The new Find My Mac feature gives you the ability to locate a missing Mac computer, much like the Find My Phone feature on iOS. You can remotely lock the computer, send messages and even add a new password or wipe the data. This helps if you lose your system, much like I did recently when I accidentally left my MacBook Air at a restaurant. I was really wishing this new feature had already been released.

Find My Mac won’t work if the computer is turned off or not connected to the Internet. In my case I would not have found my Air since it stayed in the bag behind the counter at the Subway restaurant where I left it.

Back to My Mac will also now be part of the new iCloud. This feature lets you remotely log into your computer from another Mac anywhere on the Internet so long as the computer is online.

A second OS X update available now updates the Lion Recovery program, which lets you recover your system if you have a problem.

You can get both updates by running Software Update from the Apple Menu on your Mac.

In addition to these major updates, 10.7.2 primarily makes OS X compatible with all the new features related to the iOS 5 release and the iPhone 4S release coming this week. For more on these releases, please visit our sister site GottaBeMobile.com.

Below you will find the full text of the update description:

The 10.7.2 update is recommended for all OS X Lion users and includes general operating system fixes that improve the stability, compatibility, and security of your Mac. It also includes support for iCloud, a breakthrough set of free cloud services that automatically and wirelessly store your content on iCloud and push it to all of your devices. iCloud on OS X Lion includes the following features:

• iCloud stores your email, calendars, contacts, Safari bookmarks, and Safari Reading List and automatically pushes them to all your devices.
• Back to My Mac provides remote access to your Mac from another Mac anywhere on the Internet.
• Find My Mac helps find a missing Mac by locating it on a map and allows you to remotely lock the Mac or wipe all its data.

Getting started with iCloud is easy. After installing the update, OS X will automatically present an iCloud setup panel. Simply enter an existing Apple ID or create a new one and then follow the on-screen instructions. To learn more about iCloud visit http://www.apple.com/icloud.

 

The 10.7.2 update also includes Safari 5.1.1 as well as fixes that:

• Allow reordering of desktop spaces and full screen apps in Mission Control.
• Enable dragging files between desktop spaces and full screen apps.
• Address an issue that causes the menu bar to not appear in full screen apps.
• Improve the compatibility of Google contact syncing in Address Book.
• Address an issue that causes Keynote to become temporarily unresponsive.
• Improve VoiceOver compatibility with Launchpad.
• Address an issue that causes a delay in accessing the network after waking from sleep.
• Enable booting in to Lion Recovery from a locally attached Time Machine backup drive.
• Resolve an issue that causes screen zoom to stop working.
• Improve Active Directory integration.

For detailed information about Safari 5.1.1, please visit this website:http://support.apple.com/kb/HT4922.

For detailed information on this update, please visit this website: http://support.apple.com/kb/HT4767.

For information on the security content of this update, please visit: http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1222.

Mac OS X 10.7.2 Update Brings iCloud To Your Apple Computer is a post by Kevin Purcell from Notebooks.com.

1. Download the Lion Recovery Disk Assistant.
2. Double click the .dmg file you downloaded and it opens the disk image.
3. Click on the disk either on your desktop or in Finder and click Open and then Agree to continue to see the available external drives which the Assistant can use to make your Recovery Disk.
4. Pick your drive and click Continue – remember that this will erase any USB drive you select.
5. Enter your admin password and click OK.

The Assistant will create the Recovery Disk on the drive. After it copies the info to the disk it will then verify the disk to be sure it was created correctly.

To use your new Recovery Disk plug it into your Mac and boot your system. Hold down the Option key as it starts and select the Recovery Disk and follow the on-screen instructions.

One important warning about this recovery option – it won’t create a full installation disk but rather a copy of the Recovery Partition that Lion puts on your hard drive when you install the new OS. You will be able to reinstall Lion on your computer, even if you upgrade the hard drive, because the recovery program downloads the installation files from the Internet. You will need an Internet connection good enough to download the full Lion installation files. This gives you peace of mind knowing you can reinstall the OS even if your hard drive fails, something the built-in OS recovery system will not do since it resides on the hard drive.

I suggest that you have both the disk that the above app creates and a full install disk we showed you how to make from the OS X Lion Update files you download from the Mac App Store. Remember that you have to make the full installation disk before you perform the Lion update to your Mac. If you want you can also wait for the upcoming install disk from Apple, but it will cost you.

