Windows News & Tips How (and Why) to Partition Your Hard Drive

Disk partitioning--separating one physical hard drive into multiple independent volumes--can relieve all sorts of computer-related headaches, and thanks to the Disk Management tool included with Windows 7 and Vista, you can perform the task without expensive third-party software. Here's how to use Disk Management to make the most of your hard drive.

Why Partitioning Your Hard Drive Makes Sense

Most PCs come from the factory with a single partition on their hard drive, meaning that it shows up as one drive in the Computer window (as C:, typically). But keeping your data, applications, and operating system on the same partition can be risky because, if something happens to the partition's index file (the file that tells your computer where the various pieces of your data are located), your computer won't be able to boot up off that drive--and even if you boot up with a recovery disc or external drive, you won't be able to access the rest of your data.

Partitioning your hard drive essentially tells your computer to treat portions of that drive as separate entities. If you keep your system and apps on a partition separate from your data (documents, music, video, and the like), the data will be easier to back up (because your backup utility won't bother to copy the system and apps, which you can reinstall from the discs or redownload from an online source). In addition, you'll be less likely to lose your data in an accident; and if you ever need to reformat and reinstall Windows, you won't have to worry about restoring your data backups.

You can also set up an emergency partition. Suppose that Windows unexpectedly croaks and you don't have your emergency boot disc handy. If you've created a bootable partition that's large enough to contain a stripped-down OS and a handful of diagnostic tools, you can use it to rescue your data and salvage your computer. Some computer manufacturers (Lenovo, for example) supply a built-in emergency partition on some of their PCs, but you can make your own, if your PC lacks one.

Finally, partitioning lets you try out other operating systems--like Linux, for example. Generally, two operating systems can't coexist on the same volume without stepping on one another's toes, so you won't be able to dual-boot Linux or ease into Windows 7 if you're on a single-volume system.

How to Partition Your Hard Drive

Note: Users with complicated hard-drive configurations, RAID arrays, or the Windows XP operating system will likely need more-powerful partitioning software than Microsoft's Disk Management tool--EaseUs Partition Master is a good place to start.

First, back up your data. The partitioning process shouldn't delete any data, but you can't be too careful when working with your hard drive.

Open the Disk Management tool by slecting Control Panel, Administrative Tools, Computer Management. An entry for Disk Management should show up underneath the Storage heading on the left-hand side.

Click Disk Management, and you should see a list of your existing drives and partitions (if applicable). To create a new partition, choose a disk that has free storage space, right-click it, and select Shrink Volume. Bear in mind that you can safely shrink only basic disks; if you try to shrink dynamic disks (such as RAID arrays) that are formatted with the NTFS file system, you'll risk losing your data.

Type in the amount of space you want to shrink the disk by. The number you choose depends on what you want to use the other partition for. If you plan to dual-boot another version of Windows, for example, you'll want a lot of space (Windows 7 requires at least 16GB of available space, for example); but if you're setting aside room for an emergency recovery partition, you won't need nearly as much space.

If you plan to install an OS in this partition (Windows or otherwise), you'll probably have to stop here--your operating system installer will likely insist on making the partition itself during the installation process.

Once you've cleared the necessary space, it should show up in the Disk Management window as Unallocated Space. Right-click this entry, select New Simple Volume, and let the resulting wizard guide you through the remaiing steps of the process. Generally, you'll want to format the new partition as NTFS; and unless you're using this partition for archiving purposes, you won't need to enable file and folder compression for the whole drive. (If you decide to enable compression later, you can do it easily enough: In the Disk Management tool, right-click the partition and select Properties, Compress this drive to save space.)

Now you have a squeaky-clean hard drive partition that you can use to dual-boot Windows 7 or to keep your data safe. Have other ideas about uses for a partitioned drive? Leave them in the comments

Mohit Wattal
Quality Analyst,
Mindfire: India's Only Company to be both Apple Premier & Microsoft Gold certified.
Feel Proud to be a part of Team Mindfire.

