Five Questions About Data Safety

Just how safe is your computer and the data it contains? Did you know your information is very vulnerable to many lurking issues online? If you double click on an infected file you could delete all your data. This is why you have to think:

Is your machine placed properly?

Overheating and vibrations are two common causes that determine data loss. Make sure your computer is well ventilated, and don't place books on top of it. Keep your computer away from busy areas this will prevent people from kicking it. Don't place your pc directly on the floor because static electricity can also cause data loss.

Is the electricity system that you are using safe?

This is important especially if you are leaving or working in an old house. Check all wires and sockets and if needed replace them because tension breaches and uneven electric power can cause not only data loss, but all total destruction of your hard drive.

Is your computer protected against power black-outs?

A solid electric fuse will protect your computer and all other electric machines in your home or office against black outs. Also, you can consider using an uninterrupted source of electric power like a UPS backup system, or if we are referring to a big company, then you can make use of an electric generator that runs on fuel. Both of them protect the electric machines that are turned on before the black out and automatically switches them to its source of electricity when the main electricity provider is off.

Do you own data protection software?

Data protection software spreads over a large market, from anti-viruses to software that investigates your hard disk drive when the system fails. There are software programs that create copies of your files and will constantly monitor your data. Be careful not to forget to renew your antivirus software every week.

Do you protect your data with back-ups? Where do you store your copies?

The data on your computer should be backed-up weekly, including your agenda, your files, folders, and your calendars; you should back-up everything. Of course, the info that doesn't get modified weekly can be backed-up every month. You can store your backups on a cd or on a reserved hard drive, or even on the internet somewhere where you have some available space.

By Jesse Miller

If you really want to take the work out of looking for that right Spyware Protection from a Spybot go to the Internet and get a Free Spybot Download or a Spybot Search and Destroy to prevent your vital information from being ripped from your computer.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jesse_Miller

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Questions and Answers About Proxy Server

What is a proxy server

A Proxy (proxy server) is a server that acts as mediator between the client (the computer of a user) and server (the computer on the other ends of network connection on which the information requested by the user appears for example web server site.) When clients request data from an Internet resource, traffic goes from your web browser/application first through the proxy before it reaches the requested sources and back through the proxy. Then the proxy will transmit the data (information) to you.

Why I need to use a proxy server

1. Transfer speed improvement. If the file you requested was received before to your proxy server, then proxy server will interrupt this file request and you will receive the file directly from proxy. However need to know, you can got the "speed down" effect. This effect appears when your proxy has long answer time because there is slow connection between you and your proxy server.

2. Security and privacy. Anonymous proxies destroys information about your computer in the requests header. So you can safely surf the net and your information will never be used by hackers and spammers.

3. Sometimes you encounter some problems while accessing to web server (for example, web-chat). You have mistaken while working with some data and / or the server administrator restricted access from your IP. So you can use the anonymous proxy and try to access again.

How can I get fresh proxy server information?

Every proxy server is inclusive of an IP address and a proxy port that is listed next to the address. You can search "free proxy list" on google to get newest proxy servers. Here is a daily updated proxy list I recommend: http://www.aplusproxy.com/proxylist/index.php

How to configure IE 7.0 to use a proxy server?

1. Open Internet Explorer 7.0.

2. Click on the Tools icon from the upper right of the browser and select Internet Options from the menu.

3. Select the Connections tab and click the button for LAN Settings.

4. Click the radio button for Proxy Server. Type the IP number of the proxy In the Address box, and add the port number of the proxy in the Port box.

5. Click the OK button, then OK again.

6. After setting a proxy server, you need to check if that proxy is working. Type www.google.com in your IE7 address bar and see if google index page is loaded for you.

By John Hu

John is the admin of : www.assban.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=John_Hu

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Why Is My Computer Slow At Loading?

Is your computer slow at loading nowadays, when it was working perfectly well a couple of days ago? I remember when I had this problem some months ago, when my computer suddenly processes and loads really slowly for seemingly no reason. I got so worried when I realized this problem, and thought I might have to replace my PC with a new one.

