Windows 10 upgrade tips

This is how I do it, which might not be the best way. Yet it works for me 🙂

Check the hard drive / system health.
Hitting F12 as a dell system boots to access the system diagnostics utility – this will check the disk and the entire system. Some computer manufactures tools don’t do a disk diagnostic. It’s still a good thing to do.But I would run a diag on any system before spending much time on it. You can google how to run a system diag on your system if its not a Dell. If your system doesnt have disk diag – follow the next paragraph. If you have a Dell skip to “Backup – Create a full image for restoration” below.

Most hard drive manufacturers provide free tools for checking hard drive health. To find hard drive make hold down the windows key and tap “r” on the keyboard. Then type “devmgmt.msc” (Device Manager) and tap enter. Open the “Disk drives”, in this instance note the letters “WDC”.  Google “WDC Disk Tool” to provide the Manufacturer’s name. So in this case I googled “WDC” (No quotes) and found this drive tool:
https://support.wdc.com/downloads.aspx?p=157

If disk is good proceed, if the disk is bad but the system is less than 4 yrs old – buy a new hard drive or you really love the computer, then create an image of the operating system using Veeam to reinstall your operating system on the new hard drive. Hitting F12 as a dell system boots to access the system diagnostics utility – this will check the disk and the entire system. Some computer manufactures tools don’t do a disk diagnostic. It’s still a good thing to do.But I would run a diag on any system before spending much time on it. 

Backup – Create a full image for restoration

There are many tools that can back a computer and create an image for restoring the operating system. One needs this image so if anything goes wrong with a computer, the operating can be restored to the point it was at on the day the image was created.

After you have created a Veeam account, download the WIndows free backup client currently located here:

https://www.veeam.com/windows-backup-free-download.html

How to create an image:

https://helpcenter.veeam.com/docs/agentforwindows/userguide/image_create.html?ver=30

For the scope of this article I am not going to write the entire process. Since this is well documented on the internet already.

But the steps are: Install Veeam, create a veeam iso (cdrom image) – burn a boot cd, select an external drive to create the image on and create it. Then boot to the boot cdrom (Google the last sentence with your systems manufactures name to figure out how to do this). Install the previously backed up image to your hard drive. Google “Restore veeam image windows” for the restoration process.


Windows 10 upgrade

A quote from ZDNET “If you have a PC running a “genuine” copy of Windows 7/8/8.1 (Windows 7 Home, Pro, or Ultimate edition, or Windows 8.x Home or Business, properly licensed and activated), you can follow the same steps I did to upgrade it to Windows 10.” Follow the link above using the Windows Download tool linked below. This link might change but the tool looks this:


Follow the instructions from the ZDnet article to upgrade Windows 10. 

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Well this is how far I got tonight. Will update soon. Keep checking back 🙂

Maybe our beloved Gibson is going a little sideways. But check this out!

Gibson is in more than a little bit trouble due to floods and other setbacks.

What does this mean to us who love the art of playing or creating music?

Yea, sure you might be able to buy a copy of a Les Paul or Stratocaster made in a foreign country.

But, in all honesty.

Nothing beats the real thing – as any mature adult knows even if they don’t play music, and only listen to it.

So, what are the takeaway’s or what can we as consumers/users of these products get from the statements above?

Well, enter Bandlab.com. Cakewalk Sonar which was once a Gibson owned product. Now it’s free!

https://www.bandlab.com/products/cakewalk

Fender acquired RiffStation and is now offering it for free!

https://pro.riffstation.com/download/

In summary, if you want to help either of these companies survive.
Please only buy the real thing.

Or sit there looking at your hand and think for a while.

Sources:
A friend told me about bandlab and cakewalk. Read about Riffstation here:

https://www.howtogeek.com/fyi/free-download-fenders-riffstation-shows-you-chords-for-any-song/

Ok, why should you be careful when at work and using a company computer?

According to the CompTIA A+ training I am presently doing on Lynda.com, 51% of all serious malware attacks that successfully target companies – come from internal network users. The largest percentage of these attacks occur from non-admin employed workers going to non work related websites.

Once the malware is on the non admin users computer the hacker with a simple Privilege Escalation attack payload, will spread said payload across your enterprise and start harvesting things like your bank account login and password, and that of everybody else you work with!

That is if they or you use a work computer to access any sensitive account where a malicious monetary gain can be made. 😉

Furthermore, in an extreme scenario the company you work for could be forced to go out of business, and there is a good chance you will become infamous and never be able to find another job doing what you do now.

So…

Please surf the web safely where ever you use any internet connected device.

Please always install all security updates, never rely on any updates being automatically installed on any device or any software anywhere, to do so is simply irresponsible.

A blown up phone, tablet, laptop or computer from an update is much easier to recover from than losing all your money and then having to fight to get it back, all the while doing the same to others you work with whom have worked so hard for what they have.

Photo credits: https://hiveminer.com – (tigercop2k3)