Guides on Scott Larson

Laptop Buyers Guide

Mon, 30 Mar 2020 09:03:09 -0700

This is a really great resource for finding a laptop that meets your specifications. The site reviews laptops and then it has a search tool that allows you to filter laptops based on the recommendation points of each laptop. https://www.notebookcheck.net/Laptop-Buying-Guide-Tool.13212.0.html

How to check Battery level via Command line

Thu, 13 Feb 2020 09:00:53 -0800

Sometimes, the battery indicator in Windows 10 stops working, fails to respond, or disappears. In this case you might need to check your battery life, until that problem gets fixed.

Check Battery level using command line

Open Windows Command Prompt and execute the following command:

WMIC PATH Win32_Battery Get EstimatedChargeRemaining

The output for that command would look something like this:

EstimatedCharge

Remaining

You can see the estimated battery charge remaining.

In my next update I will show you a possible fix to this problem.

Scooters' Laptop Buyers Guide

Wed, 29 Jan 2020 10:55:00 -0800

During my repairs, I receive quite a few PC laptops that are designed and constructed on the cheap. I speak to each of my customers about their purchasing choice, and if they can remember, it usually boils down to a purchase by marketing gimmick. While researching this publication, I looked up this phrase and the search results seem to think that performing a marketing gimmick is a great idea. Where I come from, marketing gimmicks are used to obfuscate the true colors of a product. It’s a bad idea to hide your product’s defects behind this tactic, and when electronics retailers do not make it easy for the customer to make informed purchases, the people who make an honest living from selling products, suffer. This is not entirely the fault of shady marketing tactics though, understanding specifications of computer technology can be a complicated process.

So that the buyer doesn’t get overwhelmed, retailers often choose to bury much of the technical information of a product. Since technology advances at such a fast rate, retailers and manufacturers work together to convince buyers to purchase models that have the strongest profit margin. This is done by lowering the specifications of the device, cutting corners on construction quality, and hiding the details about both, slowing unwanted blowback to built-in limitations during the release of a new product. That way, the suspecting model can be retired before the negative feedback has time to do damage to the responsible parties.

I know this whole situation appears to just benefit the retailers and manufacturers, but this process also helps the manufacture make better products. When a manufacturer as a larger pool of cash, they have more money to focus on research and development. R&D that actually improves the quality of their products. This is partly why Apple’s products are so expensive, they use their high profit margins to drive innovation in future products. It really depends on the company’s values. Some company’s, even though, they obviously want to sell products, also want to have the best products that money can buy available to its customers. Others, especially ones that haven’t established a name for themselves might decide to turn a profit, then exit the market. This is why it’s important to be careful about the brand name as well as the quality of the laptop, because if it’s from a company isn’t well established, they probably can’t afford to have good customer service. If you cant reach a company to get your concerns met, you might as well have purchased a lemon.

My goal with this article is to help you cut through the crap when shopping for a new device, and help you avoid these pitfalls.

If at all possible, do your shopping, or at the very least, your research on-line.

Better information about purchases can be found at sites like: Amazon or Newegg. These sites do a better job at listing technical specifications. At the very least, use online resources to reference specs for a product you are thinking of purchasing at a brick and mortar store.

Update: I found this really cool site that has reviews of laptops, but also offers a buyers guide that allows a visitor to choose from a list of options like:

I want to play demanding games?
The notebook should have a high performance rating
The laptop should have a graphics card optimized for CAD - and professional 3D applications.
I want to have a big screen
The screen of the laptop should be of a high quality
The laptop screen should be non glossy
The notebook should be lightweight
The notebook should have a good mobility rating (battery - runtime, weight, size)
The notebook should have a low emissions rating (low heat - and noise emmitted)
The workmanship rating should be high
Include only products of the top 10 manufacturers
The notebook should be new on the market
The notebook should be cheap
Show only devices that were tested by Notebookcheck

Then when you hit submit, you can see a list of laptops that this site reviewed that meets your criteria. Their buyers guide also has a matrix selection tool that filters results based on the specific hardware specifications.

