Backup -- But Where To?

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by For Free Resources www.100computertips.com

We all know we have to backup regularly, but those backups files can get huge. Add that to your existing your files and your notebook computer hard drive seems to have shrunk overnight. No matter what size hard drive you have on your notebook computer, space is a premium. Besides, it's not exactly a good idea to store your backups on the same hard drive since you can't retrieve it -- rather defeats the purpose of backing up don't you think? So what do you do, what are your options?

Backup to an external hard drive. This is probably the quickest, most cost effective option. You can often get a removable drive on sale or with rebate for a low price too. You can get one with hundreds of Gigabytes of space too. They can be easy to hookup to your notebook computer. However, do remember that they are hard drives and hard drives can fail. You may find the external backup fails before your notebook computer does.

Online backup. This is actually a good idea because physical disasters can happen to your home. And when that happens, you will always have a copy in a place not affected by the disaster. This is why businesses usually have one backup in the premises and one (or more) off premises. The good thing about online backup is, it's accessible from anywhere with an internet connection. So if your notebook fails when you're away from home, you can still retrieve your data.

Many of these services are reasonably priced and they provide you with everything you need to get the backups safely transfered. But because your data will be on someone else's system, choose a reputable company, one who is not only established but takes customer data confidentiality very seriously.

Network attached storage. This would make more sense if you have several computers. They allow you to not only backup several computers' data into one location but also ability to share or retrieve files from that central area. You can also achieve a similar effect equipping an older computer with a large hard drive and use it just for storage or backup.

Backup to CD or DVD. This is considered the safest for long term data integrity. External drives and network storage can still crash and prone to virusses. CD's and DVD's are also inexpensive. But backing up to disks daily is chore as you'll find yourself having to manually pop in the disks. It becomes even more hard work when you have a lot of files and your backup spans several disks. The other problem with this method is, backup utilities that come with your operating system cannot backup to a CD or DVD drive. So you'll have to fork out extra cash to buy a third party backup software that will.

No backup solution is one hundred percent and what you choose of course will depend on how you work. If your data is really important to you, try not rely on one backup source. Create two separate sources if you can afford to, just in case.
Keywords: Computer Tips, Computer Help, PC Upgrade, Computer Information, Computer Terms.

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Cisco CCENT / CCNA Certification Exam Tutorial: Logging Synchronous And Exec-Timeout Commands

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by Chris Bryant, CCIE #12933

Throughout my CCENT and CCNA exam tutorials, you'll notice these two curious commands on the console port:


line con 0

exec-timeout 0 0

logging synchronous


I've been recommending these commands for years to CCNA and CCNP candidates putting their own home labs together, but they can come in handy on the job as well. Let's take these commands one at a time, starting with the logging synchronous command.


When the router wants you to know something, it wants you to know right now. If the router sends a message to the console while you're entering a config, by default the router will interrupt your work to show you that message.


In the following example, I opened a Serial interface, which will always result in at least two messages relating to the physical and logical state of the interface. I started typing a sentence immediately after I opened the interface to show you what happens. I've bolded the sentence I was entering.


R1(config)#int s0

R1(config-if)#no shut

R1(config-if)#^Z

R1#so here i am

4d04h: %SYS-5-CONFIG_I: Configured from console by consoletyp

4d04h: %LINK-3-UPDOWN: Interface Serial0, changed state to uping and

4d04h: %LINEPROTO-5-UPDOWN: Line protocol on Interface Serial0, changed state to upi've been interrupted quite badly!

4d04h: %LINEPROTO-5-UPDOWN: Line protocol on Interface Serial0, changed state to down


This may seen trivial, but when you have a long command entry interrupted by a console message, you'll wonder how to prevent that from happening. (After you stop yelling at the router, that is.) By configuring the logging synchronous command on the console port, you're telling the router to hold such messages until it detects no input from the keyboard and no other output from the router, such as a show command's output.


