SyncToy 2.1 is the latest version of Microsoft’s file synchronization software. While some prefer to use RoboCopy, SyncToy has a simple and easy to configure interface that is perfect for home users that want to backup their data to another drive or computer. You can also schedule SyncToy with the Windows Scheduler, so your backup jobs run at a specified time each day or week.

Download SyncToy 2.1 and install it on your computer.

Next, create your Left and Right folders. Left means copying files from HERE and right means putting files THERE.  You will have the following options to control how you sync your folders: You can Synchronize, which means files changed on either side will update the other side. You can Echo, which means files will be copied and updated left to right, and Contribute–which means anything deleted on the let will not be deleted on the right.

If you have a huge Network Attached Storage (NAS) you might want to select Contribute as your backup method, as you probably want to keep everything, no matter what accidentally gets deleted on your main computer.

Schedule SyncToy to Run Automatically

Probably the one drawback to using SyncToy is that it doesn’t have a built-in scheduler. You will need to use the Windows Task Scheduler to set up your backups. To do this, navigate to Programs, Accessories, System Tools, Task Scheduler and click the Add Basic Task. Give it a name, select a scheduling method, then browse to the SynToy folder located in the Programs folder of the C drive and select SyncToyCmd.exe file. The path will appear in the Task Scheduler pane. You will need to modify that path so that it reads “C:\Program Files\SyncToy 2.1\SyncToyCmd.exe” -R and then click Next.

The backup will then begin as scheduled.

If Windows 7 freezes at “Completing Installation” it probably means there is an issue with a hardware device driver. You might notice the screen flicker as it updates the graphics driver, then the mouse and keyboard might not respond, forcing a hard reboot that will back-out of the installation and undo any changes it made during setup. This problem could be caused by any number of things, but as a rule of thumb, you should make sure all USB devices are unplugged. You should even take the time to unplug anything that doesn’t need to be plugged in with the exception of the Ethernet cable for Internet access.

If the installation freezes a second time, you might need to go into the BIOS and make sure any legacy devices are disabled. You can also turn off on-board hardware devices, such as sound, modems and any graphics adapters you might not be using because of the addition of a graphics card. The theory is not to let a random device ruin the installation. Once you have a successful boot, you can then go back and plug all devices back in one at a time.

If you have problems, be sure to work slowly and try to determine the piece of hardware that caused the issue. If you have any problems installing a fresh copy of Windows 7, or if you are upgrading from a compatible issue of Vista, be sure to join our free computer repair forums if you need assistance.

Windows 7 is here and millions are rushing to upgrade their PCs either because they have been running Windows XP for the past several years or they have not been happy with Windows Vista. Some simply want to experience the improvements in Windows 7. Whatever your reason for installing Microsoft’s latest Operating System, there are bound to be issues with some machines. Windows 7 is a modern Operating System that has had a long Beta testing period, so we do not feel there are going to a lot of problems. Windows Vista caused a lot of problems with third-party drivers when it launched a few years ago. Since then, Vista has matured into a great OS. Since 7 is largely based on the code from Vista, widespread problems are not anticipated.

System Requirements For Windows 7

If you’re already running Vista, your PC’s specifications will certainly be able to handle the leaner Windows 7. If you never upgraded to Vista, you might want to confirm your PC has the following minimum system requirements:

• 1 gigahertz (GHz) or faster 32-bit (x86) or 64-bit (x64) processor
• 1 gigabyte (GB) RAM (32-bit) or 2 GB RAM (64-bit)
• 16 GB available hard disk space (32-bit) or 20 GB (64-bit)
• DirectX 9 graphics device with WDDM 1.0 or higher driver

The above are the minimum system requirements. As a rule for performance, we recommend doubling all of those specs. RAM is certainly cheap enough to max out your PC. You should not take the trouble to update your CPU if you already meet the minimum system requirements, but if you plan on building a system, chances are you won’t even be able to find a 1 GHz processor, as they have long been considered obsolete. You might also want to run the Windows 7 Upgrade Advisor to make sure there are no legacy devices on your motherboard that are going to cause you problems.

Check Manufacturer’s Websites For New Device Drivers

On the rare occasion Windows 7 encounters a problem with a piece of your hardware, don’t panic. Surely, any issues that are reported will quickly be resolved through Microsoft Updates and device driver updates from third-party suppliers. Unfortunately, Microsoft has no control over how quickly these third-party drivers are released. But again, if your system ran fine with Vista, you’re probably not going to have any problems upgrading.

