Around the same time Microsoft made its move with .Net introduction and tried to gain portion of cheaper databases market: Pervasive SQL/Btrieve, Ctree/Faircom - and launched free MSDE databas...]]> Great Plains Customization Upgrade- Overview For CIO/IT Director

Writen by Andrew Karasev

Around the same time Microsoft made its move with .Net introduction and tried to gain portion of cheaper databases market: Pervasive SQL/Btrieve, Ctree/Faircom – and launched free MSDE database program. General direction for all its accounting systems was chosen – Microsoft announced future releases of so called Microsoft suites: Microsoft Financial, Microsoft HR, Microsoft Logistics, Microsoft Manufacturing to name a few. However Microsoft did not announce which product (Great Plains, Solomon or Navision) will become the base or will be transformed into each specific suite. Al these suites will be integrated into web-based Microsoft Business Portal

This move, probably wise in the long run, exposed businesses with heavily customized MBS products to serious customization upgrade problems. We’ll give you our recommendation, based on our practice. In this article we’ll talk about Microsoft Great Plains.

1. Great Plains Dexterity Customizations – Microsoft announced that its products will be moved to .Net platform. This means that Dexterity will be phased out/discontinued. However, even now Microsoft Great Plains 8.0 is still Dexterity-based application. So, if you have Dexterity customization – our recommendation is to phase it out or consider replacing it with these: Crystal Reports, SQL Stored Procs and triggers, Web Publishing (Visual Studio.Net) from Great Plains database, eConnect (SDK created to eCommerce developers to deploy Great Plains as back end)
2. Pervasive SQL/Ctree migration to MS SQL – If you are still on these old platforms – then you are in trouble – you will be without Microsoft technical support by the end of 2004. When you do standard data migration via migration tool – Great Plains tables are migrated by the tool, however migration tooll has no info about your custom tables – these tables should be migrated manually. You can use MSSQL Server Linked Server construction to link to Pervasive/Ctree data. ODBC drivers can be installed from GP CDs.
3. VBA/Modifier/Continuum – all these are good candidates for replacement by newer technologies, because these will not have their place in .Net platform.

Additional notes: When Great Plains Software designed Dexterity as the replacement to its discontinued Great Plains Accounting – it proclaimed that Dexterity is DB independent – which is true to some extent. However there are specifics, and Dexterity customization should be analyzed and tuned to work with MS SQL Server, if it was originally designed for btrieve/ctree. We are talking about customization upgrade for Great Plains Dynamics/eEnterprise 5.0, 5.5, 6.0, 7.0 to Microsoft Great Plains 8.0 or 7.5.

Happy upgrading! if you want us to do the job – give us a call 1-866-528-0577! help@albaspectrum.com

Andrew Karasev is Chief Technology Officer in Alba Spectrum Technologies – USA nationwide Great Plains, Microsoft CRM customization company, based in Chicago, California, Colorado, Arizona, Texas, Florida, Georgia, New York, Canada, UK, Australia and having locations in multiple states and internationally (www.albaspectrum.com), he is Dexterity, SQL, C#.Net, Crystal Reports and Microsoft CRM SDK developer.

Networking allows one computer to share information with another. For home office users, this can be a unique advantage. Rather than putting data directly into two computers, you can put it into one computer and then have t...]]> Networking Software and Hardware

Writen by Michael Russell

Networking allows one computer to share information with another. For home office users, this can be a unique advantage. Rather than putting data directly into two computers, you can put it into one computer and then have that computer share the information by using networking software and hardware. Truly, networking software and hardware make life easier and prove to be excellent time saving tools.

In order to create a network in your home you will need to purchase the correct hardware if you don’t already have it. You will need, in some cases, a file server, network interface cards, Ethernet cards, local talk connectors, a switch, a router, and/or a bridge. If you are unfamiliar with these products it may serve you well to discuss with the computer hardware distributor, what parts you may or may not require. Further, you might want to hire someone who is knowledgeable to install your network for you.