R1(config)#line console 0

R1(config-line)#logging ?

synchronous Synchronized message output


The second command I always enter on the console port of a home lab router or switch is exec-timeout 0 0. This disables the default inactivity timeout of 5 minutes and 0 seconds. If you want to change that timer rather than disabling it, the first number represents the number of minutes in the inactivity timer and the second number is the number of seconds.


R1(config)#line con 0

R1(config-line)#exec-timeout ?

<0-35791> Timeout in minutes


R1(config-line)#exec-timeout 0 ?

<0-2147483> Timeout in seconds




R1(config-line)#exec-timeout 0 0 (disables the inactivity timer)



This command can also be configured on the VTY lines to set or disable the inactivity timer for Telnet and SSH users. Here, we'll set the VTY line inactivity timer to 10 minutes.


R1(config)#line vty 0 4

R1(config-line)#exec-timeout ?

<0-35791> Timeout in minutes


R1(config-line)#exec-timeout 0 ?

<0-2147483> Timeout in seconds




R1(config-line)#exec-timeout 10 ?

<0-2147483> Timeout in seconds




R1(config-line)#exec-timeout 10 0


Some network admins hate these commands, and I personally don't like to disable my router's Telnet and SSH inactivity timers. They're great commands for your present or future home lab, and I also recommend you know them for your CCENT and CCNA exams!

The logging synchronous and exec-timeout commands are helpful in Cisco CCNA and CCNP home labs, but you should also know them for your CCENT and CCNA exams. Learn the details from Chris Bryant, CCIE #12933.

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The Benefits Of Using C-store Software

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My experience in running a wholesale and retail operation makes it easy to imagine the benefits of having fully functional C-store software. In my town, during the early 1990's, a company operating a 4 storey retail store had to conduct a monthly physical inventory of goods. Each inventory process required a lot of people and lasted several days.

The store also had several people handling accounts payables, a lot of employees in the purchasing department and had physically redundant processes in order to make sure that things were being done correctly. Despite all that, the company still encountered losses from theft, obsolete (expired) products, huge quantities of slow moving goods, best selling products that are always out of stock, etc. All those losses naturally affected not only the company's bottom-line but their retail prices, as well.

But when they purchased their C-Store software, things became efficient and management of the entire business became a lot easier. At present, they only do annual physical inventories (that gets finished a lot faster compared to what they were used to) and everything else can easily be figured out through their C-store software. With both owners and managers finding the operation easier, they decided to put up a bigger branch and assigned the excess personnel in the new location.

Running a retail organization is like conducting a 200 piece symphony orchestra. The different aspects to the operation are very much like the diverse instruments in an ensemble and the most difficult challenge is how to make all instruments play in harmony with one another.

A retail organization requires a good management system for hundreds (or thousands) of retail products that should be in sync with the procurement, warehousing, sales and other concerned departments in the business. At any time, the managers should be able to know the margin for any product being sold, when available quantities of any item go down, when there are products that needs to be disposed (or will expire), when any item is hardly moving, if suppliers are delivering the right quantities and on time, if employees are reporting late for work and every other detail in the business.

C-store software does all that and more. It tracks the movement of all goods and instantly generates different types of reports thus giving the management the exact status of the company in real time. Should any decision point arise, the convenience store software allows them to decide the best course of action to be taken. And with proper integration, any firm's c-store software can be interfaced with accounting programs making the entire store management process close to being fully automated. Such a system may also be configured to cover the management of multiple stores in different areas.

Nowadays, some c-store software may be accessed and controlled from remote locations (through the internet). With that new feature, company management may go out of town to attend seminars, advanced courses and even take long vacations, knowing that it will be as if they never left their stores. Managing a retail store is now a lot easier than before. Thanks to c-store software.

For more information on c-store software contact EK3

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Creating a Wireless Network

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by JBO Solutions

Wireless networking allows you to easily share your Internet access as well as printers, and media, very easily without wires. Setting up a wireless network is generally very easy and it is becoming more and more commonplace to do this in your home or small office. The great thing about wireless networking is the fact you can add wireless functionality to your existing network.

