Services

Data backup… what to do and what to expect when the unexpected occurs.

Remember, data backups can be expensive to do because it can be complicated or time consuming from a hard drive crash or from a corrupt operating system. Our data backup prices are fair; however data backup prices can be less expensive or non-existent. Here are a few tips to follow before a data backup occurs and a few facts you may not know:

• Hard drives aren’t infallible. New and old hard drives have a lifespan based over time. New hard drives can die within weeks and old hard drives can last over 20 years: It’s the roulette wheel of PC parts and data corruption and/or loss can happen to ANYONE. Reliability has increased throughout the years; however so has the increased amount of storage therefore increasing data corruption or data loss. Since hard drives have moving parts (as in a platter and needle similar to a record player), the information could be lost due to a hard drive mechanical failure. Data recovery techniques do not guarantee any 100% data recovery. All we can do at Main Street Computers is to do our very best.

• Data backups can be done by you. It can involve using a blank CD or DVD, a USB flash drive or an external hard drive. This can save you a lot of grief and money down the road (the savings can be in the hundreds of dollars).

• Data backups usually involve information that most customers have created over time. Most data backups involve e-mail and addresses, photos and documents. Back them up on a regular basis and you’ll have piece of mind.

• Saving in multiple locations. How about keeping a copy of your documents at home and on a flash drive you carry in the car? Or about saving a copy of your pictures on Flickr, an online file storage company (such as Carbonite) or G-Mail? A network-attached storage device or a secondary hard drive can also help but remember that if a tragedy hits, all your files are still under one roof!

• Make sure to do backups on a regular basis. It’s much easier to save the information now while the PC or notebook is in good shape… a data salvage effort down the road may be costly or futile.

• Data backups can be expensive after a crash. If a data backup costs over $150 as an example, remember this: Is the information unique or can I re-download it? If it’s unique such as long lost family photos, how much is the information worth to YOU?

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Check out our INTERNET CAFE!

• Internet Use
• Fax Service
• Printing
• CD BackUp or Copy
• Scanning

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Protect Yourself In The Future

Make sure you regularly update your antivirus and spyware removal software and the latest updates to your operating system

Use a Firewall

Only open attachments or click on popups that you know are safe

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Dialers, Trojans, Viruses, and Worms

Malware - is programming or files that are developed for the purpose of doing harm. It includes, computer viruses, worms and Trojan horses.

Adware: a program that generates popups on your computer or displays advertisements. Not all adware programs are necessarily considered malware. There are many legitimate programs that are given for free that display ads in their programs in order to generate revenue. If the information is provided up front they are not considered malware.

Dialler: a program that typically dials a premium rate number that has per minute charges over and above the typical call charge. These calls are with the intent of gaining access to pornographic material.

Hijackers: a program that attempts to hijack certain Internet functions like redirecting your start page to the hijacker's own start page, redirecting search queries to a undesired search engine, or replace search results from popular search engines with their own information.

Spyware: a program that monitors your activity or information on your computer and sends that information to a remote computer without your knowledge.

Trojan: a program that has been designed to appear innocent but has been intentionally designed to cause some malicious activity or to provide a backdoor to your system.

Virus: a program that when run, infects other programs and files on your computer. These programs can have many effects ranging from wiping your hard drive or displaying a joke in a small box. This type of infection also tends to be localized to your computer and does not have the ability to spread to another computer.Viruses and worms are used interchangeably.

Worm: a program that when run, attempts to spread to other computers using either mass-mailing techiques to email addressess found on your computer or by using the Internet to infect a remote computer using known security holes. Worms and viruses are sometimes used interchangeably.