You might also need to buy networking software. A networking operating system differs from DOS and Windows applications and if your computer does not possess a networking operating system, you may be forced to invest in one. There are two primary network operating systems: client/server and peer-to-peer networks. If you are looking to establish a small, but simple networking system then you will most likely benefit from a peer-to-peer network. For larger systems, however, a client/server is your best option.

When you have a peer-to-peer network, you will not require a dedicated server to share information between computers. Conversely, a client/server requires the use of a dedicated server and this can result in additional expenses for you. Plus, a peer-to-peer network can adapt easily to a Windows Operating System and a knowledgeable individual can easily configure your existing computer to work with your peer-to-peer software.

Before you decide to set up a networking system, you should most definitely research the process. Networking can be a complicated business and if you are unsure of what you are doing, you can actually damage your existing equipment. Again, if you want a networking system established and you are unsure of how to go about it, your best bet is to spend the extra cash to hire someone who can get the process working for you properly as well as advise you about what options are available.

Ultimately, setting up a home network is meant to make your work easier, not harder. Therefore, when considering your network options, do your research, price comparisons and definitely talk to a professional about the best way to set up your system. Once your home networking system is established you will find that you can share information between computers with ease. In the end, that is your goal – to make your work easier, and you don’t need more complications than those that already arise on a regular basis!

The number one reason small businesses fail is due to lack of experience. "Lack of Experience" in the industry the entrepreneur enters and in management, as well. ...]]> How a CRM for Microsoft Office Can Turn Your Small Business into a Productivity Powerhouse

Writen by Brandi Browning

The number one reason small businesses fail is due to lack of experience. “Lack of Experience” in the industry the entrepreneur enters and in management, as well. The fact of the matter is small business owners nearly tear their hair out when attempting to coexist as the CEO, Director of Marketing & Sales, Customer Service and Office Administration. After all, wearing multiple hats is challenging, especially when there’s only 24 hours in a day.

Today’s technology supports an entrepreneur’s ability to evolve into a savvy manager by computerizing internal business processes and simplifying intra-office communications with office automation software (OAS). With 90% of the market share, Microsoft Office allows opportunists world-wide to conduct effective personal information management using Outlook, prepare professional documents with Word, present proficient Power Point presentations, manage data effectively using Excel, and more. The question is, “How can entrepreneurs fully utilize Microsoft Office for positive interaction with their business’ external environment?” The solution is uniting a dynamic customer relationship manager (CRM) with the ubiquitous Microsoft Office suite.

With minimal resources and personnel, entrepreneurs can use CRM for Microsoft Office to efficiently communicate with their employees, customers, and vendors. A centralized contact manager not only streamlines common business processes but saves time and increases productivity. Whether you’re a “one-man show” or have a network of a few employees, a contact manager combined with the power of Microsoft Office, can help build long-lasting relationships with company stakeholders and make it easier to clearly focus on succeeding.

For Administration:

A centralized database of client, employee, and vendor contact information, provided by a systematic customer relationship manager, simplifies every-day administrative duties including scheduling and messaging. Business owners and administrative assistants alike can easily use a CRM Office Add-on to pull up a contact record and schedule an appointment. By integrating with Outlook, the user can create appointments or tasks from a central location and it will automatically appear in their personal Outlook or on the company’s public calendar (if in an Exchange environment). The same goes for messaging. Locate the contact record from any desk in the office, and send a message via email using Outlook.

For Marketing:

The everyday infrastructure of most businesses is already facilitated by Microsoft Office. Let’s take writing 15 thank you letters, for example. It’s almost commonplace to use Microsoft Word to create such a professional document. However, once the letter is complete, Word doesn’t provide a way to automatically format each letter with the customer’s name and address. In addition, what medium will be used to deliver the professional documents to its respective targets, all 15 of them to be exact! Can Outlook do this? Sure, if email is the method of choice for delivery. First copy and paste the content of the letter 15 times into 15 emails and then enter the email addresses for each letter. The process is not only time consuming, but often painstaking, as well. Not to mention, that’s only for 15 letters. What about 50, 100, 500 or even 1000?

