Blackberry Sponge Cake

I recently did a lot of baking over the weekend. Me and my son had been out picking blackberries and we had 1.1kilos, so I thought I would make some cakes and buns.

The first thing I made was this blackberry sponge cake with cream. Trust me this is so delicious you will be hard pressed to get a piece once the family see it.

• 200gms self raising flour
• 200gms butter, softened
• 200gms caster sugar
• 2tsp vanilla extract
• 4 eggs
• 300ml double cream
• 200gms blackberries and 3 handfuls for the cream

1. Preheat the oven to 180C or Gas mark 4.
2. Beat the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. I use a hand blender for this.
3. Add the eggs one at a time as you continue to mix.
4. Once mixed together add the extract.
5. Stop blending if using a hand blender then slowly fold in the blackberries. Remember to keep 3 handfuls for the cream.
6. Slowly fold in the flour. Keep folding the ingredients together until you have a batter like consistency. As you are folding the mixture, try not to crush the berries.
7. Take 2 20cm cake tins and divide the mixture between the 2.
8. Bake in the oven for 20 minutes or until golden brown and a skewer, inserted into the middle comes out clean.
9. Once the cakes are cold mix the cream with 2tsb of sugar until the cream starts to harden. Stop mixing then fold in the 3 handfuls of berries into the cream. The idea is not to mix too much so as you crush the berries.
10. 

    Take a palate knife or any type of knife if you don’t have a palette knife. Spread the cream over the top of one of the cakes. When covered gently place the second cake on top and push down carefully.

11. Sprinkle the cake with caster sugar and serve.

 

Carrot Cake

On Sunday I decided to do some baking. One of the things I made was this succulent, tasty carrot cake.

Carrot Cake

• 170gms brown sugar
• 170gms sunflower oil
• 170gms self raising flour
• 3 eggs, beaten
• 130gms grated carrots
• zest of 1 lemon
• 2tsp cinnamon
• 1tsp bicarbonate of soda
• 1tsp ground nutmeg. If you have fresh all the better as it will taste better

1. Preheat the oven to 180C or gas mark 4.
2. Line an 18cm cake tin with greaseproof paper.
3. Add sugar to a mixing bowl along with the oil and eggs. Mix everything together then stir in the carrots and lemon zest.
4. Sift in the flour, bicarb and the spices then mix everything together.
5. Pour the mixture into the prepared cake tin.
6. Bake in the oven for 40 minutes or until you can slide a skewer in and and it comes out clean.
7. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 10 minutes in the tin before turning out onto a wire rack. Remove the paper and either allow to totally cool or serve immediately with some cream or ice cream.

This is a really great carrot cake recipe. It’s moist, delicious and should be something you try to make at least once.

 

Beetroot Wedges

One of the great things when growing your own vegetables is making things with them once they are ready. This recipe is typical of the things you can make.

These Beetroot Wedge’s are tasty and will melt in the mouth especially when you use your own home grown beetroots.

Ingredients

• 500g beetroot
• 200g spinach
• 70g Cheddar cheese
• 2 squares of puff pastry
• 2tbsp. olive oil
• 1 egg
• Ground black pepper
• Sesame seeds

Method

• Clean the beets and cut the ends away but DO NOT PEEL.
• Cook them in lightly salted water until soft and tender then rinse under cold water.
• Scrape away the peel.
• Fry the spinach in olive oil until all the water in the spinach has dissipated then let the spinach cool.
• Cut the beetroots into cubes and mix with the cheese and spinach. Season with black pepper and salt (if required)
• Set the oven on 225C or gas mark 6.
• Take the puff pastry and roll out into small squares. Remember you will be turning them into triangles so not too large.
• Fill the squares with the mixture.
• Take one edge of the pastry and fold creating a triangle. Firm the edges with a fork.
• Brush with the egg and sprinkle sesame seeds liberally over the triangles.
• Cook in the oven for 18-20 minutes depending on the type of oven you have, or until light brown.
• Leave to cool before enjoying.

These beetroot wedges are great with honey baked red onions!

 

Sausage Casserole with Chick Peas and Bacon

Heres a quick and tasty meal you can try now that the nights are drawing in and it looks like summer is over for this year.

