Home > Articles

More About PC Health Care

This chapter is from the book

The more software you install or uninstall and the more files you add or delete, the more pertinent it becomes to perform maintenance on your system. Whether you are trying to accomplish an advanced task or you are trying to figure out why your computer is acting up, you will find the troubleshooting tips and tricks in this chapter helpful.

Just when you think you have the hang of controlling this hunk of machinery, the unexpected happens. Maybe your monitor doesn't flicker into action when you boot your machine, or perhaps your computer doesn't seem to recognize the new CD you just put into the CD drive.

Combine the savvy wisdom in this chapter with the Windows tips and tricks learned in Chapter 2, "Keeping Windows Happy," and you can save yourself a lot of grief!

Safe Storing Your Files

To protect your valuable data, it's best to make an extra copy of it. The easiest way to do so is to back up your files onto a diskette, recordable CD (or, if you're very lucky, a highly capacious recordable DVD with much more room than a CD), or a Zip drive cartridge. Then, if something happens to the original file (or worse yet, to your hard drive), you can restore the backup copy onto your hard drive.

NOTE

The process of making copies of files and storing them in a collection off your main hard drive is often referred to as archiving.

Choosing Your Backup Media

With today's computers, data files are typically backed up onto diskette, CD, or Zip drive. Owners of older PCs also had the option of using Jaz drive media and tape backup units, but the limited storage capability, high price of storage media, and lack of market share made these options all but disappear in the light of affordable CD recording capabilities.

There are basically three factors that should be considered in making your decision regarding how to backup your important files: (1) what devices you have available to you (different devices can widely vary in amount of storage room they offer), (2) what type of data you want to back up, and (3) your intended use of the backup media.

Do You Have Drive?

Almost every machine has a floppy drive but they're not that useful for backups today because so many of our files are larger in size than a floppy disk can handle. Obviously, the type of backup method you use will depend on your computer's components. If you have a recordable/read writable CD drive, you need to understand how much data these types of recordable discs will hold.

Normally, a recordable CD or DVD is best when you have hordes of files to store elsewhere. A recordable CD, for example, stores about 650 megabytes (MB), while a recordable DVD stores at least 4.7 gigabytes (GB).

What You Want to Put on the Disk

If your goal is to back up word processing documents or spreadsheets, just about any of the backup media options will do. However, when it comes to graphic-intensive documents, photographs, and audio and video files, you will need to take into account the storage capacity of each type of media. Table 3.1 shows just how much material you can fit onto each type of storage media.

Table 3.1 Storage Capacity of Various Types of Media

Media

Data capacity

High-density diskette

1.44MB

Zip disk

100MB or 250MB

CD-ROM

650MB

DVD

4.7GB


TIP

You can fit more than 300,000 pages of text on a single CD-ROM. That's more than 400 copies of this book on one CD, excluding graphics!

With that in mind, it should come as no real surprise that in order to deal with the large files such as photographs, video files, or music files, you will need to work with CD-ROMs, DVDs or Zip disks or other large capacity media that you find at the computer store.

Music files can also get large in a hurry. A standard 3- to 4-minute song can easily reach 3–5MB when converted to the popular MP3 format. The larger and more numerous your file collection gets, the more important backing up your data becomes.

CD-Rs Versus CD-RWs

When you go shopping for blank CDs, you will notice that there are two kinds: CD-R (recordable) and CD-RW (read writable). The newest drives will record on either, but check your documentation because some older drives will accept only one type.

CD-Rs can only be written to once. You can always add data to the unused parts of the disk with the right software, but you can't overwrite the data recorded on the disk; once it's there, it's there for good. This makes it a fine alternative for creating music CDs and virtual photo albums but perhaps a waste for data backup, since you would probably want to overwrite your data backups periodically to reflect any changes.

