5 Free Data Recovery Programs

Discovering you lost important data is one of the worst feelings in the world. Sometimes it’s impossible to get back what you lost, but sometimes it is possible that what you lost still exists somewhere on your hard drive. If it’s there, these five free tools will help you find it.

Recycle

Although many Windows users know about the Recycle Bin, not everyone does. Even more importantly, not everyone knows how it works, so a file might be in the Recycle Bin even though you can’t find it.

When you delete a file on Windows the regular way, Windows doesn’t actually delete it—it moves it to the Recycle Bin. When your hard drive starts to fill up, you can permanentlydelete files from your Recyle Bin.

What many people don’t realize is that Windows can only use the move trick on a single drive. That means there may be more than one Recycle Bin on your computer if you use more than one drive (or you use removable USB drives). If you delete a file from the X:\ drive, you have to check the X:\RECYCLE folder to see if you can get your file back.

Undelete

If you’ve permanently deleted a file relatively recently, you can use special Undelete software to get it back. The problem is that once you permanently delete a file, Windows may write a new file where the old file used to be, so undeleting doesn’t always work. (It works best on a hard drive with a lot of free space.)

There are several free Undelete programs on the Web, such as the one from EaseUS.

ddrescue

Sometimes you lose data not because you deleted it, but because your hard drive is failing. If that’s the case, you can use a tool designed torecover data from a partially failed drive. I use the open source Disk Drive Rescue (ddrescue).

When you run ddrescue, it tries to copy data from every part of your drive in big chunks to get off as much data as possible. When it encounters a problem (because your drive is failing), it makes a note and skips to the next chunk. After it gets as much data off as possible, it goes back and works on the edges of failed chunks to get every single bit of data it can off of your drive.

I’ve used ddrescue to recover over 95% of the data from a failed drive. It also works on scratched CDs and DVDs, and it may also help you with damaged USB drives.

Stellar Phoenix Photo Recovery

Although photos are regular files, so you can recover them with Undelete software, you can also get them off with special photo recovery software. Undelete works by figuring out where your file was before it was deleted. Photo recovery software looks for the signature of photos on your drive, so it can recover photos even after you reformat your drive.

SluethKit

Although not for the faint-of-heart, the SluethKit is collection of tools used by forensic scientists (think CSI) to recover evidence from computers. It contains a number of tools which help recover lost data—even deliberately destroyed data. It isn’t easy to use, but it can be your last resort option.

Courtesy : http://bnjho.blogspot.in/ & http://sapost.blogspot.in/

How to Open Docx Files Without Microsoft Word 2007

Docx format was introduced by Microsoft in 2007 with a quest for people to upgrade their office software and other Microsoft services. This version of MS Office 2007 is not compatible with the older versions like Office 2003 or Office 2000. I get annoyed when I receive the .docx files from my friends and I don’t have Office 2007 installed on my machine and I don’t have any plans to upgrade it either.

So I will tell you five known ways to open a .docx file even if you don’t have microsoft office 2007 installed on your computer.

1. Microsoft Compatibility Pack

This pack is introduced by Microsoft so that its new products are backward compatible with the older software. This pack will allow you to open, edit and save all your office documents in the latest versions of the Microsoft. This pack is available from the website of the company.

2. OpenOffice

This is an open source alternative to the Microsoft Office. This software is free and easy to use. You can open them directly or using its Open XML Translator tool.

3. Go Online

Internet is flooded with many websites that offer you free services to convert the .docx format into .doc format online. There are several popular online converters available such as Zamzar and docx2doc. You can opt for the offline conversion also by downloading the Docx-convertor dashboard from here.

4. Google Docs

And here comes the Google to rescue us from this situation. The Google docs enable you to view your .docx file online but keep in mind that the formatting can be affected.

5. Using Firefox Extension

OpenXML Viewer Firefox Plugin is developed for Microsoft Office 2007 or higher version that enables you to view the .docx files in the browser itself. This plugin works by converting the .docx into HTML on the fly retaining all the formatting and other layouts. You can download this plugin from here.

Courtesy : http://bnjho.blogspot.in/ & http://sapost.blogspot.in/

Check Your Hard Disk Errors

This Trick Is For Checking Your Hard Disk Errors.With This Trick You Can Fix Your Problems In Your PC.

Cleaning And Repairing PC Is Most Important For You Because Regularly You're Using Your Computer For Storing And Installing Programs,etc..

To Maintain Your Hard Disk Performance Just Follow The Steps Given Below:-

Step 1 : Click On Your Desktop's "My Computer" Folder

Step 2 : Then Right Click On "Local Disk"

Step 3 : Then Scroll Down And Click "Properties"

Step 4 : Choose "Tools" Tab

Step 5 : Then Click On "Check Now" Button

Then Click On Start And It Will Start The System Error Fixing.It Will Automatically Fix All Your Problems In Hard Disk.

Courtesy : http://bnjho.blogspot.in/ & http://sapost.blogspot.in/

By "Manage It" You Can Easily enable or disable Windows features

Manage it is a simple and easy to use application developed to improve usability of Windows operating systems. You can handle almost all Windows functionalities from a single window of “Manage It”. See the screenshot below to understand what all you can do with it.

