ExtractNow - A Utility for Extracting RAR files.

ExtractNow - A Utility for Extracting RAR files

I'd like to get the word out about this little software find. It's known by many I'm sure but I believe that information about this little program that can save lots of time and aggravation when it comes time to deal with a RAR archive needs to spread. For those of you who don't know, RAR archives are very much like zip files. Everyone is probably more familiar with zip files and for good reason, as zip files are more widely used in the the common computer space. There are rar files and I'm sure many of you have encountered them when downloading a software program or mp3 files or whatever. The most common thing to do to extract them is to download WinRAR, install it and then deal with the original problem that you were trying to take care of - almost an hour later. Although the compression algorithm in WinRAR far exceeds that of Zip files, zip has become the defacto standard. with Microsoft incorporating into windows explorer right on the desktop and the common computer folk needing nearly no experience to create or extract the files with the zip files, it's become very common and simple to handle zips. RAR files similarly are compressed files and being that rar compression technology isn't incorporated into the windows explorer shell, needs a program to work. The common thing to do at this point and I've done this many times is to download d install WinRAR and then decompress the files and then get on with what it was you were trying to originally accomplish with the archived files and directories. This to me is annoying as once I download and install the software to extract the current archive, I don't use WinRAR again for a while. If I need to compress something I just zip it using explorer. Yet WinRAR is installed and often becomes a nuisance it the installation changes file associations, bloats the registry a bit, alters the explorer context menu with about 4 or more items listed. There is an alternative to programs like fatter programs like WinRAR. I found a nice little program called ExtractNow from extractnow.com. The download is only one megabyte (1MB) and it installs in seconds - for real. Check the file association for RAR files and that's it. it enables you to drag RAR files right into it's windows for extraction or just use the open file menu - quick easy and simple to use. I have to mention that the drag and drop didn't exactly work 100 percent on Vista but I'm sure it will.

Exctract rar files with ExtractNow - http://extractnow.com/

Need to extract .rar compressed files but want the extra bells and wistles of winRAR? Information and user opinion for using ExtractNow to Extract rar files without WinRAR can be found at this personal site.

Computer Desktop and Server Management

Computer Desktop and Server Management

Kaseya may have it's roots as a remote control program and indeed they still have this feature in their software application, but it's a whole lot more than remote control. Kaseya offers a complete solution for you to offer your customers a managed solution for their desktops and servers. But it doesn't stop there, their software can also monitor any device that has SMTP protocol enabled on it. One of the better differences that exist with this software package over others that just monitor your devices is that on desktops and servers their is an agent that's pushed out and installed in a silent manner. It's a very small program and once installed updates the server that you host on its own. The connections from the client network to your hosted server is outbound so their are no firewall configurations required on the customer side. Of course on your side to enable the agent to communicate with your server, rules have to be be created to allow for the data to pass from the Internet side to your network and server. 

Kaseya Options

 The installed agent also has an option for the end user to submit a trouble ticket and the trouble tickets can be managed and monitored by a help desk staff. Depending on the number of users there will make a difference on the number of people you would need to track those tickets and provide support. they offer in addition to monitoring and providing support through a ticket system, the option to perform backups of selected desktops and servers. Built into their software is Acronis imaging software which is one of the best applications for imaging available. I've used Acronis Disk director independently of Kaseya's software it works wonders. I had to resize a live server's partition and used Acronis disk director version ten and it did the re-partitioning flawlessly. See blog post on Acronis at these two sites, http://pctechgo.blogspot.com/ and at http://pctechnow.blogspot.com/.

Features:

Kaseya can automate and manage remotely the following IT services:

• PC Remote Control/Remote Support
• Patch Management
• Kaseya Computer Audit and Discovery
• Remote Desktop Management
• LAN and Windows Monitoring
• Help Desk and Trouble Ticketing
• Software Deployment & Systems Management
• Network Policy Management
• Backup and Disaster Recovery
• Anti-Virus/Anti-Spyware Detection
• Cross Platform Support (PC and MAC)
• User State Management
• Power Management

The cost of the software can be quickly recovered once enough clients are added to your base. The fact that you can provide NOC type services is one of the great advantages that a company can offer to another is supporting their data and network infrastructure is one of the services you or your company provide. Blog home: Information Technology Support - Adventure (Rated PG)

Are all desktops the same?

They are not the same in my humble opinion. Although many of the technologies they implement are the same simply because many of them are standards based and in demand by consumers, their implementations vary. The support absolutely varies and I find that HO, especially in the sever category has an edge on all the others especially Dell.

Dell has slipped from my favor many years ago. Before the slip, I believed their support was one of the reasons to buy a Dell. When I was asked what new desktop computer should I get by someone, my reply was spontaneously "Dell". Now, that has been tainted as dell had tainted their support. They believed somehow that people would not notice the big shift and degradation of their support. They are trying to build it back up and are doing an OK job but it's going to take years to fix the problem. Outsourced support has hurt them, no doubt.