Apple Releases Official Lion Disk Creator is a post by Kevin Purcell from Notebooks.com.

If you have the right software installed, you can track down stolen laptops, recovering your hardware and company information. Absolute Software makes notebook tracking technology which can be used to wipe files from notebooks and to help law enforcement track down stolen notebooks. With 5.5 Million computers stolen annually, there are bound to be some amazing stories, so we went to the makers of LoJack for Laptops to find out some of the craziest laptop recovery stories.

5 Crazy Laptop Recovery Stories

Absolute Diffuses Risky Situation: Laptop Recovery Leads Law Enforcement to Stockpile of Explosives

An organization’s ex-employee stole a company laptop before leaving the business. Using Absolute’s forensic tools, Theft Recovery Investigators were able to identify that the user was actively searching for bomb-making materials. Absolute alerted the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, and the laptop was recovered – alongside several dangerous, improvised explosive devices.

The $100,000 Recovery: A Major Michigan Community College Recovers Thousands in Stolen Goods

After noticing that four laptops locked in his classroom were missing, a professor from a Flint, Michigan based college notified campus security. As the campus computers were protected with Computrace for added security, Absolute leveraged forensic tools to provide the thief’s known location. With search warrants in hand, police were able to recover more than $100,000 in collateral – filling up an entire police car with stolen campus goods including computers, digital cameras, and personal items belonging to campus employees.

Stealing the Show: Absolute’s Theft Recovery Team Tracks Down a Laptop… and a Serial Robber

Barry Sebesta, a Bradfordwoods, PA resident came home from work to find his house had been broken into. Immediately noticing that his laptop and his wife’s wedding band and engagement ring were missing, Barry called the police and also filed a report with Absolute. Working in parallel with local police, Absolute’s Theft Recovery Investigators were able to pinpoint the location of Barry’s laptop using LoJack for Laptops, leading the police to a thief who had committed over a dozen burglaries, with more than 1,000 pieces of stolen jewelry in his possession. “The police had no leads prior to the location provided by the Theft Recovery Team,” said Sebesta. “Now, I tell everyone about LoJack for Laptops.”

Computrace Outsmarts The Rest: Detroit Public Schools Recovers More Than 300 Laptops

With 141 schools throughout the Detroit Public Schools district, DPS looked to Absolute’s Computrace product to protect 56,000 computers used by teachers, administrators and students. In one particular case, DPS used Computrace and the help of local authorities to track down a stolen laptop to a computer repair shop well known for wiping clean devices and subsequently re-setting their passwords. As Computrace survives hard drive wipes, DPS was able to identify the laptop and facilitate its return. “We would have never recovered any of the 300 plus laptops stolen from our district without the aid of Absolute Software,” said Robert Barenie, special investigator for DPS.

Laptop Recovery 101: Absolute Software Recovers College Laptop

College freshman Bill Kotnarowski was no stranger to laptop theft. Having heard stories of laptops being stolen on college campuses, Bill made sure to purchase Computrace LoJack for Laptops in order to protect his “lifeline” and all of the information stored on it. According to a survey conducted by Absolute Software, dorm rooms and schools are among the top five places for laptop theft. Bill made the mistake of leaving his backpack, with his laptop in it, unattended on the first floor of his house one night. His backpack was stolen that night, and when he notified the police, he was informed that his laptop was one of 12 that had been stolen in the last two days. Immediately, Bill reported the stolen laptop to Absolute Software. With the help of their Theft Recovery Team, Absolute Software was able to track down the computer and get it back to him. Relieved, Bill said, “If I were to ever buy another laptop, there’s no question in my mind that I would purchase LoJack for Laptops with it.”

What is Laptop Tracking Software?

Laptop tracking software like that from Absolute is available for businesses and consumers who want to be able to track down stolen hardware. Unlike other solutions, such as Prey, where the user needs to work with police on their own, Absolute will work directly with law enforcement to help find your stolen notebook.

We tested out Lojack for Laptops last summer while on the road and where impressed with the tool. Even if the thief wipes your hard drive, Absolute can still track down your stolen notebook or laptop. You can also use these tools to remotely remove files from your computer or lock it up so that the thief can’t get to your files. In addition to the consumer version, Absolute makes a corporate notebook tracking and recovery tool.

