System Restore in Windows 7

The Previous Versions feature of System Restore in Windows 7 can recover data in the event that a file is inadvertently deleted or becomes corrupted.

Many IT professionals know about, or have used, a restore point created by System Restore to restore a Windows system to a previous condition after some sort of a disaster. But did you know that in Windows 7 (and to some extent in Vista), the System Restore feature has been expanded in scope so that it now keeps track of, and saves, previous versions of data files that you’ve modified?
This means that in addition to allowing you to easily recover your system in the event of a disaster, System Restore’s Previous Versions feature can help you to recover data in the event that a file is inadvertently deleted or becomes corrupted or even if you simply want to instantly undo a vast amount of editing changes.
While Previous Versions is a great Windows 7 feature, I’ve discovered that not many people know about it or use it. In this edition of the Windows Desktop Report, I’ll take a look at the Previous Versions feature in Windows 7 and show you how it works.

Some background

While I am hyping Previous Versions as a new feature, that’s not entirely true. It actually has roots that go back to Windows XP and Windows Server 2003 when it was known as the Volume Shadow Copy Service. When you installed the Shadow Copies of Shared Folders client on a Windows XP system that was connected to a Windows Server 2003 server, the Previous Versions feature would be available in Windows XP. What’s actually new in Windows 7 is that the entire feature is contained in the new operating system — no server connection required.
I also said that the Previous Versions feature was to some extent available in Vista. More precisely, in Vista, the Previous Versions feature was available only in the Business, Enterprise, and Ultimate editions — the Home Basic, Home Premium, and Starter editions did not include the feature. In Windows 7, the Previous Versions feature is available in all editions of the operating system.

How it works

As you know, to accomplish its feat, System Restore continuously monitors your system looking for significant changes to the operating system, such as when you install a new application, install new hardware and drivers, or receive a system or security update from Windows Update. When such an event occurs, System Restore will automatically create a Restore Point, which is essentially a snapshot of your system state, which comprises crucial system files, including certain parts of the registry. At the same time, Windows 7’s System Restore will create snapshots of all the data files on the hard disk.
Now, even though System Restore automatically creates a Restore Point under the conditions mentioned above, that’s not the only time. By default, Windows 7 will automatically create a restore point once a day. And, you can manually create restore points at any time.
In addition, if you also create backups using Windows 7’s Backup and Restore tool, the Previous Versions feature will keep track of those backups and allow you to restore individual files from the Backup as well as the Restore Point.
For example, to access Previous Versions feature, just right-click on a file and locate the Restore Previous Versions command on the context menu, as shown in Figure A.

Figure A

You’ll find the Restore previous version command on a file’s context menu in Windows 7.

When you select the command, you’ll see the Previous Versions tab of the file’s Properties dialog box, as shown in Figure B. As you can see, this particular file is protected by both a Restore Point and Backup. Therefore, if I needed to recover an earlier version of this file, I could choose either copy depending on the date of the copy that I wanted.

Figure B

If you create backups using Windows 7’s Backup and Restore tool, you can restore individual files from either the Backup or the Restore Point.

As you can see, there are three buttons on the Previous Versions tab: Open, Copy, and Restore. If you want to make sure that this is the version of the file that you want, you can select it and click the Open button; in this case Word would open the document so that you can check it out.
If you select the Copy button, you will see a standard Copy Items dialog box (like the Copy To command) and can restore the file to another folder. (Keep in mind that the Open and Copy commands will work only on files that are saved in a Restore Point snapshot — you won’t be able to use them if the version is available in a Backup.) If you select the Restore button, the file will be restored in the same condition as it was when it was saved by the Restore Point or the Backup.

Other considerations

It is important to keep in mind that the Previous Versions feature will show only Restore Point versions of a file if it has been altered since the last Restore Point was created. In other words, the Previous Versions tab will display the message like the one shown in Figure C if the file that has not been changed since the last Restore Point was created.