So during that dark era for me with Dell, HP was the desktop of choice. HP made and still makes a reliable compacted system with various level systems to suite business, home users, casual users, novelists, etc.

Since the time of this post (now 2022), Dell and HP are still manufacturing desktops and laptops. Gateway is not a thing anymore and IBM has gone to services after a nice run with Lenovo for laptops. I had one , still do, and it ran and still operated perfectly. Upgraded to Windows 10 just fine and getting more life out of it. It's not my main computer but used mostly as a table top computer for quick web searches or playing videos. 

For computer remote support software see http://www.4remotesupport.com/ , Provide PC remote support affordably with web based PC remote support software.

Supporting Technology with Technology.

Supporting Technology with Technology Microsoft LiveMeeting has a new version and some great new features to go with it. Sign-up for a demo: LiveMeeting Demo Read White Paper: Conferencing and Collaboration White Paper

NetGear PS121 USB to Ethernet Network

PC Tech Support . This is nice image depicting how a simple design can make a difference and with the software that comes with these desktop network print servers, it easy to select the server from the list of servers if there were more than one. The software that ships with the network print server does a discovery on the network segment for all printer server and presents you with a list from which you select which one to work with. Assign an IP address and other network info and immediately begin sharing the printer with having to connect it directly to a desktop. This server is that even though the interface and setup is not entirely geared for information technology in the enterprise network, it can be used in large environments if needed.

Desktop Support netgear-ps121-1 Originally uploaded by
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Remote Support Software

This is great buy and with good return. You can convert any USB printer to a network printer to share among multiple desktops and computers throughout your small office or home office. In addition, the printer can be setup on a Microsoft Windows 2003 to 2019 server if needed and shared out like any other HP printer that has a built-in network interface card.

For PC Remote Control Software incorporated into a service that provides computer desktop, server, and PC technicians with distributive software for PC Remote Support, please visit https://www.4remotesupport.com/

This site shows how web based remote PC support software doesn't have to be an expensive proposition. To enable small companies to provide remote support by using web based pc remote support should require a second mortgage on your home or business.

computer remote support software

Some providers charge just way too much, most of the free stuff means your constantly working to keep the application up to date, providers of appliance based solutions claim that you buy it and own it (and it's not web based but appliance based). You own but will pay for support and maintenance forever - and that more often equals an amount worse than the

companies that provide the server for you.

How Some Companies Do Support.

How Some Companies Do Support.: Hewlett Packard StorageWorks U320e (AH627A) Storage Controller and a Dell 2950 PowerEdge Server. HP OEM's these SCSI adapters from another company. The company makes many different SCSI cads for interconnecting devices to a computer. An associate suggested using an Adaptec card for this server and tape auto-loader for the multiple server backups. The question remains, as we didn't take that route, is whether or not there would be features lost like speed if another card other than the one that's recommended and OEM by HP is used. For PC Remote Control Software please visit https://www.4remotesupport.com This service provides a service that let's computer desktop and server technicians that support computer software and applications a means for remotely accessing computers on the web for providing remote tech support. Pricing is very affordable.

Quest Recovery Manager for Exchange

Quest Recovery Manager for Exchange: Just my opinion & review.

I have only a brief story about this application for Exchange mailbox recovery. The Program is made by Quest software and it's called Quest Recovery Manager for Exchange.

This program is capable of mailbox recovery from an unmounted .edb database store or even from a tape which is what I found pretty cool. The recovery gives admins the ability to recover not only a single mailbox if needed (the whole Exchange mailbox store is not required) but even just a single message can be recovered. This I thought was very handy and leads to the next part of this post that I said was going to be short, but I see the length just going on and on. I have not had the opportunity to see the software retrieve and restore a single message or mail box for that matter but I did use it for searching email.

The single email message recovery from a user's Exchange mailbox. This seemed fascinating and led me to this software for discovery of email. I had a client that needed to recover all email sent from a specific set of user from their company to a client of theirs. Of course, the reverse was true as well. They need to see all the email that was sent from the client to employees of the company.

Quest Recovery Manager for Exchange in my opinion did not due a satisfactory job for me. If I need to find a single email from a mailbox or two, maybe would have gain some sheers from me but I need to search dozens of main boxes for using various keywords. I had a ton of pst files that contained mush of the email needed for the recovery. The email was on pst files because this company had migrated from Novell Groupwise some years back to Exchange and part of the process of getting the email out of Groupwise into exchange included an export of the data. Hence, the large number of outlook pst files.

This is where I believe this program failed in providing adequate abilities as boasted by their salespeople and their website. Oh, before I forget to mention it, just to get a demo license you have to contact their sales department. The license only allows for 10 percent of the total data to be searched.

Here was my biggest problem with the software. The way this search worked was by searching the pst files one at a time. I could easily do that using Microsoft Outlook. To make this extra rip-off-ish, the search interface IS OUTLOOK'S!

A past post on another blog regarding computer and desktop support applications can be found here and here.