CD-RWs are sort of like overgrown diskettes; you can write over them again and again (up to a point; the more you record over existing data, the faster the quality of the recording can degrade), making them good data backup candidates. However, CD-RWs can only be read by other CD-RW drives. If the plan is to make a CD to play in your car or at a friend's party, you will definitely need to go with CD-Rs.

TIP

Save money and time by buying recordable CD or CD-RW media in bulk. It usually costs substantially less if you buy recordable CDs, for example, in 100-disc spindles. The same is often true with DVDs.

What Are Your Plans for the Disk?

When deciding which type of backup media to use, make sure that the intended recipient can work with it. Also, think back to the earlier caution about the differences in blank CDs.

InformIT Promotional Mailings & Special Offers

I would like to receive exclusive offers and hear about products from InformIT and its family of brands. I can unsubscribe at any time.

Overview


Pearson Education, Inc., 221 River Street, Hoboken, New Jersey 07030, (Pearson) presents this site to provide information about products and services that can be purchased through this site.

This privacy notice provides an overview of our commitment to privacy and describes how we collect, protect, use and share personal information collected through this site. Please note that other Pearson websites and online products and services have their own separate privacy policies.

Collection and Use of Information


To conduct business and deliver products and services, Pearson collects and uses personal information in several ways in connection with this site, including:

Questions and Inquiries

For inquiries and questions, we collect the inquiry or question, together with name, contact details (email address, phone number and mailing address) and any other additional information voluntarily submitted to us through a Contact Us form or an email. We use this information to address the inquiry and respond to the question.

Online Store

For orders and purchases placed through our online store on this site, we collect order details, name, institution name and address (if applicable), email address, phone number, shipping and billing addresses, credit/debit card information, shipping options and any instructions. We use this information to complete transactions, fulfill orders, communicate with individuals placing orders or visiting the online store, and for related purposes.

Surveys

Pearson may offer opportunities to provide feedback or participate in surveys, including surveys evaluating Pearson products, services or sites. Participation is voluntary. Pearson collects information requested in the survey questions and uses the information to evaluate, support, maintain and improve products, services or sites, develop new products and services, conduct educational research and for other purposes specified in the survey.

Contests and Drawings

Occasionally, we may sponsor a contest or drawing. Participation is optional. Pearson collects name, contact information and other information specified on the entry form for the contest or drawing to conduct the contest or drawing. Pearson may collect additional personal information from the winners of a contest or drawing in order to award the prize and for tax reporting purposes, as required by law.

Newsletters

If you have elected to receive email newsletters or promotional mailings and special offers but want to unsubscribe, simply email information@informit.com.

Service Announcements

On rare occasions it is necessary to send out a strictly service related announcement. For instance, if our service is temporarily suspended for maintenance we might send users an email. Generally, users may not opt-out of these communications, though they can deactivate their account information. However, these communications are not promotional in nature.

Customer Service

We communicate with users on a regular basis to provide requested services and in regard to issues relating to their account we reply via email or phone in accordance with the users' wishes when a user submits their information through our Contact Us form.

Other Collection and Use of Information


Application and System Logs

Pearson automatically collects log data to help ensure the delivery, availability and security of this site. Log data may include technical information about how a user or visitor connected to this site, such as browser type, type of computer/device, operating system, internet service provider and IP address. We use this information for support purposes and to monitor the health of the site, identify problems, improve service, detect unauthorized access and fraudulent activity, prevent and respond to security incidents and appropriately scale computing resources.

Web Analytics

Pearson may use third party web trend analytical services, including Google Analytics, to collect visitor information, such as IP addresses, browser types, referring pages, pages visited and time spent on a particular site. While these analytical services collect and report information on an anonymous basis, they may use cookies to gather web trend information. The information gathered may enable Pearson (but not the third party web trend services) to link information with application and system log data. Pearson uses this information for system administration and to identify problems, improve service, detect unauthorized access and fraudulent activity, prevent and respond to security incidents, appropriately scale computing resources and otherwise support and deliver this site and its services.

