What do you do when you have issues with your computer. Always something going wrong and very difficult to be without it.
Anyone recommend a good website or helpline?
I always email as an attachment any important documents such as scripts, my cvs, photos etc from my gmail account to my hotmail account. That way I can access my stuff from any computer if mine has a hissy fit.
1.Husband backed up all stuff on our computer.
2. I told him.'We should have sorted out all our folders and got rid of what we didn't want. Then you should have backed up.'
3.Husband then cleared and reloaded computer. He put all the stuff back on computer from the back up.
Won't the back up just bring back the original viruses?
Thanks x
Subesequently: Husband still swearing when trying to fix the bits which still ain't right.
It,s unlikely, as virus's tend to bed themselves deep within the operating system. It,s important that you do a full reinstall. i.e Format the hard drive wiping everthing off, then reinstall windows.
As soon as windows is back on, reinstall your antivirus, if you dont have one then download AVG Anti Virus free edition and use that to scan your backup disk, just for peace of mind.
Very good idea...emailing yourself the important files to another email account as a precaution...although easier to simply upload the files to a designated back up service server which you can acsess at anytime anywhere.
Yes Fuz....you could in theory be backing up a virus....although as David said they tend not to be files, they tend to be whateverfile.exe files...like little programmes which have to be run.
However once run.....that's when the virus goes to town doing what its been designed to do...usually to attack your operating system or to run sneakily in the background spying on your typed keystrokes etc. (never use the same password for everything!)
Once you have a virus....there are many progs that can be run to get rid of the virus....depending on how vile or clever the virus is....will necessitate the brand of virus remover. Some viruses are really clever and no amount of removal will get rid of them completely....or they disguise themselves as other programmes and fool the antvirus software.
The only true and ultra sure way: Is to back up your data to a separate hard-drive (not a partitioned hard-drive on the actual PC)
Once you know you have everything.....double check to make sure.....you can then re-install the windows opp system and all the programmes exactly as you had them from when the PC was new....most legal machines will have come with discs which enable you to return the machine back to new condition. However.....this will obliterate any other files and be a brand new machine again....so you must back up first. You will also need to run all the updates again. Its a pain but well worthwhile.
Make sure you have the appropriate software discs and especially the opp system discs to hand before you wipe!! Once you start the process there is no going back! It takes a bit of time to re-install programmes....but at least the machine will run like new.....also do run a scan on the backed up files before putting them back onto the new installation!
Another TIP: Is when you have re-installed windows and the programmes and its working great again.....use some image software and take a whole image of the whole hard drive (will be large file) but that at least gives you a complete operating hard drive image....and saves you re-installing all the progs again.....just bear in mind you would only have the files up to the point you took an image....so backing up the files still needs to be done.
We had a back-up cloud thing called drop-box which was a total nuisance as it was always searching for new documents thus slowing down my computer and saving drivel and also not secure. Whilst email too is not secure at least I have the quick option not to send my tax return to the ether until ready. Question: how do you label a memory stick? Weren't floppy discs so much easier?
Ok thanks. Great advice as a starting point. You ain't boring Mark. You is a dude.
Could also save imp files on a memory stick Carrie. Just as easy to use as floppy discs.x
Floppy Discs.....now that is a blast from the past!! My firts PC had 23 of them with windows 3.11 on them!!
They were easier to label....but so very unreliable....also not much room on them a storage!
USB Sticks are a good idea too....16gb one for around £20? You'd get a lot of files on that...easy to lose them though...I always keep an 8gb USB stick on my key ring. Plus you can put them in Macs and PC's alike. DVD's are also very handy....4gb of data on each disc...assuming you have a DVD writer installed of course. Keep one for files…one for Pics etc.
The little 500gb MY PASPORT hardrives are great value £39 and no power pack needed. Just plug 'em into your USB ports and chuck your files into a nice neat to hand….safety backup device!
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