Google Defends Against Large Scale Chinese Cyber Attack: May Cease Chinese Operations

REF: by Dave Girouard, President, Google Enterprise


Google is releasing information about a “highly sophisticated and targeted attack” on their corporate infrastructure that occurred last month. The attack originated in China and resulted in the “theft of intellectual property from Google.” In light of the attack Google is making sweeping changes to its Chinese operations.

Google is releasing some information about these attacks to the public. The company says that a minimal amount of user information was compromised, but has come to the alarming conclusion that the attacks were targeting the information of Chinese human rights activists. Google found that these attacks were not just going after Google’s data, but were also targeting at least twenty other major companies spanning sectors including Internet, finance, chemicals, and more. Google has also discovered that phishing attacks have been used to compromise the Gmail accounts of Chinese human rights activists around the world.

In light of the attacks, and after attempts by the Chinese government to further restrict free speech on the web, Google has decided it will deploy a fully uncensored version of its search engine in China. This is a major change: since January 2006, Google has made concessions to the Chinese government and offered a censored (and highly controversial) version of its search engine at Google.cn. Google isn’t playing that game any longer. Should the Chinese government decide that an uncensored engine is illegal, then Google may cease operations in China entirely. We have included Google’s blog posts about the decision in their entirety below.

Like many other well-known organizations, we face cyber attacks of varying degrees on a regular basis. In mid-December, we detected a highly sophisticated and targeted attack on our corporate infrastructure originating from China that resulted in the theft of intellectual property from Google. However, it soon became clear that what at first appeared to be solely a security incident–albeit a significant one–was something quite different.

First, this attack was not just on Google. As part of our investigation we have discovered that at least twenty other large companies from a wide range of businesses–including the Internet, finance, technology, media and chemical sectors–have been similarly targeted. We are currently in the process of notifying those companies, and we are also working with the relevant U.S. authorities.

Second, we have evidence to suggest that a primary goal of the attackers was accessing the Gmail accounts of Chinese human rights activists. Based on our investigation to date we believe their attack did not achieve that objective. Only two Gmail accounts appear to have been accessed, and that activity was limited to account information (such as the date the account was created) and subject line, rather than the content of emails themselves.

Third, as part of this investigation but independent of the attack on Google, we have discovered that the accounts of dozens of U.S.-, China- and Europe-based Gmail users who are advocates of human rights in China appear to have been routinely accessed by third parties. These accounts have not been accessed through any security breach at Google, but most likely via phishing scams or malware placed on the users’ computers.

We have already used information gained from this attack to make infrastructure and architectural improvements that enhance security for Google and for our users. In terms of individual users, we would advise people to deploy reputable anti-virus and anti-spyware programs on their computers, to install patches for their operating systems and to update their web browsers. Always be cautious when clicking on links appearing in instant messages and emails, or when asked to share personal information like passwords online. You can read more here about our cyber-security recommendations. People interested wanting to learn more about these kinds of attacks can read this U.S. government report (PDF), Nart Villeneuve’s blog and this presentation on the GhostNet spying incident.

We have taken the unusual step of sharing information about these attacks with a broad audience not just because of the security and human rights implications of what we have unearthed, but also because this information goes to the heart of a much bigger global debate about freedom of speech. In the last two decades, China’s economic reform programs and its citizens’ entrepreneurial flair have lifted hundreds of millions of Chinese people out of poverty. Indeed, this great nation is at the heart of much economic progress and development in the world today.

We launched Google.cn in January 2006 in the belief that the benefits of increased access to information for people in China and a more open Internet outweighed our discomfort in agreeing to censor some results. At the time we made clear that “we will carefully monitor conditions in China, including new laws and other restrictions on our services. If we determine that we are unable to achieve the objectives outlined we will not hesitate to reconsider our approach to China.”