Cookies and Related Technologies

This site uses cookies and similar technologies to personalize content, measure traffic patterns, control security, track use and access of information on this site, and provide interest-based messages and advertising. Users can manage and block the use of cookies through their browser. Disabling or blocking certain cookies may limit the functionality of this site.

Do Not Track

This site currently does not respond to Do Not Track signals.

Security


Pearson uses appropriate physical, administrative and technical security measures to protect personal information from unauthorized access, use and disclosure.

Children


This site is not directed to children under the age of 13.

Marketing


Pearson may send or direct marketing communications to users, provided that

  • Pearson will not use personal information collected or processed as a K-12 school service provider for the purpose of directed or targeted advertising.
  • Such marketing is consistent with applicable law and Pearson's legal obligations.
  • Pearson will not knowingly direct or send marketing communications to an individual who has expressed a preference not to receive marketing.
  • Where required by applicable law, express or implied consent to marketing exists and has not been withdrawn.

Pearson may provide personal information to a third party service provider on a restricted basis to provide marketing solely on behalf of Pearson or an affiliate or customer for whom Pearson is a service provider. Marketing preferences may be changed at any time.

Correcting/Updating Personal Information


If a user's personally identifiable information changes (such as your postal address or email address), we provide a way to correct or update that user's personal data provided to us. This can be done on the Account page. If a user no longer desires our service and desires to delete his or her account, please contact us at customer-service@informit.com and we will process the deletion of a user's account.

Choice/Opt-out


Users can always make an informed choice as to whether they should proceed with certain services offered by InformIT. If you choose to remove yourself from our mailing list(s) simply visit the following page and uncheck any communication you no longer want to receive: www.informit.com/u.aspx.

Sale of Personal Information


Pearson does not rent or sell personal information in exchange for any payment of money.

While Pearson does not sell personal information, as defined in Nevada law, Nevada residents may email a request for no sale of their personal information to NevadaDesignatedRequest@pearson.com.

Supplemental Privacy Statement for California Residents


California residents should read our Supplemental privacy statement for California residents in conjunction with this Privacy Notice. The Supplemental privacy statement for California residents explains Pearson's commitment to comply with California law and applies to personal information of California residents collected in connection with this site and the Services.

Sharing and Disclosure


Pearson may disclose personal information, as follows:

  • As required by law.
  • With the consent of the individual (or their parent, if the individual is a minor)
  • In response to a subpoena, court order or legal process, to the extent permitted or required by law
  • To protect the security and safety of individuals, data, assets and systems, consistent with applicable law
  • In connection the sale, joint venture or other transfer of some or all of its company or assets, subject to the provisions of this Privacy Notice
  • To investigate or address actual or suspected fraud or other illegal activities
  • To exercise its legal rights, including enforcement of the Terms of Use for this site or another contract
  • To affiliated Pearson companies and other companies and organizations who perform work for Pearson and are obligated to protect the privacy of personal information consistent with this Privacy Notice
  • To a school, organization, company or government agency, where Pearson collects or processes the personal information in a school setting or on behalf of such organization, company or government agency.

Links


This web site contains links to other sites. Please be aware that we are not responsible for the privacy practices of such other sites. We encourage our users to be aware when they leave our site and to read the privacy statements of each and every web site that collects Personal Information. This privacy statement applies solely to information collected by this web site.

Requests and Contact


Please contact us about this Privacy Notice or if you have any requests or questions relating to the privacy of your personal information.

Changes to this Privacy Notice


We may revise this Privacy Notice through an updated posting. We will identify the effective date of the revision in the posting. Often, updates are made to provide greater clarity or to comply with changes in regulatory requirements. If the updates involve material changes to the collection, protection, use or disclosure of Personal Information, Pearson will provide notice of the change through a conspicuous notice on this site or other appropriate way. Continued use of the site after the effective date of a posted revision evidences acceptance. Please contact us if you have questions or concerns about the Privacy Notice or any objection to any revisions.

Last Update: November 17, 2020