If you intend to use wireless networking it is advisable to have windows XP service pack 2 as a minimum. Whilst this is not absolutely essential it can make things much easier when connecting to wireless networks and also a few security issues have been fixed with this service pack

The first stage to setting up a wireless network is to obtain the correct equipment. There are several different options, depending on your current setup. If you currently use a cable based provided then you just need a broadband router, however, if you currently use the more common ADSL style broadband suppliers (common here in the UK) then you will need to ensure you purchase the router with the ADSL modem built in. The router will now connect to the Internet for you and allow other devices to connect to it wirelessly. If you were previously used to having to go to a dial up connection – you now no longer need to do this as as soon as your computer connects to the router – you will automatically be connected to the Internet.

To connect your wireless router should be straight forward enough. If you use the CD that comes with the router it will quickly guide you through the setup. The basics are to plug your existing modem into the router if you are on a cable system, or disconnected your previous broadband modem and input your settings into the new router. You should have indicator lights advising you of the routers status. These vary from router to router so refer to your instructions provided.

As previously mentioned, the CD that comes with the router is often the best way to quickly create a secure active wireless network. However, if you are like me, you may want to explore the settings of the router to configure it yourself. Here are some common terms you may come up againt.

- SSID – this is your networks name. Choose something unique, as generally it will come up with the manufacturer of the router name. When you try and search for the router with your computer you will want to identify which name represents you own router.
- WEP or WPA is the type of security encryption to prevent other people accessing your Internet connection. WPA will generally allow you to use a memorable word to user a password whilst WEP is more a randomly generated bunch of numbers and letter.
- Administrator Password – this is just the password to actually access the administration of your router. Unless someone has already got a connection to your router they will be unable to change settings. If you do use a password here, make sure it is something memorable as it is quite possible that you will not have to access the admin, once setup, for a very long time.

Now your router is all set up we need to understand how to connect a computer to the network. This is very easy to do. If you have wireless technology built into your computer then ensure it is switched on. If you haven't, insert your wireless device into the relevant port.

You should have a wireless icon in the bottom left hand corner by the clock. Right click here and search for wireless networks in range.

In the box that comes up you should see a list of the networks in your area that your computer has detected. Being wireless technology is so popular these days it is common to see several different routers in here from neighbours.

Within this list you should see the name that you previously inputted as you SSID. Double click this. You should now be prompted for either your WEP or WPA key – enter this.

You should now be connected. Go ahead and load your preferred Internet browser. You should be able to surf to any given page. – Congratulations – You have successfully configured your wireless network!

JBO Solutions offers the UK great prices on graphics cards as well as all other wireless routers and pc monitors

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Changing To Oki c5510n Toner Is Not Only Money Saving But It Is Also Healthy For The Planet

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by Ben Pate

Smaller business owners are very well aware of the high price of toner for their copiers and printers. However, that price can be greatly lowered by using compatible toner that is completely safe for copiers and printers. As an example, one of our clients bought a large shipment of compatible Okidata 5510 cartridges and writes to let us know about his experiences.

Andy Robinson manages projects for a medium-sized restaurant supply company conducting business in one region of the US. He discovered that online suppliers were offering Okidata toner for 50-67% less than he had been spending for name-brand ink. The difference in price was so big that purchasing compatible Okidata 5510 toner allowed him to reduce all of his spending for that month by 16 percent.

He requested that the remanufactured cartridges be used in the company's 200 Okidata c5510. He was skeptical of his decision until he saw that the remanufactured Okidata c5510n toner had the same quality as the name-brand ink he had been buying at a much higher price. Andy wrote that "I checked out some of the copies personally and they looked good."

When you choose to purchase an Okidata 5510 compatible ink, expect it to offer the same or even better quality toners and electronics as the brand name it replaces. Distributors offering compatible cartridges do the same thorough tests as the original manufacturers and also use quality assurance controls to guarantee you the same performance as the brand name, one hundred percent compatibility, and quality as high as the original at a much more attractive price.

