There's no guarantee files on balky CD can be saved

By BILL HUSTED

Cox News Service

February 06, 2005

Q: I have overloaded two CDs with family pictures, and I'd like to know if there is any way to restore the data and re-save these invaluable pictures. Or is there a place I can send these disks to have them restored? The disks won't open. I'm using Windows XP, the Home version.

—  Barbara Bond

A: There are ways to recover lost files and images on a CD. But keep in mind that no company can guarantee that it can retrieve your images. So you spend your money and take your chances.

Here are some software products that attempt to recover data and images from CDs. One program is called RetroBurner CD/DVD Recovery and sells for $49. You can look for it in a large computer store or order it from a Web site: www.dtidata.com/cd_dvd+recovery.htm.

Another company called InfinaDyne (www.infinadyne.com) sells a program called CD/DVD Diagnostic that also attempts to recover lost data and images. That program sells for $49.99. It received a good review from Shutterbug photography magazine.

I have to confess that I've never used products from either company. So I'm relying on reviews from magazines and Web sites. And before you spend money on any of these programs, try an old tech solution to your problem.

Try cleaning the disc. Just use some water and soap to clean it and then wipe it dry with a soft, lint-free cloth. I've found that method often works on discs that are scratched or dirty.

Q: I recently bought a very nice Dell Inspiron 8000 laptop from a friend. It will be a great help for me, because I travel several days a week. Where can I obtain an operator's manual for this 4-year-old laptop?

—  Wendell Tudor, Stone Mountain, Ga.

A: You can find an electronic version of the manual on the Dell Web site (www.dell.com). To get to the manual, you'll need to register with an e-mail address and a password. Once you've done that, log on to your account, then click on the Product Support link.

That will take you to a page that lists various categories of documents available online. You should select User Guides. That will take you to still another Web page. Select Systems on that page. Then select Inspiron Notebooks. It's a long and winding path, but it'll eventually take you to a place where you can download the user guide for your computer.

While few of my readers will need this specific manual, I'm answering because this is the sort of problem many of us have. It's easy to lose a manual, or to wind up with a used computer, DVD player or television and no manual. In most cases, you can find an electronic version of a manual at the manufacturer's Web site.

Not every manufacturer will have old manuals available. If you don't see them, e-mail the manufacturer and ask for help. Some companies are great about that. Not long ago, Fuji sent me the paper manual for a camera that had been out of production for many years.

Finally, if none of that works, use Google to find the manual. In some cases, you'll run into Web sites that sell used manuals. If nothing else works, it could be worth the $5 or so you'll pay for an old manual.

Advice from a reader

I thought I'd share a tip I often teach to novice computer users concerning passwords. Your comments regarding the use of numbers and letters and avoiding names are right on target, but for those who insist upon using names and words you'd find in a dictionary, I have a suggestion.

Take two (or more) such names and join them together using one of the "special" characters, like an ampersand, plus sign or underscore. This will provide an easy-to-remember password that is much more difficult to crack. Users should avoid using the dollar sign or the pound sign, as these have special significance to most Microsoft operating systems and applications.

This process will result in a much more difficult password to crack if you include a number or series of numbers in the password. Most security experts agree a password of a length greater than 15 characters that includes alphanumeric characters and at least one special character will give the user a highly secure password that is effectively unbreakable.

—  Larry Cody, Secure Technology Solutions, Douglasville, Ga.

Please send your questions to Bill Husted at bhusted @ajc.com. While he reads every e-mail, not all are answered. E-mails are selected for publication based on the likelihood that the answers will be of general interest.