[techtalk] Tech-Talk: SOFTWARE: Get a Detailed “Inventory” of What's on Your Computer

Wed Nov 6 09:46:25 PST 2019

Greetings and welcome to this week’s issue of Tech-Talk!

Belarc Advisor gives you a list of everything on your computer
[http://r20.rs6.net/on.jsp?ca=324c6429-c9b5-4513-b8be-a105287805ea&a=1100778316270&c=980e0ed0-0713-11e6-a7b7-d4ae528ed502&ch=981cb4d0-0713-11e6-a7b7-d4ae528ed502]

[http://files.constantcontact.com/ee1208b4001/34916cb2-412f-43fa-8294-1f7ecb0e9a3d.png]

 This Week's Topic: SOFTWARE
1. VIDEO ... Get a Detailed "Inventory" of Your Computer
2. ARTICLE ... Get a Detailed "Inventory" of Your Computer
3. COMMUNICATING ... Which type of manager style do you prefer?

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SOFTWARE: Get a Detailed "Inventory" of What's on Your Computer
Intermediate

[spilled water]

True Story: Last week I spilled water on my laptop keyboard and it fried the hard drive. Eeeks!

After my initial freak-out I calmed down because I knew I had processes in place for this type of scenario.

·     As with all laptops I purchase, I opted in for the accidental coverage in my maintenance plan -- so all damages were covered.

·     My files were being backed up regularly with Carbonite<http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=00116tRua7V0hfOvFln7wIG-zKRsScBsNbfoNIT7LoTjDvEdCI6ur-GblLc7wHA6P_QJQ5j2x9OOroDxSBpbaMUNkCoQCL_6vdGMc1Ry6Om_hwNSD57LPzK4TLnfnKUECZk7b0M9nHhDKvwLeZV_azMMwXpUN7PBgr45e_mFW91vig0izskIJRtk2P0WgwZ6JpViVozwL6CHa4=&c=rOXw2KoHw_88liDdAEVX2NzgOpp_yURYRfagGq2gbN8VuTYjIpl5oQ==&ch=uGKsDBUd5nCKurG7ruS9SnKtJ-_M3oSEuWaWXQy0cNdzpf-k56Vv6w==>. There are many types of backup services available, just make sure you have one. I was able to work on any computer because I didn't need to do a full restore of all files from my laptop, I could pick and choose and pull down the documents I needed individually.

·     I could access many of my documents from cloud storage<http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=00116tRua7V0hfOvFln7wIG-zKRsScBsNbfoNIT7LoTjDvEdCI6ur-GbrQpbKR2p_tvuzlRXNSbj77z2Pt06N4lhExsDVOeIvRI-AJqLSfIMksQY5niqe31FyDxLSNrNdqFJ_NYDpb6-PYXsWgmKUiO3UAjLKxQswDrxPsIhc6do_FVmqD7vQ69O9DtxfCAjs9leg5tCePO3-I=&c=rOXw2KoHw_88liDdAEVX2NzgOpp_yURYRfagGq2gbN8VuTYjIpl5oQ==&ch=uGKsDBUd5nCKurG7ruS9SnKtJ-_M3oSEuWaWXQy0cNdzpf-k56Vv6w==> like Dropbox, Google Docs, OneDrive, etc…

·     My email also lives "in the cloud" through Google Apps/Gmail so I could access it from anywhere.

·     And lastly, the topic that we're going to expand on in this article... I had a detailed profile printout showing me the installed software/hardware, browsers and even licensing information from the Belarc Advisor. A "picture" of what was installed on my laptop.

The Belarc Advisor profile information helped me tremendously because the repaired computer came back to me with a new hard drive (essentially wiped clean) -- so not only did I need to restore my backed up documents, but reinstall all programs. My Belarc report gave me essentially a "checklist" to walk through.

Let's take a look at Belarc, and their free tool, the Belarc Advisor and how it can help you -- in a variety of situations.

Belarc Advisor

[Belarc]

You probably don't keep an "inventory" of what's installed on your PC or laptop. But it can be helpful when you:
·     Get a new computer
·     Need to abruptly restore one (like in our example above)
·     Or if you just need to see what versions of software you have installed and the corresponding license numbers. For example, you may need to contact support for software and they may want this information to validate your license.

Of course you could manually make your own list by going to the Control Panel and searching through Add/Remove Programs, Printers and Hardware or Performance and Maintenance, but that can take quite some time. Wouldn't it be nice to have a comprehensive computer profile at your fingertips -- much like a "personal audit" for your PC?

