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AAA COMPUTERS is a Subdivision of:

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A NEW SOUTH DEVELOPMENT COMPANY

THE NUMBER ONE THING TO DO IF YOU HAVE IMPORTANT DATA ON YOUR COMPUTER IS BACK UP – but you must have something to back up to.

You can burn a DVD – or you could get an external hard drive.  There are a lot of ways to back up your computer – but if you do not – you can lose EVERYTING in a matter of seconds and it may or may not be recoverable.  If it IS recoverable, it could cost a LOT of MONEY to get your precious data back!

1. IF you keep everything you do in my documents such as pictures, Word Files, XL Files or ANYTHING else it’s very easy to do!  If you have an external drive – just connect the drive and copy everything from MY DOCUMENTS to a folder you create on the external drive.
2. Back up your mail in my documents assuming you are not using a MAIL SERVER where the mail stay up on the internet.  If you use OUTLOOK you can back up to a folder you call “my mail” (for more information contact us)
3. File and transfer setting wizard (This allows you to save ALL of your File Settings and other setting such as how your desktop looks, etc.)
4. Back up your favorites in IE (Go to IE and click on FILE/EXPORT and then export “the bookmark” to your desktop or better still under “MY FAVORITES” under “MY DOCUMENTS”.
5. IF you have everything saved in MY DOCUMENTS all you have to do it burn a DVD if that is big enough (or burn 2 or 3) but disks get damaged, lost, scratched, etc…so the best way to save your information is to use external drive.

If you do not back up – you will lose your information – there are two types of hard drives that you must be aware of – those that have failed and those that WILL fail eventually.  They are mechanical devices that fail like all others – but they are also ELECTRONIC devices so static shock, lightning, or other types of electrical charges can make them fail.

IF you are concerned about messing up your system – then before you load anything or make any changes, CREATE a RESTORE POINT!  To create a system restore point is EASY. Go to Start/All Programs/system Tools/System Restore.  Open it – and then click on SET a restore point.  Name it whatever you like.  This will create place to get back to in case you may delete something necessary accidentally.   Usually if AAA computers fixes your computer a restore point is the first thing that is done – so if there’s any problems – we can get right back to where we were before we made any changes to your system.  Many applications will set a restore point for you…but if not, you should keep this in mind.

HOW TO KEEP YOUR COMPUTER CLEAN

A.  Make sure that you have Anti-Virus program running at all time and make sure to update it regularly and run scans often.  I use AVG and it’s free.  You can set it to update daily and run scans daily if you wish.  If you do not have Anti-Virus and keep it updated…you risk losing EVERYTHING on your computer.  You will need to clean out your VIRUS Vault if you EVER see any virus like activity through a scan or normal use of your computer.

B.  Download Anti-Spyware Programs – they will keep people from tracking your information or worse create a back-door into your computer so that the can either use your computer as host to hack other computers or worse gain access to your personal information and possibly steal your identity.  These need to updated as well and scans should be run as often as possible.  I recommend the following:

1. Ad-Aware (www.download.com)
2. Spybot Search and Destroy (download.com)’
3. Super-Anti-Spyware
4. Malwarebytes.org (download.com)

PLEASE KEEP IN MIND THAT YOU MUST UPDATE YOUR DEFINITIONS, just like Anti-Virus – so that you can keep up with any new forms of spyware and/or malware.

1. I also recommend using cleaning applications to rid your computer of temporary and junk files as well as bad registry files that are just taking up space or slowing down your computer. Always create a system restore point (more on that later)  I use the following:

1. Glary Utilities from Download.com (clean temps file registry etc – one click to scan and one click to repair)
2. C-Cleaner (download.com) = A great cleaning application for both junk and registry files.
3. EZ-Cleaner (Toni-Arts program) but NEVER, EVER delete duplicate files – your computer will be completely TOAST – BE VERY CAREFUL with this application. IF YOU ARE A NOVICE – do NOT use this!

1. You can also go to Internet Explorer and go to TOOLS – Internet options – and then DELETE – you can pick what you want to delete but you should clean out cookies, history, etc – unless you want others to see where you’ve been.  Also cleaning out Auto-complete, stored usernames and passwords if VITAL if you don’t want your passwords to be stolen.  But you will notice that if you follow the instructions in section C above – most of that will already be cleaned for you.
2. After you have completely cleaned your computer DEFRAGMENT your hard drive.  This may take a long time if it’s the first time you’ve run it – but the more you run the application the faster it gets – and the better your computer will work.

Follow these simple guidelines and your computer will thank you – and you should be able to work more efficiently and be protected from outside harm. (See below)

CAVEAT: NEVER OPEN AN E-MAIL IF YOU DO NOT KNOW WHO IT’S FROM – a simple picture or attachment can contain viruses, spyware or Trojan Horses that can harm you computer!  Never click on something that you do not know what it is – especially a pop-up that may WARN you that your computer is infected – those ARE VIRUSES inviting you to allow someone to damage your data or possibly take over your computer!

Contact:

support@aaacomputersofms.com

Be that as it may – a massive attack was launched by three separate hackers just to PROVE that MACS are now a HUGE TARGET – and I predicted this quite some time ago – I’d have to go back and find that post – but suffice it to say – it was getting more prevalent and I was getting more and more calls to fix MACS.

Now don’t get my wrong – I’m a fan of MACS especially since you can skip the .dll files and use ALL of your processing speed and RAM for the task at hand – which is a major flaw with Windows – however, if you’re running a MAC and are NOT running Virtual PC – then you’re really not running a TRUE business – as the business WORLD is ALL PC – and I’m not THRILLED about that statement – but it’s a FACT – Mac still has a VERY SMALL part of the market share.   But I get tired of people saying that a MAC is the end all to be all – as they are NOT – and they have their own issues as does any technology as technology changes all the time at ever increasing speed!