With the added help of a customer relationship manager, repetitive tasks like letter writing, turn into routine processes. Create the letter template in Word and save it to the centralized database of the customer relationship manager. Next, pull up the 15 contact records of this week’s new clients. Select all 15 records and merge their contact information with the template into 15 letters. Besides the 10 minutes it takes to write the letter, the CRM creates 15 personalized copies in about 30 seconds. Hence, mass communicating is systematized and cost effective. The days of spending a week to do a mailing to the firm’s entire customer base can be done in just minutes through broadcast mailing, and even faxing or e-mailing, too.

For Sales:

Many businesses who implement CRM technology with MS Office notice benefits immediately. Once customer data is centralized and easily accessible by the sales team, the CRM becomes a great monitoring tool. The sales team is now able to conduct follow-up phone calls while having the power to view personalized, detailed notes unique to each client record or lead. Then a fortunate chain reaction is triggered. By personalizing the follow-up strategy, the customer ultimately feels more distinguished and treasured. Plus, a regular follow-up strategy helps the sales professional to build a relationship with the client, which will then increase client loyalty. To sum it all up, CRM technology makes the game of lead control a win-win situation for the firm and its clients. A CRM solution will also refine sales methods to better meet each and every need of a new prospect.

Now, add the capabilities of the CRM to Microsoft Office. From the contact record, sales professionals can add a note to their personal Outlook, write an entry in their personal Outlook journal, create an Excel spreadsheet for tracking monthly revenues or calls, email the contact through Outlook, send the contact a fax, and schedule the next follow-up call. Now the sales process is completely automated from a central point of location. Think about how much time is saved.

CRM Solutions Help Build Stronger Relationships

It’s no secret; the vast number of customer relationship managers which are currently on the market. The question is which one is right for you?

Key factors to consider when evaluating a CRM solution:

Is the contact information you enter accurate and true?

Is the database constantly updated and maintained?

Can you easily retrieve and share contact information?

Are documents such as fax cover sheets, letters, labels and lists easily constructed with the program?

Can it communicate with Microsoft Office without complicated exporting procedures?

Does it enable users to easily communicate with each other and the outside world?

Does it send messages to cellular phones, PDAs, smartphones, pagers, email and two-way radios instantly?

Can employees effectively track communication with clients and vendors?

Does it include lead & campaign management features for prospecting?

The benefits of a CRM do not stop with just the needs of the customer — it adds value to the business as a whole. Employees are happier and less stressed because processes and procedures are simplified, take less time and effort to execute and the details are “taken care of”. Employees become more organized and effective in achieving team goals. Management also benefits from increased employee productivity, lowered business expenses, reduced overtime hours, and goals are easier to meet. The business as a whole can run leaner because a good contact manager allows entrepreneurs and their employees to multi-task in a Microsoft Office environment, with ease.

Brandi Browning is the Director of Marketing of Advantage International, Inc. specializing in Microsoft Exchange, Outlook and Office Add-ins for calendar and contact synchronization, improved group task management, and CRM/marketing lead management solutions. Email any questions to brandib (at) diditbetter.com or for more information visit http://www.diditbetter.com

Computer rental is sometimes necessary for people with serious business or personal obligations. When you are on to an important project, responsible for speaking at a business meeting, or p...]]> The Truth About Computer Rental – A Win-Win Option!

Writen by Paul I Etkin

Computer rental is sometimes necessary for people with serious business or personal obligations. When you are on to an important project, responsible for speaking at a business meeting, or perhaps making a presentation, you may suddenly need computer equipment that you do not normally have.

There are many ways to obtain a computer if you need one, and one of the most common ways to do so without having to fork out cash in full is to try a computer rental. Acquiring a computer this way has a lot of benefits, that you might be unaware of, so check out why it is a good idea to use a computer rental, even if it’s not your first time owning one.

Many places online as well as stores in your local hometown area have the option for computer rental. In fact you can also rent other utilities for your house, apartment or dorm pretty much like furniture or even household appliances like a washing machine, dryer and dishwasher. The advantages for doing this are numerous, and most people are surprised to learn that computer rental is so commonly adopted by many. In fact, you should scout and shop around for the best deals each store has to offer, given the competitive market.