Figure C

If a file has not been altered since the last restore point, you’ll see a message like the one shown here.

However, that doesn’t mean there isn’t a previous version stored in the Restore Point. In fact, if you open and save the file, you will see the Restore Point version in the Previous Versions tab.
Furthermore, if you have not altered a file for several months, new versions will not be saved each time a Restore Point is created.

Restoring a file

Now that you have a good understanding of what the Previous Versions feature is all about, let’s take a look at how it works. For example, let’s suppose that, inadvertently, I permanently delete my Word document, as shown in Figure D, and then later realize my mistake. In this case, since the file is gone, there is nothing to right-click on, so I must access the Previous Versions tab of the folder in which the file used to reside, as shown in Figure E.

Figure D

I accidentally deleted my Word document.

Figure E

To restore a permanently deleted file, I begin by accessing the Previous Versions tab of the folder in which the file used to reside.

If I want to make sure that this folder contains the file that I am looking for, I click the Open button. When I do, I see a folder that contains the copy of the file. At that point, I can actually open the file in Word to check its contents. Once I am sure that this is the file that I want to restore, I can close the file and the folder to return to the Previous Versions tab. At this point, I’ll select the Restore button and will see a confirmation dialog box like the one in Figure F. If I click the Restore button, the file will be put back into its original folder.

Figure F

Before you can restore a file, you’ll be prompted to confirm the operation.

Now, even though the message in this dialog box makes it sound like the entire folder will be replaced, that’s not really the case — only the deleted file will be restored. For instance, I had several other files in the folder before the Restore operation and they remained intact after the Restore operation.

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The password file explanation - Linux

The /etc/passwd contains one entry per line for each user (or user account) of the system. All fields are separated by a colon (:) symbol. Total seven fields as follows.

An example record may be:

The fields, in order from left to right, are:

1. The first field is the user name, i.e. the string a user would type in when logging into the operating system: the logname. Each record in the file must have a unique user name field.
2. The second field stores information used to validate a user's password; however in most modern uses this field is usually set to "x" (or some other indicator) with the actual password information being stored in a separate shadow password file. Setting this field to an asterisk "*" is the typical way to deactivate an account to prevent it being used.
3. The third field is the user identifier, the number that the operating system uses for internal purposes. It does not have to be unique.
4. The fourth field is the group identifier. This number identifies the primary group of the user; all files that are created by this user may initially be accessible to this group.
5. The fifth field, called the Gecos field, is commentary that describes the person or account. Typically, this is a set of comma-separated values including the user's full name and contact details.
6. The sixth field is the path to the user's home directory.

The seventh field is the program that is started every time the user logs into the system. For an interactive user, this is usually one of the system's command line interpreters (shells).

Microsoft tracking customers

Microsoft allegedly tracks the location of its mobile customers even after users request that tracking software be turned off, according to a new lawsuit.

The proposed class action, filed in a Seattle federal court, says Microsoft intentionally designed camera software on the Windows Phone 7 operating system to ignore customer requests that they not be tracked.

A Microsoft representative could not immediately be reached for comment.

The lawsuit comes after concerns surfaced earlier this year that Apple's iPhones collected location data and stored it for up to a year, even when location software was supposedly turned off. Apple issued a patch to fix the problem.

However, the revelation prompted renewed scrutiny of the nexus between location and privacy. At a hearing in May, U.S. lawmakers accused the tech industry of exploiting location data for marketing purposes -- a potentially multibillion-dollar industry -- without getting proper consent from millions of Americans.

The lawsuit against Microsoft cites a letter the company sent to Congress, in which Microsoft said it only collects geolocation data with the express consent of the user.

"Microsoft's representations to Congress were false," the lawsuit says.