And I do “get it” that a MAC is more for the “Creative Types” – but then again, I’d say 70% of what I do is “CREATIVE in NATURE” – it just ends up in the business world and so I use Linux, MAC and PC.   I also prefer the COSTS of LINUX – FREE and my ability to build a “tricked out PC” with MORE RAM and screaming fast processing for one fifth the price as an OUT OF THE BOX MAC!
I also do NOT like the FACT that you really can’t build a MAC from spare parts…as I like to build servers – (especially LOVE my LINUX SERVER which has not even needed anything but a good cleaning – dust removal and a defrag and that’s about it – it’s RED HAT 2 or something really OLD but it works like a charm!

With that said, here’s my analogy for the difference between the Linux, PC and MAC user when it comes to “maintenance”, keeping in mind that this is outside of your NAT (router) or your HW FIREWALL – which if you don’t have – get ONE!

If you’re a LINUX user – you’re working out or your basement – you can write code – and you LIVE and BREATHE technology – nobody needs to tell you “how to maintain your network of servers or your main machine – as you just KNOW that it must be done…and LINUX as less likely to be Hacked as nobody really wants to read a bunch of code.

If you run PC and Windows -  it’s like you own your own house – you can add on to your Network easily – and you can work in the business world – BUT you are required to know the BASICS of computer maintenance – but there are countless FREE APPS that allow you to set up a SW FIREWALL – (HIGHLY RECOMMENCED), scheduled updates, clean your CACHE, Registry Files,  run AV (which Viruses are only 4% of the problems out there today), run Anti-Malware, Anti-SPYWARE, and a few other steps that keep your PC running in PERFECT SHAPE!  Completely Clean and working as it should!

MAC’s on the other hand are for people who want to live in a CONDO and do not want to do any “maintenance work” whatsoever, – well for those of you that don’t start to learn and understand that MACS are now just as vulnerable as ANY other OS – along with the browser you use, etc.  So you need to start looking around for a PLETHORA of Software to keep your computer clean and also to keep it working as it should – do NOT get lulled into a false sense of security!  Unfortunately, finding GREAT SW that’s FREE like you can with Windows – is just not as easy – so break out your pocket book or your credit care lest you get HACKED or infected with some really bad stuff!  Mac’s, thanks to Steve Jobs are not a HUGE TARGET – and it’s not IF somebody will find a whole – it’s only when – so will you be the next person that gets hit with something that wipes out your DATA?

Of course, I don’t care what OS you’re using you should be backing up and have a few drives that are NOT connected to your internal network all the time so that you can store that DATA so that it can not be access unless somebody is PHYSICALLY in your location.  I back up to internal drives a lot – but they are still vulnerable – and I also back up to external drives and have a FEW Drives in my Safety Deposit Box wrapped in vacuum packed and static free packaging- that’s my SUPER IMPORTANT STUFF – business files, my book(s) and of course my MASTERS and other stuff that I “CREATE” that I do not want to do that work over again.

If you just using CS-4 or CS-5 and not using any part of that software the creates HUGE FILES – then you could be just backing up to a CD – larger groups of files on a DVD – but that’s all you need -but if your doing audio and video – you’re going to need a TON of space – and that’s where I recommend GLYPH DRIVES – they can be daisy chained too – but again if you just using Phtoshop and Illustrator, InDesign etc – these files are dinky…compared to AV.  So you could just use IEEE 449 – but I prefer the next generation of IEEE 880 so I can work in REAL TIME from a GLYPH with PRO TOOLS – no more swapping out drives to work in Recording – just label, partition and get after it – but don’t get into a habit of NOT naming your files correctly OR taking notes as to what you’ve done – if you do both – when you return to that CD or VIDEO PROJECT you can all up the files easily and have NOTES as to what was tracked and when – (three takes, two takes, etc.) and this makes your life much easier – but I also am finding out that with Phtoshop, AI, and graphics apps I do a TON of “mock ups” so I devised a nice little protocol so that I can call up those files quickly – and I also make sure to go ahead and RENAME Or delete all UNTITLED PSD or AI files!   But I guess I’ve digressed…

Just remember NO OS is safe, all drives are going to fail – (there’s those that haven’t’ and those that WILL) Back up, run a HW and SW firewall besides your NAT – keep your machine clean of dust (especially the power fan and CPU fan), get organized – store your most important files OFF LINE and better still either use a FIREPROOF SAFE or a Safety Deposit box that is assuming you have CRUCIAL DATA from YEARS of working that you cannot lose -

And again, just because your a MAC – does NOT mean your safe – better batten down the hatches as your going to see more and more attacks on MAC’s in the future!
Contact: support@aaacomputersofms.com

We’ve got to build a site for our owner’s BOOK(S) FIRST – then we’ll get back to this – and we’re still looking at Site Layout and Design issues….

More to come…

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4. MS Access (Database)
5. Outlook
6. Publisher

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If you want to learn how to configure your wireless router or set up a small home/office network, with file and printer sharing, just about any type of connection including how to make your Internet TV or DVD Player Connect to your Wireless router.

How to Build your Own Computer

Ever wanted to build a computer from scratch?   WE can show you how – and you can get a custom computer for much cheaper than an out of the box machine!   WE can customize the machine for Audio/Video Production, for Gaming, you name it!  Just whatever you need – as your “out of the box” machine may not have enough input/output devices for EVERYTHING you may need!  Give us a call!

Audio/Video Production Software

Are you tired of your standard old video that you can’t really edit?   Tired of trying to use Windows Movie Maker?  Want to add special effects, sound tracks and a host of other elements to make your home movies look like HOLLYWOOD  or close – we can show you how!

Give us  a call – 601-527-5941

support@aaacomputersofms.com