Almost all stores have incentives to use their electronics rental service. One of the best is that if you’ve got a few credit problems, or if you’re trying to establish credit, then this is ideal. There are no credit checks, and you don’t even have to put up collateral to obtain it. All you need is a couple of personal references, and you must be currently employed in order to qualify for a computer rental. 90 days same as cash is an option. Interest is not added because payments are not required; all you’ll be paying for is the tax on your purchase.

The payment period is usually pretty flexible. Stores will work out a set payment plan that is ideal for you. Monthly, weekly, or even every other week is a viable payback time period. Hidden fees are not included because they’re typically figured into the payment plan.

Another benefit is that you will get the computer the day you order it. Also, stores today don’t carry off the wall brands that don’t work half the time, if at all. All reputable stores offer a guaranteed satisfaction, or you’ll get your money back on the payments for the computer rental you’ve made. Make sure to look at how long the offer is for your particular purchase.

The key benefit of getting a home or office computer this manner is that you can always give a go at the policy of trying it before you decide to buy it. With a computer rental you can choose a particular model, try it out for a while, and if you think it’s for you, you can always purchase it. It is definitely a better option compared to buying one outright, and then finding out that it’s not what you really need or want. A computer rental is a win-win option, whatever way you look at it.

Educational software companies were among the first software developers in the early days of desktop computing. They recognized the potential of using computers for learning purposes, and were quick to develop products that helpe...]]> Educational Software Companies

Writen by Jimmy Sturo

Educational software companies were among the first software developers in the early days of desktop computing. They recognized the potential of using computers for learning purposes, and were quick to develop products that helped make this happen. But because of market changes and fast-changing technology, these educational software companies have to face unique challenges now more than ever.

Problems facing educational software companies

The costs of education are running high, and this its toll on educational software companies. Schools are now hesitant to install additional infrastructures such as networks that are needed to run school-wide educational software.

The peripheral expenses involved in implementing educational software are getting higher, and schools usually can’t afford to squeeze them into their already tight budgets. And even when administrators do request for budget realignment or additional funding from the state boards, their requests are denied more often than not. This is because state boards usually have budgets strictly set well ahead of time, and is almost never any room for deviation.

External financing is the obvious solution, but it may take years for schools to find this kind of money, if at all. Meanwhile, educational software companies suffer the losses and scramble to find viable financial means to subsist while schools that have already signed up to buy their educational software systems find ways to raise the funds to pay them.

The future of educational software companies

Companies that develop educational software are on shaky ground. They are very easily disturbed by downturns not only in the software and web industries, but in the educational system as well. The overall sales of both school-wide educational software systems and individual CD ROM-based systems has significantly decreased because of major changes in all these three stimulant industries around the year 2000. This is why many software companies have either closed or downsized.

Educational Software provides detailed information on Educational Software, Childrens Educational Software, Free Educational Software, Educational Software Companies and more. Educational Software is affiliated with Discount Embroidery Software.

Businesses must be fully staffed in order to live up to their potential. All job openings must be filled as quickly as possible with the best candidate for the job. With all of the quick decisions needed when hir...]]> The Function of Recruiting Database Software

Writen by Kent Pinkerton

Businesses must be fully staffed in order to live up to their potential. All job openings must be filled as quickly as possible with the best candidate for the job. With all of the quick decisions needed when hiring, it is important that recruiters are able to instantly access any information that they need about applicants. Recruiting database software organizes applicant information in such a way that any information on the applicants is just a few keystrokes away.

Recruiting database software can store and organize all of an applicant’s information in several different ways. These programs add applicants’ resumes to a database where they are stored for future viewing. Recruiters are able to access the entire database at any time. They can look at an applicant’s entire resume, or they can look at particular parts of the resume, like the contact information or previous job experience.

The resumes are stored in such a way that recruiters can filter out the particular information that they need. For example, if a recruiter wants to look at all applicants who have a master’s degree, the recruiting database software can show them a list of applicants whose resumes mention having a master’s degree. Or if the recruiter needs to fill a position extremely quickly, they can search for applicants who live nearby and would not need to relocate.

Recruiting database software can filter out unqualified applicants. If applicants do not have particular qualifications such as relevant work experience or a college degree the software can mark these resumes so that the recruiter is aware of what these applicants lack.