What Do Bombs, Stolen Goods and Serial Robbers Have in Common? is a post by Josh Smith from Notebooks.com.

The key benefits of this are;

• your system drive does not full up easily
• better performance
• in the event of a disaster your personal files are kept much safer.

This is also handy for users who might be moving to Solid State Disks, which are fast, but small in storage capacity and still expensive. The great thing too about SSD’s is, you can use them in combination with a mechanical spinning hard disk. So you can have an SSD just for your operating system and applications and keep your large files such as videos, pictures and music on the hard disk when you need to access and store them. In this article, we take a look at such a scenario, based up on redirecting your Windows 7 Personal Folder (or User Folder or what is known as the account folder for Documents, Music, Pictures, Videos to another storage location. Please note, this also works great for partitions too, so if you have a big old hard disk in your computer, you can partition it and redirect some of your user folders there.

How to Change The Location of Your Personal Folders in Windows 7

To open your User folder, click Start > and click on your account name up at the top of the Start menu.

In this folder you will see all the common locations where you store and organize your different data types, like Word documents, spreadsheets, pictures, music, videos and even contacts and saved searches. Before we start redirecting any of these folders to a new storage location, lets prepare the location.

A few months ago, I had created a new partition for backup files, I am going to be using it to store my Documents folder. The first thing I want to do is create a new folder here with an identifiable name to indicate that it belongs to me. Click the ‘New folder’ button on the command bar and give a name, I going to call it adacosta also since that is my user name on this computer.

Creating a folder for our redirected Personal folders.

Another benefit of doing this too, if you have other user accounts on the computer and would like redirect their user folders, you won’t overwrite or damage files from either account.

Once you have created and given the folder a name, go back to your user folder, select the folder you would like to redirect, right click it and click Properties.

This will bring up the properties dialog of that folder, click the Location tab. As described, you can change where files in this folder are stored to another place on tis hard drive, another drive, another computer on your network. Just like we intend to do, click the Move button to begin.

This will bring up the ‘Select a Destination’ window, navigate to the location where you would like to have the Documents folder stored. In my case, it’s on the E:\ Volume in the adacosta folder. I had forgotten to also create a destination folder for it, so I will click ‘New folder’ on the command bar and Select Folder to change its location.

The new location has now moved from C:\ to E:\ to complete this action, click Apply and OK.

Click Yes when this dialog appears.

Any files created from now on that are Saved to the Documents Library in Windows 7, will automatically be saved on the E:\ drive, see below:

Remember, you can repeat this same step for other personal folders such as Music, Pictures, Videos or any of the others available in the User folder.

How to Redirect Your Personal Folders in Windows 7 is a post by Andre from Notebooks.com.

Click Start, type: system restore.

Hit Enter key on your keyboard.

Initializing System Restore wizard

This will start the System Restore wizard, click Next to begin.

The above screen displays a list of all available system restore points. Here you can see my most recent system restore point which I created not too long ago. One of the great things about System Restore in Windows 7 is, you are able keep a back log of additional system restore points, you can even have them stored as part of your system images. To reveal more system restore points, check the box for show more restore points.

If you don’t see the option to show more system restore points, it probably means you have pending Windows Updates to be installed. Try installing them first then restart your computer and launch system restore again.

The scan for affected programs and drivers feature determines which applications and drivers will be affected by the system restore. Doing a system restore does not affect your personal files, but any drivers or programs that were installed after the system restore point was made will be removed. It’s a minor inconvenience but the benefits outweigh the cost. Just have your driver and software program disc near by if reinstallation will be necessary. Fortunately, I don’t have any programs or drivers that will be affected. Click Next.

So we have confirmed our system restore point, click Finish to complete the action.

Click Yes, please note, depending on how far back in the System Restore points you choose, the process can take some time, so avoid any use of the computer during this period (you won’t be able to use it anyway). If you try powering it down or unplug it, you can cause irreparable damage.

System Restore process begins.

Your system is being restored to a previous point in time before you started experiencing the problems. Once this process is complete, your computer will be restarted automatically.

The following message will appear on your desktop after system restore is complete. Click Close.

How To Do a System Restore in Windows 7 or Windows Vista is a post by Andre from Notebooks.com.

