Things You Should Do BEFORE and AFTER Your Computer Crashes

When it comes to tech issues, the crash of something could stir as much fear as a physical automobile crash will do. The fear every computer user would rather want to imagine than experience is the sudden stillness or crash of their computer systems. What makes a computer's Operating System crash is the damage of the Windows files the computer operates with. And when that happens, only one thing follows: You lose important data that have been stored into various multitudes of files on your hard drive {computer memory}. 

The pains you suffer from most when your computer starts malfunctioning is the inability to retrieve whatever files that have been gathered/acquired and stored/saved on the computer over some periods of time. Just like a woman that has just been bereaved of a child would initially cast her mind  back to the day she had the labour of the child to quantify her loss, the first shock that ruffles your psychology when your computer suddenly crashes is the magnitude loss of vital information through inaccessible data. In building security around your activities on the computer and saving yourself from unnecessary trauma, information on how to go about doing that is germane. It is also good to debunk the myth that technology and electronic devices provide you with the required security on automation. In technology, nothing is totally secured until a back-up that serves as the resolve or restore-point is created for it. This simple strategy enables you to quickly retrieve your data through the copies you have made somewhere else after a crisis.

BEFORE The CRISIS:

There are a number of ways you could prevent irrecoverable loss of files on the computer system. Vital external storage means is the key. The files you have on your computer system are not totally protected until you have saved a copy of it in other places apart from your internal hard drives. There are numerous ways you could securely save copies of data on different external devices and sources. The following under-listed ways of creating back-ups for your files will help when you maximally appropriate their functions.

Here we go…

Flash-drive is one common retrofitted storage device. Save copies of the information that matters to you on it when everything still runs smoothly with your system. With flash drives, the amount of files you can save is minimal. What you do is to only save those that are of core importance to your immediate activities.

External Hard-Drive/Disk: This device has larger storage capability to store up files than flash drives. The size of it is as much as or more than the memory your internal drive carries. Backing up your files on an external hard-drive allows you to do so all at a time. It enables you to save enormous files on it at once without having to save your large files in bits on different storage hardwares.

On-Line Hosting: The amazing thing about this technique is that it costs nothing in cash to do. It's just a means of storing copies of your data on a virtual memory by uploading it to a server. There are various online platforms that provide this service for free, though going for a pay option gives you more features of the service. Online hosting of your files is the process whereby you create a copy of your files online. However, the free-option of this service might not give you the best security of the files you hosted. You might find out one day that your files are gone from the server you uploaded them to. For pictures, Online Picasa Web Albums still guarantees a satisfactory percentage for your picture security. A hosting service for files can be found in Opera browser too. It is called Opera Unite. Opera Unite is one of the Add-ons in Opera Browser. With it, you are given access to host contents from your computer to your online Opera Unite account, it is an advanced form of Opera Synchronization. For the list of free files hosting services, google the internet and sign up for the one that suits your needs.

Disk-Creation: Disk-creation is the process of saving/writing data (music, document files, softwares, pictures, etc.) on an empty computing disk. There are two kinds of disk; an un-rewritable disk and a rewritable disk. On a rewritable disk, you can always go back to the saved data and make some changes. But on an un-rewritable one, that isn't possible. You can only save on it once. The data on it are never erasable; they can only be read only and copied from whenever you need the files that are stored on them. To save large files, get a DVD empty disk which has the memory capacity of 4.7 Gigabytes, while an empty CD only has 700 Megabytes of memory.

Publishing Contents Online: This may sound a lot awkward to you. But it definitely works the magic. If you are a kind of person that publishes most of his reports, articles, pictures and documents online, it won't be a total loss for you when your computer suddenly freezes; denying you access to your files. Since things posted online on blogs, sites, forums, etc., are never removed without the approval of the site's administrator or content owner, replacing your lost files on the system with your published copies is very much handy.

 

AFTER THE CRISIS:

Now that your computer is down because of its vulnerability to viruses or mishandling of some of its softwares by you, what firstly comes to your mind apart from the loss of files is the reinstallation of the Operating System (Windows) you were wont to working with before the computer's abrupt crash. Having the exact Windows restored or reinstalled on your computer might be a difficult task when you do not have the Windows-Recovering disk that came with your system when it was bought anew. It is most likely you would have to settle with the pirated Windows your local repairer offers you.  So, you shouldn't fret much when this happens. What you should however know is that the major difference between an original Windows from the pirated one is the numbers of drivers each one comprises of.