Andy's story goes on from here. His cost-cutting decisions helped to earn him the company's manager of the month award three months later. His superiors requested he fulfill the toner orders for the whole company. By switching to compatible Okidata 5510 toner, he was able to save his business tens of thousands of dollars each year!

All of us who want to discover the small solutions to increase revenues and prevent unneeded expenses should learn from the example in Andy's letter. Work with your office supplier to find for yourself the price in using manufacturer's cartridges versus Okidata printer toner and see how even a minor purchasing change can make a huge difference in your bottom line.

If you're a small company owner, you are aware of how much copier and printer toner can cost you. One of our clients, a project manager for a moderately sized regional restaurant equipment company, discovered that at an internet supplier Oki compatible toner was being offered at about 1/3 to a half as inexpensive as the genuine ink he had previously been buying.

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Xbox 360 - Gaming Redefined

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by Roberto Sedycias

The concept of xbox 360 was conceived by Microsoft in early 2003 and conceptualized in co-operation with IBM, ATI and SIS. This is a second video game console and the system allows the players to download Arcade games, demos, trailers, TV shows and movies.

The system was launched in Nov 2005 in three major regions - Europe, Japan and USA. The demand was stupendous and was sold out completely within a short span of its release. The gaming console competes with Sony Playstation 3 and Nintendo`s WII as part of seventh generation video game console.

There are three versions of Xbox 360: Arcade, Premium and Elite. Each version is backed by its own set of features, accessories and technology like wireless controller, re-chargable battery case, snazzy face plates incase the standard plain surface becomes too boring. Generally all three include hybrid, composite and component cable, a detachable 20GB hard disc drive which comes with game demos, video clips, and a free Live Arcade game.

Initially it started with the code name Xenon motherboard and subsequently re-engineered to Zephyr.The latest upgradation is a Falcon motherboard with an improved GPU heat sink. Right now the production unit is working on the next hardware refresh - GPU + CPU on the same BGA package.

The Xbox live arcade is a service that offers much more than simply downloading video games! The console actually throws up new original games, such as Assault Heroes other than the previous ones like MS Pac-Man.The Xbox video market place is an exclusive video store which can be assessed through the console. It allows the users to view HD TV Shows and Movies.The system also supports audio playback where the users may play back their own music with an interactive visual synthesizer. Pictures and slideshows can also be displayed with various transition effects by this system. These features make the Xbox a favorite of adults too along with the kids!

It is also interesting to note in this context that for a new game designer it is highly recommended that you download XNA Game Studio Express; it is an exclusive game which has been designed for easy creation of games for both Xbox 360 and windows. For developing Xbox 360 game you have to subscribe to the Creators Club apart from having Xbox 360 which has a hard drive.

In UK, the gaming console has been enabled to display BT vision, video content.The lastest video game Burnout 3 is available and till date Halo 3 is Xbox`s latest best selling game.

Xbox 360 was launched to capture the market before the arrival of Sony Playstation 3. This premature market entry had left some flaws in the hardware system undetected thereby earning itself negative publicity. However, newer designs have been introduced, and Microsoft has installed new heat sink to reduce overheating which ensures that the game console unit will last many years. Technically speaking, keeping the gaming system cool may lead to a longer lifespan of the gadget. Along with this, Microsoft has also extended the warranty period to three years in the Xbox gaming console.

This article can be accessed in portuguese from the Article section of page www.polomercantil.com.br/xbox-360.php
Roberto Sedycias works as IT consultant for www.PoloMercantil.com.br

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Basics Of A Pen Drive

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by Roberto Sedycias

A Pen Drive is a compact, removable storage device just like a floppy disk or a CD. Instead of the floppy device or the CD ROM that are used for reading a floppy disk and CD respectively, a pen drive can be plugged into the USB (Universal Serial Bus) Port of a computer. The USB connectivity makes the pen drive easier to use and data can be transferred faster to and from the pen drive.

