Newsletter Archives

• Ensuring you can recover

  Posted on March 13, 2023 at 02:41 CDT by Susan Bradley • Comment in the Forums

  PATCH WATCH

  

  By Susan Bradley

  Anyone reading the title of this edition of Patch Watch may think I’m talking about a Windows update issue.

  But no matter what your technology, I want to remind you that having a backup means that you will be able to recover.

  A good friend of mine, totally ensconced in the Apple world, reported that her older Apple computer running Monterey was not a happy camper. She had been traveling and did not want to install updates. Once at home after her travels, she attempted to update. That’s when the “fun” started.

  Read the full story in our Plus Newsletter (20.11.0, 2023-03-13).

  Patch Watch Backup, Group Policy Editor, Intel, Newsletters, Patch Lady Posts, Reinstall, Upgrade blocking, Zero Day

• Check the health of your systems

  Posted on September 5, 2022 at 02:45 CDT by Susan Bradley • Comment in the Forums

  

  ISSUE 19.36 • 2022-09-05

  ON SECURITY

  

  By Susan Bradley

  It’s time to ensure your computer is sound, the operating system is healthy, and your system is backed up.

  Why? Because a feature release is right around the corner: 22H2 for both Windows 10 and Windows 11 is due shortly. It’s not that I recommend that you move to those versions, at least not right away. But if you do decide to move ahead, it’s critical to be sure to do so safely, with your ability to retreat secured.

  Read the full story in our Plus Newsletter (19.36.0, 2022-09-05).
  This story also appears in our public Newsletter.

  On Security Antivirus, Backup, browsers, Drivers, Newsletters, Operating Systems, Patch Lady Posts, Security, SSDs

• Inaccessible backups, and a dead laptop

  Posted on January 24, 2022 at 02:44 CST by Fred Langa • Comment in the Forums

  LANGALIST

  

  By Fred Langa

  How can you repair what you can’t get at? Today’s column covers two problems caused by very different access issues.

  In one case, a subscriber is locked out of her old, obsolete backup files; she can neither access nor delete them and thus cannot recover the huge chunk of disk space they occupy.

  In another, a different subscriber needs to data-wipe (“sanitize”) the hard drive of a fatally damaged laptop. But how can he wipe the drive when the laptop won’t even turn on?

  Read the full story in the AskWoody Plus Newsletter 19.04.0 (2022-01-24).

  LangaList Backup, destroy data, LangaList, Newsletters

• Security isn’t just a Microsoft thing

  Posted on November 1, 2021 at 02:42 CDT by Susan Bradley • Comment in the Forums

  ON SECURITY

  

  By Susan Bradley

  Here at AskWoody, we concentrate on Microsoft patch days and security issues.

  But insecurity, privacy, and protection of your sensitive information aren’t just a Microsoft thing. Attackers go where there are people, and computers, to attack. Recently, an ad claiming that Chromebooks were immune to ransomware caught my eye. While makers of Chromebooks can state that they do not have the operating system targeted by ransomware, that’s not to say they are immune from all security risks. There should be a certain amount of paranoia on every platform.

  Read the full story in the AskWoody Plus Newsletter 18.42.0 (2021-11-01).

  AskWoody Plus Newsletter, On Security AskWoody Plus Newsletter, Backup, On Security, Patch Lady Posts, updates

• Microsoft de-emphasizes backing up

  Posted on July 26, 2021 at 02:40 CDT by Susan Bradley • Comment in the Forums

  ON SECURITY

  

  By Susan Bradley

  Got backup?

  Many Windows users consider the second Tuesday of every month a bit like Russian roulette. Will their system reboot? Will they have issues and side effects triggered by the update? Will something else go wrong?

  Read the full story in the AskWoody Plus Newsletter 18.28.0 (2021-07-26).

  AskWoody Plus Newsletter, On Security AskWoody Plus Newsletter, Backup, Patch Lady Posts

• Switchers: Taking a bite of the Apple – Part 2

  Posted on March 16, 2020 at 01:00 CDT by Tracey Capen • Comment in the Forums

  APPLE MAC

  By Nathan Parker

  With the end of free support for Windows 7, some users are weighing whether it might be a good time to jump to Apple’s Mac.