Sausage casserole is really simple to make, you can add anything you want as it’s so adaptable. If you do try this let me know how you went on, especially if you changed or added other ingredients.

Ingredients

Serves 4-6

1. 1tsp garlic powder
2. 1tsp ginger powder
3. Salt & pepper to taste
4. 1 litre veg stock
5. 4 slices of bacon
6. 4 sausage
7. 2 large potatoes, peeled and cut into small chunks
8. 1 onion, peeled and cut into small pieces
9. 300g can cannellini beans
10. ½ cup of dried chickpeas (Before you use them soak overnight in water)
11. 400g can chopped tomatoes
12. ½ cup of dried butter beans (Before you use them soak overnight in water)

Method

1. Cook the sliced potatoes in salted water until tender.
2. Heat the oven to 200C or gas mark 6.
3. While the potatoes are cooking, take a large casserole dish and put all the other ingredients in, stirring everything together.
4. Add any herbs and spices you have and stir everything together.
5. If needed top up with water until everything is covered. Put the lid back on and place in the centre of the oven.
6. Cook for 1 hour then add the potatoes and cook for a further 30 minutes or until everything is cooked.
7. Serve in big bowls with homemade crusty bread.

 

Anthony’s Frugal Cookbook now on Amazon Kindle

Anthony’s Frugal Cookbook is now available to buy on the Amazon Kindle. It only costs £0.86p for the UK version and $1.41 for the US version so get yours now.

Inside the book are 88 easy to make delicious recipes. Recipes like apple pie, semla bun, Lucia cakes and pork with homegrown herbs and potatoes are inside plus much more.

Have you always wanted to make bread like your mum used to make? I have that covered to with some great tasting recipes that will have you and the family drooling.

Get my book Anthony’s Frugal Cookbook on the Amazon Kindle Now, you won’t be disappointed.

With times being hard like they are now, going back to basics in the kitchen and making your own meals will become a must for hard pressed families. My latest cookbook gives you a head start with easy to make, delicious tasting recipes you and the family will love. Can’t be bad can it? Click below NOW and get it for the Kindle.

For the UK version click HERE

For the US version click HERE

 

Milk Chocolate Tart

Milk Chocolate Tart

Rich, creamy and chocolaty, that’s how you can explain how this lovely tart tastes. If you use a good quality chocolate then this chocolate tart will be so scrumptious everyone will be begging you for the recipe. Another great way of using that homemade shortcrust pastry you have just made!

Ingredients
Base

• 300g white flour
• 2 tbsp. sugar
• 150g butter cut into cubes
• 1 egg

Filling

• 300g milk chocolate. Either Galaxy of Dairy Milk
• 2 eggs
• 4 egg yolks
• 50g sugar

Method

Base

1. Mix the flour and sugar together in a mixing bowl then add the egg and butter, mixing until mixed together.
2. Put the dough inside a freezer bag or clingfilm then leave to settle in the fridge for 30 minutes.
3. Take the dough and roll it out so it fits inside a large quiche or tart tin.
4. Add baking beans to the base.
5. Pre-bake the tart base in the oven on 200C or gas mark 6 for 10 minutes then remove. Remove the baking beans and cook for another 5 minutes before removing and allowing to cool.

Filling

1. Melt chocolate over boiling water until soft and melted. Don’t overdo this step as the chocolate will go lumpy.
2. Whisk the eggs, egg yolks and sugar together then add the melted chocolate slowly to the mixture whisking as you pour the chocolate into the mix.
3. Pour the mixture onto the pre-baked tart and spread evenly over the base.
4. Allow the chocolate to cool and set in the fridge for about 2 hours

Serve with either whipped cream, ice cream or on it’s own for a rich and tasty chocolate taste.

 

Apple Pie Made With Shortcrust Pastry

Everyone loves apple pie, if you don’t then I will eat it as I love it, providing there’s no cinnamon in it!

What will make this pie taste even more delicious is to use your own, homegrown apples picked fresh from your own trees. I am beginning to slaver just thinking about that.