Recruiting database software programs are a great addition to any company that hires new employees. Firms that do their own recruiting benefit from the streamlined organization that this software provides. Professional recruitment and staffing companies can save a significant amount of time and money by utilizing recruiting database software.

Have you ever noticed that when you look at your browser favorites menu or the address bar, some entries have their own little icon beside their URL?

It's called a "Favicon" (a graphic file with a .ico extens...]]> Brand Your Website’s URL With a Favicon

Writen by Mario Sanchez

Have you ever noticed that when you look at your browser favorites menu or the address bar, some entries have their own little icon beside their URL?

It’s called a “Favicon” (a graphic file with a .ico extension) and it’s placed in the root directory of the web site. Everytime you bookmark a site that has its own favicon.ico file, it is added to your browser, and it will be visible from then on in the favorites menu and in the address bar.

At the beginning, only large websites had a favicon, but now you too can create one and use it to brand your website. The first thing you have to do is to create your favicon. To be displayed by browsers, it must have a size of 16×16 pixels. To create one, you can use a graphics program called Icon Forge (you can download a free trial version in CNET):

http://download.com.com/3000-2195-10128559.html

You can either create an icon from scratch, or import a 16×16 ‘.gif’ or ‘.jpg’ file and save it as a ‘.ico’ file.

You will then have to save your icon with the default name of ‘favicon.ico’, and upload it to the root directory of your website (where your index page is). Finally, after that, you must associate your icon to your web page. You do that by including the following HTML code immediately after the HEAD tag of your page:

link REL=”SHORTCUT ICON” HREF=”http://www.yourwebsite.com/favicon.ico”

Once you’ve done that, that’s it. To try it out, go to your web page and add your page to your favorites. You should be able to see the favicon next to your bookmarked page title. Also, the next time you type your URL in the address bar, you will see your favicon to the left of the URL.

(Favicons work with Internet Explorer 5 or newer, and with recent versions of Netscape.)

——-

You can freely reprint this article. Just include the following resource box at the end:

About The Author

Mario Sanchez lives in Miami, Florida, where he publishes The Internet Digest ( http://www.theinternetdigest.net ) a website and newsletter that gives you free advice on web design and Internet marketing.

As of now - Great Plains Dynamics/eEnterprise is transformed/renamed into Microsoft Great Plains and Microsoft Business Solutions is in process of merging all its accounting applications: Great Plains,...]]> Great Plains Dexterity History and Programming Overview

Writen by Andrew Karasev

As of now – Great Plains Dynamics/eEnterprise is transformed/renamed into Microsoft Great Plains and Microsoft Business Solutions is in process of merging all its accounting applications: Great Plains, Solomon, Navision and Axapta into somewhat granular: Microsoft Financials, Microsoft HR, Microsoft Distributions, Microsoft Project Accounting, etc. So the original design of Great Plains should be deemphasized. But even now – Great Plains is written on the programming language and technology, created in early 1990-th, named Great Plains Dexterity. And the graphical interface looks very user friendly and nice – these are all Dexterity forms and screens.

The original architect of Dexterity, Tim Brookins, pursued several goals, the main are these:

1. Engine, supporting graphical interface, which is computer platform independent – if you remember those days – the main competition was between Macintosh and Microsoft Windows. Mac was graphical and very popular, but Windows, backed by IBM cloning/platform openness was very dangerous competitor. The new engine was targeted to work on both: Mac and Windows. On the other hand – nobody could look at the future far enough to be sure that other competitors from both Hardware and Operating Systems sides not going to take over. This is why the graphical platform independent engine was required for the new type – Graphical accounting/ERP system: Great Plains Dynamics.

2. Database platform independence – initially Great Plains used Ctree (available for both PC and Mac) and Btrieve, later on with Microsoft SQL Server 6.5 Great Plains relatively easy introduced it as a new alternative: Dynamics C/S+ on SQL Server. Again – nobody could guarantee which DB will be a winner. Technically Dexterity could easy provide DB switch. Unfortunately – the necessity to support “cheap” databases, such as ctree forced Dexterity architect to use cursors or loops instead of providing aggregation, available on all SQL blends.

