Data Security Freeware and Tips

Easy Steps to Transfer Files from Your Old Phone to HTC Phone

2013-05-25T23:27:00.004-07:00

So you just got a new HTC phone but you have so many files & apps stored on your old cell phone? Want to know if there is a way to quickly transfer those important data to the new phone? In fact, there is a nice app called "Transfer" within HTC phone that can get the job done quickly.

Most of the case, it is pre-installed when you buy the new phone. With it, you can transfer data from your old phone (Apple iPhone, Samsung, Nokia and more) to the new HTC phone in just a few minutes.

Please note: the below step by step instructions can only be applied provided that Bluetooth on both phones work fine.

Open your new HTC phone, click on the "Transfer" icon on the dashboard.
Then you'll see a screen titled Transfer my stuff. Depending on the capabilities of your old phone, you may be able to move Contacts and other data to your new HTC phone via Bluetooth. Tap "Next" to begin.
Now Select your old phone. In the list, you can choose Apple, BlackBerry, HTC, LG, Motorola, Nokia, Samsung, Sony Ericsson, Others.
If you have an iPhone 4, for example, select Apple and Select the model iPhone 4, click Next option.
Now you'll need to Turn on BlueTooth. Follow the steps shown on the screen:

Press "Home button" > "Settings" > "General".
Select "Bluetooth".
Switch Bluetooth on.
Stay on Bluetooth setting screen.

Tap "Next" when you have successfully turned on Bluetooth.
Now your HTC phone will turn on Bluetooth and automatically Scan your old phone. Note: Re-scan your old device if it can't be found for the first time.
Lastly click "Next" to finish the one click transferring process.

This works amazingly well for me. Let me know how it goes with your phone?

How to Root (or "Jailbreak") Android OS based Devices

2013-04-11T08:49:00.000-07:00

These days you should have smartphone, right? It may run with either Google Android or Apple iOS operating system (sure Microsoft's Windows Phone should not be ignored, hah). You might have already heard people talking about "rooting" or "jailbreaking" their phones or tablets. Well, before we go to the topic, allow me to quickly explain "root" & "jailbreak".

Disclaimer: Android rooting may be illegal in some countries, do it with caution!

Root vs Jailbreak

Gaining root access is sometimes compared to jailbreaking devices running the iOS operating system. However, these are distinct concepts. In the heavily secured iOS world, Bypassing all these restrictions together constitute the expansive term "jailbreaking" of Apple devices, overcoming several types of iOS security features. In contrast, while many Android devices have locked bootloaders, the ability to sideload apps is common and usually permissible without root permissions. Thus, it is primarily the third aspect of iOS jailbreaking relating to superuser privileges that correlates to Android rooting.

Advantages & Disadvantages of Rooting Android

Pros: simply put - you are the BOSS. After rooting Android, it’s your device which you paid your hard earned money for. And you are not letting the shitty default installation ruin the experience for you.

Cons: some manufacturers assert that rooting voids your device’s warranty. However, rooting will not actually damage your hardware. The process is fully reversible.

Root Your Android Now Step by Step:

Prepare a Windows (XP, Vista, 7 etc) PC, download and install the Java JDK and Android SDK on your computer before continuing. Note: Java must be installed before the Android SDK.
Enable USB debugging mode on your Android. Take HTC T328d (the mobile phone I am using) for example, go to "Settings" -> "Developer Options" -> and enable "USB debugging (Debug mode when USB is connected)"
Connect your Android to your computer using its included USB cable. Don't mount the device's SD card on your computer – just plug it in.
We'll be rooting with SuperOneClick here. It's a single-click way to root that supports a wide variety of different devices and should work for most people. After downloading it from its official website, run the SuperOneClick.exe application.
Click the Root button in the SuperOneClick window and SuperOneClick should do the rest.
The process will take a few minutes. Restart your Android after rooting it.
Note: SuperOneClick automatically installs the SuperUser binary, which is also available from Google Play. Whenever an app on your device attempts to gain root permissions by calling the su command (just like calling the su command on Linux) you’ll be prompted to allow or deny the request.
Finished! Congratulations.

Tip: make sure you back up your data before you perform the procedure. If you do face data loss, see if you can use an Android data recovery software to help.

Important Note (for United States visitors) - as of January 26, 2013, the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) has prohibited the act of circumventing digital locks placed upon mobile telephones by wireless carriers in the United States. This new regulation applies to all phone purchased after January 23rd of 2013. To my readers who have recently purchased an Android smartphone and were hoping to root it, you can get away with doing that through legal means up to 90 days after your purchase. You just need to call your provider and get their permission.

For further reading:

AWS Launches CloudHSM App To Bolster Data Security In The Cloud

2013-03-28T06:29:00.002-07:00

In an effort to boost data security in the cloud, Amazon Web Services (AWS) has just launched a new service called AWS CloudHSM, designed to help its customers meet strict regulatory requirements without sacrificing their cloud application’s performance.

AWS says that the new security feature is aimed at customers whose regulatory requirements prevent them from running apps on shared infrastructure, which has been one of the key hurdles in the way of its efforts to win over the enterprise. Previously, companies in that position have been compelled to keep their most sensitive data – or at least, its encryption keys – buried within on-premise servers to meet those requirements, preventing them from fully migrating to the cloud. Now, AWS is hoping to do away with that need.

Read more at http://siliconangle.com/blog/2013/03/27/aws-launches-cloudhsm-app-to-bolster-data-security-in-the-cloud/

How to enable USB Mass Storage mode for Samsung Galaxy S2/S3, Note II

2013-01-24T03:43:00.001-08:00

Just bought a new Samsung Galaxy S II/III or Note 2 and tried to upload my photos to the PC, and to your surprise this was no longer available? Found the USB Mass Storage (UMS) mode gone?

Normally for an Android based phone, you can mount it as a drive by trying steps or similar: Settings -> Wireless&Wifi -> USB Tools -> Connect USB mass storage and then plugging your Samsung Galaxy device into the PC. But what's wrong out there with Samsung Galaxy S3 or Note 2?

The fact is – it seems Samsung has disabled the option for some reasons (probably because of security concerns). The device now uses MTP (Media Sharing Protocol) and PTP, which aren't very useful for everyone. For example, for Samsung Galaxy S III, instead of USB mass storage, it only features MTP, which is not as easy to use and fast, so many prefer UMS instead.