Ingredients

Pastry

• 400g plain flour
• 200g butter or 100g butter and 100g lard
• 4 tbsp. ice cold water

Filling

• 1.5-2.0kg apples preferably Bramley. Peeled, de-cored and cut into slices
  

  Use whatever apples you have grown

• 140g golden caster sugar
• 3 tbsp. water

Ingredients Shortcrust Pastry

• 400g Plain flour
• 100g Lard at room temperature
• 100g Butter at room temperature
• Pinch of sea salt
• 4tbsp. Ice cold water

Method Shortcrust Pastry

1. Sieve the salt and flour into a mixing bowl.
2. Cut the lard and butter into small manageable pieces and add to the flour in the bowl.
3. With a round edged knife (butter knife is good for this) mix the ingredients together until they are fairly mixed together. Then with your fingertips lightly rub the ingredients together until they resemble breadcrumbs.
4. Sprinkle 1tbsp. of cold water over the ingredients and rub in.
5. Repeat until you have used the water then with the knife bring the ingredients together to make a dough. You want the dough that’s not to sticky or dry so you may have to add or reduce the water you use.
6. Finally with your fingertips once more, bring the dough together to form a smooth dough. Add cold water if needed as you bring the dough together.
7. Put the dough in a plastic bag or Clingfilm and leave to rest for 30 minutes in the fridge. This is important as it gives the dough time to get more elastic, making it easier to roll out.
8. After 30 minutes roll out to the desired size on a floured surface.
   

Method Pie

1. Preheat the oven to 190C or gas Mark 5.
2. Put the apples and sugar into a large mixing bowl and mix together.
3. Get a large pie tin or ovenproof plate and grease.
4. Take the dough out of the fridge and cut in half. Roll one half out on a floured surface. You want the pastry to be slightly bigger than the tin or
   

   Rolling out the shortcrust pastry

   plate.

5. Gently put the pastry on the tin pressing down into all the nooks and crannies. Trim away the edges and brush the edge with milk.
6. Take the apples and spread them all over the base leaving about 2cm’s free at the edge so you can seal the pie.
7. Roll out the 2^nd half of pastry. Again you want the pastry to be slightly bigger than the plate.
8. 

   Carefully put the pastry over a plate

   Place the lid over the apples and press it down at the edges making a seal. Trim away the edges then with your fingers finish it off by crimping the edges all way round sealing the apples in.

9. Make 3 slits on top of the lid so steam can escape. Brush the finished pie with milk then put in the oven.
   

   With a knife, carefully remove any excess pastry

   

   Ready for the oven

10. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until the pastry is a golden colour. Remove and leave to cool before serving with ice cream, custard or cream.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Handy Tips On Being Green And Frugal

We all know about climate change. The use of products that produce dangerous gases and pollute the air we breathe, resulting in warmer temperatures. But do many of you know how you can do just a little bit which will make a big impact to the climate and environment around you?

Turning off unwanted electrical items like chargers and computers, walking or cycling instead of using the car, planting trees and growing your own vegetables. All these things can be done quite easily, but will make a big change to the way in which we all live.

Below is a small list of things one can do to live a greener life but there are many more things one can do.

• When making coffee or tea use enough water for the number of cups you need.

• Make sure the pan you are using is the right size for the job and the ring you are going to use on the cooker.

• How about making your own meals instead of shop brought rubbish? Making your own meals means you know exactly what goes into them. If you use your own home-grown veg, fruit, herbs and other edible items, you will have a great tasting, healthy meal.

• Always open the windows around the house to let in fresh air and dispel any old, stale air which can be bad for you. Even in winter a few minutes makes a difference.

• Never leave the TV, satellite receiver or any other electrical device on standby. Leaving it on standby means you are still using electricity to keep it on standby and raising your electricity bills.

• Planting trees is an excellent way of helping the planet deal with pollutants which we pump into the air like carbon monoxide and turn it into oxygen which we need.

• Never buy bottled water. Yes it is an invaluable source in emergency situations where the local supply has been cut off or contaminated, BUT there are ways for these companies to distribute water without using plastic. Cardboard cartons and bottles is one way in which they could distribute water needed in times of disaster. Plus the transporting and making is incredibly expensive and bad for the environment.

• Growing your own food like vegetables, fruit and herbs are another great way for you to live greener lives and conserve the environment. Not using pesticides will greatly improve the air and the soil in which you have planted your vegetables and they will taste delicious too.

