SITE NEWS FROM MARTIN O'SULLVIAN:

Usually I include several free programs or sites for being productive, or just plain fun in my updates. This update is very different. Instead my update is only one topic. I decided to do this as just one topic being it lengthly. Next update at the end of August will return to a bunch of fun stuff for the entire family. If you can put up with all this reading it just may end up saving you from suffering a devastating loss of pictures you can't get back, music you spent so long downloading and lost, and more. So understand, this update is more of a heading off a disaster thingy. Read on to see what I am babbling about, and believe me, below there is lots more babbling, but again, I hope it is worth it for you.

This update began with me failing someone's request. Yes, failing!. I was asked if I knew of a way to salvage all important personal data from a computer that had crashed. Personal data such as family photos, music, documents, and more. The Geek squad charges over $200.00 to do such a task. At the time I searched I only found programs that were NOT free. I was very disapointed. Then a few months later my sister had a similar fate with her laptop. I took her laptop home and attempted to find a free way again. In my searching I stumbled on a way that seemed too simple. Too good to be true, and we all know that if something is too good to be true it usually isn't too good to begin with. I was however hopeful, and when it worked? I was amazed. I was able to save to a USB flash drive (those little things that look like keychains that are really portable hard drive sticks that cost about 6 bucks when on sale and about 24 bucks for huge 16 gigabyte ones). All her pictures, music, and even emails from her Outlook express were transferred to a flash drive within 5 minutes. Then I was able to restore her Windows XP to factory state. Normally one could kiss their data goodbye (unless you pay Geek Squaud). I was so excited I knew the moment it worked it would be the focus for this update.

WARNING: Well, more like a few tips then a warning... This is so easy, but when you see below all the details it will look horribly confusing and beyond what an average computer user can do. Don't be fooled. It truly is easy. The outcome is nothing more then placing a CD in your computer, starting your computer letting the CD load, going to the file manager, copying your files of choice to a flash drive. However, to do these easy steps you will need to make the CD, and know about what is loading to make it all come together. Hence, I go into details. So much detail, that you will think "OMG I can't do this!" or, "This is way beyond me!". I assure you it is just the way I write, but truly anyone can do this. If I was in front of you doing this, you would see it takes minutes to do, and it is only all this reading that takes forever! I advise everyone to make the CD using my instructions, and print this web site page to store with the CD. Then just leave it in a place you can find it if you ever need it.

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DISCLAIMER: A great way to even avoid the need for this rescue CD is to back up (copy) your important files, be it music, photos or whatever once a month while your computer is working the way it should. That way you would never need this CD. A good rule of thumb is to get a more expensive flash drive with more memory (about 16 or 32 gigabytes) to put all your data of choice on. Or upload your photos to a free online photo album such as Flickr or Photobucket, and your music and any data you wish including photos to a free online hard drive (google: FREE ONLINE HARD DRIVE). Make sure you only use the free versions, and not the paid versions. You can even purchase an external hard drive that plugs into your computer, but that can be expensive. Flash drives are cheap, and online sites are free.

This will only work if: A) Your computer tries to start, but when loading Windows it stops B) On a totally crashed computer, your computer attempts to read the CD first before trying to load the boot sector from Bios. Meaning if it doesn't, the CD would never start, but most computers check the CD first. Bottom line? Back up now while your computer is OK. Or at least make this CD being this is free, and if it doesn't work for you, you didn't lose money.

Ubuntu rescue Disk

Before I get into it, here is the UBUNTU main web site, and the download link, along with a link on that web site for full documentation, along with a few screenshots. This is the latest release of UBUNTU as of April 2009, with new releases every 6 months.

Click here to go to their site and check it out!

Click here to go to their site and download it

Click here to go to their help site to read even more

What is Ubuntu? :

UBUNTU is a complete FREE operating system running off the Linux platform. You can use it as a full operating system right from the CD without Installing it (In fact don't Install it). It runs all from within the CD never writing to your hard drive, or changing any configuration you have. Not only is it an operating system, but it has so many programs on it to do daily tasks. Even with a crashed computer you could still get online, write emails, documents, edit photos, even play games and so much more. It doesn't rely on Windows in any way, so it can do anything all on it's own. There are dozens, and dozens of programs contained on the disk as well. Whatever you can do in your Windows? You can do on Ubuntu.

However, This update is not about that. It is about saving your important files when your computer isn't loading Windows. Ubuntu is called a live CD (another name for a bootable disk). With using UBUNTU as a live CD, UBUNTU can start from the CD tray and save important files (Music, Documents, Photos, and Videos) in case Windows refuses to start and a PC factory restore is in the near future. This can save over $200.00 by having no need for The Geek Squad (BEST BUYS) saving your information. The other choice would be just to lose all information when doing a PC factory restore without being able to save anything before.