Then how to enable UMS mode for Samsung Galaxy S2, S3, Note 2 or whatsoever...?

Steps to Enable USB Mass Storage mode

First of all: you'll need to root your Samsung Android. Here is a step by step Android Rooting guide which you can follow for the Samsung Galaxy S2/S3 or Note 2.

For Samsung Galaxy S3

Download the apk file here.
Copy the apk to your device and disconnect it from your computer.
Then install the app on your device and follow the instructions given by the app.
Once the app is installed, you can open it and select the option you prefer for file transfer, which is very easy.

For Samsung Galaxy Note 2

Download SGS3 Easy UMS here.
Then you will have to launch the app, grant it root access when you're asked for it, and choose the way you want to mount your device on the PC.
It's very easy and you will only have to tap one button to switch from one mode to another.

Kind note: before starting the procedure, make sure you've backed up the data on your Samsung Galaxy, just in case. If you do encounter data loss during or after the procedure, check here (photos & videos) or here (text messages) for recovery solutions. Android backup options can be seen in this article.

Good luck!

Secure Your iPhone 5 by Setting a Password Lock

2012-12-07T20:26:00.001-08:00

For security purposes it's a good idea to set up a Passcode on Lock Screen for the Apple iPhone 5 or any iOS device like the iPad, previous iPhones and the iPod Touch.

This requires the user to enter the Passcode before the user can reach the iPhone's content. Without the Passcode, no one can reach private data on the phone.

Let's say I accidentally put my iPhone down at work and one of my coworkers wants to prank me by messing up settings or changing the name Siri calls me which can embarrass me. The lock keeps that prankster from getting the best of me. Obviously, it also keeps bad guys from getting my banking information or passwords stored in apps like Lastpass password manager.

Watch this following short YouTube video for the step by step guide!

Thanks Kevin Purcell for the nice tip.

How to Make a Windows Repair Disc for HP NetBook without CD Drive

2012-09-01T21:39:00.000-07:00

The Issue:

I recently bought a new HP Netbook (running with Windows operation system) which is not equipped with a CD drive. Now I want to make a Windows repair disc just in case any emergency. So how can I make it without a disc drive?

Resolution:

Well, one way to get the job done is to buy an external CD/DVD drive that reads and records. It connects to one of the netbook's USB ports. While this method does involve dropping some more money into a computer that may have cost only quite a bit to begin with, it does give you the ability to do other things with it. For example, you can install programs from a disc that aren’t available as software downloads or back up your HP's files to a record-able disc.

If you don’t want to pay for an external drive, another alternative is to make a bootable U.S.B. recovery drive for Windows 7. Note: Hewlett-Packard has instructions for creating a recovery disc on a flash drive on its site. Learn more from this HP support article.

Note: if your HP is running Windows XP or Linux, and you want to upgrade systems. Microsoft has made it possible to install Windows 7 on a netbook computer in ways that don’t require discs. For instance, you can download the system as an .iso file that can be copied onto a flash drive with the Windows 7 USB/DVD Download Tool and used to install Windows 7 without a disc drive.

Also see: how to fix a slow HP Mini netbook.

How to Speed up HP Mini NetBook that Runs Slow or Freezes

2012-04-25T19:19:00.000-07:00

This question is actually from a reader, though not necessarily related to data security, I decided to share it with you.

"I know your blog is all about data security, but I wanted to give it a try. Hope you can help me out. My HP Mini 210 netbook is running super slow and freezes recently. I kind of worry it would totally stop working, thus put my files and data in danger. Any ideas how to speed it up?"

Below are just some personal opinions after researching and based on my own experience using a Windows PC.

What might be hurting your HP Mini's performance?

Malicious software. If your HP Mini has infected with some kind of virus, malware, spyware etc, performance can be affected. Even worse, it may cause your HP work abnormally such as files inaccessible, not able to access hard drive etc. You can use Microsoft Security Essentials to scan and remove the virus.
Registry errors. Since your HP network probably installed with Windows operating system, registry issues such as Windows registry missing, redundant etc. can happen. The errors can make your HP sluggish and freeze occasionally.
Overload startup programs. This can directly cause your HP Mini slow to start up to Windows desktop, making you feel it hangs.
Device driver issues. If your HP hardware device drivers haven't been updated for a while, then the outdated or malfunctioning drivers can cause hardware issues and make your computer slow.
Too many programs working at background. This is always a bad habit, multitasking simply won't do any good to computers.
Other causes such as overheating, not enough disk space, outdated hardware, poor system protection software etc. can lead to a slow HP computer.

How to Speed it Up?

In general, there are a few free techniques you can apply to make your HP run a bit faster such as disk defragmentatuion, disk cleaning, remove programs that you no longer want, clean those unneeded files to free up disk space, etc. However, these manual methods can be quite time-consuming as you have to tackle every problem one by one. Plus, it requires technical skills. To save time, you can use software to speed up your netbook (also no need to learn tech stuff). And, if you can afford, the best way is to spend some money on hardware upgrade. For example, replace the hard drive with a new SSD (solid state drive), add an extra RAM.

Here are some useful resources in case you want to explore.

Why a HP Laptop Runs Slow: a quite comprehensive guide to fix different kinds of HP slow issues.
You Don't Need to Regularly Reinstall Windows: the myth that Windows slows down over time, and how to solve the problem.
How to speed up Windows 7: the ultimate guide to speeding up a slow PC.

Several Free Online Data Backup Websites

2012-03-10T02:22:00.001-08:00

I've seen many times the hardware failure problems. When that happens, it leaves data in high risk. It seems that holding an external HDD won't be a permanently safe way to store or backup data. As a result, you can choose another alternative - backup data online! There are a lot of online data backup websites, here just list several popular ones.

Mozy
Back up your files online and sync them to multiple computers and devices. Mozy offers 2 GB for free and the option to add more through paid services. There are both PC and MAC clients.

DropBox
DropBox also gives 2 GB free space, just drag your files and folders to the dropbox folder in your computer and your files will get automatically uploaded to the dropbox server. You can use it for Windows, Mac, Linux and mobile.