Review sites like this are a really good tool for finding a model that you really want.

Understanding the 8 basic food groups:

The Dimensions (Physical): Is it going to be mobile, or a homebody?
The Weight: Are you going to be lugging around a monstrosity, or a light weight?
The Construction: Does it look and feel like cheap plastic? Or does it feel like a sleek air plane?
The Speed: Are you going to be riding a slug, or a cheetah?
The Capacity: Do you plan on have enough storage capacity for your stuff?
The Visuals: Are you going to need prescriptions for that screen?
The Life: How long can I survive without the power cord?
The Response: What kind of complaints is this baby getting?

The Dimensions (Physical): Is it going to be mobile, or a homebody?

Size matters. But not in the way you might think. If you are someone that is, at many times, on the go, having a big lug of a laptop to carry around with you isn’t always the best idea. On the other hand, if the thing is not going to move much, having a big unit might help. The reason to have a big unit is that, usually, the follow areas are improved: 1. There is plenty of room for airflow, which increases the life of the unit. 2. A large screen, which can be better on your eyes. 3. In many cases, size equates to better construction, and with better construction there is a tendency for the unit to last longer.

You might ask, “Why get a laptop in the first place if its not really going to be moved around?” Well, with a laptop, the first reason is that all the component’s are within the unit itself, and that makes it easier to move around. With a desktop computer, you have to unhook many peripherals: The keyboard, mouse, display, and any other external devices just to move it.

Desktops are better from a longevity, expandability and reliability stand point, but you might not need those things. Anyways, this article is about laptops, so quit distracting me.

The Weight: Are you going to be lugging around a monstrosity, or a light weight?

Weight matters. Three pounds versus five? It doesn’t seem like a huge difference right? After carrying a 5 pound device around with you on a regular basis, that extra weight adds up.

The Construction: Does it look and feel like cheap plastic? Or does it feel like a sleek air plane?

Construction characteristics of a laptop can matter depending on its use, and how long you want it to last. Cheap plastic can easily crack over time with normal use. This is especially important if the laptop is being moved around on a regular basis. It needs a solid construction, and good materials to live up to the abuse. Also the kind of materials matter. Aluminum is stronger and more durable than plastic. There are new nanotechnologies like carbon fiber that weave plastic elements together to create a strong martials, so look out for those as well . The construction design of the device matters as well. Laptops are constructed with all the components packed together, producing a lot of heat. Figuring out how to produce the proper air flow to dissipate heat is always an issue for device manufactures. With this in mind, in my experience, business class laptops are a better choice, but are more expensive.

The Speed: Are you going to be riding a slug, or a cheetah?

You might not mind waiting around for your laptop to boot, or respond after opening an application, but for the rest of us speed is an important factor. For the lay person, the speed specifications can sometimes be very difficult to discover. Many retail stores only list the basic info and leave it up to you to figure out the rest. To help you become aware what to look for, there are a few factors that need to be considered:

Think of a computer as a nervous system in a body. It’s a collection of neurons(Wires) that transmit signals between different parts of the body. Computers are very similar, in that, they have parts (component’s) that all need to communicate with each other. Each part is dependent on the other for speedy communication, and when one of them lags behind, all the parts suffer. This is why you can have a laptop with a fast processor, but if the laptop has a limited amount of RAM (Random Access Memory) The system speed will be determined by the storage capacity of that part.

When thinking in terms of speed. Don’t just think of the speed of the Processor (CPU) also think about the class and generation of the processor itself. Secondly, look at the storage capacity of the RAM, and the speed of the primary storage device: Hard Disk Drives (HDD) for the most part, are slower than Solid State Drive (SSD). When looking at the model’s specifications, RAM is the amount of memory that the laptop has when purchased. RAM may, or may not be upgradable. It’s likely that you will have to visit the manufacturers support resources for that model online to find out more information about upgradability of the device.