For using this CD as a rescue disk, DO NOT INSTALL, even though you will see an icon that says INSTALL. Just use it from the CD tray as it will load fully without installing.

There are several important steps in creating UBUNTU on a CD, and running it. Once you make a Ubuntu CD, you just use it. Meaning for the purpose of this update, much is about making the CD, and hoping your computer will start the CD. Using it is the easy part!

Creating a UBUNTU live CD:

Ubuntu is one file that you download that is called a ISO image. This file can not be created on a CD by the CDs burners program choice of DATA or MAKE A BOOTABLE DISK. It must be burned as an ISO image. Some CD burning programs can do this. Many that come with a computer can not. This is not a problem. There is a incredibly small FREE program that downloads fast, and doesn't take up much room on your hard drive, that can do this. In fact it is the only thing this program does (burns an ISO image). With this FREE program, burning this one UBUNTU file to a blank CD takes about 2 minutes. The program is called FREE ISO BURNER, and doesn't have to be installed. Just download it to a folder you can find, go to that folder and click on it. Select RUN on the dialog box and it pops up. It will recognize your CD burner and all you do is browse to find the UBUNTU ISO file that you also downloaded to a folder you can find. The file will be called (or similar to) ubuntu-9.04-desktop-i386.iso. If your computer wants to extract the file (decompress it) don't. So first I advise downloading the following program.

Click here to get the program FREEISOBURNER and read more about it

Hover your mouse over the below screenshot to expand the picture:

USING UBUNTU as a rescue disk:

If the problem is Windows will not start, but you do get your boot up screens you may have to set the choice BOOT FROM CD TRAY. (or however your computer may call this choice). You may not have to do this, so you could try to start Ubuntu without this step, but I include it here in case you need it. A full explanation of making your CD start before the normal bootup process for one time only without changing permanently the normal operation can be read at a great article at: CLICK HERE TO READ ARTICLE Again, this is a one time choice, the next time the computer is started it returns to normal boot up automatically (Unless you manually make it permanent)

You may wish to skip these steps and move down to the *****. Return to these steps in the event your Ubuntu CD doesn't start first.

Here is a short explanation of setting your computer to read from the CD first (You may not have to do this):
Using my DELL as an example, but each computer may look different, but will have the similar choices. When the Dell or other brand has it's boot up screen you may see a F2 and F12 choice. Select F12 = Boot Menu. Usually this goes by fast, so be ready to select what you need to.

(Hover your mouse over picture to enlarge it)


On my Dell I would choose number 3 as below (The screenshot is from online and has number one chosen, but 3 is the proper choice for our example). On a computer other than Dell choose whatever has the CD-ROM on the list. After you ok this choice, you should see a choice to have this done once, or all the time. Select once.

(Hover your mouse over picture to enlarge it)


restart the computer with UBUNTU in the CD tray

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You will be greeted as UBUNTU Loads with a UBUNTU screen. It may look a bit different than this screen shot as it was just a screen shot from online. Be patient. Loading an operating system from a CD may take a few minutes. We only want to get this thing up and running to copy your files, so speed is not important as we are not using it all the time.

(Hover your mouse over picture to enlarge it)


You will then see a similar screen again, this time with an ID and password to be entered. Being we are not installing Ubuntu, none is needed. However, type anything in both boxes and press enter. Allow it to say ID and password failed, continue anyway? and select CONTINUE.

Below is the Ubuntu desktop that will load (it may look different then this example, but similar). You will notice it looks similar to a Windows Desktop, but there will only be two icons. DO NOT SELECT INSTALL. The other will be either My Folder, My Documents, File manager, or another name (unlike the picture below with EXAMPLES). Select whatever it is called on your Ubuntu desktop. You will also notice on top a menu. From here you can do anything. Select the vast amount of programs on the CD to get online, open a web site, write in a word processor, email, play games that are on the CD, edit photos, and so many more that are too much to list. But if you Google Ubuntu or Ubuntu desktop and select Google images you will see a vast amount of what this free operating system can do! Better yet, go to Youtube and type in Ubuntu. You will be amazed.

(Hover your mouse over picture to enlarge it)


After you select the only icon other then the Install icon (which again do not select Install) the file manager will load. Now you can pop in your USB jump drive and UBUNTU will detect it. This screen shot does not show a USB, but copying important files can still be discussed here. Here is a link to a great 52 second youtube video on how to copy files to and from a USB jump drive in UBUNTU. In this video it is using the Kingston usb flash drive, hence the name Kingston in the file manager:

Youtube: How to copy files from Ubuntu to a USB stick

Again, while at Youtube, type in Ubuntu and see how amazing this operating system is and what it can do.