These attacks and the surveillance they have uncovered–combined with the attempts over the past year to further limit free speech on the web–have led us to conclude that we should review the feasibility of our business operations in China. We have decided we are no longer willing to continue censoring our results on Google.cn, and so over the next few weeks we will be discussing with the Chinese government the basis on which we could operate an unfiltered search engine within the law, if at all. We recognize that this may well mean having to shut down Google.cn, and potentially our offices in China.

The decision to review our business operations in China has been incredibly hard, and we know that it will have potentially far-reaching consequences. We want to make clear that this move was driven by our executives in the United States, without the knowledge or involvement of our employees in China who have worked incredibly hard to make Google.cn the success it is today. We are committed to working responsibly to resolve the very difficult issues raised.

Posted by David Drummond, SVP, Corporate Development and Chief Legal Officer

Here’s a second post, from the Google Enterprise Blog:

Many corporations and consumers regularly come under cyber attack, and Google is no exception. We recently detected a cyber attack targeting our infrastructure and that of at least 20 other publicly listed companies. This incident was particularly notable for its high degree of sophistication. We believe Google Apps and related customer data were not affected by this incident. Please read more about our public response on the Official Google Blog.

This attack may understandably raise some questions, so we wanted to take this opportunity to share some additional information and assure you that Google is introducing additional security measures to help ensure the safety of your data.

This was not an assault on cloud computing. It was an attack on the technology infrastructure of major corporations in sectors as diverse as finance, technology, media, and chemical. The route the attackers used was malicious software used to infect personal computers. Any computer connected to the Internet can fall victim to such attacks. While some intellectual property on our corporate network was compromised, we believe our customer cloud-based data remains secure.

While any company can be subject to such an attack, those who use our cloud services benefit from our data security capabilities. At Google, we invest massive amounts of time and money in security. Nothing is more important to us. Our response to this attack shows that we are dedicated to protecting the businesses and users who have entrusted us with their sensitive email and document information. We are telling you this because we are committed to transparency, accountability, and maintaining your trust.

Mohit Wattal
Quality Analyst,
Mindfire: India's Only Company to be both Apple Premier & Microsoft Gold certified.
Feel Proud to be a part of Team Mindfire.

Google's Nexus One: The Reviews are in

Ref:Brennon Slattery.

The debut of Google's Nexus One "superphone" generated a lot of pre-launch hype with many heralding it as an "iPhone killer" before even seeing it. Fast forward to today. The phone is out and the reviews are in.

If you're looking for a consensus you will be sorely disappointed. There is both plenty to love (Snapdragon 1GHz processor) and grouse about (where is the multitouch?) with the Nexus One.

(Read PC World's complete review: Google Nexus One )

Here's a rundown of what reviewers are saying about the Nexus One.

The Aesthetic Appeal

Across the board, reviewers are impressed by the Nexus One's sleek design. The screen 480 by 800 pixel 3.7-inch touch screen is gorgeous. PC World said in its own review of the phone, "The Nexus One's 3.7-inch AMOLED display has drawn a lot of attention, and for good reason: The display is superb. Indeed, photos and videos of the phone don't do it justice. You need to view the display in person..."

Engadget is similarly impressed: "The Nexus One is nothing if not handsome. From its ultra-thin body to sleek, curved edges, the phone is absolutely lustworthy." TechCrunch's Michael Arrington loved it so much he claimed it was better, in many ways, than the iPhone. He wrote that the Nexus One is the most "elegant smartphone on the market today, solidly beating the iPhone in most ways."

Afraid of the Light?

The biggest problem with the Nexus One's otherwise gorgeous screen? Trying to work the thing in daylight. "Oh, and using this thing in daylight? Forget about it. Like most screens of this type, the Nexus One is a nightmare to see with any kind of bright light around, and snapping photos with it on a sunny day was like taking shots with your eyes closed," Engadget wrote. TechCrunch found it very manageable: "The screen will self adjust brightness and Google is smart about turning down the processor when it's not being used."

It's evident that aesthetic appeal is huge when it comes to smartphones. Consumers aren't content with powerful machines that look like castoff garbage; we want a device that glimmers and wows; an accessory like any other that makes our friends jealous. In this regard, the Nexus One performed well.

