This issue's message: Back up your work. 

The PC operating system is called "Windows," but sometimes you can't see out. The Tech Helpline has received a number of calls lately from Realtors who say they cannot open Windows. In most cases when this happens, Windows must be reinstalled. 

With Windows, "reinstalled" many times means, "You just lost all your data." 

Scary, but it's a good time to point out that natural disasters happen unexpectedly, and everyone living near a coastline now faces a new hurricane season. You can't always predict when a disaster will hit (hurricanes, tornados, lightning strike, etc.) and you can't predict when your computer software or hardware will crash.

Click here to learn more...

Ware, oh ware can it be?

You've heard about viruses and how they can infect a computer and eventually corrupt it. You're probably familiar with spyware and adware, and it can track your every move. 

But most Realtors don't care whether they're dealing with a virus, spyware or adware -- they just want the problem to go away. Malware (malicious software) is the generic word for all these problems. Short for "malicious software," it refers to any kind of program that does harm without doing good, including a Virus, Worms, Trojan, Backdoor, Spyware, Exploit, Rootkit, Key Logger, Dialers or URL Hijacker.

Click here to read more about malicious software...

Good house -- bad location

Web site search engine Google introduced a new mapping service four months ago that may change the way homebuyers search for a house -- and in some cases already has. According to some Web developers, it's easier to link their Web site's information to Google's maps than to previous mapmakers such as Yahoo!, and they can quickly translate abstract information into a locator map. For example, http://www.housingmaps.com already charts properties, rental and for purchase, by offering a description on one side of the Web page complemented by a Google-created map showing locations on the left side of the page. The map makes it easy for someone seeking a home to identify properties that are close to work, shopping or other attractions. 

As the Google-using Web sites develop, expect multiple information on a single map. A home shopper may soon be able to create a list of properties for sale that includes a checklist of things that concern him -- sexual predators, flood zones, toxic waste sites, etc. By clicking on a button, he could see a complete map showing all potential problems located close to a house that has caught his interest.

Happy computing,

Your Tech Helpline Team