing now made easier thanks to free upload sites

By Arthur Glazer
arthur@glazerthepctech.com

UPDATED April 17, 2010 1 a.m.

Have you ever tried to send someone an e-mail with an attachment that you wanted to share, something you were passionate about, only to discover it has been rejected by the server?

Even if you don't know what a server is or why it rejects attachments, it happens.

Servers are the computers that filter, store and forward communications at both your ISP and the recipients'. Some will reject files larger than 5 MB, while others allow up to 20 MB. Even if yours will allow a large file to be sent, it may be blocked at the other end. There is though, a way around this obstacle.

Short of attaching your video, song or string of images to an e-mail, you can upload it to a file-sharing Web site. Each works somewhat differently, but is basically the same. Most have free plans that allow you to share your files with your buddies. File size may be limited, but is still 10 times or more than what your ISP would allow.

Your files are viewed by invitation, encrypted for security and optionally password protected should you want a heightened defense.

Some allow only one file at a time, some have time limits; how long the file could stay at the site. Others limit the amount of times the file may be accessed, still usually at least 100 times though.

Let's begin with dropbox.com. After you download and install a small applet, you have a program that will sync the files on all of your computers and will also let you share files with others.

At sendthisfile.com, it's all done from their site. After registration, you can send any size file, but it will only remain available for three days and with the free plan, you can send to only three recipients.

With ofile.com, you have 3GB of free storage space with their provisional plan. It's good for two months.

Wetransfer.com offers 2GB of free storage and there is no registration required, making it extremely easy to use. From their site, enter the files to share, your e-mail address and those of your recipients along with an optional message. Hit transfer and that's it. Your files can be shared with up to 20 others and will be there for two weeks.

Filedropper.com, also easy to use, allows 5 GB of free storage and as long as the file is being downloaded, it is kept on their servers. After you upload a file, you copy a link and send to your friends to download it.
At yousendit.com, their Lite account is free for a gigabyte of storage and transfer. You can only send one file at a time, but it can be up to 100 MB.

None of these file-sharing sites slam you with ads or banners promoting some other cause. At wetransfer, the background is an ad, but more like a screensaver and is more pleasant than annoying.

These sites offer free plans with the hopes you'll want you to buy into one of their pay plans. There is no waiting while you watch an advertisement. You get a link to a file and that's it.

Obviously, the paid plans on all of the sites are enhanced. They have faster speeds; allow larger files, more recipients and options such as tracking, express delivery and resumable uploads or downloads should a connection be interrupted.

You'll also have the option of keeping a file private, so only you can see it (for backup purposes).

Yousendit for example, installs a plug-in that becomes integrated to Outlook. When you attempt to send a file, it asks if you want to attach it to an e-mail or use their service instead.

Keep in mind there is more to these services than simple file sharing with others. It is also a good way use the cloud to back up your important files. Duplicate the ones you don't want to chance losing. Send up copies of best photos, your tax documents and your resume.

The primary purpose of these sites and of this column though, is to stress the ease at which one can share files with others. To give you an idea how easy this can be, I'll share a file with you. Go to this link: http://www.filedropper.com/arthur-image and get my byline photo. It may not be a keepsake, but you'll get an idea how easy the process is.

It took 20 seconds to upload it and should take just as long to download. Normally, someone would have e-mailed the link to you.

Go to the Web sites listed above and give them a try. You'll see the differences between them, and with all, how easy file-sharing can be. Perhaps initially, send yourself a file to test the process. Use the file I sent you if you want.

Forget about worrying whether your file is too large an attachment for you to e-mail. Try sharing instead of attaching.

Arthur Glazer is a freelance writer and computer technician in Gainesville. His column appears biweekly. Arthur welcomes your computer questions and ideas for future columns.

Free Alternative Operating Systems

Linux offers a free Windows alternative

By Arthur Glazer
arthur@glazerthepctech.com

POSTED April 2, 2010 6:56 p.m.

Free is good, especially when it refers to computing. I think just about everyone would agree to that statement.

In computing there is trialware, which is software that is free to try; freeware, which is no-cost software to keep, and open source software, which is somewhat different still.

The open source programs follow the rules of FOSS, Free Open Source Software, and the GNU Project, a free software, mass collaboration project that began in 1983 at MIT. They state the programs are to be free of cost but also free to implement change.

The source code that was used to write the software is to be included with the program.

The philosophy leans more toward the concept of free speech, rather than free beer.

If you download Program 2.0 from the Internet and know of a way to improve on it, you do. Then you send it back from where you got it, making note of the changes and rename it version 2.1.

We’ll get to software in a minute, but on a grander scale, there are free operating systems. Early in the last decade of the last century, Linus Torvalds, a then 21-year-old University of Helsinki computer programmer, wrote some Unix-like code that was to be a free operating system, one he didn’t think would catch on.

