We are the Vancouver data recovery experts. We have the expertise, the equipment and the experience to recover lost data right here in our North Vancouver lab, often without having to ship your drive to a ‘clean room’. This saves you money and allows faster service.

In-house Data Recovery

Many computer repair shops and IT firms offer data recovery, but they simply ship the drive to Timbuktu or the US and don’t even look at it. Then the data recovery company quotes them a large fee to recover the data and if the client goes for it then they get a commission. These labs, also called ‘clean rooms’ are super high-tech labs and can cost 100′s of thousands of dollars to set up. The staff required to work in these labs are highly specialized and paid accordingly. Obviously, their fees are very high. Problem is, a clean room is not always needed, so why pay that high cost for this type of lab. At CT Data Recovery we have advanced and specialized equipment and software to handle most data recovery jobs in-house, saving you hundreds of dollars!

Backed by Recovery Force

What if you do need a clean room? Sometimes, if a data recovery job requires taking the hard drive apart to replace or repair parts then an advanced lab is required. CT Data Recovery is backed by leading Canadian data recovery company, Recovery Force who have been providing data recovery and computer forensics for over 10 years. Our relationship with them allows us preferred pricing so we can offer data recovery for less.

Whether you have lost data due to file corruption, virus, mechanical or electrical failure, dropped or damaged hard drive, water, fire, smoke damage or human error we can likely retrieve your data. We offer free, no obligation quotes, usually on the same day we receive the equipment so contact us today for local data recovery services. Start a new case by calling us at (604) 639.2667

Data Recovery Media

We offer data recovery and forensic services on the following mediums:

Hard Drives
Laptop Drives
Memory Cards and Flash Drives
iPod
CD/DVD

Data Recovery Locations

We can arrange for your equipment to be dropped off or shipped to our lab.

Do You Need Data Recovery

CT Data Recovery can recover data from:
– Hard drive failure
– Clicking or grinding sounds
– Data corruption
– Data loss after virus
– Water, fire or smoke damage
– Deleted partitions
– Human error deleting files
– Natural disasters
– Dropped hard drive
– Windows cannot recognize the drive
– Computer will not start

If you think your hard drive is problematic or has failed, the most important advice we can give you is to not try to recover the data or troubleshoot the failure yourself. Do not run any Check Disk or Disk Repair utilities as this will often cause further damage. Most expensive data recovery jobs start out as easy, inexpensive jobs but are made harder due to damage caused by the owner or their well-meaning friends. If you suspect a hard drive crash bring your computer in or ship your hard drive to us for a free, no obligation data diagnostic.

Call us at (604) 639.2667 to start a new case now.

Have you ever been curious what it takes to run your own franchise? Are you interested in technology? Want to be your own boss?

We have territories available in the greater Vancouver area as well as all across Canada.

Because Computer Troubleshooters is a fairly flexible franchise, you’ll find that our franchisees around the country (and especially around the world) are a diverse group. Most come from technical backgrounds, but some come from sales, marketing , or operations backgrounds and hire techs. Most work from home, but some open offices, service centers, or even retail storefronts. Most stay small, with less than 3 or 4 employees in total, while others grow to 8, 9, or more. Our system is designed to let you make some choices regarding how your business is structured to better suit your local environment and your personal preferences. However regardless of how you choose to structure your business, you’ll be providing onsite and remote technical services to local small businesses and residential users in and around your area.

Computer Troubleshooters provides support by giving you:

Access to our forums, email lists, and libraries of marketing & business documents.
An intensive 3-day initial training session.
Ongoing training through workshops, conferences, webinars, and conference calls (at least 3 sessions available per month)
Our extensively researched Business Operations, Business Management, and ENGAGE Sales & Marketing manuals.
Access to our web-based TOPS program to manage your clients, techs, and schedules.
Ongoing access to CTUSA staff and coaches.
Leads in your area (if any) from our National Accounts and National Client programs, as well as our National Advertising.
Discounts from our Preferred Vendors (over 50 as of November 2008)
Support and training on our managed services program (BEST), residential managed services program (HOST), and multiple recurring-revenue “enhanced vendor” programs including electronic document management, VoIP, and Search Engine Marketing.

Updated marketing materials each month, with tools to make implementing your marketing campaigns relatively easy and inexpensive.

We’ve been growing and we’re moving to a bigger office on May 1.

101-1550 Hartley Ave
Coquitlam, BC
V3K 7A1
604.639.2667

Call and ask about our special “new office” offer!

The Password Is …
Passwords are your keys to accessing electronically stored information. In many cases you may not notice until it is too late that important details, regarding your identity or your business, have been used. It is critical to create ‘strong’ passwords and keep them well protected, whilst also being able to remember them.

