Having just got through a forced and unplanned re-install of the Operating System on my PC, it brings home to me the importance of having good backups of ALL the data required to get a PC back into a workable condition.
Taking backups of application data for a company should be standard practise, but what about all the other marginal elements that a user relies upon - are they being saved in any format. Here are a few of the things I am thinking about:-
- e-mail accounts, passwords and log-on details to e-mail servers
- e-mail folder structures
- e-mail anti-spam rules
- the e-mails themselves within the application
- web browser Favourites, cookies and passwords
- options and preferences for applications that don't hold databases etc.
- application installs taken from the web
- upgrades and new releases to applications
- registry entries
- file and folder listings
- etc.
Applications like Outlook, IE and RegEdit have built in Export/Import menu options to save/re-establish settings and user configurations. I strongly suggest that you start using them (if not already doing so) and putting the resulting exported files into a location that is backed up and archieved off of the PC.
When installing a new application or an upgrade, don't run the program from the web but save the file to a suitable folder (C:\Downloads\AppName) and include this folder is your backup/archieve.
Luckily I have been doing this, so recover went well - even so it took 2 days. The only problem I encountered was that I rely on a bit of software that MS no longer supports, thus one of the first upgrades/patches was no longer available from its website. Had to use Google to locate another source before being able to continue. Now I have added it to my backup data.
One of the things that helped the most during the recovery was a list of folders and their files. This I had started creating on a regular basis; for entirely different reasons; a couple of months back using VBScript and the File System Object. The list help me identify missing applications, folders, files and versions.
I strong recommend ensuring that if you encounter a major disk/PC problem you have the necessary information and backups to help recover from it with as little hasle as possible.
Remember, PCs are cheap when compared to the cost of re-establishing all the data they hold!
Discusses views from the UK both cultural and political. With a distinct interest in software.
24 December 2010
25 June 2010
Flexible systems
With yet another change in VAT Rate looming at the end of the year, the importance of using a flexible accounting/ERP system that allows for the creation of new VAT codes, rates, etc. is brought to the fore.
Many 'older' systems provide little support in making such changes and allowing 'old rate' invoices and be processed at the same time as 'new rate' invoices. With the consequence that considerable effort is required around the time of actual rate change. Invoices being either to customers or from suppliers.
At least this time around many firms will have faced the problem in recent times and should be able to cope without major costs/holdups.
Inflexible systems are those that have codes and rates 'hard coded' into the program so that version upgrades are needed to meet new requirements. Where as flexible systems allow users to create and maintain entries to control it. This not only concerns tax rates, it covers all aspects of program control.
Of course with more sophisticated systems, the day to day requirements placed upon users is increased, as they need to understand more about the system and the interaction between various settings. However, this drawback is more than compensated for by the ease of changing the system when required.
My recommendation is to always look for and install the most flexible system you can find. That way you can be independent of the software supplier and still be comfortable in being able to meet the requirements of changing legislation and the overall business environment.
Many 'older' systems provide little support in making such changes and allowing 'old rate' invoices and be processed at the same time as 'new rate' invoices. With the consequence that considerable effort is required around the time of actual rate change. Invoices being either to customers or from suppliers.
At least this time around many firms will have faced the problem in recent times and should be able to cope without major costs/holdups.
Inflexible systems are those that have codes and rates 'hard coded' into the program so that version upgrades are needed to meet new requirements. Where as flexible systems allow users to create and maintain entries to control it. This not only concerns tax rates, it covers all aspects of program control.
Of course with more sophisticated systems, the day to day requirements placed upon users is increased, as they need to understand more about the system and the interaction between various settings. However, this drawback is more than compensated for by the ease of changing the system when required.
My recommendation is to always look for and install the most flexible system you can find. That way you can be independent of the software supplier and still be comfortable in being able to meet the requirements of changing legislation and the overall business environment.
03 February 2010
Planning for not being here! Death in other words
A recent family loss has suddenly brought home to me that very few of us effectively plan for not being here!
Lets assume you are an average Joe - with a partner and 2.n kids, may be a parent is still alive.
Now suddenly you are gone! You've died.
Your family are in a state of shock, bewilderment and bereaved.
Hopefully you have left a will.
But that is only a start.
Your bank accounts and credit cards are frozen.
