Dealing with law firms and their software for 30 years has put me in a unique position to sift through a variety of solutions to any number of IT or software related problems that law offices find themselves facing.

Once such problem has been making sure that both backups are working properly. We absolutely insist that Members have two backups. One done onsite and kept there, updated daily, and one done online and kept offsite. Making sure that online backups actually work may require some real attention up front—and of course a constant check to make sure everything is functioning later as well.

If your online backups aren’t working here are some suggestions I’ve learned from trial and error over the years. If you have any other tips to share—by all means please add to the list!

• Back up “data” not programs; you own the commercial software, you can reinstall it in the event of a failure; this includes your operating system

• If you want to protect your operating system and commercial software, install a RAID I system and it is continuously protected

• Know your upload maximum speed; you can use www.speedtest.net to find this out, and figure about 80% efficiency on a good day

• Know your data block/packet size; default is 2048 bits for each, but if you have altered this, you may have data crashes; have sufficient RAM to support the block/packet size selected; 4 GIG will support 2048 but not 4096 size in a backup situation

• Don’t run a synchronization backup system, unless you are fully aware of what you are doing

• Don’t run a continuous backup unless you have the resources available to support the normal daily workload, as well as the backup system; the minimum system for this might be a gigabyte network, with minimum dual NIC in the server for a split load, quad core, and 8 GIG of DDR3 1600 RAM

• Schedule your backup to run when other server functions are not scheduled to run; if your server is trying to do auto-updates, A/V scans, disk compression, registry cleaning (which they typically do each night) don’t schedule the backup for that same time frame

• Archive your antiquated information; if you haven’t accessed it in 3 years, you probably don’t need it held in a ready mode, being indexed continuously and clogging up your index cache system;  I didn’t say delete it, archive it, either on another server, or on a mapped drive in your server that is not indexed; you can backup the archive during the day, because no one is accessing that information

• Give the backup server something it can handle; if you dump 500 GIG on the backup system, it will fail 99% of the time, probably forever; an example should clarify how this works – the first night you back up 25 GIG for a partial backup; doing the math, that is 20 days and you are complete backup up; WRONG! on day 2, when you should be getting the 2nd 25 GIG, you are actually taking care of the files that changed in the 1st 25 GIG first (this is the incremental side of it), then any left over time will be allocated to the next 25 GIG; the 3rd night you are taking care of changes to the 1st 25 GIG, any changes that occurred in the 2nd block that did get backed up, then it will continue working on the 2nd 25 GIG; you thought you should have 75 GIG in 3 days, when in actually you don’t even have 50 GIG, so you are falling behind already = FAILED

• After you have segregated your data, pick a backup set from your ready data of approximately 10 GIG for the 1st night;  on a fiber system, it will probably complete; depending upon the results the next morning, add another “chunk” to the backup set; on Friday evening, just before you go home, add a huge block (but not 500 GIG) to the backup set and manually start it running as it will have Friday night, Saturday, and Sunday to complete; your incremental backup will run on schedule, so you are gradually becoming fully protected;  after all, you didn’t get all that data overnight, don’t expect to back it up overnight.

Establishing your backup system and routine is not difficult, just takes a little patience and work to get it fully functional.

Randy Harwick
Technical Services Engineer
American Academy of Estate Planning Attorneys, Inc.
6050 Santo Road, Suite 240
San Diego, CA 92124
858-453-2128
www.aaepa.com

A Member posted a great question recently… he has two offices and is brainstorming how to use Skype for initial consultations with clients.

I, for one, am a huge fan of Skype. I use it to talk to my son in Iraq and to communicate with several of our offsite Academy employees. However, Skype tends to be easiest to use – and therefore most effective – when you have a pre-existing relationship with the person you’re talking to. It’s not the same as a face-to-face conversation, so it might take some effort to learn how to use Skype to conduct a business meeting or an initial consultation that works. In short, I wouldn’t recommend substituting a face-to-face meeting with an online connection unless you don’t have a choice.

That being said, I think it’s possible to learn the skills you need in order to work with prospects or centers of influence and close them via Skype (or by phone, for that matter). The key is to understand that you’re learning a new skill set, and to be prepared for the learning curve that comes along with any new endeavor.

Here are a few lessons I’ve learned that might help you take the awkwardness out of the situation, and help make an initial consult by Skype successful:

• The main objective in this type of meeting or in a face-to-face meeting is to help the other person feel comfortable enough to open up and share the concerns they have with you. You have to be masterful when it comes to helping them put their finger on some of that pain… and doing that over the internet is a little tricky.

• Eye contact is key in any meaningful conversation… and generally, it’s not natural to keep and maintain eye contact when you’re using Skype. This is something you’ll need to practice so that you can put your prospect at ease like you would in a face-to-face consultation.

• Skype does not allow for multitasking. Whether you’re engaging with a client by Skype or by phone, 100% focus is essential. You might have to work to break the multitasking habit, but it’s necessary and worth it to gain the trust of your prospect.

• As a rule, active listening is a no-no when you’re using Skype for a meeting. Your goal should be to have no interruptions.

• You’ll need to consider how to create an effective client experience when you can’t shake hands, lean over to hand them a tissue, or pat their shoulder on their way out of the door. As useful as it is, there’s a certain lack of the human element when you’re using Skype, simply because you can’t reach out and touch the person you’re talking to. Liken it to doing a Living Trust Seminar on a conference call with all the participants muted. You have to create it all on your own with zero feedback, and they have to take a leap that you’re not untrustworthy without an up close and personal sniff test.