Today, Linux, as it has come to be known, is available in dozens of languages as well as in dozens of “distros,” or distributions, in both 32- and 64-bit. The most well known is perhaps Red Hat, but there is also Fedora, Ubuntu, Debian, Knoppix, Xandros, Mandriva and many more.

Linux began in the DOS age as a command prompt operating system, eventually morphing into a GUI, or Graphical User Interface, as Windows is now. It still helps if you know some of the old commands, but you don’t have to.

Some distros you don’t even have to install. These are called “live” versions and are generally a bit smaller in content than their big brothers.

Look at zenwalk.org for a good one. They run at boot from the system memory. You put the CD in, boot your computer and in three minutes you are running a version of Linux, a turn-key, free operating system. When you reboot, you’re back in Windows. It is that easy. I’m not making this up.

If you have a large enough hard drive, you can install Linux next to Windows. Have a dual-boot computer. When you turn it on, you’ll have the option of booting into the OS of your choice.

All versions come loaded with applications, utilities and games. You can write a document or scan one, use a calculator, send e-mail, connect to the Internet, chat online, edit photos, listen to music, watch videos or create one, create a Web site, burn CDs, play solitaire or Sudoku and more — all for free.

The equivalent of Office, Visio, Ghost, Paint, Roxio and Movie Maker are respectively: Open Office, Dia, Cineluna, Clonezilla, Gimp and Infra Recorder.

Go to www.openoffice.org for the free version of that nice Office-like suite.

Just as with the distros, there are many more free apps available for download. A couple of good places to start are at www.linux.org and www.linuxfreedom.com/distros. You’ll find links to the distros, applications from anti-spam programs to MP3 players and fun things like Alien Arena and Astro Menace.

You may find fees at some of the sites. That is only if you want an actual CD with Linux on it. It also covers support. But if you find the download button, there will be no charge. Download the iso file, burn it to a CD or DVD and you’re good to go. There are also many good tutorials on the sites if you need help. Linux users also have lots of online forums you can join or browse for answers.

It needs saying that Linux computers don’t catch viruses or get infected with malware. Not like Windows PCs do, anyway. I don’t believe it’s because the system is immune though. I think it’s more due to the fact there are simply not enough Linux users that warrant the writing of nuisance viruses by the netcompoops that do. As Linux systems become more mainstream, they, too, will most likely also succumb to viruses.

Even though you are a Windows user, whether XP, Vista or Win 7, you should still consider trying Linux. Install it to a large hard drive or just run it from RAM. Either way, you’ll be impressed with its versatility and stability.

Not only will you have a new OS to explore with new apps and games to try, but Linux proves to be a valuable tool as well. Should you experience trouble with your Windows installation as many of us do, Linux gives you a back door to your files.

From the Linux file manager you can access Windows files and either invoke a repair or save them to an alternative destination.

So although there may be no such thing as free beer, an investment in Linux is worthwhile and won’t cost a dime.

Arthur Glazer is a freelance writer and computer technician in Gainesville. His column appears biweekly. Arthur welcomes your computer questions and ideas for future columns.

Email Alternatives

Computer Care: Many options for e-mail are often free, too

By Arthur Glazer
arthur@glazerthepctech.com

POSTED March 19, 2010 7:58 p.m.

Not everyone checks their e-mail the same way. There are basically two types of e-mail: Web or cloud-based and client-based. Web mail includes Yahoo, MSN, Gmail and Hotmail. Client e-mail uses programs like Outlook, Outlook Express, Windows Mail, Thunderbird and Eudora.

Each has their own advantages and disadvantages. Most Web mails are free, as are some of the client-based programs. Some are sponsored with banners or taglines. With many of the Web mail offerings, you are limited to the amount of storage space and attachment size. Fast Mail, for example, has an ad-laden free version that limits you to 10 MB of mail storage. Once you start with a pay plan, the ads disappear and the storage space increases.

Gmail from Google is a free Web-based program; you access it from your Web browser (Internet Explorer, Firefox). It gives you 7 GB of storage and also has ads. It incorporates a good spam blocker and will check your other accounts as well.

Thunderbird from Mozilla is a free client that has tabs like its cousin Firefox. It is highly customizable and has many skins and other add-ons free to download.

The main difference between the two types is that programs like Outlook (client mail) create folders on your computer where the mail is stored. You can download it and read it later offline, but the program needs to be installed on the computer.

With Gmail and other Web-based programs, your mail is stored on their servers and you need to be online to access it. But the upside is that you can read it via a browser on any computer with Internet access.

Web mail controls the storage capacity since it is on their computers; client mail storage is dictated only by the size of your hard drive.

Web e-mail is left on mail servers until you delete it. If you don’t, eventually your senders will get a message saying your mailbox is full. The same could happen with client-based mail, but by default, its mail is usually only kept on servers for two to three months.

