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This is an age old question. Short of taking the hard drive apart and shredding the magnetic disks inside, there is nothing you can do to prevent someone with the right tools and knowledge from recovering your files.

That said, there are a few things you can do to at least slow them down. #1 format the disk using a windows CD. This is enough to prevent the average person from recovering any info off the hard drive. #2 If you want more protection you can use an “eraser” program. Here is a free one. This should be enough to keep everyone out with the exception of maybe the CIA.

Besides safely erasing a whole hard drive, eraser can also safely erase selected files. Like those 150 porn images you “accidentally” downloaded. >wink wink<

Christine also reminded me, Knoxville has a computer recycling program. Certainly worth the little extra effort.

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Not on the list, but one I have started using again: Pidgin a GTK+ instant messaging application for Windows and Unix. It supports AIM, ICQ, Jabber/XMPP, MSN, Yahoo!, Bonjour, Gadu-Gadu, IRC, QQ, SILC, SIMPLE and more. Basically one instant message client for all your needs. Also comes with an optional spell checker. Great for people like… you know, me.

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The best things on your USB key are free. The open-source PortableApps Suite is a free 89MB download that installs Firefox, the Thunderbird e-mail client, the Gaim instant messenger, the Sunbird calendar app, and the OpenOffice.org office suite—basically all you need to get work done on the road. If you are using a smaller USB key, a 30MB “Lite” version uses the more compact AbiWord word processor instead of the full OpenOffice.org. A “Base” edition that is less than 1MB includes only the basic menu and a backup utility, so you can add your own portable applications from the PortableApps.com site. Any USB key with 512MB or more can use the full version, and it’s an obvious first choice when you’re outfitting a USB key. From the same site you can add a few dozen other applications, including the superbly capable VLC media player. (Free, www.portableapps.com,

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Route traffic
If you have broadband service but don’t have a router, get one. Wired or wireless, they’re cheap.

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SageTV HD Media Extender
$199.95 list, www.sagetv.com

SageTV Media Center 6.3
with Placeshifter License Combo $99.95 list, www.sagetv.com

1 Monster HDMI cable (6.6 feet)
$99.99 street, www.monstercable.com

2 10′ Ethernet Cat 5e patch cables
$6.30 street

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The goal of Home Server products is to keep things simple. The devices come with two cables—one for power and the other to connect to the home computer system. Consumers need to slip a disc into their PC, answer five questions, then they’re up and running, with their files backed up automatically every day. “We’ve stripped away the complexity,” says VanRoekel.

Or, you can do what I did and build your own.

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Consider adding access points. In response to a long post I did on Wi-Fi a few months ago, many readers said that they use only a router to send their Wi-Fi signal around their home—no access points. Wi-Fi is radio technology, which means your router’s signal decays with distance. Often, adding just one access point (use the same brand as your router) at a cost well under $100, will radically increase the roaming performance you get. This is especially true if you live in a large home.

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