1. Reasons For Computer To Slow Down

One of the main reasons why your computer can slow down after a prolonged period of use is due to errors in the registry. This is the area where your computer stores all the software and hardware instructions to run correctly. Over time, the number of errors or bad entries will accumulate in the registry if it is not maintained often.

2. How To Fix The Registry?

If you have the technical experience with cleaning registries, you can clean it yourself, but do be careful because moving the wrong entries can be fatal to the system.

3. Download A Cleaner Software

For a much safer and faster way to clean up your registry, you should download a registry cleaner to scan and fix your PC. Even with a cleaning software, you should still be careful to backup your original settings, just in case something goes wrong during the repair process. The software that I use provides this safety feature that allows me to backup all my settings before running the repair.

Using such software allows you to clean your registry even if you do not have any technical experience. It is a handy tool to maintain your PC and ensure that you have an optimized computer all the time.

4. Functions Of A Registry Cleaner

The software will run a free scan on your PC after you have downloaded it. It then displays to you the number of errors found in your registry, and then categorizes them into their type of errors.

After the scan, you should do a backup before proceeding to run the fix. The whole process took a little over 10 minutes for my computer, but it may be faster or slower based on the number of errors found. In my case, there were about 200 errors found in my registry when I ran the scan. After the fixing process, I was prompted to restart my computer. The startup speed of my computer was significantly faster afterwards, and my PC was running like new again.

5. Conclusion

To be able to cure your slow computer, you need to discover the real causes of your slow computer. It is best to get scanning software to find all the problems on your computer before deciding on the best course of action. Unless you have technical experience with fixing a computer, you should not attempt to do this on your own. You can visit my website link at the end of this article to download the cleaner that I used to repair my computer.

By Austin Porter

Are you looking to speed up your slow computer? Read the author's review of the Best Registry Cleaners on the market now at http://www.review-best.com/registry-cleaner.htm and completely clean up your computer registry in 2 minutes!

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Austin_Porter

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Adobe Illustrator CS3 Basics Tutorial

This tutorial will go over the basic aspects of Adobe Illustrator. Within the immediate viewing area of the user a list of buttons and features are available to use on your Adobe Illustrator document. I will be going over the basic uses of these features and how you can implement them.

The first Adobe Illustrator tutorial is the Selection Tool. The Selection Tool is used to select projects on the screen that you may be working on. Usually, a large amount of these can start to form when you are managing a project. You can move the files around to be easily viewed. However, there are limitations to this tool. Adobe has come up with two other Selection Tools that will solve these space issues.

The second Adobe Illustrator tutorials are bundled. They are related to the Selection Tool in terms of operation. They are the Direct Selection Tool and the Group Selection Tool. The Direct Selection Tool is used to reshape an object or image by using its anchor points. It can change the width and height of a segment of an object or change the way it shaped by moving anchor points in a certain direction. The Group Selection Tool allows you to select one object on the first click and if you select again it will target all of the objects that are within its field. This tool helps to organized all the objects so you can select them easily.

Next up is the Adobe Illustrator Magic Wand Tool. The Magic Wand Tool lets you select objects that are similar in stature. You can do this by just selecting one of the targets and the Magic Wand Tool will attach to the others that are similar. You can make the tool look for anything that you can think of within each object to connect the two.

The Lasso Tool is the next feature within Adobe Illustrator’s long list of incredible features. The Lasso Tool allows you to select objects by drawing around them. You don’t have to complete the connection all the way around the objects. Adobe Illustrator will make an educated guess of what you were thinking if you did not finish. Sometimes this is a better way than using the other tools to select objects.

The features listed next are within the Pen Tool family. Most of them are Point Tools that help you manipulate objects. The Pen Tool is probably the most important tool that Adobe Illustrator CS3 has to offer. Anchor Points are used to define the way an object is and can be shaped. You can make very artistic shapes with this single tool. Many professional swear by it. The Add Anchor Point Tool allows you to add anchor points to an existing object. This feature will change the shape of the object indefinitely. It gives you more choices in the way you will your object to look. The Delete Anchor Point Tool deletes any anchor points on an object. This will also drastically change the way the object looks when displayed. The Convert Anchor Point Tool helps you shape objects very cleanly and precisely, so that you can get the most accurate shapes and transformations when you use anchor points.