Different Manufacturers have named Pen Drives they manufacture differently. Today, a pen drive goes by the names of thumb drive, USB flash drive, Jump Drive, Traveler`s Drive, USB key drive, USB memory stick and many others!

These pen drives are small, inexpensive, almost ubiquitous and extremely handy. They are available largely in the range of 1 to 8 GB which makes them of great use and has made floppy disks and CDs look like useless storage mediums.

The credit of inventing the pen drives goes to IBM. It was invented in 1988 to replace the floppy disks, but IBM never patented it. IBM contracted in M-Systems to manufacture the Pen Drive and the patent is now owned by them.

The pen drive is a modern floppy disk. The main difference is that a floppy disk has moving parts which makes the data stored on the drive vulnerable to loss. A pen drive, on the other hand is a solid state device i.e. it has no moving parts. This makes it possible to almost completely seal the pen drive making it dust-proof and the common magnetic fields. Hence, a pen drive is a much safer option for storing important data.

The latest operating systems like (Windows XP, Linux and Mac OS 2) can recognize these pen drives and mount them automatically. Once it is connected, recognized and mounted by the operating system, it appears just like any other partition of the hard disk except it is named as removable storage.

The pen drive can be removed any time after it is un-mounted (safely remove hardware in case of Windows) and can be re-plugged into the same or a different machine to be used again. A pen drive`s most important use is to transport data and files from one machine to another. For e.g. one can simply copy all the word processing documents, images and spreadsheets to the pen drive, carry it along and copy the files on his/her home computer and work on it at home.

Some users have found the pen drive useful in moving their internet browser History, Cache, Cookies, and other transient data. This improves their privacy and security as no traces of the work done on the machine is left on the PC. Once copied to the drive, the files can be made more secured by encryption or any other method of security.

The pen drives can also be used to store operating systems to boot the computer. This makes them popular for repair and diagnostic work. Instead of carrying tools and maintenance software applications on CDs, a pen drive can be used which is faster and can be manipulated easily in case the software is upgraded or is no more useful.

A pen drive is one of the most economical mobile medium for data storage in terms of cost per unit storage space. They are really light-weight and robust in nature which has made it a big hit and a very important and indispensable tool for a large number of users.

This article can also be accessed in portuguese language from the Article section of page www.polomercantil.com.br/pen-drive
Roberto Sedycias works as IT consultant for www.PoloMercantil.com.br

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Microsoft Vista Certification Tutorial: Finding The Run Line

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by Chris Bryant, CCIE #12933

Part of the fun of working with a new operating system is learning all about the new features that come along with any major new OS release - and part of the frustration of working with a new OS is finding out that you can't do things the way you've gotten used to doing them! Let's face it, we're all creatures of habit, and looking for old familiar features that are either hidden or removed can be very frustrating!


Take the Run line in Windows, for instance. I personally use the Run line a great deal, especially for Telnet. I just open the Run line, type in the word "telnet" followed by the IP address of the router I need to connect to, and that's it!


Microsoft Vista doesn't quite see it that way, though. I recently purchased a Vista laptop and had been quite happy with the new features, and then I went to use the Run line... and it wasn't there!


While the Run line isn't present by default, it's quite easy to find and make available for future use. I've used the Windows Help and Support in Vista a few times so far, and I've been really impressed with how quickly I've found the answer to my questions. Microsoft was ready for this one as well, since the fourth option to my question literally was a link that said "What happened to the Run command?"


After telling you that the Search box on the Start menu has "much the same functionality", in their words, you're given directions on how to add the Run command to the Start menu. To do so, just follow these simple directions:


Open the Taskbar, then Start Menu Properties. Then just click the Start Menu tab, select Customize, and put a check mark next to "Run command". You're all set!


Alternatively, you can press the Windows logo key along with the letter R to bring the Run command up.