The litigation, brought on behalf of a Windows Phone 7 user, claims Microsoft transmits data -- including approximate latitude and longitude coordinates of the user's device -- while the camera application is activated. It seeks an injunction and punitive damages, among other remedie

Managing Disk Usage with Quotas In Linux

Introduction:- You may eventually need to restrict the amount of disk space used on each partition by each user or group of users as your disk drives become filled with data. The disk quota feature of RedHat/Fedora Linux enables you to do this, and the setup is fairly simple.

 Steps to Implement Quota

Note :- Configuration of disk usage quotas on Linux - Perform the following as root:

Step1. Edit file /etc/fstab to add qualifier "usrquota" or "grpquota" to the partition. The following file system mounting options can be specified in /etc/fstab: grpquota, noquota, quota and usrquota. (These options are also accepted by the mount command but ignored.) The filesystem when mounted will show up in the file /etc/mtab, the list of all currently mounted filesystems.)

To enable user quota support on a file system, add "usrquota" to the fourth field containing the word "defaults".

/dev/hda2     /home   ext3    defaults,usrquota             1    1

Replace "usrquota" with "grpquota", should you need group quota support on a file system.

/dev/hda2     /home   ext3    defaults,grpquota             1    1

Need both user quota and group quota support on a file system?

/dev/hda2     /home   ext3    defaults,usrquota,grpquota   1    1

 This enables user and group quotas support on the /home file system.

Step 2. 

#touch /partition/aquota.user

where the partition might be /home or some partition defined in /etc/fstab.

then

#chmod 600 /partition/aquota.user

The file should be owned by root. Quotas may also be set for groups by using the file aquota.group

Quota file names:

    Quota Version 2 (Linux 2.4/2.6 kernel: Red Hat 7.1+/8/9,FC 1-3): aquota.user, aquota.group

    Quota Version 1 (Linux 2.2 kernel: Red Hat 6, 7.0): quota.user, quota.group

The files can be converted/upgraded using the convertquota command.

Step3. Re-boot or re-mount file partition with quotas.

    Re-boot: shutdown -r now

    Re-mount partition: mount -o remount /partition

After re-booting or re-mounting the file system, the partition will show up in the list of mounted filesystems as having quotas. Check /etc/mtab:

 /dev/hda5 / ext3 rw,usrquota 0 0

 Step 4. Initialize The Quota Table

 #quotacheck -vgum /partition

or

#quotacheck -vguma

 For example (Linux kernel 2.4+): quotacheck -vguma

quotacheck: WARNING -  Quotafile //aquota.user was probably truncated. ...

quotacheck: Scanning /dev/hda5 [/] done

quotacheck: Checked 9998 directories and 179487 files

Quotacheck is used to scan a file system for disk usages, and updates the quota record file quota.user/aquota.user" to the most recent state. It is recommended thet quotacheck be run at bootup

Step 5. # quotaon -av

System Response: /dev/hda6: user quotas turned on

quotaon - enable disk quotas on a file system.

quotaoff - turn off disk quotas for a file system.

Step 6. # edquota -u user_id

Edit directly using vi editor commands. (See below for more info.)

For example: # edquota -u user1

Disk quotas for user user1 (uid 501):

Filesystem  blocks       soft       hard   inodes   soft    hard

/dev/hda5  1944          0          0        120        0        0

    blocks: 1k blocks

    inodes: Number of entries in directory file

    soft: Max number of blocks/inodes user may have on partition before warning is issued and grace period  countdown begins.

    If set to "0" (zero) then no limit is enforced.

    hard: Max number of blocks/inodes user may have on partition.

    If set to "0" (zero) then no limit is enforced

If editing group quotas: # edquota -g group_name

 Step 7. List quotas: # quota -u user_id

For example: # quota -u user1

System response:

Disk quotas for user user1 (uid 501):

Filesystem blocks quota limit grace   files quota limit grace

/dev/hda6 992 50000 55000   71 10000 11000  

How to back up files and folders

Before you can back up important information on your computer, you must install the Backup utility. The Backup utility is included on the Windows XP Home Edition CD.