You can easily enable/Disable task manager, command prompt, registry editor and various
other features of Windows just by checking or unchecking the appropriate options. Apart from that you can even set an auto-timer to shutdown or restart your computer.

Manage It is an open-source app and is designed for Windows 7 users. You will not have to install it on your PC. Just download the exe file from the link given below and double click the file to run the app.

Download Manage It! (475 KB)

Courtesy : http://bnjho.blogspot.in/  & http://sapost.blogspot.in/

Top 25 FREE programs you should know about

The top 25 Free Programs

There are thousands of pieces of software on the Internet offered for free. Some of them very good and some of them very bad. Here is our toplist of 25 free bits of software you should know about from anti-virus programs to useful utility’s and browsers. Feel free to comment about your favorite bit of freeware and what makes it so good and dont forget to give us a link to it.

1. Avast – Download here

Avast is a free anti-virus program that is widely used by home users (estimated 180 million users in September 2012). Avast is available free for non-commercial use but other versions that are not free are available. In 2012 it made it into the top 10 of most downloaded programs on CNET.

2. AVG –  Download here

AVG is a free anti-virus program used to detect and remove malicious items from a computer. AVG is a widely used anti-virus program with millions of downloads worldwide. It is available for non-commercial use but other version that are not free are available

3. Avira – Download here

Avira is the 3^rd anti-virus program in our list simply because anti-virus is so important nowadays. Again it is free for home (non-commercial use) and is widely used and recognised as one of the best anti-virus programs available.

4. Comodo - Download here

Comodo is a free firewall program for those who want more than the firewall that comes with the operating system. Easy to use with a clear user interface makes it great for those more security conscious or who are not happy with security suites and prefer their ant-virus and firewall separate.

5. MalwareBytes – Download here

Malwarebytes is an effective malware removal tool with high detection rates and fast scans. It is worth noting that the free version does not have real time protection so it is something that has to be run manually.

6. SuperAntiSpyware – Download here

This is another effective tool in the fight against spy-ware. Includes quick, full and custom scanning. It is also light on resources. It is worth noting that the free version does not have real time protection so it is something that has to be run manually.

7. Open Office – Download here

Open office is an open source office software suite which includes the following tools: word processor, spread sheet, presentation, database and more. The program can also read and save as popular .doc extensions as well as many others. It is freely available and has no restrictions on use.

8. CCleaner – Download here

CCleaner is system utility for scrubbing your system. It helps to clean up junk, temporary files, history, broken shortcuts and a host of other problems quickly and effectively. It is freely available but has no support.

9. Defraggler – Download here

Defraggler lets you defragment your hard drive in essence speeding up your PC by reorganising files into a system that makes them quicker to access. It is freely available but has no support.

10. 7-Zip – Download here

7-zip is open source software and is a file archive tool

11. Skype – Download here

Skype is a widely used program for communicating with friends and family from all over the world for free!

12. GnuCash – Download here

GnuCash is personal and small business accounting software freely available and feature packed.

13. My Lockbox – Download here

My Lockbox allows you to hide, lock or password protect almost any folder on your computer.

14.LogMeIn – Download here

LogMeIn allows you to control a computer from another computer connected to the Internet. For example control your work PC from home.

15.Filezilla – Download here

Filezilla is a fast and reliable FTP client that allows you to transfer files between websites and your computer.

16.TrueCrypt – Download here

TrueCrypt is free open source software disk encryption software for securing your confidential files.

17.CutePDF – Download here

CutePDF is free software that enables you to output to PDF documents via the print function.

18.Firefox – Download here

Firefox is a free and open source web browser. It is fast has a friendly user interface and is regularly updated.

19.Google Chrome – Download here

Google chrome is another freeware web browser.

20.Thunderbird – Download here

Thunderbird is an email client that can be used as an alternative the windows mail.

21.VLC media Player – Download here

VLC media player is a free cross platform media player that can play most multimedia files and various streaming protocols.

22.ITunes – Download here

ITunes is a popular digital media player and store used for downloading, playing saving and organising music and video as well as audio books and pod casts.

23.Audacity – Download here

Audacity is a free and easy to use audio editor and recorder for multiple platforms. Among other things it enables you to record live audio, convert tapes and records, mix sounds and more.

24.Easeus Todo – Download here

Easeus Todo is a free to use backup utility. It also offers the ability to clone you hard drive for backup purposes or upgrades.

25.Dropbox – Download here

Drop box is a free (2GB) backup service that allows you to backup you photos, documents, and videos and access them from anywhere. Note that the free version is 2GB see our data post if you are not sure how much 2GB is here.

Courtesy : http://bnjho.blogspot.in & http://sapost.blogspot.in/

IE Privacy Keeper

Fast, simple and efficient browsing history cleaner for Internet Explorer and Mozilla Firefox. Allows you to selectively keep history items. Cleans up index.dat files without the need for a Windows restart.

Portable version: 

The TakeAlong version of IE Privacy Keeper is especially designed for cases when you cannot or don't wish to install IE Privacy Keeper using the setup program. For instance, when you are renting a computer in a cyber cafe or when you have restricted rights on your computer at work.