That's all there is to it! Microsoft Vista Help is light years ahead of earlier versions, and when you want to find a "missing" feature such as the Run line, that's a great place to start. You just can't expect to be able to use Help on Microsoft Vista certification exams, though!

Chris Bryant, CCIE #12933, is the owner of The Bryant Advantage, home of free Cisco CCNP Certification and CCNA Certification Exam tutorials, The Ultimate CCNA Study Package, and Ultimate CCNP Study Packages. You can also visit his blog, which is updated several times daily with new Cisco certification articles, free tutorials, and daily CCNA / CCNP exam questions! Visit his blog and sign up for Certification Central, a daily newsletter packed with CCNA, Network+, A+, and CCNP certification exam practice questions. A free 7-part course, "How To Pass The CCNA", is also available. Earn your Microsoft Vista certification with The Bryant Advantage!

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Cisco CCENT / CCNA Certification Exam Tutorial: Logging Synchronous And Exec-Timeout Commands

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by Chris Bryant, CCIE #12933

Throughout my CCENT and CCNA exam tutorials, you'll notice these two curious commands on the console port:


line con 0

exec-timeout 0 0

logging synchronous


I've been recommending these commands for years to CCNA and CCNP candidates putting their own home labs together, but they can come in handy on the job as well. Let's take these commands one at a time, starting with the logging synchronous command.


When the router wants you to know something, it wants you to know right now. If the router sends a message to the console while you're entering a config, by default the router will interrupt your work to show you that message.


In the following example, I opened a Serial interface, which will always result in at least two messages relating to the physical and logical state of the interface. I started typing a sentence immediately after I opened the interface to show you what happens. I've bolded the sentence I was entering.


R1(config)#int s0

R1(config-if)#no shut

R1(config-if)#^Z

R1#so here i am

4d04h: %SYS-5-CONFIG_I: Configured from console by consoletyp

4d04h: %LINK-3-UPDOWN: Interface Serial0, changed state to uping and

4d04h: %LINEPROTO-5-UPDOWN: Line protocol on Interface Serial0, changed state to upi've been interrupted quite badly!

4d04h: %LINEPROTO-5-UPDOWN: Line protocol on Interface Serial0, changed state to down


This may seen trivial, but when you have a long command entry interrupted by a console message, you'll wonder how to prevent that from happening. (After you stop yelling at the router, that is.) By configuring the logging synchronous command on the console port, you're telling the router to hold such messages until it detects no input from the keyboard and no other output from the router, such as a show command's output.


R1(config)#line console 0

R1(config-line)#logging ?

synchronous Synchronized message output


The second command I always enter on the console port of a home lab router or switch is exec-timeout 0 0. This disables the default inactivity timeout of 5 minutes and 0 seconds. If you want to change that timer rather than disabling it, the first number represents the number of minutes in the inactivity timer and the second number is the number of seconds.


R1(config)#line con 0

R1(config-line)#exec-timeout ?

<0-35791> Timeout in minutes


R1(config-line)#exec-timeout 0 ?

<0-2147483> Timeout in seconds




R1(config-line)#exec-timeout 0 0 (disables the inactivity timer)



This command can also be configured on the VTY lines to set or disable the inactivity timer for Telnet and SSH users. Here, we'll set the VTY line inactivity timer to 10 minutes.


R1(config)#line vty 0 4

R1(config-line)#exec-timeout ?

<0-35791> Timeout in minutes


R1(config-line)#exec-timeout 0 ?

<0-2147483> Timeout in seconds




R1(config-line)#exec-timeout 10 ?

<0-2147483> Timeout in seconds




R1(config-line)#exec-timeout 10 0


Some network admins hate these commands, and I personally don't like to disable my router's Telnet and SSH inactivity timers. They're great commands for your present or future home lab, and I also recommend you know them for your CCENT and CCNA exams!

The logging synchronous and exec-timeout commands are helpful in Cisco CCNA and CCNP home labs, but you should also know them for your CCENT and CCNA exams. Learn the details from Chris Bryant, CCIE #12933.