These options are usually dealt with by the protocols assigned to different types of e-mail programs. There is POP (3) mail, Post Office Protocol, which receives most client-based mail. Web mail uses IMAP, Internet Message Access Protocol, to receive. They both use SMTP (Simple Mail Transfer Protocol) to send the mail.

Many Windows 7 users have noticed that Microsoft failed to put an e-mail client in their latest operating system. XP users had Outlook Express, Vista had Windows Mail. (Outlook, by the way, is part of Office and is not free.) The folks in Redmond were only trying to cut down on the clutter. They made it an a-la-carte offering.

If you want an e-mail client, you can download it for free from their Web site. Navigate to Windows Live Mail here.

Not to go on a rant here, but I need to mention some things concerning e-mail etiquette.

Just because your buddy suggests a certain e-mail needs to be forwarded 10 times to ensure good luck doesn’t mean you have to do it. A “must read” from Aunt Tilly may be of no interest to the rest of your contacts. Please consider that.

When a supposed expert sends something, it doesn’t necessarily mean it is so. I can sign an e-mail with NASA after my name, claiming Mars will explode in May. Check out anything suspicious at www.snopes.com before you forward it. They debunk many online urban myths.

One last piece of advice about e-mail accounts: Get yourself a free one. No matter what type of account you have, a free one can’t hurt. It can actually help. Use it as a throw-away account just to sign up for things. You’ll never even check it.

When you sign up for newsletters, online forums or contests, that’s where much of the spam comes from. You just gave out your e-mail address and it could have been sold to solicitors. So why use your real address?

Get a free one from Hotmail or Yahoo. When they tell you the box is full, toss it and get another.

Tell 10 of your friends about this column or your computer will get a virus tomorrow.

Arthur Glazer is a freelance writer and computer technician in Gainesville. His column appears biweekly. Arthur welcomes your computer questions and ideas for future columns.

The Cost of Ink

Computer Care: Don't let printers soak you for high cost of ink

By Arthur Glazer
arthur@glazerthepctech.com

POSTED March 6, 2010 1 a.m.

Not all printers are created equal. Nor are the inks they use. The main thing to consider when you buy a printer is what the cost would be for replacement cartridges. And not all of them are the same.

I recommend buying a printer with more than a black and a tri-color cartridge. With them, if you run out of yellow, the whole cartridge is trash. My Epson Photo Stylus has six cartridges, each at a (retail) cost of about $15. When yellow runs out, that's what I replace.

I also have a Lexmark wireless All-in One that I failed to research properly prior to buying it. I now know that when the color runs out, it will not print at all, not even in black. It's a good question to ask at the store.

Some printers cost less than $50. They come with a starter cartridge that is usually less than half full. But to get a refill for it could cost the same as the printer itself. It's like the razors at the drug store. They give you the handle and a blade and then charge $20 for four more blades.

Most of us use either ink jet or laser printers; some businesses still use dot matrix. There are photo printers, wide formats, all-in-ones and wireless. You can now purchase a printer, scanner, fax, copier combo with wireless for just more than $100. Again, the replacement ink is where they get you. But don't be intimidated by the manufacturers telling you that you need to use costly OEM (original equipment manufacture) ink only. You don't.

There are after-market cartridges that are fine. You can also use kits to refill them yourself. A $20 kit from the supermarket will fill 10 cartridges. Considering most ink jet replacements cost $20-$30, that's quite a savings.

The stores that sell the new expensive OEM products also offer alternatives. Office Depot for example, will give you a $3 credit per used cartridge that you bring in and then offer a 10 percent discount on new purchases. You can bring in five per day.

Walgreens will refill your cartridge for $12.99 and Cartridge World will sell you a pre-used refilled cartridge, refill yours or provide an OEM for you.

Another alternative is bulk ink systems. Instead of have three to six cartridges with 20 ML of ink each, you could have tubes running to bottles adjacent to your printer, each holding 60 ML (or more). You can get more than three times the ink for less than a quarter of the price. Again, that's a good savings.

There are a few more things you should know about ink and cartridges. When your printer tells you that you need ink, you don't. Not yet, anyway. I can use mine for two weeks after I get the initial warning. I keep using it until the printout has white spaces in it.

Remember, HP, Canon, Lexmark, Kodak and Epson make money from ink, not from printers. So don't be a hurry to toss a cartridge that may be 20 percent full. But if you let it run completely dry, you could damage the printer. Monitor the ink levels carefully.

When you do replace a cartridge, do it soon after it is used up. The residual ink will dry on both the print head and the cartridge if you don't swap them out as soon as they are empty. They can be cleaned and some kits will even provide a solvent to use for just that. But it's extra work that can be avoided.

Most cartridges can be refilled at least three or four times, often times even more than that. There are certain types that can't be refilled at all.