Windows Troubleshooter

Windows 7 includes a new trouble shooting utility called Windows Troubleshooting, which diagnoses and resolves common operating system, application and hardware issues by providing built-in troubleshooters for several different types of problems. Whether its power management, performance, programs, networking or printers just to name a few. Some troubleshooters that come with Windows 7 automatically run in the background on a scheduled basis. If they discover a problem they will let you know in the Action Center. Examples of such scheduled maintenance tasks include cleaning up temporary files, detecting hard disk errors, removing broken shortcuts, and ensuring the system time is correct. Lets take a look at utilizing Windows Troubleshooter. In this scenario, I am having some problems accessing a shared folder on another PC. To start the the Troubleshooter, click Start, type: Troubleshooter

Hit ‘Enter’

As you can see the Troubleshooting Control Panel list a collection of available Task that Windows users can use to diagnose common problems that you might be experiencing. Windows 7 includes a collection of 20 common Troubleshooting Task. The Action Center will notify you of new and updated troubleshooters when they’re made available online, as provided by Microsoft or your computer vendor.

My specific problem as indicated by the error in the Network explorer I am having a problem ‘accessing shared files and folders on other computers. Its exactly what I am looking for! Lets click it and see what its all about. As you can see below, a wizard is started, specifically designed to resolve problems related to Shared folders.

The wizard runs a quick diagnostics test then ask for some form of input if necessary, this will vary by Troubleshooter. In this case I am being asked for the Network path (location) that I need access to. Going back to Network Explorer, clicking in the Address Bar, the name reveals it is located within \HOME-DELLX86 while the name of the folder I need access to is ‘SharedDocs’ so, the path I should type in the Troubleshooter wizard is ‘\HOME-DELLX86SharedDocs’, lets go ahead and do that.

Troubleshooting success!

After entering the necessary information, the wizard will run a series of test, attempting to correct the problem. The wizard will then ask you to close the Troubleshooter and check if the problem is corrected. If you are interested, you can monitor a history of all your troubleshooting activities. Users must note that, Windows Troubleshooting is not or never will be a complete answer, but it compliments the array of options available to Windows users when trying to solve a problem.

Compatibility

Compatibility is always a sensitive issue when it comes to a new version of Windows. Microsoft takes it very seriously and considers it a hallmark of the Windows platform, making it easy for users to transition to a new release with little or no hiccups. With the release of Windows XP, Microsoft introduced Compatibility Mode, which let older applications run on the OS emulating supported versions of Windows with the ability to save settings so that your applications will start in the correct mode every time. Compatibility Mode worked in some cases and others it did not.

Windows Vista’s compatibility story was a tough one, simply because of the fundamental changes that were made to enhance the system’s security foundations. In Windows 7, the Compatibility process is handled through a number of avenues, which include the Windows Upgrade Advisor and Application Compatibility Toolkit (ACT) to help customers assess application compatibility. Microsoft is tackling compatibility through shims, which avoids some of the problems that programs encounter when trying to function on a new version of Windows. Windows Vista affected compatibility through new improvements to its account privileges called Standard User Mode.

Because of the limitations of Standard User, applications that were designed to run with only Administrative privileges could not function properly under Vista, there is both a good and bad here, the good being malware could not easily infiltrate a system, but at the same time, the user would not be able to use a desired application effectively. With Shims, an application is prepared to run with Administrative privileges by making the application believe it has full rights while still in Standard Mode. Windows 7 provides a total of 6,999 shims for applications with more expected every patch Tuesday. Companies can create their own shims using the Windows Application Compatibility Toolkit recently updated to version 5.5, this helps with diagnosis of compatibility problems and the ability to apply the proper shims for troublesome programs. ACT also offers a shim that helps a custom application locate system files written in an unexpected directory as a result of different versions of the operating system.

One of the common ways to work around application compatibility problems in Windows 7, is to use the interactive right-click method and click the Run as administrator contextual menu option. To occasionally run an application with a full administrator access token, use the following procedure.

To perform this procedure, you must be logged on as a local administrator or provide the credentials of a member of the local Administrators group.