• Conserving rain water is a great way of living a green life and there are many ways in which one could utilise the collected water. First off is the garden. Water the plants, trees, and all those vegetables with rain water which is free from chlorine, fluorides and other chemicals water companies pump into our drinking water. Some plants like Venus Fly Traps should only be watered with rain water as the chemicals in drinking water will rot and kill it outright. Other good ways for using rainwater is the toilet and if you can have the correct filters in place, the shower.

• Composting. When you are preparing your vegetables and fruit why not have a small compost bin in the kitchen with a lid on. When it’s full take it outside and put that waste into a compost bin. This will rot down over time thanks to the beneficial insects and worms, leaving you with beautiful compost which you can use in your garden. The plants will thank you for it too.

• Try to recycle as much as you can. From paper to plastic, metals and even batteries can be recycled. No longer working electrical items like fridges and freezers can all be recycled. Furniture you no longer require and old clothes can be recycled to. Just give the local charity shop a ring or go visit them and see if they will collect you’re unwanted items. I save some containers to use in and around the house and in the garden. Old yoghurt pots can be great emergency plant pots, so can tin cans. Plastic egg cartons can be used as seed trays. If they have a lid then you have a mini propagator. Just think about it, the possibilities for recycling are endless.

• When washing clothes use the coldest setting possible and try to hang them up to dry instead of using a tumble dryer. Bad for the environment and the pocket.

• Other more common things to do to live a greener life include leaving the car at home instead replacing it with either walking, cycling or getting public transport to work and wherever else you may be going. If you need to use the car make sure it is as environmentally friendly as possible and always make sure the tyres are at the correct pressure. Turn off lights when not needed and even turning down the thermometer by 1 degree makes a difference.

As one can see these changes are nothing major, most of them you will already know and, hopefully already implement. But they will make a big difference to the environment and climate, especially if everyone practices these simple procedures. It’s not hard or even rocket science, just common sense.

 

Dust Inside A Computer

I have recently written an article on Getting Rid Of Dust Inside A Computer. To read it click HERE.

Dust can be a killer if left inside your pc, so regular cleaning inside will not only make it run cooler, it will prolong it’s life. It’s also simple to do.

 

How To Combat Spam

I have recently added an article on another website about Combatting Spam. You can read it HERE.

It gives you ideas, hints and tips on combatting spam and other scams freely sent to our in-boxes daily. If you want to stop these unwanted emails read the article.

 

FREE Office Software

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There is so much software out there today it starts to get confusing when you are searching for the right program. Office programs, computer care and protection, even cloud based programs designed to give you, the user the ability to access your documents no matter where in the world you are. If you are not computer savvy then this can lead to you going out and buying software that the shop assistant pushes your way. With the advent of the internet there came with it a whole new world of software, with much of it free to the customer who cares to download it. And this is the aim of this short article, to give you another option when you need software and in particular Office software. It’s not conclusive but gives one a taster of what’s out there for free.

Office Programs

Ever since Microsoft released their first Operating System, Windows 3 they have had a small and basic word program for you to use. Over the years the program has stood the test of time but been somewhat neglected, until the advent of Windows 7. A new interface and buttons for you to play with, WordPad is an excellent choice if you only write the occasional letter.

OpenOffice is a word program that rivals Microsoft’s own Office suite, only Open Office is free. It has the ability to open almost any document format including Microsoft’s own extensions. Looks similar to Microsoft’s interface and is easy to use. You can download it from the internet which won’t take long then save it to a CD for future use.

Did you know you can download Microsoft’s latest office software FREE? Well you can but only for 60 days. You can download the latest office application and try it free of charge for 60 days, then purchase it if you want to afterwards. It’s fully unlocked for you to try and is a great way in which to get Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook and other applications. I will let you into a secret. After the 60 days is up uninstall it, reboot your computer then re-download it using another email address. You now have a fully working office program FREE to use for another 60 days.

There are lots of other Office programs out there online and these are just some of the popular ones. If you are in need of any kind of software, always look for a free program before you go out and buy a more expensive version. Free doesn’t always mean rubbish these days and it could save you a fortune.