Most devices now ship with the Windows 10 operating system. As of 2020, most lower end laptops ship with only 4 gigs of ram. For a smooth experience, 8 gigs is my minimum. Secondly, having a primary storage device that includes SSD technology improves performance over HDD technology.

The Capacity: Do you plan on having enough storage capacity for your stuff?

Storage size might be important to you. Getting an SSD is great, but if its not big enough to store your data, that might be a problem. The larger that the SSD is, the more expensive it’s going to be. Some Laptops have SSD/HDD combinations to keep the cost down. THE SSD is the boot device, and the HDD is the storage device. But it makes it a bit more complicated to store information because then you have to remember to store your data on the HDD. You can also set your user folders to store information on the HDD. Generally, these combo configurations are still just as fast as a device with a single SSD, because most of the heavy lifting is done by the primary storage SSD and the secondary storage HDD is really just a storage option for your data, and storing personal data on a HDD isn’t not really a problem, as long as it is all that is doing.

The Visuals: Are you going to need prescriptions for that screen?

The size of the laptop’s screen and the quality of the resolution is also important. There are 17’, 15’, 13’ and 11’ laptops. The smaller the screen is, the harder it’s going to be to read text, and the less screen real estate you will have to work with applications. If you are just sending emails and writing docs on-the-go it might not be important. For a photo professional, that might be another story.

Depending on the size of the screen, there are two main areas of screen technology that you want to look out for: screen display resolution, and screen technology type.

Screen Display Resolution

The higher the resolution of a screen, the greater image detail. Also you will often get an increased workspace. The drawback to high-resolution displays is that fonts tend to be smaller and can be more difficult to read without font scaling. This can be a particular problem for people with poor eyesight. While you can change the font size in the operating system, this may have unintended results in some programs, especially legacy applications which might not scale, or scale badly.

Acronym	Resolution
WXGA	1366x768 or 1280x800
SXGA	1280x1024
SXGA+	1400x1050
WXGA+	1440x900
WSXGA+	1600x900 or 1680x1050
UXGA	1600x1200
WUXGA	1920x1080 or 1920x1200
WQHD	2560x1440
WQXGA	2560x1600
WQXGA+	2880x1800
WQSXGA+	3800x1800
UHD	3840x2160 or 4096x2160

Screen Technology Type

While the screen size and resolution are the primary features that manufacturers mention, the screen technology type often gets buried in the details. Having the right screen technology makes a huge difference in the quality of visuals. “Type” refers to the LCD panel and the coating over the screen.

TN and IPS

There are two major technologies used in LCD panels for laptops: TN and IPS. TN display technology is the most common, as they are the least expensive and also tend to offer faster refresh rates. TN display technology has narrow viewing angles and colors. I also notice that these displays are not as bright. TN panels offer less overall color, but this typically only matters for graphics designers.

IPS offers better color and viewing angles, but these screens tend to cost more, have slower refresh rates, and are not as suited for gaming or fast video.

IPS offers higher color and viewing angles, but these screens tend to cost more, have slower refresh rates, and are not as suited for gaming or fast video.

Touchscreens

Touchscreens are becoming an important feature of many Windows-based laptops. Unless its a laptop that converts to a tablet, or you are purchasing a tablet like device, I do not see any reason to get a laptop with touch screen capability.

Many modern laptops come with touch screen capability. If you do not want that functionality, be sure to check the specifications as it does increase the cost of the device and there is more power draw from the battery.

Coatings

The majority of consumer laptops tend to use glossy coatings over LCD displays. These screens are brighter, but the glare is very bad on the eyes. In most cases, you can work around this by purchasing a screen protector that meets your needs.

The Life: How long can I survive without the power cord?

Battery life might be important to you if you are always on the go. Typically, the slimmer the laptop, the better battery life it will have since it’s not powering components that require a lot of power, such as a HDD, or optical drive. Check the specifications of the device. If it has a really fast processor like a i7, battery life will suffer. There will usually be a line that says, “Up to X hours battery life on a single charge” It’s been my experience that if you take that number and cut in half that will be your real-world battery operating time.