To resolve these goals, and following popular those days believe that C programming language is platform independent, C was chosen as the low level language to write dexterity itself.

This was the story, now to the practical side. You can install Dexterity from Great Plains 7.5 or 8.0 CD #2. Obviously it requires a lot of learning / training, but it allows your custom piece be seamlessly integrated with Great Plains interface.

1. Native Dexterity Cursors. Dexterity was designed as platform independent programming language and so if you want your code to be operable on all currently supported databases – you use Dexterity ranges and loops to manipulate the records

2. Great Plains Dexterity with SQL Stored Procs Nowadays, most of Great Plains installations are moved to SQL Server – so you can use Dexterity for custom forms drawing only and make the buttons run SQL stored procedures.

3. COM Objects calls. Beginning with version 7.0 Dexterity supports COM objects – you register them as libraries in Dexterity. Refer the manual. This technique allows you to call such nice things as web services across the internet.

4. Dexterity Forms – if you like VBA and are comfortable to do all the business logic in VBA – you can use Dexterity as new forms creator/editor. This is OK – but you have to purchase VBA/Modifier and Customization Site Enabler from MBS.

Some restrictions. Great Plains is actually integration of multiple dictionaries: DYNAMICS.DIC, ADVSECUR.DIC, EXP1493.DIC, etc. In your Dexterity customization you can deal with one dictionary – DYNAMICS.DIC. If you need cross dictionaries customization – consider using SQL Stored Procs for crossing dictionary borders and pulling data/making changes in the other dictionary.

Happy customizing! if you want us to do the job – give us a call!

About The Author

Andrew Karasev is Chief Technology Officer in Alba Spectrum Technologies – USA nationwide Great Plains, Microsoft CRM customization company, based in Chicago, California, Texas, Arizona, Florida, Georgia, New York and having locations in multiple states and internationally www.albaspectrum.com, he is Dexterity, SQL, C#.Net, Crystal Reports and Microsoft CRM SDK developer.

akarasev@albaspectrum.com

Marketing is the buzzword when talking about restaurant inventory software. Marketing starts with the determination of consumer wants and ends with the satisfaction of those wants. The concept puts the consumer both at the begi...]]> Restaurant Inventory Software

Writen by Jason Gluckman

Marketing is the buzzword when talking about restaurant inventory software. Marketing starts with the determination of consumer wants and ends with the satisfaction of those wants. The concept puts the consumer both at the beginning and at the end of the business cycle. It stipulates that any business should be organized around the marketing function, anticipating, stimulating and meeting customer requirements. The customer, not the corporation has to be the center of the business universe.

Restaurant inventory software cannot succeed by supplying products and services that are not properly designed to serve the needs of the customers. It proclaims that the entire business has to be seen from the point of view of the customer. In a company practicing this concept, all departments will recognize that their actions have a profound impact on the company’s ability to create and retain a customer. Every department and every worker and manager will ‘think customer’ and ‘act customer’.

The other distinguishing feature of restaurant inventory software is integrated management action. Integrated management action simply means that all the different functions of the business must be tightly integrated with one another, keeping marketing as the pivot. This is essential because every function has a bearing on the consumer, and the aim is to see that all the functions lead to a favorable impact on the consumer. For this to happen, all functions have to be integrated and properly aligned with marketing.

In organizations that do not practice integrated management, the different functions of the organization are preoccupied with the optimization of their specific activities, often at the cost of optimization of the overall result. Consumer satisfaction, which is a major theme of restaurant inventory software, is again not an end in itself. The concept does not preach that a firm must generate consumer satisfaction and forget the other goals of the organization. Instead, it treats consumer satisfaction as the pathway to the attainment of all the goals of the organization.

Inventory Software provides detailed information on Home Inventory Software, Inventory Accounting Software, Inventory Management Software, Inventory Software and more. Inventory Software is affiliated with Fleet Maintenance Software Reviews.