SkyDrive
Skydrive is part of the Microsoft Windows Live suite of services, it offers an 25 GB free online storage. It requires a Microsoft Live ID to sign in and begin using the backup service.

IDrive
Idrive gives 5GB free space for basic users to backup Online unlimited PCs, Macs, iPhones, iPads and Android devices into a Single Account.

CrashPlan
CrashPlan is a backup software that allows Windows, Mac, Linux and Solaris users to back up their data to an offsite computers as well as to attached drives / shared folders.

MyPCBackup
MyPCBackup offers 14 days free trial. After that period you'll need to pay. Note: It is only available for PC, not for Mac, Linux or mobile users.

How to Repair Corrupt SQL Database & Recover Data from MDF Files

2012-02-29T22:59:00.000-08:00

Have you ever met similar experience with your SQL Server: you are unable to access a MDF file that contains many useful records. And it just pops out some wired error messages. After running either the dbcc checkdb command or the dbcc checktable command, it is confirmed that SQL database corruption has occurred with your current using SQL Server 2000/2005/2008 etc. The situation can happen if your SQL has just suffered server errors, database damage, hardware problems, virus attack etc. See possible causes and repair solutions below.

Typical Symptoms

Extent E_ID in database ID DB_ID is allocated in both GAM GAM_P_ID and SGAM SGAM_P_ID.
Table error: Object ID O_ID, index ID I_ID, page P_ID, row ROW_ID. Record check (CHECK_TEXT) failed. Values are VALUE1 and VALUE2
Database corruption occurs after you run the "alter table" Transact-SQL command to change a column from not null to null in Microsoft SQL Server 2000
A database is marked as suspect and the database becomes unavailable.
Database error: PAGE_TYPE page P_ID for database 'NAME' (database ID DB_ID) is invalid.
And more strange error hints.

Possible Causes

Corruption in the extents due to the irregularities in the IAM, GAM, and SGAM pages.
A condition specified in the CHECK_TEXT statement could not be fulfilled.
The database table is logically or physically damaged.
SQL Server does not synchronize column status between the syscolumns system table and the sysindexes system table. A column is part of a clustered index key that may be null.
Either the file header page or the boot page is damaged in the mentioned database.
And more reasons out there.

Resolutions

To solve the problems, first of all check if you have backup. If updated SQL database backup is available, then the issue can be resolved easily, try to restore the data from your previously taken valid backup.
If you don't have a backup, make sure that the database is online. Then run the dbcc dbreindex command or the dbcc checktable command by using the repair_rebuild option. If the database is marked as suspect, telephone Microsoft Customer Support Services as Microsoft has confirmed that this is a problem in the its products.
If that still won't help, then the last option is by relying on a SQL recovery tool to repair SQL database and recover the data back.

Speed up Your Slow Laptop with These Free Software & Tips

2012-02-14T22:57:00.002-08:00

With the passage of time, is your laptop running much slower than it used to? Symptoms such as taking longer to start up , sluggish while running applications, browser (IE, Firefox, Google Chrome, Opera, etc) very slow to load web pages, or the laptop just freezes for no reasons?

Actually I did experience some of the situations with my HP Pavilion G4 laptop during the past year. Is there any feasible ways to speed up slow laptop computers? Today, I'd like to share with you some of my personal thoughts.

Also read: how to fix a slow HP Mini netbook.

Possible Causes

Outdated hardware configuration. If you are using some low-level or second-hand laptop, there are assortments of things that can happen to your hardware such as CPU, RAM etc that may deep disturb laptop performance.
Overload startup programs. Generally as you add additional programs on your laptop, they can slow down your start-up status quietly. The more programs you have that are loading at start-up, the slower the start-up.
Corrupted registry issues. The Windows registry is the master control center for your operating system and the applications it runs. Corrupted registry could cause a lot of errors and issues, especially when you are running certain applications.
Remnants of uninstalled applications. It's easy to install a new program on laptop, but usually not the case when you attempt to 'completely' get rid of them.
Too many junk junks. Each time you create or save new files, surf the net or chat with friends etc, your laptop hard drive could be crammed with many useless files left behind quickly. These can take up a large amount of precious disk space.
Poor security software. A lot of security programs or suites are bloated with software and demand a great deal of system resource and memory.

Tips to speed it up

Upgrade your hardware (RAM, hard drive) if possible, this is the by far the most effective way to get rid of laptop running slow problems.
Choose a good system protection or antivirus program. The idea one should be with strong protection capability, as well as lightweighted i.e. taking less system resources.
Regularly clean the junks, caches, recycle bin files & remove unwanted startup programs from 'Control Panel'.
See additional tips to speed up a Windows based laptop.

Free software you can use

CCleaner – the most popular registry clean app for Windows users to free up more valuable hard disk space for storing new data by cleaning traces of your online activities such as your Internet history. Moreover, it’s more than a laptop clean utility. There are some more fantastic features you may find quite useful too. Learn more from this article I wrote a while ago.

Galary Utilities – The No. 1 Free, Powerful and All-in-one utility for cleaning your PC, it is a comprehensive pc system care utility as well as a laptop speedup program. One-click to diagnose your slow laptop problems and help improve its performance by many ways such ejects dangerous Malware, fix system errors, clean up clutter, optimize your laptop's memory.

[update on March 28, 2016: this post intends to target laptops based on Windows opearting system. If you are using a Mac laptop, check out the 7 ways to speed up a MacBook, it's an excellent resource.]

Do you find these tips or software helpful? Do they work to help you speed up your slow laptop? Leave a comment and share your experience.

HP USB Disk Storage Format Tool - A Free Formatting Utility

2012-01-31T07:32:00.000-08:00

Have you ever encountered the situation: your USB, memory card or external drive became partial or totally corrupted thus you are unable to format / initialize it with the internal Windows formatting tool?

Now you don't have to worry about that as there is such a third-party formatting utility - HP USB Disk Storage Format Tool, which is right designed to take PC users' stress.

Note: do not format the device if you're unsure what you are doing. Most memory card errors can be fixed without formatting the device. See this article for steps on how to resolve it first.

It is a Windows-based utility freeware which has been designed for the HP Drive Key or DiskOnKey USB 2.0 devices. Installing the freeware does not represent a problem whatsoever, since it is very compact (only 96 kB). It runs smoothly and we have not encountered any issues.