1. Locate the program icon or a shortcut in Windows Explorer
2. Right-click the program icon or shortcut, and then click Run as administrator.
3. When the UAC message is displayed, do one of the follow:

• If you are logged on as a standard user, or if UAC is configured to always require credentials, enter the appropriate administrative credentials, and then click OK.
• If you are logged on as an administrator and UAC is not configured to always require credentials, click Yes to start the application.

If the above does not provide a solution, you can utilize the Program Compatibility troubleshooter. If an older program does not run correctly, you can use it to simulate the behavior of earlier versions of Windows. Program Compatibility troubleshooter runs a quick diagnostic check which searches for a list of programs that you might be experiencing problems with. If you don’t see the program, you can click ‘Not Listed’, click next and browse your hard disk for the program. If your program is listed, select it and click Next. Program Compatibility will then suggest recommended options. Personally, I prefer choosing ‘compatibility settings based on problems you notice’. As I noted earlier, most application issues are often related to compatibility with the OS.

Windows will then ask you to check off any of the behaviors you are noticing when attempting to use the program. All may not apply and most often, choosing an earlier version of Windows that the program worked in can resolve the problem. For my scenario, I will select ‘The program worked in earlier versions of Windows but won’t install or run now’. Program Compatibility will then list versions of Windows that the program worked in. Select one and the Program Compatibility Troubleshooter will reconfigure the application to run the appropriate settings.

Preparing an incompatible application to work in Windows 7

Problem Steps Recorder

Problem Steps Recorder is used to capture application compatibility issues for evaluation by technical experts. It does this by automatically capturing the steps you take on a computer, including a text description of where you clicked and picture of the screen during each click. Once you capture these steps, you can save them to a file that can used by a support technician or an expert to resolve the problem you might be experiencing.

System Restore

Last year I did a CISCO IT Essentials course which prepared me for the CompTIA A+ exam. One of the things I discovered during my learning was how important System Restore is in the troubleshooting process for Technical Support staff. Microsoft first introduced System Restore with the release of Windows Millennium Edition in 2000. Since then the Windows Team has included it with new versions of Windows while improving the reliability of this essential utility. With Windows 7, there are some welcome improvements I want to take a quick look at.

System Restore provides an opportunity for users to restore their PC to an earlier time in case of a problem. Windows saves snapshots of the system in its current condition. By taking a snapshot before installing a program, you can correct the problem by rolling back your computer to a point in time when it was working well. The great thing about System Restore has always been the ability restore with confidence knowing that your personal files will not be altered or destroyed during the process. System Restore affects Windows system files, programs, and registry settings. It can also make changes to scripts, batch files, and other types of executables created under any user account on your PC.

In Windows 7, System Restore is more reliable, predictable, and effective. You’ll see a list of programs that will be removed or added, providing you with more information on which restore point to choose. System restore points are also available in your backups, giving you a larger list of restore points to choose from—and likely over a longer period of time. When combined with other features such as Previous Versions which are copies of files and folders that Windows automatically saves as part of a restore point Windows users can feel secure knowing their information is always protected by the OS.

Recently I took a look at the two other important troubleshooting features in Windows 7, Recovery Options, Backup and Remote Assistance.

Windows 7 includes advanced recovery options that can guide you through the ‘reinstallation of Windows’ and restoration of personal files and settings. This will require that you have an available Windows 7 installation disc or Recovery Image, which will assist with the reinstallation. You will have to restore your files from a backup, programs must also be reinstalled. Most OEM’s (Original Equipment Manufacturers) such as HP, Lenovo and Dell install a hard drive partition customized with additional tools such as a separate system recovery tool for restoring the computer back to its original state. Advanced Recovery also includes the option to backup files before starting this procedure. You can find the Advanced Recovery option in Control Panel > Action Center > Recovery > Advanced recovery methods. Read the entire article here

Windows 7 backup and restore features are designed to make protecting your data and system easier. The combined file and system backup wizard delivers a simplified configuration experience, and the folder selectivity functionality for file backup provides users greater control over their backup content. Managing backup is easier with the new space management user interface and integration with Action Center. Recovering your system is made easier with simplified interface and better guidance for choosing a recovery method. Read the entire article here

Remote Assistance in Windows 7 introduces a new feature called ‘Easy Connect’ which simplifies the process of connecting to another PC remotely with only a password, no file needed. When a connection is established between both computers, contact files are exchanged which creates a trust relationship. This further simplifies future connections that are made without the need for a password. Read the entire article here

Conclusion

Windows 7 makes troubleshooting a worry free process that emphasizes strong confidence when using your PC, protecting your precious memories and critical data. For beginner’s and experts, the operating system covers a wide range of problem solving capabilities that can assist you in the event of a problem. If you ever encounter an issue, just know that Windows 7 got your back!

