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The last three articles in our newsletter have provided an in-depth look into The Importance of Backing up Data , highlighted a number of Backup Strategies , and even presented a Six Point Guide to Buying Backup Software . At the same time the ... articles were being compiled, however, I quietly enlisted myself on a top secret mission to research, review, and rigorously test a never-ending list of backup software. The purpose: to find the best, easiest to use, feature-packed backup utility according to the stringent set of criteria previously established in our 6 Point Purchasing Guide (namely: ... (view more)

Yesterday , I wrote an article concerning a hidden Administrator account in Windows XP. As we discovered, this poses a significant security risk (especially for XP Home users) because it means that virtually anyone can gain unrestricted local access ... to the machine if the Administrator password is left blank. Side note: The term "remote access" means to control / gain access to a computer which is physically housed in another location (typically over a network, such as the Internet). In a similar respect, gaining "local access" to a computer means to utilize the machine at ... (view more)

Recall -- In Yesterday's Visitor Feedback, Infopackets Reader Marie B. asked how to enable the administrator user account in Windows XP. " I am the only user of my computer which has Windows XP installed. How do I sign into my computer as the ... 'administrator', rather than as my individual name? I understand that administration access is required to make certain changes to Windows. I don't need to adjust anything at this time, but would like to know how to do this in the future (just in case). " In my response to Marie, I suggested that the administrator user account name was disabled ... (view more)

Recall -- A few weeks back, Infopackets Reader Brad B. asked if it was possible to transfer his digital camera photo software from his work computer to his home PC: " Dear Dennis, Many years ago, I bought a digital camera that came with the software ... program called 'Camedia'. Unfortunately my computer crashed last year and (worse yet) I can't find the CD to reinstall it on my PC! Before I lost the disc, I managed to install Camedia on the computer at work, and thankfully, it's still working fine. I have tried copying the Camedia files from the work computer to my home computer, but it won ... (view more)

Infopackets Readers Joel and Barbara G. write: " Hi Dennis! We read every issue of the newsletter and have got some very good tips and help. I have a question about DVD discs. I see that there many different types DVD-R, DVD+R, DVD RAM, and DVD RW. ... I am new to DVD burning and don't know which of the R types to use, the + or the -? I'm planning to copy all my old camcorder tapes to DVD so that I can play them on my home DVD player. What can you suggest? PS: Thanks for the great newsletters. " My response: Recall: As I mentioned in Saturday's newsletter , DVD media (+R or -R) can be ... (view more)