Pension receipts will be stopped! So in the near term, money will be short.
Cars are not legally useable - in the short term - as they are in your name along with the insurance - which has now become invalid.
Yet, at the same time large funeral bills need to be incurred. Along with lots of letters to be written to organisations that they've never had to deal with before.
Do they know or know how to get to - passwords, account numbers, pin numbers, memorable words, mail and email addresses, telephone numbers, etc.
Who to contact for pensions, life insurance, mortgages, investments, ISA's, PEP's, etc.
Do they have access to joint accounts and their details?
Things that up to now you have always looked after.
Stop and think for a minute of all the things to be done at such a time.
It does not take long to come up with a long list.
How can you plan for this? In in order to reduce its impact on your family.
Start with a basic list of bank account details - codes, numbers, addresses.
During the year, add investments and pension details, as dividends are received or premiums paid out.
Give directions/details of the normal physical locations of items like keys, statements, policies, deeds, certificates. Include every day things as well as those deeds you put in the bottom of the box 25 years ago and have not been opened since!
All this sounds fairly easy to do - and it is when done in advance - BY YOU!
If you have complex affairs - investments, mortgages, share holdings, trusts etc., give a brief description of how it all hangs together and inter-relates and why you have structured it the way it is. You may have saved thousands in a complex structure. But all the savings could be eliminated by high legal fees trying to sort out and understand the situation you have created.
In to-days world the best place to create and hold this information is on a computer with Word, Excel or similar. Yet will your family know which file and directory path to access to get to all this information. So store a printed copy in a location that all family members know about.
As accounts are closed or become redundant, don't remove them from the list but note them as closed/redundant and give the date. Remember, Inheritance tax can go back 7 years.
Still think your family could handle the situation that your sudden departure has created? It may not be nice to thing of dieing, but do you really want to leave a lot of problems for your loved ones?
Start building that list and if you have spare funds put some in joint/single bank accounts that your partner/loved ones can get to when you have gone in order to tide them through those first weeks.
Lets assume you are an average Joe - with a partner and 2.n kids, may be a parent is still alive.
Now suddenly you are gone! You've died.
Your family are in a state of shock, bewilderment and bereaved.
Hopefully you have left a will.
But that is only a start.
Your bank accounts and credit cards are frozen.
Pension receipts will be stopped! So in the near term, money will be short.
Cars are not legally useable - in the short term - as they are in your name along with the insurance - which has now become invalid.
Yet, at the same time large funeral bills need to be incurred. Along with lots of letters to be written to organisations that they've never had to deal with before.
Do they know or know how to get to - passwords, account numbers, pin numbers, memorable words, mail and email addresses, telephone numbers, etc.
Who to contact for pensions, life insurance, mortgages, investments, ISA's, PEP's, etc.
Do they have access to joint accounts and their details?
Things that up to now you have always looked after.
Stop and think for a minute of all the things to be done at such a time.
It does not take long to come up with a long list.
How can you plan for this? In in order to reduce its impact on your family.
Start with a basic list of bank account details - codes, numbers, addresses.
During the year, add investments and pension details, as dividends are received or premiums paid out.
Give directions/details of the normal physical locations of items like keys, statements, policies, deeds, certificates. Include every day things as well as those deeds you put in the bottom of the box 25 years ago and have not been opened since!
All this sounds fairly easy to do - and it is when done in advance - BY YOU!
If you have complex affairs - investments, mortgages, share holdings, trusts etc., give a brief description of how it all hangs together and inter-relates and why you have structured it the way it is. You may have saved thousands in a complex structure. But all the savings could be eliminated by high legal fees trying to sort out and understand the situation you have created.
In to-days world the best place to create and hold this information is on a computer with Word, Excel or similar. Yet will your family know which file and directory path to access to get to all this information. So store a printed copy in a location that all family members know about.
As accounts are closed or become redundant, don't remove them from the list but note them as closed/redundant and give the date. Remember, Inheritance tax can go back 7 years.
Still think your family could handle the situation that your sudden departure has created? It may not be nice to thing of dieing, but do you really want to leave a lot of problems for your loved ones?
Start building that list and if you have spare funds put some in joint/single bank accounts that your partner/loved ones can get to when you have gone in order to tide them through those first weeks.
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