The Internet is another place to find deals on ink. A good online resource is inkguides.com, an independent site full of useful information about ink for your printer. It will direct you to sites like 123refills.net, 4inkjets.com, inkcartridges.com and others. Some even offer free shipping along with heavy discounts.

A great piece of related software is Ink Saver from inksaver.com. It is better than using draft mode for reducing ink costs. For each document you are about to print, you'll get a pop-up with a slider, asking what percent of ink you want to save on that document. The last I saw, it was about $30, with a trial available.

The manufacturers all make $49 printers as well as $849 models. Some may use ink that is better for photos or that is quicker drying. Some may include bells and whistles that others don't have. Some have a fax incorporated in it, while others are wireless.

Just like Internet Explorer and Firefox, both get you to the Internet; all printers will get the job done. Some may do it better or cheaper than others. Some last longer or have more gadgets.

The bottom line is, get what you need and what you can afford. But don't be bullied into buying expensive ink.

Arthur Glazer is a freelance writer and computer technician in Gainesville. His column appears biweekly. Arthur welcomes your computer questions and ideas for future columns.

Storage in the Cloud

Computer Care: Cloud storage an easy way to back up your data

By Arthur Glazer
arthur@glazerthepctech.com

POSTED Feb. 20, 2010 1 a.m.

Hard drives fail. It's not a question of if, but rather when. I've had them last eight years; one failed in less than eight months. If you place value on your data, you should find a secondary storage device for it.

Everybody has photos, spreadsheets, documents and other forms of digital matter that they would prefer not to lose. I back up my images to DVDs, my programs to an external hard drives and ghost my operating systems. There are various ways to back things up using different types of media.

Programs exist that will help, from Acronis True Image to Norton Ghost. Even within the programs you have choices. Do you want to make copies of your documents or only your system files? Would you prefer to clone your entire hard drive?

After you make these decisions, you need to have a place to keep them. For obvious reasons, you don't want your backup on the same drive as the source.

There are optical discs such as CDs, DVDs and Blu-ray. Then there are secondary internal hard drives. Most desktops have sufficient room for at least one additional drive, sometimes more. These would show up under My Computer (or Computer) next to the "C" drive, as the "D" drive, moving your CD drive down one, to perhaps the "E" drive.

Next are the external devices, whether portable or not. These include the small keychain-sized thumb drives to the pocket flash drives and the desk drives.

The price of these devices has dropped incredibly in the past year or so. You can get a 500 GB drive for just over $100 now. That's a lot of pictures of the grandkids. Why stop there? Terabyte drives are now all the rage. That is 1,000 gigabytes.

The next wave of storage (and computing) though, is not in your pocket or on your desk. It's on the Internet and is called cloud storage (and cloud computing). This comes from the cloud image that represents the Internet on flow charts.

You may have seen ads for Internet-based products like Mozi or Carbonite in magazines or on TV. This is the new wave. Most offer a gigabyte or two of free storage space in their cloud. For additional fees you can get more storage.

I have a free Mozi account and for less than $5 they offer unlimited storage. Both Mozi and Carbonite offer pricing for home and business accounts.

There are some advantages to cloud storage. You don't have to purchase and maintain a physical device, so there is nothing to wear down, break or lose. It is generally less expensive; it grows with your needs; it is more efficient and more secure than the way you are storing your data now.

Just as with the Acronis or Norton products, the off-site storage arena offers scheduled uploads to their clouds. All data is also encrypted so nobody can see what you are storing.

What I like is the fact that you are not tethered to a box and a cable. Wherever you are, you have access, 24/7 to you data. All you need is a computer and your password.

In a case as this, I suggest a strong password. This is a prime example why you shouldn't use the same term for all of your accounts. If someone hacks your e-mail account, then now they can enter your storage area as well. Choose an eight-character, alpha-numeric password, not your dog's name.

But just as with any product or service, caveat emptor. Let the buyer beware. Research the cloud service that you are about to send your valuable information up to. I would stick with one of the better known, big guys. Should you go for say, Carl's Cloud, it may turn out to be Carl's Con and you‘ve lost everything.

You might inquire if they have redundant servers. Do they have more than one copy of your data, should disaster strike them?

Remember, hard drives fail. It's a fact of computing. Generally, they last anywhere from three to five years. Even new ones can stop working. Sure, you'll get a replacement, but your data will still be gone.

I extract data from crashed drives on a regular basis. Often, though, it's not possible. Some drives are too far gone to get anything out of them. I can tell by the look on clients' faces that they have no other copies of what is on the drive.

Backing up data is not difficult, time-consuming, nor does it have to be expensive. Simply choose a method and a device and as they say, just do it!

Next time you decide to back up your data, consider the cloud. The sky is the limit.

Arthur Glazer is a freelance writer and computer technician in Gainesville. His column appears biweekly. Arthur welcomes your computer questions and ideas for future columns.