I guess most of us have know this for many years but now even the creators of Windows have admitted it - Microsoft Says Recovery from Malware Becoming Impossible "When you are dealing with rootkits and some advanced spy...]]> Windows, the Disposable Operating System

Writen by Peter Blue

I guess most of us have know this for many years but now even the creators of Windows have admitted it – Microsoft Says Recovery from Malware Becoming Impossible “When you are dealing with rootkits and some advanced spyware programs, the only solution is to rebuild from scratch. In some cases, there really is no way to recover without nuking the systems from orbit,” Said Mike Danseglio, program manager in the Security Solutions group at Microsoft.

If that wasn’t bad enough Robert X. Cringely wrote :-

Last week, a Microsoft data security guru suggested at a conference that corporate and government users would be wise to come up with automated processes to wipe clean hard drives and reinstall operating systems and applications periodically as a way to deal with malware infestations. What Microsoft is talking about is a utility from SysInternals, a company that makes simply awesome tools.

The crying shame of this whole story is that Microsoft has given up on Windows security. They have no internal expertise to solve this problem among their 60,000-plus employees, and they apparently have no interest in looking outside for help. I know any number of experts who could give Microsoft some very good guidance on what is needed to fix and secure Windows. There are very good developers Microsoft could call upon to help them. But no, their answer is to rebuild your system every few days and start over. Will Vista be any better? I don’t think so.

I find that really sad. Like many of us I own a large collection of music and movies which are still usable 20+ years later but the data on your PC will be lucky to survive a year or two without a backup. Some copy protection systems will even forbid you to make backups or transfer to another PC so when your PC finally dies, your stuff goes with it. The only good side to all of this is you will be forced to buy your music/movie/game collection all over again and some media exec will finally get that 3rd yacht.

Its for that reason I don’t use Windows for anything serious these days but when I did I would always create separate partitions on my hard drive; one (C:) for Windows and programs and the other (D:) for all my stuff. Each time Windows had become unusable mainly due to ‘WinRot’ (A special feature of Windows to slowly degrade after about 12 months of use), I could safely wipe my C: drive, re-install Windows and programs with out losing anything valuable. I used to set-up my customers PCs in much the same way. I suspect many other engineers used similar strategies but what about the person who buys a PC from a shop ? Most of those will have everything on the C: drive so if a wipe+reinstall is needed due to a crash/virus/root-kit/etc, the owners are likely to lose everything if they have not done a backup.

I expect many people reading this would regard it as just another PC problem but I have been using Linux and BSD for about three years now and have yet to see anything like this, although Linux isn’t without its problems too. When I upgraded from SuSE 9.2 to 9.3, I noticed a ‘feature’ of SuSE Linux called ‘Update-Rot’ which silently removed a few critical programs. As this was the free version I guess I cant complain and I managed to get them all back, so all was well.

They say the worst equipment makes the best engineers so I certainly got a good education from the 6 years I spent using / fixing Windows, especially in recovering data from crippled Windows machines. So here are a few tips :-

1.Its not a question of ‘if’ your PC crashes, its a question of ‘when’. If you are using an earlier versions of Windows it will be much sooner than you think.

2.Keep any valuable data on at least one other device. There are plenty of options like CD-RW, USB drives and NAS (Network attached storage). Even an old PC could be used to backup valuable data via a network.

3.Identify where your data actually is. If you are using Linux or BSD most of your data including email, favourites, documents, music, photos and even program settings are usually kept in your personal folder. If you are using Windows things are a lot more complicated as a lot of your data will scattered across several folders or embedded in the Registry.

4.Think security. Only install software if you trust the author and really need it. Make sure you have a decent virus scanner and firewall. As an added precaution use an ‘ADSL modem+router’ combo to access the Internet instead of just an ‘ADSL modem’.

5.There is also a rumour going around that the new version of Mac OS X will be able to run native Windows programs (a bit like VMWare, Xen or WINE) – just imagine being able to run your favourite programs without the security woes. Could be worth a look when it comes out.

It has been estimated that when data lose occurs, most companies only last about two years. I wonder how many companies have been decimated by simple Windows crash. That’s why I use Linux and FreeBSD: They rarely crash, and if they do, I know I can recover my data quite easily because its all in one place.