The Response: What kind of complaints is this baby getting?

Look at reviews of the model you want to purchase on Amazon.com, or Newegg.com. Newer models tend to have less reviews that ones that have been on the marking for awhile. Look at the type of reviews that exist for a model, if possible, how many are in support, and how many are against it. Also look at the quality of the review. If many of the reviews have a short one-line statement, that tells you nothing about the experience, its usually not a good measure of quality.

Conclusion

Overall these tips should help you make a more informed decision, if you want to put the time into it. Many times, you might not have as much time as you would like to make an informed decision on purchasing a laptop. If that is the case, you can hire me to do the searching for you. I utilize my 20+ years of knowledge to find you the best model that meets your expectations.

Terms

Brand Name: A familiar or widely known name.
Component: A basic physical element that’s required by the computer to function.
Construction Quality: Laptops are built with materials, some materials are better than others, also the design of the way in which the laptop is constructed factors into the life expectancy of the unit.
Customer Service: The kind of response you get when you call a company with a question or issue.
Desktop: The area of a display screen where images, windows, icons and other graphical items appear.
Desktop Computer: A desktop computer is a personal computer that fits on or under a desk. It has a monitor or another display, keyboard, mouse, and either a horizontal or vertical (tower) form factor. Unlike a laptop, which is portable, a desktop computer is meant to stay at one location.
Hard Disk Drive (HDD): A an electro-mechanical data storage device that uses magnetic storage to store and retrieve digital information using one or more rigid rapidly rotating disks (platters) coated with magnetic material.
PC laptop: A Personal Computer (PC) Laptop versus a Apple Macbook.
Peripheral: A peripheral or peripheral device is an ancillary device used to put information into and get information out of the computer.
Operating System: The software that supports a computer’s basic functions, such as scheduling tasks, executing applications, and controlling peripherals.
Processor (CPU): A central processing unit (CPU), also called a central processor or main processor, is the electronic circuitry within a computer that executes instructions that make up a computer program.
RAM: Random-access memory (or simply RAM) is the temporary memory or information storage location in a computer that is used to store running programs and data for the programs. Data (information) in the RAM can be read and written quickly in any order.
Optical Drive: A drive that can read optical disk, like a CD, DVD, or Blueray.
Screen Refresh Rate: How often the screen draws the information visible on the display. The faster the refresh, the better it is on your eyes.
Screen Resolution: The display resolution or display modes of a digital television, computer monitor or display device is the number of distinct pixels in each dimension that can be displayed.
Screen Workspace: Refers to the grouping of windows on your desktop.
Solid State Drive (SSD): An SSD is a type of mass storage device similar to a hard disk drive (HDD). It supports reading and writing data and maintains stored data in a permanent state even without power. Internal SSDs connect to a computer like a hard drive, using standard IDE or SATA connections.
Specifications: Technical descriptions of the computer’s components and capabilities.
Touchscreen: A screen with touch capability, sometimes replacing a trackpad or a mouse.

Restoring your digital life from backup after a disaster

Sat, 21 Dec 2019 14:44:47 -0800

Learn why solely backing up your data isn’t always enough to recover from a disaster.

In this publication, you will learn about:

Knowing the difference between backup and disaster recovery, understanding key technology terms, and evaluating software along with storage options can help you develop an effective plan for avoiding the consequences of data loss and downtime after a catastrophe strikes.

What is disaster recovery backup, and why should I care?

Backup is the process of making an extra copy (or multiple copies) of data. You might need to restore data from a backup if you accidentally delete a file, or folder, or when a file, or folder becomes corrupted.

Disaster Recovery is having all tools in place to recover from a loss of data. Do you just need to recover one file, a set of files, or your entire computer? If your entire computer needs to be recovered, will you lose anything recently saved? How do you perform a full recovery of your computer? Knowing the answers to these questions is essential to your recovery plan.