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Balance Between ROI and Digital Signage May At Times Be ‘Squishy’

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by Jack Mathew

If you ever happen to ask a digital sign age network operator about the balance between his return on investment i.e. ROI and digital sign age or how much ROI he is having on the system; you are likely to have a tinged answer with a tongue-in-cheek approach. The reason is that in numerous ways, factors which determine the digital sign age ROI can be somewhat termed as 'squishy'.

You can compare it with walking through a heavily rain soaked field. However, the aim is not to confuse you; it would be really nice if you know digital sign age ROI at the first hand and it should be as simple as being aware of the cash one spends on the setting and maintenance of the network? Well, it is possible in certain digital sign age applications but squishiness of others makes it bit harder to calculate an exact ROI on digital sign age network.

Let's consider it with the help of an illustration where a casino is planning to replace all its printed promotional sign age with digital sign age. Another case where a corporation is planning to set up a digital sign age network to make communication with employees in an effective manner.

In casino scenario, an amount of $ 300,000 is spent annually on printed promotional sign age other than additional $50,000 which is spent on employees' salaries, bringing new signs at the place of old signs, promoting restaurant specials and so on. On replacing printed sign age with digital sign age, the casino will bear one time expense for the required components.

In this scenario, the cost incurred in content creating will remain the same. The graphic artists who were earlier using Adobe Photo shop will now begin to use additional Premiere and Flash to prepare content for digital sign age. We can get the annual return by dividing amount invested in printing and labor savings by amount used in initial installation.

However, there are some other factors that also establish a relation between ROI and digital sign age such as advertising revenue from allied business wiling to put their advertisement on the network. Here, we can conclude that there can be straightforward ROI allocated to some digital signage applications. In another case, squishy comes into play.

Here a modest digital signage is installed by a corporation which comprises of a sign to greet visitors, a number of digital door cards to keep tab over booking done for various conference rooms as well as a digital sign in the corporate lunchroom.

The squishy factor here is to identify and measure employee and visitor conduct since it is related with the digital signage networking. The digital signage may leave varied impressions as some visitors may like to be welcomed with a digital greeting while others may not and various other similar situations may occur. In other words, it gets tougher to reduce to these types of benefits to a simple ROI equation as they are squishy.

However, it does not mean that they are not vital or real. The only thing is that it is a little bit harder to recognize an exact ROI of the digital sign age network but it certainly does not mean that there is no ROI.

Power2show.com to use as an MP3 player, Power2Show lets you combine photos, video, audio, web pages, Flash, PowerPoint and scrolling text with drag-and-drop simplicity. Power2Show runs on any standard PC, features a familiar player interface, looks terrific and pays for itself with its first-impact application.

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Microsoft Access has encountered a problem and needs to close error and data recover

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by Andrew Watson

When you try to open and existing or to create a new Microsoft Access Database, it may quit unexpectedly. Furthermore you may get an error message showing that:
"Microsoft Access has encountered a problem and needs to close. We are sorry for the inconvenience."
In this situation, the particular MS Access Database file may become inaccessible.
Cause

This error message and problem generally occurs when you redirect the Application data folder to any other folder on your computer system by using GP or Group Policy editor. The file version of the Access can't recognize the destination folder as its name an path has changed.
This problem may also occur in case where the .mdb file is corrupted or damaged. When you try to access this file, the jet database engine can't find the necessary object to initialize the database file and it display this error message and quit the Access.
Resolution

You can resolve this problem by saving the Application Data folder back on its original location. By doing so, the database engine will be able to find the exact location.
This method works only in case where the problem occurred due to the changed path of Application Data folder. But if the problem is happened because of the corruption or damage in database file, you can't solve this issue using this method.

In this circumstance, you database may become completely inaccessible and can lead to data loss. In this event of data loss, you may loss your important data stored in the particular file and may enter in a serious situation of data loss.
In these cases, to properly access your database, you need to repair it. You can perform this operating with the help of data recovery software. The data recovery software used for Access are known as Access Recovery software.