The Type Tool has a wide assortment of features. The Type Tool makes different types and formats to put them in. You are able to edit these however you like. The Area Type Tool allows you to open up paths that were once areas you could type in to edit it yourself. The Type on a Path Tool allows you to manipulate the path in which the text will take. You can often use it to type around an object. I am sure you have seen typing that is in a spiral shape. The Vertical Type Tool makes it possible for you to type vertically. It is just like what you saw when you watched the matrix. Except those weren’t real language characters. The Vertical Area Type Tool changes paths that were closed to vertical type. You are also given the freedom to edit the type as well. The Vertical Type on a Path Tool makes the path that you chose for the text write in a vertical fashion rather than making the text lay on the line as normal.

The next set of tools provides the user with the ability to make lines in all types of fashions. The Line Segment Tool lets you draw a simple straight line. The Arc Tool is pretty self-explanatory within itself. The Spiral Tool allows you to draw spiral shapes near perfectly and manipulate by using its preset anchor points. It can be a handy tool if you have a reason to make a spiral. The Rectangular Grid Tool allows you to make what looks like a spreadsheet. Like the Rectangular Grid Tool the Polar Grid Tool gives you the ability to make a grid; however, this grid is circular in shape. It is fully configurable using the anchor points.

The next tools are one of my favorites in of the Adobe CS3 Series. These tools are the shape tools. They allow me to make shapes easily and without much attention to detail. I have saved many hours of headache by resorting to these tools. The first one is the Rectangle Tool, which makes a box shape or a rectangle shape. You can manipulate the width and height of the box to your liking. The Rounded Rectangle Tool allows you to make the edges of the box like structure rounded for a more smooth feeling. If you look at my website you can see that I used them a lot. I believe it adds a bit of flavor to the website. Of course, I am always trying new things. When you check again you may find that my website looks totally different. The Ellipse Tool allows you to make seemingly perfect circles. If you have ever tried to freehand draw a perfect circle you know the headaches that I have gotten trying to do it myself. The Polygon Tool lets you make a six-sided object that is configurable for the user. The Star Tool does exactly what it says. It makes stars! The Flare Tool makes objects that look like they have blown up or if you saw a supernova in the sky. So you will see a circle with a lot of lines poking out of it and it will be bright in the center. It is a pretty cool effect to use in many situations.

The Paintbrush Tool is a very old tool in the Adobe and Macromedia line of products. In reality, it is probably one of the first features in the first paint program ever made. It is very simple to use and only does what it says. It paints like a brush in different sizes and tones.

The Pencil Tool like the Paintbrush Tool only does what it says it does. It writes like a pencil in different sizes and tones. The Smooth Tool allows you to straighten out kinks in your drawings by erasing extra anchor points that may be messing up the path that an object would regularly make. If you use the Path Eraser Tool you can erase part of an object by erasing part of its path. If you just erased an anchor point with the Delete Anchor Point tool the object would just reshape into another form; however, with the Path Eraser Tool the object will act like that section doesn’t exist anymore and it will seem as if somebody erased it with an actual eraser!

The Rotate Tool is a simple feature that allows you to rotate any object on the Adobe Illustrator field. Many another Adobe design products have this feature as well. I believe even Macromedia products had it as well. The Reflect Tool allows you to copy the reflection of an object and move it however you like.

The Scaling Tool makes an object increase or decrease in size along the x and y axis. The Shear Tool allows you move an object around on its x and y axis. Like if you set a point in the center of an object and spun the object around it like it was a compact disc. The Reshape Tool allows you to move certain anchor points while keeping the overall integrity of the object.

The Warp Tool allows you to shape objects with your freehand abilities by moving pixels around independently. The Twirl Tool makes an object perform a swirling motion within itself. The Pucker Tool makes it seem that the object is getting the air poked out of it. I would say it’s like the object is imploding on itself. You can do this by simply using the cursor around the edges of the object. The Bloat Tool increases the air in an object and makes it looks like it will explode. The Scallop Tool makes the object looks like it is becoming spiky in nature. If you have seen a blowfish before its transformation from skinny fish to prickly prey is a good interpretation of this. The Crystallize Tool does the same thing as the scallop tool, except it only does it too the outside of the object. The Wrinkle Tool makes an object look like it is wrinkled. You can easily see this if you are using a grid or a line that is straight in nature to start.