Note :If Windows XP Home Edition was preinstalled on your computer and you do not have the original Windows XP CD, contact the computer manufacturer or visit the manufacturer's Web site for more information. You can also use backup software that you purchase separately.

To install the Backup utility from the Windows XP CD:

1.       Insert your Windows XP CD into the CD drive or DVD drive of the computer.

2.      Click Exit.

3.      Locate the CDDrive:\ValueAdd\Msft\Ntbackup folder on the CD.

4.      Double-click Ntbackup.msi to install the Backup utility.

5.      When the Backup or Restore Wizard prompts you, click Finish.

6.      Remove the Windows XP CD.

Now that you have installed the Backup utility, you are ready to back up your important information.

How to back up files and folders

To back up your files and folders, follow these steps:

Note In order to back up files and folders, you must be logged on to the computer as an administrator or as a user who is part of the Administrators group.

Note The following steps explain how to use the Backup utility to back up your files and folders manually. You can also use the Backup and Restore Wizard to back up your files and folders. However, the steps will be slightly different from those that are listed in the following section.

Step 1: Start the Backup utility

1. Click Start, and then click Run.
2. Type ntbackup.exe in the Open box, and then click OK.
   
   Note If you receive the following error message, make sure that you followed the steps in the "How to install the Backup utility" section correctly:

Windows cannot find 'ntbackup.exe'

Step 2: Select items to back up and select the location for the backup file

1. Click Advanced Mode.
   
   Note If the Backup and Restore Wizard starts, the utility is running in Wizard mode. You can click to clear the Always start in wizard mode check box, and then restart the Backup utility. If you continue to use the Backup and Restore Wizard, the steps will be slightly different from those that are listed in the following section.
2. Click the Backup tab.
3. On the Job menu, click New.
4. Select the check boxes next to the drives that you want to back up. If you select specific files or folders, expand the drive where these files or folders are located. Then, select the check boxes for the files or for the folders that you want to back up.
5. Select the System State check box that is located under My Computer in the navigation pane.
   
   Note If you want to back up system settings and data files, back up all the data on your computer and the System State data. The System State data includes the registry, the COM+ class registration database, files that are under Windows File Protection, boot files, and other system files.
6. If the Backup destination list is available, click the backup destination that you want to use.
   
   Note If you selected File in this step, type the full path and file name for which you want to back up data in the Backup media or file name box.
   
   You can specify a network share as a destination for the backup file. Typically, backup files have the .bkf file name extension. However, you can use any file name extension that you want.

Step 3: Start the backup

1. Click Start Backup to open the Backup Job Information dialog box.
2. Under If the media already contains backups, do either of the following:
• If you want to append this backup file to previous backup files, click Append this backup to the media. This option adds the new backup to the existing backup file so that you can maintain all previous backups in one file. This option is useful if you ever want to restore a backup from a specific day. Be aware that the size of the backup file will grow with each new backup. You might want to monitor the file size to make sure that it does not fill up your hard disk over time. If the file becomes too large, you might consider saving the file to an external hard disk. Or, if you are concerned about the file using too much hard disk space, select Replace the data on the media with this backup instead.
• If you want to overwrite previous backup files with this backup file, click Replace the data on the media with this backup. This option is useful if you only want to maintain the current backup and do not care about keeping the previous backups. Or, use this option if you are concerned about the file using too much hard disk space on your computer.
3. Click Advanced.
4. Select the Verify data after backup check box.
5. In the Backup Type box, click the kind of backup that you want to create. For a description of each backup type, click the backup type and the description appears under "Description." You can select any of the following backup types:
• Normal
• Copy
• Incremental
• Differential
• Daily
6. Click OK, and then click Start Backup. A Backup Progress dialog box is displayed, and the backup starts.

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Step 4: Exit the Backup utility

1. When the backup is complete, click Close.
2. On the Job menu, click Exit.