The only difference between the HP USB Disk Storage Format Tool and the regular format tool found in Windows is the fact that this freeware allows you to select USB drives, while the Windows version is does not have this option. By the way, it works to format problematic memory card as well.

Moreover, the Windows format tool does not offer a NTFS volume label for format, while this tool can, and the freeware allows you to create a FAT32 volume which is bigger than 32 GB. Another awesome feature about this format tool is that you can rename all your USB flash drives in any way you want. The program supports all FAT, FAT32, or NTFS partition types.

Free download HP USB Disk Storage Format Tool from CENT here or Filehippo here.

See how to use this free formatting tool from this YouTube video:

Merry Christmas!

2011-12-24T01:21:00.000-08:00

I can feel the steps of Santa Claus now.

Merry Christmas to all my family.

Merry Christmas to all my dear friends in the distance.

Merry Christmas to all my blog readers.

Hope you all enjoy the huge festival season!

Sincerely!

How to Recover Data from Broken or Water Damaged iPhone

2011-12-16T09:51:00.002-08:00

Oh, no. So, your iphone is just broken or water damaged, and you have tons of precious data in it? No one likes the suffering, indeed. Just a couple of days ago one of my buddies fell his iPhone 5 onto the ground by accident. But good news is the phone is okay except a few edges are cut.

However, not all iPhone users are as luckly as him. There are situations when iPhone glass is totally broke and wouldn’t turn on, or the device slept too long in the water and got severely damaged and dead now.

The question is: is it still possible to retrieve files from an iPhone that is totally broken or water damaged?

Well, it is. But chances of recovery depends.

The first thing you maybe have in mind is – send your device to a fix center or for recovery service. Yes, I also hear that there are professional data recovery experts out there offering such kind of recovery service. But I have to warn you though, it's not cheap and the chance is not 100% guaranteed.

So what is the best way to try first?

Yes, you may have guessed it -- by using software! That's why this data security freeware blog is opened for! Please note: I am here talking about recovering lost files from an iPhone, other than teaching you how to repair a broken or damaged phone. To do that, you may want to check out this iPhone article, watch the video inside.

If you have iTunes or iCloud backup, things can be much easier. Simply go to this Apple guide for how to restore your iPhone data by extracting the backup files.

If that method doesn't work either because you don't have a backup or iTunes/iCloud fails to help, the next solutions is by using an iOS data recovery software. No matter you've suffered iPhone broken, damaged, or you just mistakenly deleted something items (photos, videos, Contacts, Call recorder etc) off the device, the data insides may be still recoverable provided that they are not fully written over.

How to do that? Well, it's actually quite simple. You don't need to connect your iPhone or launch iTunes. Just install the program on the computer (runs Windows or Mac OS X) and start to scan from iTunes or iCloud backup. That's it. Soon, you'll see a list of items being displayed on the software panel.

This post was last updated on: June 12, 2016.

Freeware to Secure and Manage Your Account Passwords

2011-10-17T07:14:00.000-07:00

Like what I wrote in the previous post about tips to choose secure passwords, this post is for sharing several freeware to manage or secure your account password. Just select some you like and implement it to enhance your passwords.

#1     Password Strength Checker

This program is designed to assess the strength of your password strings. The instantaneous visual feedback enables to improve the strength of the passwords, with a hard focus on breaking the typical bad habits of faulty password formulation. The application does not utilize the typical "days-to-crack" approach for strength determination. Learn more from its official site here.

#2     KeePass Password Safe

With KeePass Password Safe, you don’t have to remember many passwords (Windows network, your e-mail account, ftp pass word etc). This program is a free password manager which helps you to manage your pass word in a secured way. You can put all your pass words in one database which is locked with a pass word or in a key disk. The databases have been given numbers with the best encoding algorithms currently known (AES Twofish). Learn more from this Wikipedia Page.

#3     Hushkey

It is a simple password manager for Windows that securely stores your passwords on your computer. It uses a secure encryption algorithm developed by Inniosoft and is computer dependent. That means that you can use the application executable on any computer, but you cannot view a password database on a computer other than the one on which it was created. Download the app from freewarefiles.com

#4     Efficient Password Manager

Like the name indicates, this program allows you to manage your different passwords really efficitently. It can help you remember generic passwords, software registration codes, e-mail account passwords, etc. All your password information is protected and encrypted. Though the program doesn't actually log users in automatically, right-clicking on any items allows users to easily copy their username and password, which can then be pasted into the desired location. The program also includes a customizable password generator that lets users specify the desired length and character types of the password. Learn more or download the program from its official site.

During my testing, I also found several other non-freeware very nice and some really have a good word of mouth. Though shareware, the quality and powerfulness are definitely reliable and seems price very affordable. What impressed me include Phaedra Password Manager, Password Keeper Expert etc. All in all, no matter what programs users choose, the key points won't change: the password security and your account information safety.

If more related freeware comes up, information will be updated here. Also is my blog readers have some good and trusted recommendations, I’d be happy to add them :-)

6 Tips to Choose Secure Passwords

2011-10-09T07:00:00.000-07:00

Still annoyed about choosing the right password for a specific account, or worried about the security of chosen password? Nowadays cellphones, e-mails, social networks sites, online banking, forums etc are all equipped with such account information which contains user-name or password to get verified or authorized. Needless to say among them the password is most important.

The time I came up with this post idea, I found myself having been making a big mistake – almost set several passwords for most of my accounts which kind of shocked me now! I hope after reading these two articles (this post is for the tips to choose a good password while the next will be freeware to secure passwords), you can reap some benefits and make your passwords more secure. I am going to start with tips to choose a secure password, then a couple of freeware to test and manage the password in my next post.

Well, I guess you probably have already known some knowledge about what is a good or bad combination. But still here some tips are offered because some clever hackers may right hit the shot and guess it.

Specific password for specific account
This point means a lot. Just be a little patient and make full use of your mind power and imagination to create unique password for your high-confidential accounts such as credit card, emails, social site accounts etc.

Password length
Choose a password with a minimum length of 8 characters: ideally, it should be composed of at least 14 characters. The length of password is paramount if you opt for a string of the same type such as letters or numbers.