If you can think of anymore Office suites that are free, why not let us know?

 

Importance of Using Different Passwords Online

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As more and more of us go online it also seems there are more and more unscrupulous people who are out to get everything they can from you. That includes bank details, your identity and of course your passwords.

It’s a fact of life now when we go onto a website that if we want to participate we have to sign up meaning creating a username and password. This is where we all fall down and leave ourselves open to these people who want our information. What I am talking about is the use of passwords and the fact that most of us use the same one for every website, forum and social networking site we frequent.

So what should we do to make it impossible for anyone to get our details?

It’s quite simple really. NEVER ever use the same password for more than one website. I know many of us go to tens or even hundreds of websites every day and we need to put our details in every time, and to be honest it gets a little monotonous and annoying, but that’s what these scammers and hackers want. You see if you use the same password all the time then anyone who does get hold of your details has an easy time taking over your identity, and that means they can post, purchase and do pretty much what they want as the password is the same.

I know its tedious inputting different passwords every time we want to go to our favourite websites, and another problem is remembering them all too. But it is important to have different ones and there are ways in which you can make your life easier online.

Before we go into storing all those passwords we need to know how and where you can make a password, how to make one up, how many characters it should have and what NOT to use.

Where can you make a Password?

Well if, like me you struggle to think of a password when you are signing up to a website there are a few other things you can use. One is a website which has a small piece of software on it that allows you to create a password. Another step is to download a free copy of a password generator. Look online and you will see that there are pages of online or desktop password generators available so it shouldn’t be too hard to find something.

Making a Password Up

The ideal number of characters in a password is between 12 and 14 characters long. When making a password it’s always advisable to use numbers and letters including UPPER and lower case, special characters’ like slashes and other symbols on the keyboard.

What NOT to Use

It is not advisable to use things like a date of birth, favourite football teams, pet names or any other piece of information easily available to everyone. Social security or National Insurance number? Forget it. All that does is give the hacker even more information as he now has your SSN. The password you generate should also be easy to remember, easier said than done I know when you have one which has so many different characters.

Storing that all Important Data

Once you have different passwords for all those favourite websites, blogs, forums and social networking websites how can you remember them all? Well unless you have a photographic memory that could be a problem but help is at hand.

Look online and do a search for something like “storing different passwords” and you will be immediately shown lots of websites that offer you software which will remember all your passwords inside one program. All you have to do then is remember the master password so you can get to the passwords. Some of these programs are free so it pays to take some time and choose one you feel comfortable with, and read any comments other users have left if there are any.

Using different passwords for all those websites you frequent is a must. Yes it does get annoying having to remember them all then input them into the password box. But in the end it can save you from being taken over from some of these nasty people that only want to take from you what they can. Help is at hand too in order for you to store all the passwords so to be honest there is no excuse is there?

 

Upgrading a Computer

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Sometimes just going to the local store and picking the first computer one sees, hoping it will do all you require it to do won’t suffice, and the chances are you will need to mod or upgrade a computer. Upgrading a computer can involve replacing the standard video card, memory and CPU if they won’t run the latest games or many of the high performance pieces of software available on today’s market. So when you do buy a pc off the shelf upgrading at the same time is a good idea.

 

What if you already have a computer and you want to upgrade that? Well there are options galore from a computer CPU upgrade, memory and graphics card as mentioned above, even a nice new case like those lovely modded cases that glow in the dark can be classed as computer upgrading.

Why should you need a pc upgrade? Well when buying a branded computer many manufacturers will make a bulk standard pc which will serve most people’s needs whether it’s for the internet or using programs like office, playing games or movie editing. So if you want something a little more powerful you either go to an independent computer shop and get them to

A hard drve cooler will keep your hard drive cool and prolong it’s life.

build one for you to your specifications, or you purchase the pc off the shelf and upgrades at the same time then do the job yourself. Many major manufacturers now allow you to upgrade the computer so long as you do not damage it, by that I mean damage the motherboard or other parts as you will void any warranty.

If you already have a pc then upgrading will mean it will probably run better and faster, run the latest software products and games and be an all-round more high performance pc compared to the old one you had before, oh and you are being kind on the environment in not throwing away the old computer, rather upgrading it.