  If you’re thinking about making the switch but are new to Apple, we’ve provided a two-part quick guide to the Mac environment.

  In Part 1 (2020-03-09 AskWoody Plus Newsletter) we discussed the various types of Mac desktops and notebooks. We also included an overview on setting up a new Mac. In Part 2, we’ll examine the macOS desktop, provide a brief description of the Mac keyboard, and discuss system backup and security.

  Read the full story in AskWoody Plus Newsletter 17.11.0 (2020-03-16).

  Apple AskWoody Plus Newsletter, Backup, macOS, Switchers

• Easily back up all your PC’s current drivers

  Posted on October 14, 2019 at 01:15 CDT by Tracey Capen • Comment in the Forums

  LANGALIST

  By Fred Langa

  Free tools, including Win10’s built-in export-driver command, make backing up your device drivers simple.

  Plus: Free security info from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. And, do new laptops really require a 100 percent initial charge?

  Read the full story in AskWoody Plus Newsletter 16.37.0 (2019-10-14).

  LangaList AskWoody Plus Newsletter, Backup, Battery charging, Hardware drivers, Security advice

• How do you know if File History is really working?

  Posted on July 8, 2019 at 01:05 CDT by Tracey Capen • Comment in the Forums

  LANGALIST

  By Fred Langa

  For that matter, how do you know if any of your backups are working?

  The best proof is a nondestructive, no-overwrite, test-restore of one or more of your backed-up files. Here’s how, using Windows’ File History as the example.

  Plus: Full and partial fixes to a recurring and seemingly patternless boot failure.

  Read the full story in the AskWoody Plus Newsletter 16.25.0 (2019-07-08).

  AskWoody Plus Newsletter, LangaList AskWoody Plus Newsletter, Backup, boot failures, File History, test-restores, Troubleshooting

• Microsoft finally got OneDrive right

  Posted on June 17, 2019 at 02:15 CDT by Tracey Capen • Comment in the Forums

  In typical Microsoft fashion, the company saw a good idea — online file storing, synching, and sharing — and then took a long time to get it right.

  Turning OneDrive into a robust, fully functional app/service was a painful process — especially for users. But today, it’s more than just “right” — it’s actually really, really good!

  Out today in AskWoody Plus Newsletter 16.22.0.

  Cloud Storage, Windows 10 AskWoody Plus Newsletter, Backup, Cloud storage, OneDrive

• How to fix OneDrive file-synching problems

  Posted on June 3, 2019 at 02:17 CDT by Tracey Capen • Comment in the Forums

  Because it’s included with Windows 10, there’s a good chance you’ve used OneDrive as a helpful tool for backing up files and/or synching them between devices.

  But as with any program, you can run into hiccups with OneDrive; files don’t get backed up, synching fails, and so forth.

  See the full story in the June 3, 2019, AskWoody Plus Newsletter (Issue 16.20.0)

  Troubleshooting AskWoody Plus Newsletter, Backup, OneDrive, synching

• Troubleshooting: Use system images to fix major PC hassles

  Posted on May 13, 2019 at 02:01 CDT by woody • Comment in the Forums

  Windows 10 has a built-in (and ancient) whole-disk backup tool called System Images. It works, most of the time, but you need to know about the gotchas. You can also use System Restore points – as long as you had the foresight to turn them on in advance.

  Michael Lasky takes you through the built-in basics in the new AskWoody Plus Newsletter 16.17.0 — out this morning to Plus members.

  Tech Help AskWoody Plus Newsletter, Backup, Michael Lasky

• There goes another excuse for not backing up

  Posted on May 13, 2018 at 14:51 CDT by woody • Comment in the Forums

  Just got a message from Noel Carboni.

  I just ordered another new backup drive from Amazon (via your home page link), a MyBook 8 TB drive.

  The price was decent I think – $169.99. For EIGHT TB. I’ve seen Seagate 8 TB drives for less, but I prefer the Western Digital brand myself.

  I would post this on your site in a post encouraging people to do backups – but I don’t know how to format the link to make sure you get your commission.

  Problem solved. 🙂

  Seriously, this is an amazing price for a very capable piece of hardware. If you aren’t doing backups, you just lost another excuse.

  Other Backup, Western Digital
• « Older Entries

  Newer Entries »