Take a look at of your keyboard
Combining the types of characters: letters, numbers, and symbols (^,¨,$,!,#/, etc..) Optionally use uppercase letters if the service (eg email address) is case sensitive.

Make Use of Mnemonic
A complex string may be difficult to remember, especially if it is not very meaningful. A simple way to have a complex and lengthy password is to start with a phrase or a word that makes sense. E.g If your passion is "passwordsecurity". You can change the order of letters and insert symbols and numbers:"pass%3%word%3%security".

Change passwords regularly
A frequent password change is a good trick to avoid online fishing (identity theft), don’t let your password be the fish. :-)

Things you should avoid
Avoid using password that is contains too obvious-identification data for example date of birth, place of birth, telephone number etc. Avoid-disclosing personal or professional information on social networks because hackers can use these data to guess passwords (note: there are indeed some ‘clever’ men who do the business according to reports). Avoid the use of linear strings: abcdefg, 123456 etc. Also do not write passwords on paper or documents on your computer.

Hope it helps those who in need come up with more ideas. Also please wait to check my next post about several freeware for testing and managing your passwords.

Windows 7 Blue Screen (BSOD) Fixes

2011-09-09T00:33:00.000-07:00

Well, I have never expected this kind blue screen or blue screen of death (BSOD) to my computer. BUT 3 days ago that did happen which shocked me to some extent. Just all of a sudden, my HP laptop (Windows 7, 32 bits) went to blue screen without any pre-notice. This is definitely a random blue screen error.

After carefully read the error codes indicated on the blue screen, I figured out the problem maker: too much third-party software installed on my computer! Wow, I never expected this to be the reason. But after spending about an hour' time to uninstall those unnecessary programs and plug-ins, the blue screen never occurs during the past days. Now I have to be careful with every installed software program. Because during the past months in order to give a test to certain programs, I have downloaded so many apps. There might be a chance some programs (especially those competitors I guess) may fight with each other, thus the platform Windows 7 has to end the fight because MS won’t allow the others to fight in his place. J

Okay, long story! Back to the topic, What if such blue screen hits your Windows 7, how to fix it? I’ll combine my own experience and techniques to give some solutions. Note: there are so many reasons that might lead to Windows 7 blue screen or BSOD, or be free to say some are even the operation system’s bugs. As a result, it is unable for me to cover every case. I just share some common fix solutions.

Blue Screen Fix 1 – Restart Windows 7
Sometimes, when blue screen occurs (particularly for the first time), Windows will indicate you to restart your computer and the problem will never happen again.

Blue Screen Fix 2 – Re-plug RAM chip
This fix solution is suitable for the case when blue screen occurs and when you attempt to restart but with boot failure. In this case shut down your computer. Open it and plug out the RAM (Random Access Memory, is a hardware that is permanently installed inside the computer's motherboard) and use an eraser or so to clean the dust and then re-plug it in. Then restart your Windows 7.

Blue Screen Fix 3 – Uninstall third-party software programs
This is the problem I met as described above, clean those unnecessary apps and plug-ins can make the blue screen disappear.

Blue Screen Fix 4 – Fix Registry Errors
Sometimes blue screen on HP is caused simply by s few registry errors (source). Using a registry cleaner (I'll highly recommend CCleaner of course) to fix the errors.

More fix solutions from Microsoft: Resolving stop (blue screen) errors in Windows 7

Like what I said, blue screen causes vary a lot. If you accidentally meet blue screen with your computer running Windows 7 or other OS, and those fix tips won't help, feel free to post the specifics of your situation. I'll try to help

Pandora Recovery Freeware Review

2011-08-17T19:46:00.000-07:00

File recovery has been much more easier when Pandora Recovery -- a free file recover utility for Windows. The step by step wizard makes it more attractive even compared with Recuva. The three scanning modes (Browse, Search, Surface Scan) make it really convenient for users of all levels to perform do it yourself data recovery.

Here's more:

Interface: Pretty clean and easy to use. With image toolbar listed on the top, you can easily find functions or links you want to achieve. Moreover, the unique User Manual make the program more like a data recovery knowledge book than a tutorial.
Commercial Use: unknown
Download Size: 3.12 MB (version 2.1.1)
Supported Languages on Interface: currently 4 (English, Spanish, Serbian, and Russian)
Official site: http://www.pandorarecovery.com
Tutorial: see here

Pros: Very user friendly as have said. 3 scanning modes make the app more complete. Able to recover deleted files from NTFS and FAT-formatted volumes, regardless of their type - you can recover pictures, songs, movies or documents and emails (MS Outlook). Preview functions are more powerful than Recuva. It can preview image files far beyond JPEG (also support preview PNG, GIF, TIF etc), and text files such as txt and word documents (shown as text only).

Cons: The files Surface(Deep) Scan mode supported are limited, such as media files can only find .mp3 format. Can’t preview video or audio files. Also it left files that had to be manually deleted during un-installation. Overall Rating: I give 8.5/10 for Pandora Recovery. Kind of surprising considering this is just its second version. See below with detailed comparison.

Recovery Capability Part

Rating: Excellent

Recovered all my test files with no problem at all. Scanning process is very quick generally (unless you choose Surface Scan, it may take quite a while). It claims able to recover images & photos, Archived Files, Music & Sounds and documents. Also MS Outlook .pst files. Should meet basic needs for most users.

Preview Effectiveness Part

Rating: Excellent

Capable of previewing photos with almost existing formats, and text files. Should be satisfactory for a data recovery freeware.

Ease of Use Part

Rating: Excellent

I don’t want to repeat its easy-to-use character, give it excellent option directly.

Help/Wizard/Documentation Part

Rating: Excellent

With very detailed start Wizard and User Manual.

TestDisk & PhotoRec Review 2016: The Most Powerful yet Free Data Recovery Tool (for PC & Mac)

2011-08-04T04:19:00.000-07:00

TestDisk as the name indicates was primarily designed to fix system partition and file system problems. So it's the best choice to recover data from disks with partition problems.

PhotoRec is the little brother of TestDisk. It can be used to recover those deleted or formatted files.