A strong password is one that appears complex and would be difficult to guess. To achieve this:

Make it lengthy – Each character that you add increases the amount of tries needed to correctly guess the password. Your passwords should be at least 8 or more characters in length and can contain multiple words and sometimes spaces.

Add letters, numbers, and symbols – A greater variety of characters makes your password harder to guess. Punctuation symbols are very valuable for password strength, including those not found on the upper row of the keyboard (e.g. ? { { ] ).

Include words that are easy for you to remember, but difficult for others to guess – The name of your first pet or your mother’s maiden name is easy to remember because it is meaningful to you, but not easy for others to guess.

Avoid sequences or repeated characters – “12345678,” “222222,” “abcdefg,” or adjacent letters on your keyboard are common combinations that hackers will try.

Avoid your name – Any part of your name, birthday or similar information should be avoided, especially if it is displayed on common identification cards which can be lost or stolen (e.g. your driver’s license).

Avoid using only a single dictionary word – Hackers use sophisticated computer software that will attempt to guess passwords using multiple language dictionaries, including words spelled backwards, common misspellings, and substitutions.

Use more than one password – If any one of the computers or systems using a password is compromised, all of your other information

Recently, Google has been very busy implementing various changes to its privacy policy and to its search engine. Let’s look at these changes and how they may impact you.

You may have noticed the banner “We’re changing our privacy policy. This stuff matters.” on some of the Google sites you’ve been visiting. Now that Google is much more than just a search engine, it is consolidating more than 60 individual privacy policies across its products into a single one that promises to be “a lot shorter and easier to read.” Some products (like Wallet and Chrome) will retain their own policy for regulatory purposes and/or to help spell out that product in greater detail. Google believes this will allow them to consolidate your usage across their products and to bring you better integration with more relevant content.

Imagine a scenario where Google notifies you that you may be late for your meeting, because it combines your location, your calendar entry and the local traffic conditions. Sounds helpful, doesn’t it? And if your status on Google+ is often about horse riding, you may start seeing more horse riding videos in the Featured section of YouTube. The other side to this coin is that Google will have a much more detailed picture of you, enabling it to target you with specific advertising, which is a much more valuable commodity to pitch to advertisers. While Google still won’t sell your personal information, access to a tightly defined market will see advertisers running to Google to promote their products, as a targeted audience is much more cost-effective for them than a mass marketing approach.

To see your presence across the Google products and to access your personal settings, you can log into the Google Dashboard (https://www.google.com/dashboard/?hl=en&pli=1). To learn more about this topic, view Google’s official policy page here: http://www.google.com.au/intl/en/policies. The change goes into effect on March 1, and if you don’t agree with the change, your only option is to stop using Google’s products (with an account).

The other major changes impact website owners. Google will now lower your search result ranking if your site is packed with advertising ‘above the fold’ (in the top space before a reader needs to scroll down). It will also focus on how relevant your content is to your keywords – do you deliver a helpful website and a great user experience, or are you delivering some slick, copied sales pitch to promote an e-book on a different topic? More than ever, your website needs to focus on being relevant and recently updated. Webmasters also need to be aware the Google search results can now include content from other Google products, so items like your company’s Google+ page updates may also appear. This is good news for businesses who have embraced social media as it will add to their search results presence.

Talk to your local Computer Troubleshooters about your Google presence or any of your technology need

Gone are the days when all of your interaction with the internet was done at a computer. Our mobile phones no longer hold just names and telephone numbers as we now use them to access websites, social media and software applications. Tablet computers have also enabled us to use the internet while we’re on the move or from the comfort of our living room. So, if you have anti-virus software or security software to protect your computer, do you need it on your phone or tablet too?

The answer is a resounding YES. The creation of malicious software (malware) for Android in particular (the operating system found on many smartphones and tablets) has jumped significantly in recent months. This is mainly due to the creators switching their focus to Android, which now has a significant presence in the market. They also know that most Android-based devices are not running any security software. However, don’t think that your iPhone or iPad is immune either.

So what exactly is at stake here? Well, malware can allow hackers to gain access to any personal information on your phone or tablet, which can then be on-sold to identity thieves and also used to spam other device users. This can include your messages, your contact list, your photos, your location and any information you’ve created using an installed application (e.g. notes or documents). Phone malware can also be used to secretly send premium rate text messages or make calls to premium numbers from your account. As this activity does not show in your Sent folder or Call History, you won’t even know it’s happening until you get your account statement or run out of credit.