Don't blame it all on your computer repairer when he is not able to fix your system up as well as you would love. All what your repairer might do in most cases is to restore your Windows for you and make sure all its drivers are working normally. Be honest with yourself, you were the sole administrator/operator of the computer before it went 'infirmed'. You should know well than whoever is fixing it up for you. Your taste is your taste. The way you will want your computer to work might be quite different from mine. What determines the speedy response and performance of your computer is the Windows drivers it operates with. Windows drivers are packs of software that aid the operation of the affairs of your computer. For instance, the bright screen of your computer and the strong 3D graphics of the game applications on your system all operate on the platform of different drivers. A good Windows will make sure that all the software you would ever need for basic tasks on your system are complete. But when after the reinstallation of your Windows, which might even be a pirated Windows, and you still cannot have a whole system, these are what you should do:

Windows Update: This function on your computer updates all needed drivers on your system automatically whenever you are connected to the Internet. With Windows Update, you do not have to worry about what drivers you would need installing for a particular application to run well, Windows Update thinks that out for you. When this menu is activated, it searches through all online available sources for a driver that is not up-to-date, properly installed or found missing on your device. To make sure your Windows Update is on in the automatic mode, go to the Control Panel on your computer. On your Control Panel, click on Security and on the Security page, you will find the Windows Update function. Click on it to be taken to the page where you will be able to change its setting.

Device Manager: This function is only advisable for an advanced operator; a person who knows the exact driver that he wants to correct, reinstall or update. Device Manager is the portal that contains all your system drivers. It is the place you can go to check which of the drivers is not working properly. At this stage, a total Philistine could make things go more awry through petty mistakes. To access the Device Manager, right click on the computer icon on your desktop, on the little dialogue box that pops up, click on Properties. The Properties page shows you the configuration details of your computer. On the right side of the page, access the Device Manager button. I wouldn't want to say more on that because it is only meant for the Pros and every Pro should know what next to do when s/he gets to the page…

Manual Search: Before you are able to use this strategy, you must have known your computer too well: how it functions, what driver helps what application to work, etc. Manual Search is when you conduct thorough hunt for compatible software for your system online. It is like hand-picking software that would fit into the working of a particular application on your system. For example, you would have realized that before you have a good graphics to run gaming applications and conduct 3D-like video streaming on your computer, you would need a VGA that is harmonious with the Windows you have just installed. So, in the case where a proper VGA is malfunctioning in your newly installed Windows, all you have to do is go online and search for the VGA that would work on your Windows. You repeat this same method for other drivers you would want updating or replacing. But remember, you must know the name and function of the driver you want before this process can work for you.

 

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There are so many other ways to go about backing up your system and managing computer crisis. What I have written about in this how-to-do article are just the things that worked for me when my system crashed recently. I believe it should work for you as it did for me.

Please do you know more than what have been written here? Tell us about it in the comment box. Thank you. 

SELF ENCOURAGEMENT WORKS

By Temiville

2011 came with so much excitement. Everyone at the Church service seemed so jubilant and ecstatic. The New Year was now here with us! Thank you Lord!

Later on that Saturday, the 1st of January, a friend and I were having a discussion about how 2011 meant we were now officially getting 'old'. I started the whole moaning episode but she was quick to let me know I had nothing to worry about since she was turning 30. That immediately kept me mute.

There are so many times when we go about trading stories of woes with our friends and basically, whoever has the saddest tale 'wins'. This has habitually turned our way of encouraging ourselves. However, what does the Bible say about encouragement? I don't think merchandizing sad stories does anything to help soothe our pains in any way, what it only enables us to achieve is enormous pity that only adds more to our worries. Let's observe the story of David in 1 Samuel 30 and see exactly how he handled discouragement with the Word.

There was a time David's family and city (Ziklag) were raided by the Amelekites. He lost everything. His two wives were taken captive and even his men considered stoning him in their anger because their families were taken away too. The Bible says David wept until he could weep no more. So what did he do thereafter? Did he swap tales of woe? Did he complain? Did he throw a tantrum and shore up discouragement with unconvincing excuses? No! He encouraged himself in the Lord, 1 Samuel 30:6. He leaned on God for wisdom on how to handle the situation and God indeed came through for him, which consequently made David to end up recovering ALL that had been carted by the Amelekites.

When discouragement comes, we have to remember the source. It is always from the devil. Never will God send discouragement our way. 'Never' have I said! When we trust in God, we run to Him for help. We remember His promise that the thoughts He has towards you are plans of good and not of evil to give you an expected end. This means that in the journey of life, there might be storms but we know that all things are working together for our good. This realisation makes us rest in the Lord and in His promises, knowing that He is not a man that should ever lie.