Have you seen those jazzy cases with lights inside? Those green, red and blue light tubes that light up the inside of the case showing off all the neat cables which have UV ends. When the UV lights are switched on they give the inside of the case a wonderful glow especially in the dark. What about those cables too that light up when a UV light is shone on them? When done proper these cases look magical and you end up spending more time looking inside the case then you do looking at the monitor, well I did anyway when I first modded mine! But they are easy to do. You may have to purchase another case, one with a transparent side panel then transfer everything from the old to the new case. If one is not so sure then the local friendly computer shop will come in handy or maybe a relative who is computer savvy.

But it’s not just under the cover that one can upgrade or accessorize. Things like a better keyboard and mouse can be important in today’s computer age, plus the keyboard and mouse one gets with computers don’t tend to be very good do they? As they do most of the work, having a good quality board and mouse is important. Even speakers are no longer luxuries in today’s computer household. With Social Networking and the chance to stream music and video via the internet into your home, a good quality set of speakers is now a necessity whether a twin set at the side of the monitor or the multimedia speaker systems that allow one to hear even the tiniest of noises all around the house.

Have you thought about a printer? What about an all in one printer? What they will give the user is invaluable especially if one works from home. An all in one printer now gives the user the ability to not only print but copy and scan meaning an end to a scanner and copy machine in the home or office, and they are very cheap to purchase.

As one can see upgrading or modding a computer can be done and in most cases it’s easy to do, you only require minimal expertise at best. Even adding keyboards and mice to a system can make a big difference. They now make life easier as these have become multimedia objects that will do everything from opening a Word doc to playing Spotify and iTunes by pressing 1 button. One word of caution. If you intend to upgrade that new branded PC or any PC you brought from a shop make sure you won’t void the warranty. As mentioned above most will let you upgrade but it’s worth checking first.

 

Buying a computer

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Buying a computer to some people can seem like a daunting task while to others it’s a piece of cake. Those people seem to know the ins and outs of the computer market, know what to look for in a computer from the CPU, memory and hard drive while you just sit at home and wonder what it all means.

What to look for when buying a computer doesn’t have to be difficult, just follow some simple and basic rules and in no time at all you will be sitting in front of a nice new shiny computer.

1. First you will need to decide what you will be using the computer for. You might want the best and fastest computer available, but do you really need it? Decide on what you are going to use the computer for. Surfing the net, office or spreadsheets are all things that require little processing power so buying the fastest computer out there will not be of any benefit to you. On the other hand if you are going to be playing state of the art games, watch video and TV then you will need one that is more powerful than one for spreadsheets.

2. It will be a good thing for a newbie to computers to buy a complete system. That means buying a computer with a monitor, keyboard and mouse included in the price. That way you won’t have to look at all the different monitors, mice and keyboards that are on the market. Trust me picking those items is a lot worse than choosing a computer!

3. Once you have decided what you will be doing with your new computer decide on how much you can afford to spend and stick to that price range. There are many different computers out there, all with different specifications so having a price range and an idea on what one will be using a computer for will go a long way in deciding what’s best for you.

4. Now you are ready to look around for computers. It pays to check in as many different places as one can which will mean magazines and newspapers, online and of course going to shops and malls looking at the different ones available. This is probably the best option for a novice as one can see the computers on the shelves. Remember, stick to the price range you know you can afford and don’t be afraid when in shops to ask questions, lots of questions. Warranties and service contracts are important too so get the best available. Sometimes it pays to buy a computer with a little more power than you may need. Also hard drive space, graphics and memory may seem like equations to the meaning of life to you at the moment but try to get the best you can afford, that way if in the future you do decide to play games, make movies or music or even build your own games then that extra computing power, graphics and memory will serve you well.

5. One good way of purchasing a computer is to buy a branded computer. Nowadays there is so much choice available to the consumer it can work to your advantage. One company will offer one thing while another will offer a bigger or better item. Plus buying a branded computer can give one the peace of mind that it’s from a reputable computer maker.

6. Do you know someone who is into computers? Well take them along or ask for advice. It seems that every household has at least one person who is into computers and knows all the ins and outs, so asking them will help you enormously.