Here is a snapshot of the file manager in icon view, you can select Details as well if you wish.



In the above example screenshot of the file manager your USB drive would be under PLACES on the left. Your Windows hard drive, where all your photos, music, and important files would be also under PLACES in the folder of FILE SYSTEM. We would click on FILE SYSTEM, and see the same folders you would see in Windows. Find your photos folder, and other folders you wish to copy. We would just select the folder and drag it over to the USB drive (view Youtbue video above). If the entire contents of the folder is not to be copied you could of course just open the folder and select many files to be copied, but doing the entire folder is faster then selecting various files in bulk or one at a time. You could also use the standard Edit menus up top with Copy and Paste, but sliding the folder to the USB under places is easier. Just make sure you purchased a big enough flash drive (also called jump drive). I have a 16 gig from Micro Center that cost me 24 bucks. Small price to pay to save all the photos of my son so I never lose them if my computer suffers a crash.

Your rescuing your important data is now complete. Simply by just clicking on a folder and sliding it over to the left onto the USB drive icon. If you needed to restore Windows to a factory like new state (Not system restore to a prior week or two), you are now ready to do so knowing all your important files are backed up so you can put them back into Windows when the restore is finished.

NOTE: If an email program such as Outlook Express, or Mozilla Thunderbird is used, you can also copy the emails folders and files where they are stored, along with the address book, and back them up to. Replacing the same folders after factory restore is done. Same goes for bookmarks and favorites. Google where these folders and files are stored so you can locate them easier. Usually you will find them in Documents and settings/user/application data/ blah blah blah, but googling will tell you exactly where to look.

Another Note: If you do have a Dell, you can do a restore without a restore disk, as Dells have a 7 minute restore to factory like new feature by clicking a key when starting your computer. Google that if you have a Dell or write me and I will email you how.

Part two: What UBUNTU can do:

best to read about UBUNTU at their main site, Google Ubuntu (google images), and go to youtube and type in Ubuntu, but here is a small example of what is on the UBUNTU live CD...

Openoffice suite (A Microsoft Office free alternative) with word processor (word compatible), spreadsheets, presentation, html converter, and more. THE GIMP: a free Photoshop alternative an Outlook Express type of email program Games wireless catcher Firefox browser media viewers and dozens more.

Here are a few screen shots ... (Hover your mouse over picture to enlarge it)













You can use Ubuntu all the time if you wish, and not just as a rescue disk. If you wish to install Ubuntu as a secondary operating system, you must partition your hard drive first. Google Installing Ubuntu as a secondary operating system. This is much more technical then just running Ubuntu from the CD. DO NOT INSTALL UBUNTU WITHOUT PARTITIONING YOUR HARD DRIVE, as no two operating systems can operate at one time on the same partition. Although there is a Ubuntu version that can run with Windows at the same time to learn how to use it (google Run Ubuntu with Windows) to download it if you wish, but it has less applications on it and runs slow fighting Windows for resources.

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Snapfiles Free Programs

Click here to go to their site and check it out!

I am often asked where do I get or find these freebies (free programs or free services online). Well, I do tend to search for new ones all the time. However, each Monday of each week, even if I don't do updates on this site, I do to Snapfiles. Snapfiles has the best freeware of any site. So that is one of my secrets I am sharing with you. Just go to the above link, and on the upper right corner select FREEWARE. a list will load of so many categories you will be stunned. Want a free anti viruses program instead of paying each year? A free firewall? How about a free office suite? Maybe a free program to fix your registry? There are so many topics to choose from you will be stunned. All FREE, and more important... free of viruses, Trojans, malware, adware, spyware. Just free good programs. So before you go to the store to buy a program for your children for school, or for you, go to Snapfiles first and see if they have a program that can do what you need. With the money you save you can send me a Christmas Card! (or not).

Here is a partial screen shot of their site, Go see the whole thing! Place mouse over image to expand






I have so many music players that can be embedded into a web site, MySpace, Facebook, or any blog, but for the moment I like Dizzler. So even though it was part of the last update I decided to keep it around for a while. Do a search on your favorite band or artist. Play a few. If you like it there is a small link below the player so you can get your own. Many skins to choose from to change its looks. Make playlists of your favorites. If you download the desktop version you can even listen to AM or FM radio from all stations around the country.



So that concludes the update for Summer 2009. Move down to see even more freebies, leave a comment, ask me a question, or tell me a joke! etc. As for the next update? I have it slotted for the end of August. So check back.

Sincerely,






Have a comment? As long as it's not a reminder that I owe you money, the Guestbook is a good place to leave one. Perhaps you have a question where to find a free program? The form after the guestbook is where to ask. I usually answer within 24-48 hours. Enjoy your day!



Click Here for my Blog of my past updates and freebies



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