Most commonly, malware lurks in software applications (apps) that seem innocent but may actually be pirated versions of genuine apps, ‘free levels’ of popular games or even fake security tools. There is also a growing concern about malware hidden behind ‘URL shorteners’ (like bit.ly, t.co and cl.ly). These tools are used to display a short version of a long internet address and hide the target location of the internet site where you will actually end up.

Malware usually relies on your acceptance before it can install, so you can protect yourself with some good habits:

Avoid installing apps that you’re not familiar with including software that wants to download and install automatically from websites.
Be wary of free apps and those with prices that seem too good to be true, compared to their usual price.
Confirm whether friends or family really did send you a message before clicking on any links.
Be wary of online contests or promotions to win free gadgets, other products or services.
Install a reputable anti-malware app. Learn how to use it and keep it updated and what the alerts looks like.

Talk to your local Computer Troubleshooter about the best anti-malware solution for your phones and tablets, or for any of your technology needs.

It’s widely accepted that now most business cannot operate without an internet connection. Even industries such as manufacturing or trades have an element of their business operation that benefits from internet access. Some ‘internet-enabled’ business functions are now commonplace, such as communication via email and access to internet banking services. Unfortunately, the internet presence of many small business stops at a basic website. This month we look at a few others way that your business could take advantage of the internet.

Savvy consumers turn to the internet to check out the pedigree of a business, so it’s important to stand out from your competitors. An ‘online chat’ on your site would enable your prospective clients to ask a question & receive an immediate answer, provided by someone in a sales or administration role. Video content on your site (or linked to from YouTube) is great for engaging people instead of pages of text. Also, regular email marketing campaigns and newsletters are an easy way to keep in touch with prospects that aren’t quite ready to buy from you just yet. If a change to any of your website’s content means a call to your I.T. provider, look at a ‘content management’ based platform that allows you to make changes to text and post news updates without any coding knowledge.

Once reserved only for large corporations with big budgets, there are now a number of affordable solutions which allow secure remote access for your staff into your business network, to either access their files or even control their entire office computer and applications. This can give your staff a greater degree of flexibility with their work hours, leading to greater productivity. You could even consider ‘cloud storage’ or hosting of your business information to make your office ‘virtual’ and accessible from wherever you have an internet connection. Keep in touch with your remote workers with video conferencing software and an inexpensive internet camera and microphone. This virtual team concept can be extended to include your clients and suppliers too, removing geographical boundaries. If sharing files like documents or photographs with your contacts could improve your business, ignore the attachment size limits imposed on most email systems and look at an alternative solution for easy, secure file sharing.

Seek out suppliers and educational institutions that use the internet for online presentations (or webinars). These can be watched from the comfort of your own computer and may include a chat option if they are live. Some webinars are recorded, allowing you to inform or upskill yourself at your own pace, at convenient times. Could your clients benefit from a webinar group training presentation on your products or services too?

The internet can also supplement traditional I.T practices. It enables fast, remote support from your Computer Troubleshooter who can connect to see your error message first-hand, without having to drive to your location. It also allows for secure backups of your critical information to another location ‘offsite’, without having to transport hard disks or tapes. And if you haven’t looked at the cost savings of ‘Voice over IP’ yet, it’s worth considering instead of your traditional telephone service.

If this sounds a little daunting and you don’t know where to start, talk to your local Computer Troubleshooter for helping squeezing as much benefit as you can from the internet, or for any of your technology needs.

There are many scams targeting computer users. Be on the look out for these popular scams:

Domain name scams – Watch for a renewal invoice asking you to pay for the continued registration of your internet ‘domain name’ (e.g. mybusinessname.com), except it’s not from the company that your domain name is registered with. Also, watch for a warning that someone else wants to register a domain name that resembles yours, and advises you to register these names yourself first.

Business advertising invoices – These invoices are sent to small businesses for advertising that was never purchased and, in some cases, doesn’t even exist.

Free iPhone or iPad – These state that you can get a free iPhone or iPad by completing a survey and giving out your cell phone number or by completing a number of ‘offers’. Read the fine print, as you may be signing up to a premium monthly service that will appear on your mobile bill. The offers are ‘affiliate links’ which earn the site owner a commission every time you complete one.

Surprise lottery win or inheritance – You’ve won a lottery you never entered, usually in a foreign country, or a long-lost relative has died and left you a lot of money. Either way, you need to send them money as a processing fee to release the funds.

Stranger needing money – The sender may try to build up a rapport with your first, before telling you a sad story about why they need money.

‘Forward this message’ scams are designed to generate large volumes of messages, which may actually crash some email systems. They rely on your good nature to warn your friends, or a special offer for tracking your email forwarding, which is not technically possible.