You can download both of them or learn more from its official site here: http://www.cgsecurity.org/wiki/TestDisk_Download

Here's my review:

Interface: The command line tool is without graphic interface. You have to rely on your keyboard to finish the whole recovery process. But there are corresponding texts showing you what to do next. Quite intuitive.
Commercial Use: Allowed. the issue is not addressed on their site, therefore it is safe to assume that commercial use is ok.
Download Size: 1.7 MB (version 7.0)
Supported Languages on Interface: English

What I like: Solid recovery capabilities to deal with different data lose scenaries. Supported multi-platforms from Windows, Macintosh to Linux etc. From technical errors to humar errors that caused files lost, it can recover files with almost existing formats. Also TestDisk can fix file system and partition errors. PhotoRec allows you to select certain types of file formats to scan like Recuva does. It should be a perfect tool for those advanced users.

What I don't like: Not suitable to those general who don't like command line as there is no GUI. Not applicable to recover RAW disk or files. Also you have to scan the whole disk for the lost files instead of a folder, making it quite time intensive. Sometimes you may need to wait several hours to see the results. One more shortcoming, it automatically reocvered all the found files to its assigned folder. You can’t choose what to recover and what need not.

Recovery Capability Part:

It succeeded in recovering my deleted test files without problem though cost me nearly 2 hours to see the end (I used PhotoRec to do this). I have to use "Super Powerful" to describe its recovery capability as it also recovered so many files (beyond your imagination) that were deleted several months ago.

Preview Effectiveness Part:
It’s a command line tool, so without preview functions definitely.

Ease of Use Part:
More suitable for advanced tech users. For those general computer users who are also comfortable with command line, the guide text should be enough and easy to get things done. But I can’t give it an Excellent praise.

Help/Wizard/Documentation Part:
No, I didn’t see such information while testing.

Note: this post was last updated on May 29, 2016

Free Anti-Virus or Anti-Spyware Programs

2011-07-21T01:55:00.000-07:00

Last time I wrote a post about fixing folders become shortcuts problem which is right caused by those annoying virus or Trojans (which hide the real files and folders on an external storage device). Besides, they can also cause your PC to run slow. Today I am going to share with you several free anti-virus or anti-spyware programs to let my readers have more choices when facing similar problems.

Note: what I am talking here is free anti-virus (not only anti-virus freeware), there are some difference between the two concepts. For example software producers may provides both free version and professional version. But sometimes free version is quite enough for personal usage.

Microsoft Security Essentials

The program provides real-time protection for your home PC that guards against viruses, spyware, and other malicious software. It is a free download from Microsoft that is simple to install, easy to use, and always kept up to date so you can be assured your PC is protected by the latest technology. It’s easy to tell if your PC is secure — when you’re green, you’re good. It’s that simple.

Malwarebytes Free edition

It is a surprisingly effective freeware antimalware tool. It's a relatively speedy malware remover, with the quick scan taking about 8 minutes even with other high-resource programs running. The app has some nice features rolled in, too. It supports multiple drive scanning including networked drives, context menu options including a scan-on-demand for individual files, and the FileAssassin option under the More Tools section for removing locked files.

AVG Anti-Virus Free Edition

It is a memory-friendly free antivirus program that comes with lifetime free access to virus definition updates. Highlights include automatic update, real-time protection, free virus database updates, and some more. The new AVG Free has sped up its installation process, although it's not as zippy as the minute-long installations that some of AVG's paid competitors offer.

SuperAntiSpyware Free Edition

The program will remove all the spyware, not just the easy ones. Quick, complete and custom scanning of hard drives, removable drives, memory, registry, individual folders and more. Includes trusting items, and excluding folders for complete customization of scanning. Detect and remove spyware, adware, malware, Trojans, dialers, worms, key loggers, hijackers, parasites, root kits and many other types of threats.

Spybot Search & Destroy

Search & Destroy detects and removes spyware, a relatively new kind of threat not yet covered by common anti-virus applications. Spyware silently tracks your surfing behaviour to create a marketing profile for you that is transmitted without your knowledge to the compilers and sold to advertising companies. It can also clean usage tracks, an interesting function if you share your computer with other users and don't want them to see what you have been working on.

Enjoy those free anti-virus programs! :)

Card Locked Error – Common Memory Card Error Fix (2)

2011-07-03T23:58:00.000-07:00

Update: I've written another guide to fix other types of memory card errors, in case you are interested, check out the post here.

If you have a memory card equipped with your digital camera, camcorder or cell phone, when you connect it to your PC via a card reader or slot but it comes out with card locked error while you attempt to access files in it. Detailed symptoms about this kind of errors include:

You receive the message "Memory Card Error" and "Card Locked" underneath it.

You can’t format the card properly.

Go to the Properties, it says 0 bytes.

Perhaps you'll think the memory card is corrupted or damaged, however most of the time it isn't. It’s probably the tiny piece of trick on your card reader (or card slot) that playing a joke on you.

Check the card reader or slot you are using, pay attention to the little button on the side (it is called lock tab usually with white color). You are able to switch it to two positions “Locked” or “Unlocked”. You can see the photos below more clearly.

Memory card "locked" position

Memory card "unlocked" position

See? You must have accidentally switched it to the “locked” position when connect it to your computer, thus the card error occurred. The solution is simple: switch the little tab back to “unlocked” state and try access it again. The previous locked error message should be eliminated.

Memory Card not Recognized – Common Memory Card Error Fix (1)

2011-06-26T19:02:00.000-07:00

This post was updated on June 21, 2016 (with a few more up-to-update resourced added)

There are plenty of reasons that may lead to the memory card not recognized error. I categorize these causes into two categories: card not recognized by the computer, card not read by your external digital media (such as cell phone, camera etc). And then I'll show you how to fix different kinds of errors errors.

Note: if your memory card is showing card locked error, see this post for solution. Also, this softwarehow guide is worth further exploring.

Memory card cannot be recognized by my computer…

Symptoms 1: the card is working fine on the cell phone but when using a card reader to connect it to my computer, won't be detected.
How to Fix: the problem should be the card reader, you have two options. One is to change a new card reader and reconnect it to the computer; The other is to directly connect your cell phone to your computer via a USB cable.

Symptoms 2: have a digital camera (with memory card inside), you try to connect it to your computer via a USB cable. Nothing detected (neither the camera nor the memory card).
How to Fix: Try taking the memory card out of your camera and loading it into a card reader, then insert the card reader to your computer. See if it will be detected.