Troubleshooting Heros in Windows 7 is a post by Andre from Notebooks.com.

Phoenix Technologies, notably known for making Bios software, has a new service call FailSafe that helps you track the last place your laptop connected to the internet, retrieve or delete files and even disable the computer completely.

Locating

When it comes to locating your laptop FailSafe provides several ways to track it down, including;

• IP address general location with IP
• GPS
• Webcam
• Wireless SSID Name

The Dell Studio 14z we tested was not equipped with GPS and Dell has not enabled the Webcam feature so we will focus on the other locating and data protection options.

Every time your laptop protected with FailSafe connects to the Internet a great deal of information is logged to help you track it down in the event that it has been lost or stolen.

When you tell FailSafe to locate your laptop you’ll be able to see when it last accessed the internet, its IP address, ISP, general location and if connected via Wifi the name of the wireless network.

If you are simply trying to track down your laptop this may give you a clue as to where you left it.

While you won’t be able to see the exact location of your laptop without GPS, the ability to see the name of the Wireless network it is connected to and the IP address will help you in any recovery attempts you make. Thanks to the IP address college students may be able to ask their network administrator to track down what room a missing laptop is connecting from.

If you prefer not to play detective then FailSafe will coordinate with local law enforcement to track down your lost or stolen laptop for $39.95.

Protecting

On top of locating your laptop FailSafe offers several easy to use protection options to help you keep your private data safe.

Once you’ve logged into the FailSafe dashboard from another computer you can retrieve important files that you don’t have backed up. The “Retrieve Files” option will let you recover files the next time the computer connects to the internet without the thief knowing that you are doing anything.

The retrieval process does have limitations and shouldn’t be used to replace a full-scale backup solution since it can only recover files up to 5 MB and 25MB worth of files at a time. You also need to know the location, file type or name of a file which presents a challenge. You can use wildcards like, *.* to recover all files from a directory or *.doc to recover all documents but you cannot browse contents of the drive.

You can also delete files in a similar manner if you just need to keep a document away from prying eyes. After you select files to delete FailSafe will remove them the next time your computer connects to the Internet.

After deleting and recovering all the files that you need you can also disable the computer so that it is useless to whoever took it. You can customize the message that is shown on screen to tell the individual how to return your stolen laptop. When you are reunited with your laptop you can enter a code and gain full access to your laptop again.

Details

Since the FailSafe service enjoys a close relationship with your notebooks BIOS, its part of it, FailSafe continues to work even if a new hard drive is installed. It will also continue to work if Windows is reinstalled by installing behind the scenes.

The FailSafe service is currently available on Select Dell Notebooks as part of the CompleteCare service package and on the Samsung Go Netbook. After your initial purchase you can extend your subscription to the FailSafe service by paying $39.95 for an additional year or $79.95 for 3 years. You can also purchase support plans in the event you need help with the FailSafe service.

Pros:

• Built into Bios.
• Remotely retrieve or delete files.
• Great deal of information about laptop location.
• Cooperation with Law Enforcement for stolen laptops.

Cons:

• Must know where files are located or what they are named.
• Limited to 25 MB for each file recovery.
• Must purchase with your new computer.
• Bundled with Dell CompleteCare.

Bottom Line

The FailSafe service provides several useful features to safeguard your laptop and the information you keep on it. Even with the limitations on file recovery; FailSafe provides users with useful features and assistance in tracking down a lost or missing laptop.

FailSafe is limited by the fact that you can only purchase it with a new computer and when purchased from Dell, you must purchase it as part of Dell CompleteCare package. But, if you’re already looking for accidental coverage then FailSafe is a strong laptop location and protection service.

Hopefully, in the future, you’ll be able to purchase the FailSafe service direct from Phoenix at any point in your laptop’s life.

Review of Phoenix FailSafe: Track Down Lost Laptops and Data is a post by Josh Smith from Notebooks.com.