Frozen PC

My PC has 'frozen' - can I just turn it off?

Well if your PC has completely frozen there is not much else you can do. Simply switching off a PC is a risky thing to do – you will possibly lose data in any documents or files you have open and in the computer’s memory. There is also a risk of disk corruption so it is important to see if you can shut it down cleanly.

Often a Windows PC will spot that something has gone wrong and display the ‘Blue Screen of Death’. This basically tells you that the PC has had a problem, didn’t know what to do so it has just stopped [it also gives you some information on which program or part of Windows failed]. At this point you should note the name of the program on the screen and get some assistance. You will need to reboot – your PC has stopped so there is nothing else you can do. Some PCs are configured to do a ‘dump’ when this happens – copying the contents of the computer’s memory to a file which can later be interrogated so the fault can be diagnosed. You can’t recover any lost data from this file though.

So, if your PC is unresponsive try a few things. Firstly make sure your wireless keyboard or mouse hasn’t just gone flat!

Secondly just wait a while; your PC may just be tied up doing something intensive – usually something like looking for a network printer or server that is not longer there. It can take a minute or so to realise this and give you an error.

If this is not the case then really we are looking to be able to save our data and reboot the PC to clear the problem.

Check if the mouse moves or if you hit ‘Caps Lock’ on your keyboard does the ‘Caps Lock’ light change? If neither of these are true then your PC has effectively stopped anyway so you may as well just go ahead and turn it off. Any damage has already been done.

Next you can try hitting the following key combination Ctrl – Shift – Esc pressing the three keys together. This should bring up the task manager and you may be able to spot applications listed as ‘not responding’ and terminate them, allowing you to save data from other programs and reboot cleanly.

Lost in the post

This morning the UK news covered a story about a disk containing the names and addresses of over 11,000 teachers that has been lost in the post.

This is not an isolated incident. So many companies load large amounts of data onto disks, usb drives and then the information simply vanishes or is ‘misplaced’.

The good news is that this data was encrypted – this is probably the first case where it was protected. If you need to hand over large amounts of data it

• should be encrypted [this data was]
• sent securely [this data was sent using a tracking system]
• someone should be waiting to accept the data [the loss was identified when the tracking system showed it has missed the delivery spot]

All in all, Atos Origin, the company sending the data followed all the rules.

Restoring files from backup tapes

How do I retrieve a file from a backup tape?

This really depends on your backup solution, but broadly speaking backup software has a restore view which allows the selection of files and folders to restore to either the original location or to an alternate location on the network. Don't forget to load the correct tape for the date of the file which is being restored!

Bugs and Security Updates for Microsoft Software

How do I know if there are Microsoft Updates for my PC?

Microsoft Update is the way Microsoft tries to supply fixes for bugs and security updates for its desktop and server operating systems. How these can be accessed depends on your version of Windows.

For Vista click Start > All Programs > Microsoft Update

For Windows XP Pro go to http://update.microsoft.com/ and follow the prompts

Microsoft Update is the new name for Windows Update which now includes bug fixes and security updates for Microsoft products other than Windows, for example, Microsoft Office.

Green IT

How can we reduce our IT energy comsumption?

There are a number of ways to keep your IT green. Some tips are:

• Turn off screens at lunch or at meetings
• Check all your PCs; old ones are more power hungry than newer models
• Activate Power Saving Settings on your PCs to switch off monitors after 15 minutes and PCs after 100 minutes if not used (PCs will wake up when you move the mouse)
• Switch on printers when needed, not as soon as you get into the office
• Share printers between several people

Anti Virus Software

Why do we need to upgrade our anti virus software?

People often ask us why they need to update the software when they are already updating it every day by downloading and installing the latest virus definitions. We know that new viruses and new types of viruses emerge which may need different solutions which is why new versions of the software are needed. Additionally antivirus software manufacturers often make improvements to upgrades and make it faster and easier to use.

Passwords

How often should I change my password?

Best practice recommends that passwords must be changed every 120 days and they should not be reused. So how do you invent a password that meets this criteria and still remember it?

A pass phrase is a combination of a memorable word mixed with some numbers, for example, 1dIwtl&e - one day i'll win the lottery and escape.

Best practice is to create a password that has:

• at least 8 characters
• at least 1 lower case letter
• at least 1 upper case letter
• at least 1 number
• at least 1 special character (?, *, %, etc)

Passwords must not:

• be all or part of your account ID
• be all or part of your account name
• be blank
• contain dictionary words
• contain more than 2 repetitive characters (Mmmmmm1, Ab77777, etc)
• contain substituted numbers and symbols for letters (3 for E, $ for S, etc)

Internet Connection

I can't connect to the internet, what do I do?

For business users the normal practice would be to inspect the internet router in the first instance probably using the web interface to view line status. Additionally the LED lights on the router should indicate whether the internet line is live or not. A reboot of the router would normally be the next step depending on the results of the initial investigations. It’s sometimes quicker to do these checks prior to calling the internet provider as they will almost certainly ask for these to be done in any case.

Be very prepared!

Last week we mentioned that the IoD Birmingham had closed due to flooding - it gets worse and this is today's email:


Further to our previous email, the flood damage at IoD hub Birmingham is more serious than we had originally expected. This unfortunately means that the hub will remain closed until further notice. If you have planned to meet at the building you may use the Regus building at Brindley Place instead, address details below. Alternatively there are numerous coffee shops close to the building. Please refer to iod.com for updates on the situation. Apologies for any inconvenience this may cause.

What would you do if this was your business?

Be prepared!

We’ve just had an email from the Institute of Directors [IoD]

Due to unforeseen circumstances, the Directors' Room at IoD hub Birmingham is closed.
Unfortunately severe flooding has affected the whole building and we anticipate being able to reopen on Monday 8th September.

In case this ever happens to you – we’re holding an event on how to prepare:

Business Continuity/Disaster Recovery Seminar
Date: Wednesday, October 8, 2008
Time: 8:30am - 10:30am
Location: St Peters House
Street: Church Hill
Town: Coleshill, United Kingdom

What’s covered?
• How to recover data and systems
• Processes for frequent backup of systems and data
• Tests and drills of disaster procedures
• Tips to create your disaster recovery plan

What will I get from it?
• Expert advice!
• Knowledge - the seminar counts for 2 hours towards your Continuing Professional Development
• Catch up with the ACUTEC team and industry specialists
• A feel good factor – the small charge of £10 goes to our nominated charity


Visit our Facebook page http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=22043669375 or our website http://www.acutec.co.uk/business-continuity-seminar for more details

Firewall

What is a SonicWALL firewall?

A SonicWALL firewall is what is known as a Unified Threat Management (UTM) device. The idea behind these devices is that they sit on the perimeter of a network and combine antivirus, antispyware, intrusion prevention and content filtering to manage the ingress of threats from the most common source - the internet. It allows only authorised access to your network and prevents unauthorised access. Authorised access if defined by access rules on the firewall by the system administrator.