Manually Setup a Dual Boot with Ubuntu & Windows 7

This video is a response to some questions I have recently received concerning setting up a dual boot system.  I have covered this topic in two other videos/blog posts.  However, both of those videos approached this goal by two different methods as does this video.  Previously we setup our dual boot with 'Wubi' and by using the 'Side-by-Side Install' method.  But what happens if you are using an older Ubuntu Live CD or a different Linux Distro entirely?  Those options may not necessarily work for you.  In this case you'll need to manually setup the partitions and let Ubuntu install to a new, empty partition.  So how do we do this?

There are a few things you need to do first.  And these are good things to do even when setting up your dual boot via the ways we have already covered.
#1- Defrag your computer.
Why? Easy! When you use your computer on a daily basis files and data become fragmented.  This simply means that the data is becoming somewhat scattered across the free space of your hard drive.  This adversly effects your hard drive in that it may slow down read/write times of your drive in relation to your computing tasks and it can take up excess hard drive space.

By running a defrag on your hard drive, a lot of this fragmentation will be cleaned up.  So in short, even if you have no plans to dual boot; running a defrag every once in a while is still a good idea.

#2- You'll more than likely want to have Windows installed first. The installation of GRUB tends to play along better if it can see Windows first.

#3- If your Windows install isn't a freshly installed version, you will want to backup any important data on your Windows machine.  Just in case things go south or you accidentally format the wrong partition, etc.  Believe me, things like this can happen if you're not cautious during these installs.

If you're good to go with the precautions mentioned above, then follow along with the video:





Manually Setup an Ubuntu-Windows 7 Dual Boot

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Help Ubuntu!: Overview of Some Default Apps in Ubuntu 11.04

Our latest video has just gone live over on our YouTube Channel!  Be sure to check it out.  It's entitled "Help Ubuntu!: Default Apps in Review".  And it covers a quick review of some notable apps that as a new Ubuntu user you'll no doubt come to find useful.

From the terminal to office software, and even multimedia software.  We touch on a little bit of everything to help get you comfortable with what Ubuntu has to offer.

So be sure to check out this video, and our previous videos either over at our YouTube Channel: http://www.youtube.com/techiesmarts or at our 'Help Ubuntu!' section here at TechieSmarts.com!

Help Ubuntu!: Default Apps in Review

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Affordable Remote PC Support using Teamviewer

I ran into an issue quite a while back in which I needed to login to someone's computer remotely.  It was a friend and they were having some issues with their computer that they just couldn't convey to me over the phone.  And honestly, I didn't feel like driving half an hour away to their house at 8:30 in the evening.  So, I decided to give Teamviewer a try.

It was by far one of the easiest remote clients I have ever used.  In my case, I simply emailed my friend the client listed on their site as 'For the Instant Customer'.  Which weighs in at 2.5MB's, so it is very small and a quick download for them.  Meanwhile, I had already downloaded the full client on my PC.  It was literally as simple as asking them to run their client and give me the 'User ID' and 'Password' numbers.

I then had to launch my Teamviewer client and choose to 'Create Session'.  In the Partner ID field you simply enter you're friend's 'ID'.  It is a numeric string that consists of three sets of three digit numbers.  Then select what type of connection you want to use.

-Remote Control

-File Transfer

-VPN

For most of my uses so far, Remote Control is the only feature I needed, so that is what I chose.  On the next screen you will be prompted to enter your friend's password which will consist of four digits.  And the password is randomized every time you launch the Teamviewer client.  This is to ensure user's have explicitly granted access themselves for the remote session.  Basically so you can't come in later and try to spy on them or do other malicious acts.

Once you have access to their system you will be able to navigate their machine as if you were in front of their physical computer.  In the past I have used a couple other services.  But this seems to work the most fluent in my situation.  In one case I was even able to troubleshoot my computer at home from a friends house via my Android Tablet running the Teamviewer client (I had set up the User ID and Password prior to leaving the house).  And it worked fine.

So if you are looking for a free way to handle remote access, this is my way of choice.  It's also cross platform.  There are clients for Windows, Mac, Linux, and even iPhone/iPad and Android!

Pros: Several different types of clients available.  I usually send my friends the 'No Install' client.  They simply download and run it.  And I use the full client to gain access to their systems.  And it's free for home user's (businesses must pay).  Cross platform support!

Cons: None that I have personally encountered.  Unless count the ad that pops up when closing the client.  But it isn't that intrusive.

To try it out for yourself visit: http://www.teamviewer.com

I give Teamviewer (as a service) 5 out of 5 stars!

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