Underneath the Hood

The Android OS has dazzled many when it comes to speed and performance, and with Android 2.1 lurking underneath the hood of the Nexus One, all reviewers gushed about its capabilities. The Nexus One sports a Qualcomm Snapdragon 1GHz processor that'll blow your hair back. It definitely sets it apart from the Android pack, and in Ars Technica's review, they conducted numerous speed tests against other phones, and in everything but Web page loading, the Nexus One crushed its competition.

The New York Times was impressed by its "instant, smooth response when you're opening programs and scrolling." If nothing else, the Nexus One bests all other Android handsets. The Wall Street Journal wrote, "The latency I had seen in earlier Android phones is gone, due to a slicker version of the operating system and faster chips."

The Camera

Cameras are tricky on smartphones. Most of the time they're lackluster and spotty (ahem iPhone ahem), but the Nexus One comes out of the gate with a beloved 5 megapixel snapper with flash. "The 5-megapixel camera gives you four resolutions plus a flash, autofocus, infinity focus, a 2X digital zoom, white-balance and color-effect controls, and three quality settings. You can record video clips at lengths of up to 30 minutes at a resolution of 720 by 480 pixels (20 frames per second)," PC World wrote, but "clips for multimedia messages are capped at 30 seconds."

Ars liked it, and added a caveat. "The built-in LED flash works adequately as a supplemental lighting for objects only a few feet away, but I would not trust it any further than that."

The Keyboard

Big yuck here. Our reviewer "desperately [wished] for a hardware keyboard." And forget about multitouch: "The native Android soft keyboard is in desperate need of a redesign. And throwing in multitouch--to enhance the navigation and typing experience--wouldn't hurt." Gizmodo's mostly negative review of the Nexus One also groaned about multitouch's absence.

When it came to the word-suggest feature -- a life-saver on the iPhone's occasionally difficult keyboard -- the Nexus One did okay. Gizmodo didn't think so, but offered a helpful alternative. Though the keyboard was an improvement, they're "still not big fan of typing on Android's virtual keyboard. Sure, the keys are actually responsive now, thanks to the muscle of the 1GHz Snapdragon processor, but somehow Google's word prediction still lags behind the iPhone's, and gives you strange options for when you're typing really fast on the phone." Gizmodo does supply a helpful work-around to this problem by downloading the iPhone-style "Better Keyboard" from the Android Marketplace.

The New York Times actually preferred the Nexus One's suggestions over the iPhone's. "As you start typing a word ('unfo'), the Nexus displays an entire row of likely candidates ('unfortunately,' 'unfortunate,' 'unfolding'), which you can tap, thus saving yourself more fiddly typing-on-glass."

Google Voice

What would a Google phone be without Google Voice? One of this phone's big selling points is this fantastic feature, and reviewers who mentioned it, loved it. TechCrunch especially loved it: "First, Google Voice is deeply integrated with the phone, as it is with all Android phones. That means you can assign your Google Voice number to the phone, and use it to make all outbound calls and text messages. In my opinion this is the single biggest selling point for Android phones, and why I won't switch away from the platform any time soon."

Voice-to-Text Input Feature

Speaking of voice, Android OS 2.1's newest addition, the voice-to-text input feature, worked for some, but not for all. Some writers said 80 percent; some said 90 percent; and others dismissed it on the basis that the feature requires an Internet connection, whereas other phones do not.

Reception

The Nexus One may have gotten away with spotty reception, dropped 3G and garbled calls, but the public has loudly spoken, and these problems have been highlighted in many news pieces. Operating on T-Mobile's network, the Nexus One continuously shifts from 3G to EDGE. Also, we found another upsetting and ironic trend: the failure of Google accounts. "Most disturbingly, my Google account sometimes wouldn't load. I also endured several failed attempts to upload image files to Picasa, due to a 'network error.'" How can a Google phone fail to access a Google account?