Backup Important Data Before Upgrading

If you’re upgrading, you might tempt fate and not backup your data because you’re installing Windows 7 right on top of your existing Windows installation. Don’t risk it. While you shouldn’t lose anything during the upgrading process, you could if something goes wrong. Backup pictures, documents, emails and other important data to some type of removable media and then take that media out of the computer before you begin. If you have a second hard drive inside the PC you use primarily for backups, you might want to go inside and unplug it before you start.

If you have any issues with your installation, be sure to visit our computer repair forums for more advice.

Microsoft recently released a free antivirus and malware solution for Windows called Microsoft Security Essentials. We were hoping this was going to be pre-installed in Windows 7 but this doesn’t appear to be the case. Users will need to go to Microsoft and install it. But the process is quick and painless. Microsoft Security Essentials replaced the obsolete and somewhat disappointing Windows One-Care, and is touted as being a lean and efficient security program that could challenge free alternatives such as AVG and aVast and others.

Technicians and end-users should consider this for machines that are currently unprotected. It provides real-time protection, while working quietly in the background. MSE used in conjunction with regular Microsoft Updates, a hardware firewall and good Internet behavior should be plenty to protect normal users from threats.

Download Microsoft Security Essentials

For other security concerns, be sure to visit our computer repair forums today.

Recuva is a great free file recovery software utility that allows you to quickly and easily scan and recover documents and photos from your hard drive. File recovery can often pull deleted data from the drive as long as the data has not been overwritten. In most cases, recently deleted photos and documents can be recovered with only a few mouse clicks. Recuva does a great job of finding and reporting the integrity of the data. Green lights next to the document mean there is an excellent chance the data can be recovered and a red light means too much of it is gone to save.

The key to recovering data with this free utility is to stop using the computer when you know you have lost a file. The more you use the PC, the more the hard drive will use the space where the deleted files have been placed.

Download Recuva Here

If your hard drive does not show up in the BIOS of the computer, it will not be visible to Windows. There are several scenarios for this type of problem and we will try to address some of these along with their resolution. Unfortunately, hard drives are a commodity and need to be treated as such. If you have a hard drive running in your computer it is only a matter of time before it fails. However, if you purchase a new drive, it should show up in the BIOS. If not, gather as much information about your PC as you can and write it down. Such as the model and manufacturer of the drive, the manufacturer of the computer or motherboard, and the BIOS manufacturer as well as the version. The latter can often be found splashed across the screen when you first boot the PC.

New Hard Drive Does Not Show Up in The BIOS

The very first thing to check are the jumpers if you have an IDE drive. An IDE cable can support two devices, one as a Primary and one as a Seconday. These are sometimes referred to as  Master and Slave. The jumper pins on the back of the drive should be set to Master for the Primary and Slave for the Secondary. There is also a jumper for Cable Select which recognizes the drives based on their location on the cable. For simplicity, stick with the Master and Slave setup. If you have a SATA drive, you do not need to worry about jumpers.

If the jumpers are correct, but the new drive is still not showing up, go into the BIOS setup and make sure the drive detection is set to AUTO. If this doesn’t work, you can try going to the manufacturer’s website and get the breakdown of Sectors, Cylinders, etc and manually input the figures. But if it doesn’t auto-detect the drive, it probably will not detect it manually, either.

The next step in this case is to flash the BIOS. Check the motherboard or computer manufacturer for a newer version. Firmware updates will often correct this type of issue as well as improve the current functionality of your hardware.

Older Drive Stopped Showing Up In BIOS

If you had an existing drive and it no longer shows up in the system BIOS, the drive is probably dead. You can try changing cables and trying a different power connector, but if the drive worked and then no longer works, this likely means the drive has failed. Drives can stop working due to an electrical or mechanical problem. A mechanical problem with the hard drive usually manifests itself in grinding or squeaking noises, random crashes or data loss. Electrical problems can happen instantly, without warning.

Drive Shows Up In BIOS But Not In Windows

This is the more typical scenario. If the drive does report properly in BIOS, but not in Windows,  then the drive has lost its partitioning. You can try right-clicking My Computer, select Manage and look for the Disk Management section. From here, you can partition and format the drive. If the drive had data on it that you want to try and recover, we recommend NOT trying to partition or reformat the drive, as this data can be lost forever. Instead, run file recovery software to attempt to recover the data first.

Popular Hard Drive Utilities

The following hard drive utilities are hard drive-specific. They can help you diagnose problems, copy files, and perform partitioning and formatting functions.

MaxBlast

SeaTools

Western Digital Data Lifeguard