Now that you know how to buy a computer you can go out there and buy a new computer that you really want, not what someone else wants you to have. Enjoy your new computer and always look at trying new things with it like multimedia, games and the other things one can enjoy with a computer. Buying a computer isn’t hard now is it?

 

Recovering Files on a Damaged Hard Drive

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One of the worst things that can happen to you and your computer is your Operating System not booting up when you switch your computer on. Panic ensues as you realise that you have tons of information on the hard drive that you desperately need including all those family pictures. And guess what? You have never backed up in your life.

So what do you do after the panic has subsided and the sadness has taken over? Well there are actually some ways in which you can take all that important information off that hard drive, and if the drive is no longer working then you still might be able to get what you want.

If the computer powers up but it won’t load the operating system and instead you get error messages then this workaround could be your salvation.

Don’t Despair…Yet

One of the ways you can try is by using a copy of a free program like Knoppix. Knoppix is Linux based and doesn’t need to be installed on your computer like Windows does. You can boot Knoppix from a CD or DVD and once you have access to the desktop recover that info onto media like a CD or DVD, USB stick or even another hard drive.

Knoppix, What’s that?

Well Knoppix, as mentioned earlier is Linux based and Open Source which means anyone is free to download and use the software. You can even make changes to the software to make it even better. It runs from either a CD or DVD and comes packed with lots of other Open Source software like Open Office, Mozilla and MySQL being just a few. No matter how experienced you are with computers you can be assured that Knoppix is easy to use and comes with user guides that are simple to understand. There are lots of websites and Wiki’s out there that will also help you should the worst happen and you don’t understand something.

CD or DVD, Which One for You?

That really depends on you the user. You have the choice of downloading both versions on the website. The DVD version comes with more free Open Source products for you to try so if you are a software freak then that choice could be for you. But whichever choice you make both will do the same thing and that is to access the hard drive with all that important information on.

You Have the Disc, Now What?

So you have the disk now what do you do? Well it’s really simple, put the disk into your CD/DVD rom and close the tray. You will want to store the information on something when you get into the hard drive so plug in a USB stick so you can transfer everything over to that. After that switch off the computer then back on again.

Patience is a Virtue

Once the pc is switched back on it will automatically find the CD/DVD and ask you if you want to boot into Linux. Press Enter as asked then sit back and wait.

Patience is a virtue and none more so when booting up from software like Knoppix so be patient as it finds the USB stick then installs the installation files needed to boot up onto a virtual RAM drive.

Once it has booted up into Knoppix you will find your drive on the desktop along with the USB stick. Now you will have to make the USB stick writeable so you can transfer all the files across to it. Right click on the read/write mode and make it writable. Then copy the files you need to the USB stick and when satisfied close the windows down. To log out of Knoppix right click on the desktop and select Log Out and then follow any instructions that come up.

What can go Wrong?

Sometimes the best laid plans won’t always come into effect and something goes wrong like the computer doesn’t read the CD when booting up.

Question. When you boot up your computer it doesn’t read the CD/DVD.

Answer. Well that would be because the computer is booting from the hard drive first when it should be the CD/DVD. You will have to get your hands dirty with this and go into the BIOS (Basic Input/output System.) To do that when the computer starts you will have to usually press the F2 or F10 key, sometimes you will have to press the Del key but computers are all different. If you are unsure look at the screen when it powers up, usually in the left hand corner it will tell you. Once you are inside the BIOS you will have to navigate to the page that allows you to change the order of booting and change the setting from hard drive or HD0 to CD/DVD drive. Once you have changed the order so that the CD/DVD is the first booting device save the settings and reboot.

Please, at this stage do not change any other of the settings in the BIOS otherwise you could end up with your computer either not booting or having problems when it does.

Simple Isn’t It?

So there you have it. A once inaccessible hard drive can be accessed via a piece of software which is Open Source and freely available.

One thing does stick out though in these circumstances and that is backing up. If you were to back up the hard drive on a regular basis then you wouldn’t need to go through this. So before your hard drive says goodnight Vienna why not backup now?

There is other Open Source software you can try including Ubuntu which basically does the same. Even if you don’t have problems software like Linux can be used instead of the usual Windows operating system. Go ahead and play around, you won’t break anything. Honestly!