Apps

The Android App Marketplace (20,000+) has nothing on Apple's (100,000+), and the Nexus One, for some reason, cuts off the amount of apps you can store on your phone to a paltry 190 megabytes of storage for downloaded apps. Though these apps can now be spread across five pages (instead of the Droid's three pages), it seems ridiculous that, given the public's love affair with apps, the Nexus One would do such a thing.

Overall Problems

Here's a quick blast of other technical foibles that keep the Nexus One from being, as Google calls it, a "superphone."

• No Outlook syncing
• Android 2.1 not a huge improvement over previous versions, only prettier
• Gaming is "abysmal" without multitouch
• The unlocked phone is too expensive
• The battery drains quickly, even for "iPhone standards"

Final Judgments

After all is said and done, how do these reviewers actually feel about the Nexus One?

We said that when it comes to being the best Android phone on the market, the Motorola Droid "has a slight edge." We also suggested that "if the network issues with T-Mobile continue to crop up, you may be well advised to resist picking up a Nexus One until the CDMA version comes out this spring."

Engadget called it "just another Android smartphone."

Gizmodo said "The Nexus One is an over-hyped Android phone" and suggested buyers "get this thing unlocked and out of contract for $530 -- keep whatever cheap T-Mobile plan you currently have -- and resell it in a year when the Nexus Two is available," which is not a great reason to drop dollars on a phone.

TechCrunch gushed "Unlike previous Android phones, and I've used most of them, the Nexus One has no obvious flaws or compromises. The phone is the state of the art in mobile, and I will use it happily. Until, as I always say, something better comes along."

And Ars said, "The Nexus One is the best smartphone on the market at this point for general use."

So when you boil it down and look at the Nexus One based on reviews, you might become a little hesitant to purchase the device. Though it has its flaws, it also has its high points, and most certainly signals a change in the market for Google. Early adopters often run into the problem of buying a subpar device just because it's shiny and new; it's best, perhaps, to watch the Nexus One evolve, become the Nexus Two, and see how Google listens to its customers and improves its product.

Mohit Wattal
Quality Analyst,
Mindfire: India's Only Company to be both Apple Premier & Microsoft Gold certified.
Feel Proud to be a part of Team Mindfire.

Google Docs: Not the Only Free Cloud Storage in the Sky

REF: Jeff Bertolucci

In the coming weeks, Google Docs users will be able to store more of their important files online, where they can access them easily and share them with others, according to a Tuesday post on The Official Google Blog.

Users will be able to upload a file as large as 250MB to Google Docs. They'll also get 1GB of free storage for files that aren't in one of the Google Docs formats, such as documents, spreadsheets, and presentations. Additional storage will cost 25 cents per GB per year.

The cloud-storage feature is certainly good news for Google Docs fans, but it's not the only free service in the sky. Here are four alternatives worth a closer look.

Dropbox

Update: This story originally incorrectly identified Google as the owner of the online storage service Dropbox. This story has been corrected. Dropbox is a privately owned company.

Dropbox offers 2GB of free online storage. Other options include 50GB for $9.99 per month, or 100GB for $19.99 per month. When put your files in a Dropbox folder in one computer, they're uploaded to the site's secure servers. Google Docs has a 250MB file size limit, but Dropbox has no such limitation. You can access your files from other computers (Windows, Mac, or Linux) or mobile devices that run Dropbox too.

Box.Net

Targeted at the corporate crowd, Box.Net is a little less generous in the storage department (click on the image for a look at the full screen).

The site's free option provides 1GB of online storage with a 25MB file-size limit. For $10 per month, you get 5GB of storage and a 1GB file size limit. The $15 per month plan includes 10GB of storage, with the same 1-gig file cutoff. Pricier plans for enterprise customers (with unlimited storage) are available too.

Microsoft Live Mesh

Live Mesh is another cloud service that lets you sync files across multiple computers (Windows and Mac), smartphones, and other mobile devices.

You get 5GB of free storage, but Live Mesh won't share or sync files and folders stored on removable media, including USB, flash, or external hard drives. Live Mesh offers a lot of synchronization options, and supports remote control of any PC in your mesh.

