Can a USB flash drive “wear out”?
The short answer is yes, the flash memory cells in a USB thumbdrive can be written to a limited number of times before they lose their ability to retain data correctly. The number of write operations a memory cell can handle over its lifetime generally ranges between 10,000 to 100,000, depending on the quality of the product. Once the limit is reached, stored data can become corrupted and totally lost.
It is a good idea to have a copy of your data on at least two different storage devices for safety and backup purposes. If you are accessing and working with a file on a usb flash drive, it is best to first copy the file to your computer’s internal hard drive, open it and work with it there, then after saving changes, copy the file back to the flash drive, overwriting the old version. Working with your files this way can greatly reduce the number of write operations to the flash drive and extend its life.
For a lengthier, more detailed answer to this question, check out the following article on Ask Leo!
~Ted Eiler
You’ve fallen for a scam! Now what? | PCWorld
Scammers and information phishers are as pervasive as ever on internet, employing techniques and tactics to trick you into thinking you’re dealing with a legitimate organization.
This PCWorld Answer Line article gives some basic rule of thumb pointers to protect yourself if you find that you have mistakenly given away any personal sensitive information to an illegitimate source.
~Ted Eiler
Security Alert: Please Update Your Adobe Flash Player Immediately
A security update for Adobe Flash Player was released July 8, 2014, containing fixes for critical vulnerabilities allowing an attacker to take control of an affected system, as well as steal log-on credentials to websites.
Users of Internet Explorer 10 and 11, as well as Google Chrome need not worry, as the embedded Flash Player is updated automatically. However, users of Internet Explorer 9 and earlier, as well as Firefox and Safari, should update Adobe Flash Player immediately.
You can install the latest version here:
http://get.adobe.com/flashplayer/
~Ted Eiler
Stop online advertisers from tracking you | Komando.com
Online advertisement networks commonly track your navigation to sites serving their ads through the use of third party cookies. These “tracking cookies” are used to display targeted advertisements based on your browsing interests.
While some people like the idea of seeing ads online that are specifically tailored to them, tracking cookies enable ad providers to create a personality profile of you, and are a threat to your privacy.
If you would like to stop this type of tracking, Kim Komando shows you how to disable third party browsing cookies in the most popular web browsers.
~Ted Eiler
To Article: Stop online advertisers from tracking you | One Page | Komando.com.
Spot and avoid a dangerous phone tech support scam | Komando.com
I have heard numerous reports recently of homes receiving phone calls from representatives of Microsoft, claiming that their computer is hacked or infected with a virus and requires immediate service. To my knowledge, Microsoft does not make phone calls to end user customers in this fashion, and so they are very likely a scam.
Kim Komando shares an email sent to her describing one of these tech support phone call scams in detail, and gives some tips about what you can do if you receive such an unsolicited phone call.
~Ted Eiler
To Article: Spot and avoid a dangerous phone tech support scam | Komando.com.