The www.belarc.com<http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=00116tRua7V0hfOvFln7wIG-zKRsScBsNbfoNIT7LoTjDvEdCI6ur-GblLc7wHA6P_Q89kvl2AOVe8rigIteL00SoI_czjb5_hHxWEv-q7Nfms8VxqdqhHxlYI1HMRSifrOeeiEQsDek5A=&c=rOXw2KoHw_88liDdAEVX2NzgOpp_yURYRfagGq2gbN8VuTYjIpl5oQ==&ch=uGKsDBUd5nCKurG7ruS9SnKtJ-_M3oSEuWaWXQy0cNdzpf-k56Vv6w==> site offers a FREE software download -- for individuals to use -- called Belarc Advisor. It builds a detailed list covering over 20 system areas of your computer including such things as:

·     Your operating system, processor and drives
·     What hardware devices for which you have drivers (such as printers, scanners)
·     What software you’ve installed — including the version, license and key codes
·     What network drives are connected to your machine
·     The status of your anti-virus protection
·     Users details
·     What Microsoft security hotfixes you have installed (with links for any you've missed)
·     The CIS (Center for Internet Security) benchmarks and your score
·     And a whole bunch of other "technical" details

After running Belarc Advisor the results are displayed on your desktop for your use. The file is kept private on your computer and never uploaded to Belarc.

Part of a sample report:

[Belarc printout]

Downloading the Belarc Advisor

To download this small piece of software and create your computer profile in just a few minutes:

[download Belarc]

·     Go to www.Belarc.com<http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=00116tRua7V0hfOvFln7wIG-zKRsScBsNbfoNIT7LoTjDvEdCI6ur-GblLc7wHA6P_Q89kvl2AOVe8rigIteL00SoI_czjb5_hHxWEv-q7Nfms8VxqdqhHxlYI1HMRSifrOeeiEQsDek5A=&c=rOXw2KoHw_88liDdAEVX2NzgOpp_yURYRfagGq2gbN8VuTYjIpl5oQ==&ch=uGKsDBUd5nCKurG7ruS9SnKtJ-_M3oSEuWaWXQy0cNdzpf-k56Vv6w==>.

·     Find Belarc Advisor on the home page.

·     Click the Download a Free Copy of Belarc Advisor button.

·     Click the Run button in the file download and follow the steps to install.

·     The Belarc Advisor will automatically install, build a profile of your hardware and software, and display this in your Web browser ... in a matter of minutes.

Be sure to print a copy of your Computer Profile ... and save it as a PDF). File it with your important papers -- it could come in handy if your hard drive crashes or if you need to reinstall software and need the key codes.

Sample (partial) list of installed programs:

[list of software]

[http://files.constantcontact.com/ee1208b4001/f8f1ecc8-4884-4c21-8ed0-cf647e6db944.png]

Communications: Leadership
Which manager style do you prefer?

In my opinion there are four types of manager styles. These different approaches vary based on an individual’s belief system and decision-making preferences.

Each of these has a time and place, based on the business situation. It’s the balance of styles that is the opportunity for great leadership.

1. Autocratic. This type of manager has 99 votes; the employee has one. Every-thing is run by an iron hand. “Do what I say and don’t question it.”

2. Democratic. The style of a democratic manager is to hold off on decisions until there is a majority vote or everyone agrees.

3. Benevolent. “We know what is good for our employees. We have their best interests at heart.”

4. Egalitarian. The definition of egalitarian is equality. It’s creating an environment of mutual respect. At the core of this management style is a belief is that every employee is valued … from the janitor to the president; each has a unique contribution to make. Everyone shares the responsibility for success. Two-way communications is the norm.

An egalitarian approach to leading teams, in my opinion, is the most productive and should be considered the style that is most prevalent.

[http://files.constantcontact.com/ee1208b4001/b13a7a6a-7445-4d8e-b741-4b475385ef5b.png]<http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=00116tRua7V0hfOvFln7wIG-zKRsScBsNbfoNIT7LoTjDvEdCI6ur-GbmKbCjWE8FZ8fkbmxjSqopeInJzfXVZH1EL2a3cBvFPjkqAzN9XrAmphPAa9ADjqWWX9zIckE6XEXTeoX73g1Fdy_ZCDvKBQUbFtPDRCX2Un&c=rOXw2KoHw_88liDdAEVX2NzgOpp_yURYRfagGq2gbN8VuTYjIpl5oQ==&ch=uGKsDBUd5nCKurG7ruS9SnKtJ-_M3oSEuWaWXQy0cNdzpf-k56Vv6w==>

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