files

Infopackets Reader Bill C. writes: " Dear Dennis, I run Windows 7 64 bit on my computer and my wife has an old Windows XP 32-bit PC (Dell Inspiron E521). She's a real stickler about [keeping her PC exactly the way it is, so she can still access all ... her files and programs, but I know it's time for an upgrade and I'd like to upgrade it to Windows 7 64 bit for her] ... I already have on hand all the items I thought I'd need: Windows 7 upgrade CD, more RAM for her PC, two new 1 TB hard drives, a video card, etc. What I'd like to be able to do is make a disk image clone of her old XP hard drive, ... (view more)

Infopackets Reader 'Frank' writes: " Dear Dennis, I was wondering if I can hire you to fix a laptop with a ransom virus infection. The reason I'm asking is because as soon as the system boots up, the virus is there [with a message stating the ... computer has been locked down]. There is no desktop, meaning I can't open anything. What can I do? " My response: Unfortunately, if you cannot boot into the Windows desktop, then I cannot dial into the laptop to fix it via remote desktop support . The virus you have may be repairable depending on what you're infected with, and whether or not the virus is ... (view more)

A new report from security firm ESET finds that the TorrentLocker ransomware scam has now encrypted an estimated 285 million files. Unfortunately, ESET security experts don't see the rate of infections dropping off any time soon. A TorrentLocker ... infection, like other ransomware schemes (such as CryptoWall or CryptoLocker ), usually takes place when a victim downloads a malicious file. Although the name TorrentLocker might suggest infections come through the way of torrents (a file typically used for file sharing), it does not; in fact, most TorrentLocker infections come through email. ... (view more)

Infopackets Reader 'pthamilton' writes: " Dear Dennis, I have a Dell XPS M1330 laptop computer. I get frequently recurring messages that my D drive (recovery drive) is full. Can I delete files on my recovery drive? Also, if I upgrade to Windows 7 or ... Windows 8, will it stop the 'disk is full' error messages? Thank You. " My Response: In general, it is not recommended that you delete any files from the recovery drive, as it contains disk image files used to restore your system to default configuration when you first purchased the computer. If you downloaded or copied files onto the D drive, you ... (view more)

Microsoft is facing a storm of protest over its decision to remove a popular feature from its OneDrive cloud storage service. The change is set to take shape when the company's next operating system, Windows 10 , is released next year. In Windows ... 8.1, OneDrive shows ' smart files ', otherwise known as ' placeholders ' stored on the cloud, but not available on a local device. If a user decides they want to view or edit that file and double click on it, OneDrive begins to download the file to local storage. The advantage of smart files is simple: they let users view the entire contents of ... (view more)

Cybercriminals behind a brand new type of ransomware scam have implemented a new strategy they hope will convince more people to pay up. Unlike other ransomware scams, this one offers victims the ability to reclaim some of their files for "free." ... Ransomware is a type of malware that locks users out of their systems . In most cases, a victim must pay a fee -- usually around several hundred dollars -- to reclaim control of their computers. However, there's no guarantee that a ransomware cybercriminal will follow through on the deal, and most security experts advise against ... (view more)

Exact Duplicate Finder 0.9.7.16 As the name suggests, Exact Duplicate Finder is designed to help you find and eliminate duplicate files stored on your system. It features a simple and clean interface that groups identical files by location. It's ... also extremely fast, making it easy to find and delete dupe files. http://indeepsoft.blogspot.ca/ W8 Sidebar 5.0 W8 Sidebar can help you learn more about your critical system components. Its user-friendly interface shows you information about your processor, memory, storage drives, network connections, and more. And while the name suggests ... (view more)

The Godfather 0.88 The Godfather is a software program that will make you an offer few can refuse: it will help you organize your favorite mp3, ogg, mpc, ape, flac, aac, apl, wv, mp4, ofr, spx or tta music files. The Godfather helps you find a ... eliminate duplicate files, set tags for your files, and catalog your files in an accessible way. http://www.jtclipper.eu/ OooPlayer 1.4 On some systems Apple's iTunes can be a real "hog", drastically reducing system performance. OooPlayer is lightweight playlist-based music player, meaning it won't dominate your system, making it ... (view more)