The TakeAlong version is a standalone executable that does not require installation or the presence of any auxiliary files. It will not write anything to the registry on the machine where it is executed. You can take it along on a diskette, CD or a USB Drive.

The TakeAlong version has the following differences from the full version:

• Automatic cleanup (at windows startup/shutdown, etc.) is N/A
• Cleanup notification options (tray icon, tray balloon, simple window, etc.) are N/A
• The last cleanup log is not saved
• The "IE Privacy Keeper" item in the IE Tools menu is N/A
• The "Secure Delete" item in the Windows Explorer context menu is N/A
• "Clean Up Now" shortcut keys combination is N/A
• Hiding IE Privacy Keeper from the list of running processes is N/A
• Locations of the standard folders (History, temp files) cannot be changed

Source: http://www.browsertools.net  Via : http://srfix.blogspot.in

Efficient Computing

1. Cool re-start

Getting problems in your Windows ? The most effective remedies for PC related problems is a proper re-start.

We get many emails asking ‘how to fix this problem’ the first thing we ask is to make a proper re-start. And believe us after that We donot get email again.

So, to get solution of any PC related problem, is to make a proper re-start

2. Use Microsoft Security Essentials

There are many Antivirus programs available in the market. All the antivirus programs work properly on their level but why not use an Antivirus program created by the Developer of Windows itself ?

Microsoft Security Essentials is an antivirus program developed by creator of Windows i.e. Microsoft. This is antivirus program developed by the creators of Windows itself this mean this antivirus knows how to handle your files and especially System Files. The best part of it is that Microsoft Security Essentials is completely free and can be downloaded from Microsoft’s website.

3. Proper Disk Clean-up

- Open My Computer right click on the “C” drive, select Properties

- A new dialogue box will appear, Now select “Disk Cleanup”. Remember that for better speed it is not recommended to compress Hard Drive.

- It will take some little time for your computer to calculate disk space which CAN free, you can see an indicator.

- A mew dialogue will open, now select the files which you want to remove from computer, Leave MS Office Installation files

4. Don’t fill you Hard Drive up

Your Hard Disk might ‘bog down’ if it is over 90% full. Multiply your Total Hard Disk size by 9.

If your Hard Disk is 100 Gigabytes(GB) and the free space available with you is 9.83GB than you are very close to encounter serious performance issues.

Try to keep 10% of you Hard Disk free.

5. Remove ‘crap’ web browser’s toolbars

You might see sometimes you Internet browser gets slow down, this is just because you have installed too many unwanted toolbars in your Web Browser.

Remove unwanted, or all(recommended) toolbars from your Internet browser. This will led to increase in Browsing and Browser speed.

6. Uninstall ‘crap’ Windows program

The more software you will install in your computer the more memory will be consumed by them which will result in slow down of computer. Try to remove all unwanted software programs from your computer.

7. ‘Mind’ your downloads

If you are attracted towards a program like ‘Hack Facebook accounts from this free software’ and its even free don’t dare to download program like this. It might be a scam or a virus program. Always download programs from authenticated websites like CNET or Softopedia

8. Automatic Window update

Many exploits are discovered every month and to protect your computer from these vulnerabilities you should update your Windows. Microsoft’s programmers,after deep research generate Window update periodically Whether it is Software update or security update but you should always install that update in your computer.

Make Windows Update automatic so that you computer is automatically updated and security and performance is ensured.

9. Make Regular Backup

Your computer can crash at anytime or your Hard Disk can crash too. To prevent big data loss, you should regularly backup your computer system. There are various backup software available in the market.

10. Unless if required, don’t use Administrator account

For regular use it is suggested not use an account with Administrator privileges, because it can make a big security risk.

Make a new Limited account for regular use. Don’t run as an administrator unless necessary.

Courtesy : http://mysapost.blogspot.in/ & http://sapost.blogspot.in/

Fix missing Folder Option

If we want to see hidden files and folderswe can do so from folder option present intop of Windows Explorer. Sometimes some Malware,Trojans or Virus edit this settings and we cannot find Folder Optionin top of the Windows Explorer. This trickwill help you to Fix this Problem.

Why Virus Hide Folder Option ?

Most of the Virus files are hidden files andexecutes secretly, If someone has set the settings to Show Hidden files and folder he/she can easily see suspicious Virus files and can delete it. This is why many virus programs hide this Folder Option from Windows Explorer.

How to Get back Folder Option ?

1. Goto Start -> Run or Press Shortcut Key 

i.e WindowsKEY + R

2. Type gpedit.msc and hit enter

3. From Left Pane, Move to User Configuration > Administrative templates > Windows Component > Windows Explorer.

4. When you will select Windows Explorer, look for Removes the Folder Option menu item from the Tools menu in right panel

5. Double Click on it and Select EnableOption and Click on Apply than again Select Option Not Configure and Click on Apply and than Click on Ok.

That’s it !! After Restarting your Computer you can See Folder Option in top of the Windows Explorer.

Courtesy : http://bnjho.blogspot.in/ & http://sapost.blogspot.in/