Disaster Recovery Backup, on the other hand, refers to the plan and processes for quickly reestablishing access to your data after a catastrophe. If your computer, or applications fail catastrophically, become lost, or stolen, your Desktop environment¹ can be restored to a previous working condition, minimizing downtime.

“I am prepared for the worst, but hope for the best.” - Benjamin Disraeli

What are the strengths and weaknesses of different storage options and locations

A backup and a disaster recovery backup are similar in that they both need a location to store a copy of the data that is needed for a restoration.

In a Cloud Storage² scenario, data is stored outside the home, or small office. This off-site location protects your data from being destroyed by a tragedy, like a fire, or loss from a theft of your equipment. The speed and reliability of the Cloud Backup³ service, as well as the internet connection to your home, or office, is a factor in determining the length of time needed for a data restoration.

Network Storage⁴, or a Network Attached Storage Device (NAS)⁴ are storage locations⁵ that give you Cloud like storage in your home. Network Storage gives you the ability to store files onto it from any device in your home that is connected to your home, or business network. The speed in which data can be transferred to, and from a NAS is largely dependent on the kind of hardware (Network Router⁶, WiFi Access Point[^-wifi-access-point], Network Switch⁷, Network Cabling⁸) you have, and the connection between the NAS and your devices (Wired or Wireless). In my experience, Network Storage Devices are less susceptible to physical connection problems and damage due to the fact that they are rarely moved from their physical location. Wired connections are typically faster than Wireless connections. There are many types of Wired and Wireless connections. Having the latest technology insures that you will have the fastest transfer speeds between two or more devices. Transfer speeds between devices is really important. The less time it takes for data to transfer to and from devices the less likely a problem will occur in the transfer, or backup.

The benefit of using a Local Storage⁹ device over Cloud or Network storage is speed, convenience, and ease of use. But moving the storage device around, regularly disconnecting/reconnect it, often in situations that require it, like bringing a laptop with you on the go, may eventually cause damage to, or cause a connection problem with the storage device. In many cases, when a connection problem shows up, the backup software cannot do its job, and you may not know that there is a problem until it’s too late.

In most cases, drawbacks of each technology cannot be avoided. It’s best to choose two, or more storage options that work best for your needs and make redundancy your friend. If one storage device, or location fails, have another, and another. Three storage locations⁵ are optimal.

How a little planning can drive a successful disaster recovery

Identifying the best technologies for achieving your backup and disaster recovery goals for home and small businesses

The important thing to understand first is what kind of computer user you are: Basic, Intermediate, or Advanced.

“I just do email and docs..”

As a Basic user you might not need much of a backup solution. The trick is to find out what you do with your device most of the time, and see if you actually need a backup solution. If you view your mail online using Gmail, Yahoo Mail, or Microsoft (Hotmail,or Outlook Mail) you are agreeing to let that provider store your mail for you. Be aware that just having a Cloud based Email provider store your Email for you may not shield you from mail loss. Even using an Email application like Outlook, or Thunderbird, your mail is stored on the mail server (Not on your device. It might be important to you to archive mail to some other location within your possession. Mail applications usually have archiving functionality which allows you to store a copy of your mail on your device’s storage drive.

Documents are usually stored on your device’s storage drive unless you are using a Cloud Storage service. If you do not use a Cloud Storage service like Dropbox or Google Drive, then your documents are stored on your device’s storage drive. Having a backup solution safeguards that data in case you lose your device, or it becomes damaged.

“I know enough just to get myself into trouble…”

As an Intermediate user, you probably use your device professionally, or for education purposes and you work with more than just mail and documents. You might also save files like music, pictures, and videos. You may use non-standard applications like Turbotax, or Quickbooks. In a case like this, regular automatic backups using backup software¹⁰ might be preferable to you.