In my next post, I’ll talk a little about preparing a prospect for a Skype consultation, and why you might want to offer a choice between Skype and a face-to-face meeting.

Have you used Skype for client consults? What have you found that works for these conversations… and what have you found that doesn’t?

Jennifer Price
Director of Member Services
American Academy of Estate Planning Attorneys, Inc.
6050 Santo Rd Ste 240
San Diego, CA 92124
858-453-2128
www.aaepa.com

“Warning! Your computer is at risk of malware attacks. We recommend you to check your system immediately. Press OK to start the process now.”

What to do:

• Remain calm! DO NOT ignore this message though!

• Click the X button to exit (Upper right corner) to close the popup and NEVER click on the “OK” button.

• Run a FULL-System scan with your antivirus program to find and remove the malware.

• If the computer has already been infected you should shut down your unit and contact local tech support to aid in removing any malware on your computer. They will more than likely backup your files for you but make sure you ask as well.

Malware and other malicious software are rampant on the internet and have evolved quickly into an everyday threat as you surf the net. FYI: 80% of legitimate sites contain polymorphic virus and some of these viruses can replicate and mutate on your own system without you ever knowing as it spreads on to other units you are in contact with. These changing malware can be very hard for even the most advanced antivirus systems to detect so it is important to run regular updates on your antivirus software.

Never browse the internet, receive emails or do anything related to the internet without a known and reputable antivirus software installed. Even simple actions like these can lead to infection of your computer.

More Technical instructions!

Microsoft gives home users (only) free support in dealing with malware infections such as viruses, spyware, and adware.

https://support.microsoft.com/oas/default.aspx?&prid=7552&st=1

Or you can troubleshoot yourself…

1. See if you can download/run the MSRT manually: http://www.microsoft.com/security/malwareremove/default.mspx
2. WinXP => Run the Windows Live Safety Center’s ‘Protection’ scan (only!) in Safe Mode with Networking, if need be: http://onecare.live.com/site/en-us/center/howsafe.htm
3. Vista or Win7=> Run this scan instead: http://onecare.live.com/site/en-us/center/whatsnew.htm
4. Now run a thorough check for hijackware, including posting requested logs in an appropriate forum.

If these directions are slightly too technical for your liking then the best choice would be to contract local tech support to help you with the situation.

Web Department
American Academy of Estate Planning Attorneys, Inc.
6050 Santo Rd., Ste. 240
San Diego, CA 92124
858-453-2128
www.aaepa.com

Many People Wonder:

Why does restarting the computer resolve so many issues? What kind of magic happens while the computer reboots?

Many times when someone has a problem with their computer, the first thing that any tech support person will tell them is to restart their computer. Most people think the tech is just trying to find a quick and easy way to resolve the problem.

We are!

Without getting into many technical aspects of what actually occurs while a computer restarts, we’ll explore why rebooting is good and why it fixes at least 80% of all problems, if not more. But first, let’s get a quick understanding of how a computer actually does some tasks and how it’s built.

A computer stores data (ex. documents), runs applications (ex. MS Word) and processes data in its brain, the CPU. Files are stored on your hard disk and are loaded into active memory only when they are used. Applications also reside on your hard disk, and are loaded into the memory when they are used.

Think Of Memory As A Bucket.

As the bucket has a finite capacity so does your computer memory. When a computer needs to load a document or a spreadsheet or start an application, it puts them in the bucket. You have to manage how much to put into the bucket so you don’t overload it. As you empty the bucket, by closing files and applications, some items stick to it, which decreases bucket’s capacity.

The only way to get the bucket back to its original state is to thoroughly clean it with water and some detergent. You clean your computer with a reboot.

So What Will Restarting A Computer Do And Why Do It:

• If your computer is frozen, rebooting will “unfreeze it.” The main argument against that simple task is data loss. The fact of the matter is that it’s already decided if the work is saved, lost, or recoverable. You will not lose any work by rebooting that hasn’t already been lost.
• If programs are freezing but your computer itself isn’t, rebooting will make them run properly again. Rebooting frees up resources that were previously lost, allowing programs to function normally (cleaning the bucket).
• Rebooting frees up resources. Running applications uses memory, hard drive space, and many other resources (the bucket). When those resources are depleted, your computer slows down and then, finally, it stops responding. Restarting “refreshes” those resources.
• Rebooting fixes problems. During a restart process a computer performs an array of checks and tests and often fixes problems with user’s intervention. It is like cleaning your bucket and at the same time checking for leaks, cracks, etc.
• Sometimes, it just does. We don’t know why, maybe it’s some mystical mojo, but sometimes rebooting fixes things for reasons we don’t know, or just haven’t pinpointed.
• Finally, rebooting helps troubleshoot the problem. It helps us determine if we can replicate the problem. A one-time problem such as an application that freezes would not happen again after restarting. There is even a chance that it will not happen anymore. However, the answer is not known until we start all over from scratch again, just like when the computer is first turned on.

Web Department
American Academy of Estate Planning Attorneys, Inc.
6050 Santo Rd., Ste. 240
San Diego, CA 92124
858-453-2128
www.aaepa.com