How Often Do You Backup?

Backing up is an absolute necessity in the office environment. Nevertheless, we have come across businesses with no backup solution all too often. When we setup a new server, we try to incorporate a backup drive into the setup. We have written a batch file that goes through the common locations that data is stored (Desktop, My Documents, Photos, Videos etc.) and duplicates them onto the backup medium. This is perfect for situations where you have dozens of gigabytes of data or, like many of our medium sized businesses, where you have several workstations that need to be backed up to the main server.

The drawback however is that you need to take the backup medium off site at the end of the day. To make things easier, we have an off-site backup solution that is not only convenient, but the best protective method against hackers, fire, theft or simple hardware failure. For more information, have a look at our Off-site Backup Services here or contact us directly at backup@dcnsolutions.net

Windows 8: The lowdown

Yesterday was my first attempt at Windows 8. I'm not a big fan of change, especially with operating systems. When Vista came out a few years ago, I recommended to all of my clients to wait until the bugs had been ironed out before upgrading. Good thing I suggested that, as Vista was possibly the worst operating system Microsoft have ever made. When Windows 7 came out, the speed and reliability issues are pretty much fixed, and so far with Windows 8, I'm quite impressed. The major difference is the new "Metro" interface. It essentially replaces the desktop and start menu with an Android like tiled interface. If you have a tablet or touch screen, this can be quite useful, as you can put your favourite programs, bookmarks and files in one easily accessible place. However, if you are a fan of "Homeostasis", then check out this guide on making the desktop the first thing you see when you log in. 

As for the explorer interface, nothing seems to really have changed between Windows 7 and Windows 8. You can still access the control panel, browse the contents of drives, install games etc. as per usual. I recommend having at least 4Gb of RAM in any computer/laptop you get with Windows 8 (same recommendation as Windows 7) as the Metro interface saves a lot of info in the background (in a manner of speaking, you have 2 desktops running at any given time). The graphics requirements are also higher than Windows XP, so do not go installing Windows 8 on a computer more than 7 years old, as the graphics requirements then were quite low in cheap computers compared to now.

Something to keep in mind too is that Microsoft have already started phasing out Windows 7. If you want to get a computer with Windows 7, you have about 6-12 months to get it, otherwise your only choice will be Windows 8. Already, I can only source the x64 versions of the software from my suppliers. Having said all of this, I personally will not be getting Windows 8 for at least a year. As with the previous operating system upgrades, it is extremely wise to wait for all the bugs to be found by other people before jumping in and finding your productivity suffers.

We are Back!!

Well, it has been a while but we are back to updating our blog! We have been concentrating on automation (program that do your work for you) for the last 12 months and have done some amazing work for our clients! Technology has also improved, so there are more reviews coming. Stay tuned over the next couple of days!!

Gaming Machine Review

Check out our quick review of a Gaming Machine we built for one of our clients:

http://www.facebook.com/dcnsolutions

Save Your Precious Data!

Who here has had a computer crash and lost data?

Who wants to prevent data loss in case your computer crashes?

I have several backup servers and special software so all your photos, documents, videos, financial docs etc. are automatically duplicated over the internet to my secure servers. It is a no-brainer for businesses, but think of your personal photos and documents? If there is a fire, or someone steals your PC, it is gone for good!

Find out more here:
http://dcnsolutions.net/products-and-services/off-site-backup/

Unlimited Calls/Text!

New Offer from ACN: $70 unlimited call/text and $100 international credit.

ACN use the Optus network and their office is in Sydney, so awesome coverage and quick Aussie support when you need it!

Get more info:
http://www.acnpacific.com.au/products/australia?ibo=storefront&ID=7250292900&handle=dcnsolutions

Who is reading your Emails?

A recent study was able to get many trade secrets of large companies in America. This was done by purchase very similar domain names and waiting for someone to send an email that was slightly misspelled. The results were astonishing! Stock reports, passwords and even employee's personal details were retrieved, all by someone misspelling the recipients email address!

Be weary of the spelling of email addresses, as if you do spell it incorrectly, it may not bounce back to notify you.

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