Symptoms 3: my memory card is corrupted (not read properly when connected to my computer), how can I recover the data saved on it?
How to Fix: first of all, use a data recovery program to recover data as much as possible. Freeware such as Pandora Recovery or Recuva works great in my testing. If you are using a Mac, turn to this post for a list of 100% free Mac data recovery software. After you recover the data, then format the card.

Symptoms 4: when plug the memory card into my computer, it shows "the drive is not formatted, do you want to format it now".
How to Fix: there are many possible reasons for this, see this post fix format error disk in drive are not formatted for more. Most of the time, using this freeware called HP USB Disk Formatting Tool would help.

Memory card not recognized by my cell phone or camera…

Symptoms 1: my SD card is new and works fine when connected with my computer, but when insert into my digital camera it cannot be detected. Nor can I access media files from the card.
How to Fix: Since there is no problem with either the card or your digital camera, I'd suggest you read the user manual of your digital camera and read the information about supported SD memory card, pay attention to the maximum SD card volume part as usually the camera manufacturer has a volume limitation to supported external SD card. For example, if it clams only SD card with 2GB maximum space are allowed. If your new SD card is 4 GB or larger, then your digital camera won’t be compatible with it. The only way is to change another card less than 2GB and transfer the files on the previous card to the newer one.

Symptoms 2: insert the memory card to my cellphone but the phone refuses to read it.
How to Fix: you must be using an old phone or old types of phone, try power off the phone and restart again. Usually the card will be detected again.

Symptoms 3: formatted the memory card on my computer and then put it in my cellphone, it won't let me to access.
How to Fix: your cell phone may not be compatible with your memory card file system (FAT, e.g.). Better reformat the card via your cellphone by using its own format function. Then you should be able to re-access it again.

There should be more "memory card not recognized" problems out there, if you accidentally meet similar ones or have new situations and this post didn't help you out. Feel free to leave a comment and let me know.

Why & How Deleted or Formatted Files Can Be Recovered

2011-06-19T20:15:00.000-07:00

Are you used to use the following methods to get rid of files unwanted? Drag them to the Recycle Bin or Trash and empty the bin, Shift + Delele (Command + Delete if you are running Mac OS X) or format the drive directly etc. Do you think the methods will permanenlty erase the data? The answer is negative. Before answering why those deleted or formatted data can be recovered, let’s learn something about how files are stored on the disk.

How files are stored?

No matter you are using computer with a hard drive (usually formatted as NTFS file system or HFS+ file system if you are Mac users) or removable drive (usually formatted as FAT file system) such as memory card or usb drive, those are called storage media. When you save a file to a specific place, the data contained in the file will be saved to the relevant sectors of the storage media. The file system is used to organize how the data will be stored (such as what sectors they will locate) and record the file attributes. Each file or folder on the disk has its own assigned attributes, such as Archive, Hidden, System, Size and so on. For example a file having hidden attribute isn't displayed in Windows Explorer view.

What happen when you delete a file…

When a file is deleted from your computer it is not really deleted. It is simply removed from the directory of files in the folder. Even though you can no longer see the file in the folder, its contents still exist 100% intact at this point. If you're using Windows the file will be moved to the Recycle Bin. If you're a Mac user, it will go to the Trash. As long as a file remains there it can easily be restored in its entirety with no difficulty. So the first thing to do is check the Recycle Bin or Trash. And use the Restore option to make it alive again.

When you empty the Recycle Bin or Shift + Del…

When you empty the Recycle Bin (or Trash) or delete a file using another method (such as Shift + Delete or Command +Delete), the file is still not deleted. Only the file attributes are marked as delete and the space occupied by the file becomes available for re-use by other files. And usually won’t get reused right away depending on how frequently new data are writted.

When you format a drive…

There are two kinds of format: low-level format and high-level format (also called quick format or full format). Generally speaking we regards format as high-level format for low-level format can only be executed after manufactoring. Low-level format will completely wipe everything on the drive while high-level format will only remove those file attibutes, which means the data are still intact there on the drive.

Why and how the deleted files can be recovered?

As long as real data contained in the files remain intact (not overwritten), it is almost certain possible to get those deleted or formatted files recovered. Data recovery software understands the internals of the system used to store files on a disk (the file system) and uses this knowledge to locate the disk space that was occupied by a deleted file. If you are running computer with Windows, Recuva or Pandora Recovery is the program that I recommended. For Mac users, see these totally free Mac file recovery programs.

When the files are overwritten…

When the files are overwritten (space get reused by other files), it is almost impossible to bring them back with data recovery tools. The only option is to send the device which contains your lost files to a technical data recovery company and see if they have any special means to do data recovery. It’s been said IBM ever successfully recovered data overwritten 7 times. So do your best to avoid data overwritten. Do not save more files to the drive where your deleted or formatted, do not modify data, do not damage the drive etc. Better put the drive in a safe place if you want to maximize chances of file recovery.

Fix Format Error: Disk in Drive Is not Formatted Want to Format now?

2011-06-13T05:11:00.000-07:00

If you accidentally encountered this kind of formatting error "The disk in drive is not formatted, do you want to format it now?" Do not format it right away! More similar situations can be seen here and there, I was wandering on several Internet communities.

“When I connected Canon digital camera SD memory card to the computer via a card reader, Windows detected the memory card and showed as Removable Drive under My Computer. But when I try to access the drive, it said ‘the drive is not formatted, would you like to format it now?’ I have plenty of precious photos and video chips insides the card. How could I get them out before formatting the card?” – by Daniel

“I have a D drive and every time i try to access a folder in that drive it keeps saying ‘Drive not formatted, do you want to format it now?’ But another partition under that drive works fine. I don't want to format it because I need the files. The drive also acts really slowly on any of the other files I click on. How to fix the problem and make my folder become alive?” – by Rose

“My Western Digital external hard drive recently didn’t let me view the data insides. Windows sometimes won’t recognize it well thus each time I try to open it says disk in drive not formatted error. I followed it but very wired it won’t let it format. Any way to fix the error?” - by Jack

It seems this kind of problems happen more often on removable devices such as a pen drive, SD memory card, external hard drive, etc. It says you have to format the disk and but it won't let you format it. Instead, it shows you some weird errors.