Access Recovery software is specially designed data recovery utility that is helpful for repairing the corrupted access database. These software are capable to repair and restore the corrupted access database. The software are also capable to repair all the components of Access database including tables, forms, reports, queries and macros.

Stellar Phoenix Access Recovery is a fabulous data recovery software that is capable to repair and restore all the component of .mdb files in all possible cases of database corruption. The software restores the repaired file on its original location in original format. You can download the demo version of the software to check how much your data are recoverable. You can preview the files in demo version of the software. Access repair utility is able to repair and restore the files in all file versions of MS Access including Access 97, 2000, XP, 2003 and 2007.

Andrew Watson a student of Mass Communication doing research on data recovery software. He is also a freelancer for http://www.stellarinfo.com

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Cisco CCENT / CCNA Certification Exam Tutorial: Logging Synchronous And Exec-Timeout Commands

by Chris Bryant, CCIE #12933

Throughout my CCENT and CCNA exam tutorials, you'll notice these two curious commands on the console port:





line con 0



exec-timeout 0 0



logging synchronous





I've been recommending these commands for years to CCNA and CCNP candidates putting their own home labs together, but they can come in handy on the job as well. Let's take these commands one at a time, starting with the logging synchronous command.





When the router wants you to know something, it wants you to know right now. If the router sends a message to the console while you're entering a config, by default the router will interrupt your work to show you that message.





In the following example, I opened a Serial interface, which will always result in at least two messages relating to the physical and logical state of the interface. I started typing a sentence immediately after I opened the interface to show you what happens. I've bolded the sentence I was entering.





R1(config)#int s0



R1(config-if)#no shut



R1(config-if)#^Z



R1#so here i am



4d04h: %SYS-5-CONFIG_I: Configured from console by consoletyp



4d04h: %LINK-3-UPDOWN: Interface Serial0, changed state to uping and



4d04h: %LINEPROTO-5-UPDOWN: Line protocol on Interface Serial0, changed state to upi've been interrupted quite badly!



4d04h: %LINEPROTO-5-UPDOWN: Line protocol on Interface Serial0, changed state to down





This may seen trivial, but when you have a long command entry interrupted by a console message, you'll wonder how to prevent that from happening. (After you stop yelling at the router, that is.) By configuring the logging synchronous command on the console port, you're telling the router to hold such messages until it detects no input from the keyboard and no other output from the router, such as a show command's output.





R1(config)#line console 0



R1(config-line)#logging ?



synchronous Synchronized message output





The second command I always enter on the console port of a home lab router or switch is exec-timeout 0 0. This disables the default inactivity timeout of 5 minutes and 0 seconds. If you want to change that timer rather than disabling it, the first number represents the number of minutes in the inactivity timer and the second number is the number of seconds.





R1(config)#line con 0



R1(config-line)#exec-timeout ?



<0-35791> Timeout in minutes





R1(config-line)#exec-timeout 0 ?



<0-2147483> Timeout in seconds









R1(config-line)#exec-timeout 0 0 (disables the inactivity timer)







This command can also be configured on the VTY lines to set or disable the inactivity timer for Telnet and SSH users. Here, we'll set the VTY line inactivity timer to 10 minutes.





R1(config)#line vty 0 4



R1(config-line)#exec-timeout ?



<0-35791> Timeout in minutes





R1(config-line)#exec-timeout 0 ?



<0-2147483> Timeout in seconds









R1(config-line)#exec-timeout 10 ?



<0-2147483> Timeout in seconds









R1(config-line)#exec-timeout 10 0





Some network admins hate these commands, and I personally don't like to disable my router's Telnet and SSH inactivity timers. They're great commands for your present or future home lab, and I also recommend you know them for your CCENT and CCNA exams!


The logging synchronous and exec-timeout commands are helpful in Cisco CCNA and CCNP home labs, but you should also know them for your CCENT and CCNA exams. Learn the details from Chris Bryant, CCIE #12933.