I’ve been reading recenly about the beta of Windows Home Server from Microsoft. This is supposed to be almost a plug-and-play server, but it seems fraught with problems for anyone who isn’t a “techie.”

One of the features that I think will be the most troublesome is the RAID data storage. RAID stands for Redundant Array of Inexpensive Disks. That might make you think that it is the installed cure for backups — you couldn’t be more wrong.

RAID requires special thought even for normal use, other than what plug-and-play functionality Microsoft builds into it.

One problem with RAID is that many versions of RAID actually “stripe” data from one file onto multiple hard drives. This makes access much faster. But, it doubles your chance of a hardware failure taking out your data.

Another issue is: when a drive goes bad, how do you identity which one is the bad one? According to Robin Harris’ article Why home RAID won’t fly, even the people using RAID now will frequently will replace the wrong one!

At this point, I have no interest in Windows Home Server. If I decide to have a separaterserver machine, mine will be based on Linux — current Linux distributions make it too easy and too cheap of an option to skip.

Subscriber and friend Sam Boggs wrote me to say:

Terry:
I recently purchased a Seagate 160 GB external hard drive to back up key files. It did not come with any software; it just acts like an oversized thumb drive, and it works fine in that mode. I have manually copied “My Documents” to that new drive.

My question is this:
Is there any software, preferably freeware, that will allow me to do a quick incremental backup (for example will write only new and overwrite only more recent file versions) without asking me about each individual file. For example, if I have an old text called “abc.doc” and it hasn’t changed since the last backup, I’d like the software to not put a second copy of abc.doc on the external HD, or ask me if I want to overwrite.

I’ve seen “One button backup” advertised on some external HD’s but this doesn’t have it built in.

Thanks again for your very helpful and informative newsletter.
Sam Boggs

Must be time for articles on backing up your system and backing up your data.

Continue reading Backing Up to External Drive

Have you ever received an email that had a broken link?

Sometimes, the length of a URL is so long, or it’s at the “wrong point” in a sentence such that the email program breaks the URL — and wraps part of it onto the next line of the email.

If we’re sending the email to a mailing list, our email program may not break the link, but the mailing list program might do that.

We can solve the problem sometimes by making sure that we paste the URL into the first column of a line of the email.

Other times, that’s not enough.

Fortunately, there is a free fix…

Continue reading HowTo: Email a Web Site Address (URL)

This week’s email and on-line newsletters are now available:

• free weekly Terry”s Computer Tips email newsletter
• weekly on-line Terry”s Computer Tips newsletter

This week’s online articles include:
*   Replacing Your Hard Drive

*   Updates Last Week

*   Windows Registry sam File Repair

*   Outlook, Outlook Express and Usenet News
*   Converting WMA Audio Files to MP3 Format

*   My Computer Security Software Recommendations

*   Vista’s "Not enough privileges" Error

If you subscribe to the email newsletter now, you will get instructions on how to request automatic free copies of the two most recent issues.

II answered a question from a new Firefox user recently about font sizes. She had just installed Firefox and noticed that the fonts were smaller than those that she was used to seeing in Internet Explorer.

The “problem” is that we, as users, can change our default fonts and font sizes in our web browsers. Firefox even offers more flexibility than does Internet Explorer.

In Internet Explorer, we can make a temporary change by clicking on View, Text Size, and then pick any of five different relative sizes. By relative, I mean that they have values like “larger” and “smaller,” which get applied to the current font size on the web page. Firefox has a similar function on its View menu.

To make changes to the default fonts in Internet Explorer, you go to Tools, Internet Options and select the General tab. Then, click on the Fonts button near the bottom of the dialog box.

Continue reading Changing Your Web Browser Fonts and Font Size

Six months ago, in my December 24, 2006 Terry’s Computer Tips email newsletter, I published this list of New Year’s resolutions for computer users.

Now, it’s time to see how you’ve done… Click on “Comments” (in the light gray text above) and let me know…

As we’re approaching New Year’s Day and our opportunity to make those resolutions for the ways we’re going to improve our lifestyle in the next year, here are some resolution ideas you might want to consider:

1) I will learn more about my computer

2) I will learn more about the software that I use regularly.

3) I will learn new tricks and tips for using Windows itself.

4) I will try new things in Windows and my software — without having a book or a friend tell me what to do.

5) I will learn more about my computer’s hardware.

6) I will buy an external hard drive so that I can create a backup that I can store AWAY from my computer.

7) I will email my new friends and old friends.

8) I will keep current versions of anti-virus, anti-spyware and anti-spam programs running on my computer.

9) I will try using Firefox to surf the web instead of always using Internet Explorer.

10) I will not use email “stationery” no matter how cute it looks.

11) I will not be a Microsoft beta-tester. I will wait until Microsoft has released at least the second set of monthly patches for Windows Vista and Office 2007 before I buy a new computer that has them installed or purchase them for installation on my computer.

12) I will find and join a local computer users group (computer club) to learn more about my computer, Windows and the software I use. Many computer stores can tell you how to contact your local computer users group. You can also check www.apcug.net to find a users group near you (US and International, too) that have registered with APCUG, the Association of Personal Computer Users Groups. Read more about computer user groups