“I know my stuff, but I don’t really do backup that well…”

As an Advanced user, the way you use your device, the placement of everything stored on the device, and the programs you use are all vital to your everyday activities. If you lost access to your device for too long, it would probably cause a problem for you. In a case like this, using Disaster Recovery Backup software¹⁰ to backup a full copy of your system drive¹¹ might be preferable to you.

What kind of backup software do I need?

There are a host of backup software solutions on the market. For local backups, Windows 10 comes with its own backup solution called File History. If you are a Basic, or Intermediate user this might work for you. You would need to purchase an external hard drive and set up File History to perform regular backups of your important storage locations⁵. If you find that you require more control over the way your data is backed up than what File History offers, commercial third party products such as EaseUS ToDo Backup, and Paragon Backup and Recovery can offer more options.

For Intermediate and Advanced users, who cannot be without access to their programs and data for too long, and want to minimize the time in recovering from a disaster, I recommend Disaster Recovery Backup software like Macirum Reflect, or Acronis True Image.

Why waiting for a disaster to happen before you plan is a bad idea

Many things can happen in the process of using your device. The place where you store your device could be involved in a catastrophe, your device could be stolen, your device’s internal storage drive could fail, you could accidentally delete a file, or a file could become corrupted in the process of using your device.

Don’t wait until it’s too late to devise a plan to protect your data. Protecting your data is like having insurance, you don’t know when, or if, you will need it, but when you do, boy can it be a lifesaver. Having a plan also builds confidence, so when your data becomes inaccessible, you have actions you can take to restore your access. Just having a plan alone can help you improve your knowledge about what you know, and don’t know about your device and your data.

Conclusion

With a disaster recovery solution in place you can protect yourself from:

Downtime¹², by avoiding lengthy repairs to your device.
High repair, or data recovery costs when a device fails catastrophically.
Malware¹³, or ransomeware¹⁴ infections by being able to restore from a previous backup.

Contact me for more information about developing a backup plan. I can help you identify what backup solution you need, and help you manage it.

Terms

A desktop environment is the settings, customizations, applications, and personal data of your computer. ↩︎
Cloud Storage is a software-as-a-service solution that is designed to backup your most important data at regular intervals. You usually pay a monthly fee for the storage space and the software to backup your device. ↩︎
Cloud Backup backs up and stores files with a cloud service. In the event of data loss, you can restore files your files. Cloud backup is different then cloud storage because you must manually select files you want to store in the cloud, while cloud backup services work automatically to save and sync files stored on your computer. ↩︎
Network Storage, or a Network Attached Storage (NAS) is a device that contains a storage drive and can be connected to an existing home, or office network. ↩︎ ↩︎
A Storage Location is a local drive or a cloud based service that stores files. ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎
A Network Router is a network device that helps provide internet access to multiple devices in the home, or small office. ↩︎
Network Switch is a device that allows you to connect multiple devices to a network allowing those devices to either talk to the internet, or to each other. ↩︎
Network Cabling are the cords that are used in connecting or hard wiring devices to a network. ↩︎
Local storage is a hard, or solid state storage drive that is either mounted the device, or connected to the device externally via USB or SATA. Network storage is a storage device that is connected to your computer via your modem or router using an Ethernet or Wireless connection. ↩︎
Backup Software takes over the job of backing up your data to a storage location⁵. It can be executed manually, or setup to run automatically and regular intervals. Disaster Recovery Backup software backs up your system drive and can restore your desktop environment to its original working state before a disaster. ↩︎ ↩︎
System Drive is the drive that your device boots and operates from. In most cases all of your settings: What applications you have installed, and the look and feel of your desktop and even your personal/business data are stored on the system drive. ↩︎
Downtime is the length of time when you are unable to access your device, or any data that is stored on that device. ↩︎
Malware is software that is specifically designed to disrupt, damage, or gain unauthorized access to a computer system. ↩︎
Ransomware is a type of malware from cryptovirology that threatens to publish the victim’s data or perpetually block access to it unless a ransom is paid. ↩︎