Free giveaways or cash donations – These scams promise that you will receive things for free if 1,000 people receive a copy of the email. The giveaways included cash, theme park tickets, computers, cars, phones and gift certificates for brand name clothing. A variation on this promises a ’10 cent donation’ to a sick child for every email sent.

Misinformation – Many warnings that circulate via email and social media are untrue. These include cell phone numbers being made available to telemarketers, alerts about fake computer viruses and warnings about changes to sites like Facebook.

If you suspect you’ve come across a scam and you need help, call your local Computer Troubleshooters

The IT industry may shout that Cloud Computing is the way of the future and that all businesses should move their IT to the Cloud. The reality is that any IT solution should be investigated and planned, whether it’s within your office or accessed via the Internet. So, what factors will you need to consider? The following guidelines address some of the pains that can be experienced with a hurried, unstructured move to Cloud computing.

Identify what you want in the Cloud – Cloud computing doesn’t need to be an ‘all or nothing’ project. Start with a picture of your current IT setup and the functionality that it gives your business. If you’re only just starting up, this will be different than if your business is already established with historical information. Is there something new you want to explore, like email marketing or a prospect database? This could be perfect for the Cloud. But if you are looking to only move pieces of your existing IT capability, consider any flow-on effects to other systems. Make sure that a move to the Cloud won’t hinder any future integration opportunities.

Confirm your ongoing costs & savings – Cloud providers will point out the cost savings from using a centrally owned and managed system. Certainly this may give your business access to IT at a fraction of the cost of owning it yourself. However, can your business handle a cost on an ongoing basis instead of a one-off purchase when you do have the cash to invest? If there is still a large amount of technology needed in your business, Cloud computing may not significantly decrease your support costs. Do your homework and know the costs you will be committing to and where the savings will be coming from.

Confirm the flexibility – Cloud solutions can be cut-down versions of the full software, so if you are getting ‘email’ (for example), make sure you know what functionality is included and what isn’t. How flexible is the hosted system if you want to make changes, like increasing attachment size limits? Are you locked in to what you can change and what you can’t …. and are you OK with that?
Prove the Backup & Disaster Recovery plans – Debate rages on whether businesses with their information in the Cloud also need their own local backup. Thoroughly reviewing your provider’s agreement is only the first step. Ask about their last Disaster Recovery test. Include offsite backup testing reports in your contract. Plan how your business will survive if your Cloud provider fails and ensure your plan is implemented and tested on a regular basis.

Review your Infrastructure – Your Cloud solutions still have to be accessed via your local computers with your internet connection. If your PC is slow, or if you are significantly increasing your internet usage, then your Cloud application may be slow or unreliable. Consider your local IT components and plan for any necessary upgrades. Also consider additional redundancy, like a backup internet connection or spare internet modem, as any failure in your connectivity will have a larger impact.

Ultimately, Cloud computing must deliver increased business benefits or reduce IT costs overall without reducing functionality, unless your business is prepared to make sacrifices to improve your bottom line. Talk to your local Computer Troubleshooters to cut through the hype and make your Cloud adoption a success.

Coreflood has actually been around since 2002. Known as a ‘botnet’ it works by infecting your computer through a file that you open or a link that you click on, which is disguised as something you might want to read. In the background, the software embeds itself into your computer and starts communicating back to the control server, doing whatever it is told to. These commands could range from the annoying (changing your wallpaper, opening your CD tray, randomly playing sounds or shutting down your PC) through to the dangerous (recording your keyboard strokes & sending your personal information back to the command servers).

With an estimated 2.3 million infected computers, a command to uninstall itself would be a very effective way of eradicating Coreflood. However, the FBI has to watch its step and is working with the US Department of Justice to ensure it doesn’t violate the USA’s privacy protection laws. It is currently seeking ‘request and authorization to delete’ from government agencies and corporations and may issue ‘notice of infected computer’ alerts through internet providers to home users.

In the meantime, Microsoft has added a further update to its Malicious Software Removal Tool to tackle the latest instances of Coreflood and this will be released to Windows computers with Microsoft’s next batch of security updates. Most anti-virus software manufacturers will now also detect Coreflood on an infected computer.

While it’s interesting to see the FBI taking this approach to clean millions of computers, it once again highlights the need for computer owners to be vigilant about security measures. It’s easy to forget about older, rarely used computers and if their software isn’t kept up to date, they can easily be targeted by botnet infections. Your security strategy needs to include regular updates to your operating system software and your security software, as well as checking that your security software is functioning correctly and performing regular scans. You also need to practice safe internet habits, such as being careful about suspicious-looking file attachments and not visiting dubious websites.

Ask your local Computer Troubleshooter on how to protect yourself from botnets.