What are possible "culprits"?

The device is too old and may be corrupted after it shows its age. As you know like any other old technology, an external storage device has its own lifespan. And you never know when it's going to retire.
There are bad sectors in the specific area of the disk that is required for a file system, e.g. for a boot sector or the FAT table sector. Since the drive obviously can be fully accessed, Windows refuses to format it.
Sometimes, you cannot format the drive to the FAT file system if it has been formatted to another file system which is not recognized by Windows.
Some incompatibilities in the drivers or BIOS result in such an error. It makes sense to try to format the drive on another computer. In most cases, the incompatibility problem only concerns the format procedure. Once the drive is formatted, it would work fine.

Solution to fix the format error

Step 1. Try the problematic hard drive or external removable media on another computer. See if the device can be accessed normally. This way helps clear the buffers and eliminates incompatibility issues. Sometimes the error disappears and you disk drive works normally again.

Step 2. If step 1 doesn't help. Try recovering the data with some free data recovery programs first. If you are under Windows, you can use PhotoRec, RECUVA, or Pandora Recovery. For Apple Mac OS, turn to the posting free Mac file rescue software I wrote earlier.

Step 3. After your files are recovered, follow those steps to try formatting the drive (if you are using a memory card or flash drive, connect it to your PC first). Go to My computer -> Properties -> Manage -> Computer Management -> Storage -> Disk Management -> select the problematic drive and then format it here. If this won't help, use this third-party HP USB Disk Storage Format Tool to format. It should work.

Step 4. It’s not over. If step 2 doesn't recover all of your lost files. Now you should try to re-use the data recovery software recommended to re-scan the disk to see if you can rescue more data. Note: a quick format won't erase the data permanently, learn more from this article for why.

That's all what I want to share. Do you find the solution? Will the message "The drive is not formatted, do you want to format it now" still appears? Or any new problems? Let me know, leave a comment below.

Copy Machine Security Risk: How to Prevent Your Personal Info Being Eaten

2011-06-07T04:35:00.000-07:00

Information technology brings us huge security risk as well as great convenience. Never underestimate digital devices around you. The copy machine is no exception. It makes it easier to give away your personal information than PC and sometimes for free. I am not kidding. Those security risk posed by the copier should never be ignored.

Copy Machine Security Risk

Watch this video about the security issue first.

Confirmed The Security Risk - My Personal Experience

In order to confirm some facts as shown in CBS News, I came to a print shop nearby. Customers of the shop are mainly students from a university. During the conversation with the service person, I talked about the copy machine security topic intentionally to gauge if she knows something about it. At the beginning she was very open to talk about that and even showed some curiosity about where I heard about the news. But later with the topic went deep to the technical layer (such as the hard drive insides the copier), she became kind of cautious. From her implication, I’d better not let too many people know about the risk. Obviously, she was concerned about her business. The more students know the machine risk, the more risk the shop’s business is put in. Her concern is quite reasonable as her income relies heavily on paper copying or printing (such as students’ CV, activity materials etc.)

The Results:

1. It's true that nearly every copy machine is equipped with a hard drive like a computer does.
2. Also every copy or print paper is recorded as an image and stored in the hard drive. And the images can be exported and duplicated without needing the original papers. It means the students’ personal info insides the resumes can be leaked out.
3. Even if you command delete button through the copier to erase those copying records, they can be recovered with data recovery technology.
4. Most disappointed to hear that nearly 90% of the students know nothing about the security risk or copy machine hard drive issue. A survey held by SHARP in 2008 indicated that 60% of Americans don’t know that copiers store images on hard drives.

How Prevent Your Private Information

Now that you have known the copy machines are with high security risk, here are several tips that may help you protect your privacy as most as possible.

1. If possible take good control of your source papers. Better not print or copy those containing highly-private info on machines that you can’t control (such as outside copy or print shop etc.).
2. If you are in a company, take good care of the copier and don’t let unauthorized persons to access the attached hard drive.
3. Better stay away from leased or used copy machines. Do not sell or buy second-hand ones from or to anyone in case you get legal problems.
4. If you really have to give away the copy machines, wipe the hard drive data permanently.

How to Delete or Add Gmail Account on an Android Phone

2011-05-31T21:34:00.000-07:00

If you are a Google fan and you are using a smartphone with Android OS, then probably you want to manage your Gmail account on your mobile device. How to add a new Gmail account to an android phone? Or how can I delete or remove current account from my android phone without leaving anything? Such questions may be what you want to figure out if you are new to the Android world.

Today, I'll show you a step by step guide to help you get that done. And I'll take Samsung GT-i5700 for example as I am using it right now.

How to Add a New Gmail Account to an Android Phone

Open the Menu -> Settings -> Accounts & sync -> Add account.
Then you will see 3 options (Corporate, Facebook, Google) for you to choose. Click "Google" and then you'll go to the section of "Adding an account".
Click "Next" -> "Already have a Google Account" - > "Sign In".
Now your Google account has been successfully added.
Note: you can use more than one Google account on your phone (such as your home and work account).

However, sometimes you already have attached an account to your phone but want to remove/delete it when you want to resell the phone or have other personal usages with high phone privacy security. Well, it is also quite simple to get that done.

How to Delete Current Gmail Account on an Android Phone

Still open the Menu, go to Settings option, then Account & sync, move to your account right under Manage accounts.
Click your account and you'll see Data & Synchronization tab. Move down to the bottom and you'll see Remove account.
Then it will hint this "Do you really want to remove this account? Removing it will also delete all……". If you have backup the data (Contacts, SMS etc), then just hit Remove account.
Depending on the situation, it may pop out a message warning "This account is required by some applications. You can only remove it by resetting the phone to factory defaults (which delete all your personal data)……"
Then back to Settings -> Privacy -> Personal data -> Factory data reset. Click Reset Phone option and Erase everything.
Then your phone will restart again and back to factory settings. Note: all your phone internal memory files (such as Contacts, SMS, Call log etc.) will gone, while the external memory stuff on your sd card will remain intact.

Deleting a Google account is a little more complicated than adding a new one, so better make sure you've backed up all your important data, just in case you may lose some data.