Windows Live SkyDrive

Microsoft's SkyDrive may lack the sophisticated sync-and-share features of its Live Mesh sibling, but it compensates for it by offering a whopping 25GB of free online storage. (Click on the image to view a full screen.)

SkyDrive supports public, private, and shared folders. Until recently, SkyDrive didn't integrate well with other Microsoft apps, but that's changing. For instance, the new Office 2010 beta lets you save a document on your PC directly to your SkyDrive online account. Will Google Docs, or the long-rumored but unannounced Google Gdrive online storage service, someday match or surpass SkyDrive's generous 25-gig offering?

Mohit Wattal
Feel Proud to be a part of Team Mindfire
Mindfire: India's Only Company to be both Apple Premier & Microsoft Gold certified.

Microsoft admits mobile mistakes

Banking on Windows Mobile 7 to save its bacon

By John Fontana | Network World US

Microsoft doesn't have a business model problem in the mobile market, but its phones are skewed toward business users at the expense of consumers and are not as modern as they need to be, Robbie Bach, president of Microsoft's entertainment and devices division, told financial analysts at the Consumer Electronics Show.

Those realities will present Microsoft with some specific challenges in the mobile area, he said, where Apple and Google are setting a new pace. But in established Microsoft fashion, Bach is unbowed and optimistic despite the company's weak mobile showing to date.

He says the three-pronged assault that will fuel Microsoft is the new Windows Mobile 7 operating system, changes in marketing that will have Microsoft closer to the front lines, and most important, Microsoft's online services strategy around three screens and a cloud.

"We are very focused and confident in the work we are doing right now," he said, referring to Windows Mobile 7. "While I don't think if you looked across the past two years of what we have brought to market that we have executed as well as we would have liked, but I am quite optimistic with the new team we have, I am quite optimistic with the new work we are doing… and I feel comfortable we are going to be in the right place."

Microsoft is up against the poorly received Windows Mobile 6.5 it released last year, and the expectations of Windows Mobile 7, which it plans to highlight next month at the Mobile World Congress and in March at its annual Mix Conference. Shipment is expected this year.

That operating system is what Microsoft will yield to fight the dominance of Apple's iPhone and Research in Motion's BlackBerry and the hype around the recently unveiled Google Nexus One and the entire line of Android-based and open source Linux devices.

Bach told financial analysts to have high expectations for Windows Mobile 7.

"I have had the pleasure of seeing [Windows Mobile 7], looking at it and playing with it. I am certainly confident that we are going to see it as something that is differentiated and sets the bar forward, not in an evolutionary way from where we are today, but something that looks, feels and acts and performs completely different."

Bach, however, did not back up that endorsement with any details.

He also said Microsoft was evaluating how it will work in marketing saying mobile operator partners and OEMs would do the majority of the go-to-market work, but said Microsoft would be more involved.

"That is an additional muscle we have to build, that is why we launched the Windows phone brand; we have actually had good success without spending a ton of money in raising awareness on Windows phones in the U.S., and a couple of European markets," he said.

The goal going forward will be to accelerate those efforts.

Bach said nothing about a Microsoft-branded phone called Pink that has been grinding through the rumour mill. He did, however, take some pokes at Apple for controlling both mobile hardware and the software, and at Google for competing with partners by releasing a Google-branded phone. Bach seemed to be hinting that Microsoft won't follow either route. And he emphasized Microsoft's belief that online services will ultimately make the difference in the company's success or the lack thereof on the mobile platform.

"I [look at] the services opportunity, the search opportunity, I think there are other opportunities we can build on top of that, but those are sort of the ante to be a serious competitor," he said.

The belief, Bach said, is that over time users will blur the lines between their PCs, TVs and devices.

"The service delivery is going to be critical that is why I keep talking about cloud delivery, what we are doing with Widows Live, what we are doing with Xbox Live, why Azure is so important to us because it really will enable us to reach all of those different screens."