Discouragement is a sign of lack of faith in God. It only shows that we are moved by the things that we see which goes against what II Corinthians 5:7 tells us (we walk by faith and not by sight). Whenever depression sets in, we need to strengthen our faith in God. Whilst it is okay to feel sad and cry, we have to learn to snap out of it.

How exactly do we build our faith? Paul, in Romans 10:17, stated that: "faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God". We build our faith, therefore, by diving into God's word. We refer to His promises which are able to build us up. We hold on to them and from there, our faith is made strong. That way, we can easily be built up. I can easily give numerous instances of where this has worked for me. Over and over again, I realise that holding on to the Word of God yields great fruits.

Some of the promises that keep me going are:

·         Jeremiah 29:1:- For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.

·         Isaiah 55:12:- For ye shall go out with joy, and be led forth with peace: the mountains and the hills shall break forth before you into singing, and all the trees of the field shall clap [their] hands.

·         Psalm 23:6:- Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.

Which ones encourage you the most?

No matter where discouragement seems to be taking a heavy toll on you, you need to remember that God's Words are yea and amen and always stand sure. Yours could come from looking for a job, seeking for direction in one area or the other, needing healing for a family member or even yourself. Whatever the case is, I pray you always have the strength to keep on holding onto God's promises which can never fail even as we have just started this New Year.

God bless you.

Temiville.xoxo

 

·         Temitayo is a fellow blogger who blogs about the various situations that have come to define who humans are and how she, when faced with some of those circumstances, tends to tackle them. One thing about the way she blogs is not in the regularity of her creative posts, it is with the way she mixes her personal experiences with whatsoever theory she is expounding to her numerous readers that attracts attention - That's just why I subscribed to her blog. She muses under the name Temiville on a blog called Caramel Latte Addict.

 

 

Stereotype and the Influence of Media on African Books

By Monica Ivanov

 

I have always been a reader; at first a school book borrower and now a book collector. What I was reading…?

I had a list of books called classical universal literature. In reality, the only Universal thing about it was that we all had to read it. These books were a collection of only Western authors so little related with our identity but to which we all dreamed to belong. Probably this is the reason I never questioned myself back then if Western actually means Universal. Today I call them religious, political, social and psychological meticulously brushed books, carefully selected to fit the education purpose of the youth and successfully making us see the world through a tiny key hole.

Fast forward...…>>> Today I have no more lists of books. Or at least this is how I fooled myself to believe. There is a huge book industry available nowadays from 3-4 floors high book stores to online shops like Amazon.com. The question remains how do you pick your book? This is the moment when we get drowned between Bestsellers, Manager's picks, Celebrity Book Clubs, Advertising and the most notorious bias creator; the Media etc. Yes, we are back to the list but a more dangerous one.

If you find yourself in one of the biggest book stores in New York, don't be surprised to discover that the only two African literary pieces available to read are those of Uwem Akpan and Ishmael Beah. Why are they bestsellers? The facts are simple to understand; they write things the Western (including her media and publishing houses) want to read and promote about Africa. In Uwen Akapan's "Say You Are One of Them", the stories are the same Western fondled tales of children poverty, inter ethnic conflicts and child traffic. Ishmael Beah follows in this stead too in his book, "A Long Way Gone Memoirs of a Boy Soldier", which describes to details the ordeals from child-soldiering, UNICEF, rap music, African wars, violence, etc.

It is true conflicts and violence is part of the African reality but only in few countries from the 53 other nations of the continent. Orphan-hood, Education and Health issues require a lot of work but Africa is not the only place which could do better. According to United Nations 2009 literacy report, United States ranks 21 while Cuba and Palestine rank number 2 on the statistics; World Health Organization scores United States number 72 on health, which is worse than the levels Iran, Algeria, Tunisia and Egypt are placed on. When infant mortality rate in US is compared with the data of Cuba, Cuba's pale in comparison with the US. These are just some of the few examples to show that a stereotyped story is not the complete stories of what a place or nation is known for.

So how do the Western-adored stories about Africa end up defining the African brand and the bestseller books?

Books are mirrors into the soul of a nation and the danger of a single story creates stereotypes for both readers and frustration for writers who especially find themselves turned down by publishers because their works don't rise to the market demands of crafting the gory and depreciating African stories to the reading public.

This is the time we must remember the African wisdom; "Until the lions have their own historians, tales of the hunt shall always glorify the hunters" and write the other side of story.

 

African stories must not be defined by any measure or yardstick of sufferings and violence. There is always a good story to be told about any place.

 

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·         This article was contributed by Monica Ivanov, a literary and facebook friend. She lives in New York. She could be reached on Facebook through her mail: mqmivanov@yahoo.com