The Free Transform Tool is used if you want change the shape of an object freehand. It is pretty simple and it reminds me of a couple other features I have used.

The Symbol Sprayer Tool lies under the symbolism options section of Adobe Illustrator. It has a series of options that you can pick from. The Symbol Sprayer Tool places a series of objects on the screen. The Symbol Shifter Tool is able to move symbol objects around. The Symbol Scruncher Tool moves objects closer to each other or further apart as a group. The Symbol Sizer Tool is able to change the size of the symbol objects. The Symbol Spinner Tool is able to move the symbol object around in a circular fashion. The Symbol Stainer Tool is able to change the color of each individual symbol object. The Symbol Screener Tool gives the symbol object the additional effect of a change in opacity that you are able to control. The Symbol Styler Tool is able to change the style that the object is shown in.

The next sets of tools are graph tools. The Column Graph Tool is just like your standard graph, which has vertical graphs. The Stack Column Graph Tool is similar to the Column Graph Tool except the fact that it can show similarities in certain things by stacking the graphs upon each other. The Bar Graph Tool makes graphs that are horizontal in direction. The Stack Bar Graph Tool is like the other stacked graph except it is horizontal in position. The Line Graph Tool uses a simple line over a period of some type of measurement to show progress. The Area Graph Tool is similar to the Line Graph Tool except fills in the area below it until it reaches the outline of another calculation. The Scatter Graph Tool is a graph that only uses the dots to show pivotal changes in the graph at regular intervals. The Pie Graph Tool is a very popular graph. It is a circular graph that shows the different options in different colors. The Radar Graph Tool makes graphs that take different graph sets and puts them categories that are displayed in a circular fashion.

The Mesh Tool makes meshes and allows you to edit them accordingly.

The Gradient Tool allows you to fully customize the start and ending spots of each gradient that you use.

The Eyedropper Tool is able to take color from one area from an image or an object and apply it somewhere else. The Measure Tool is able to see the length between two objects.

The Blend Tool makes one object into a series of objects. It also makes it look like they are transforming into something else. It is a pretty cool feature that can have some uses with my website now that I think about it.

The Live Paint Bucket Tool is similar to the regular Paint Bucket. The difference is you can fill in areas with the memory from other similar areas.

The Live Paint Selection Tool lets you paint, but it also lets you fill in live areas that are grouped together. The different options are great for painting.

The Crop Area Tool simply lets you cut out and area of an object with fine detail. The Slice Tool allows you to cut images into different sections so they can be put back together on the web. This helps with web downloads most of the time. The Slice Selection Tool allows you to select the slices that you have cut for the web.

The Eraser Tool is exactly what it says it is. It erases everything that it touches. The Scissor Tool will make cuts in an image and allow you to pull that section out. Then you are able to do whatever with the new anchor points that it makes on the object and the cut segment of the object. The Knife Tool cuts object as if you cut them with a knife. Once you do this you are able to pull the objects apart and reform them.

The Hand Tool allows you to move the window that the objects are stored in with the Adobe Illustrator CS3 program. The Page Tool allows you to change how the printed version of the output looks by manipulating the viewing screen.

The Zoom Tool allows you to zoom in on objects within the program.

I hope that you have learned the basics of the Adobe Illustrator CS3 program with this short tutorial. In the near future, I will have picture illustrations of the uses of each option so that you will further grasp what you can do with the program. Of course, this is only a few of the things that you can possibly do with the program. It takes a lot of imagination and hard work to get your thoughts on paper. If you visit my webpage you will be able to see this tutorial with appropriate pictures added. Remember that you can be an Adobe Guru if you try!

By Dwight Norris

Dwight Norris - AST Website Owner
Adobe Software Tutorials.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Dwight_Norris

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What is overclocking?

Many people probably don't know what overclocking is but have possibly heard the term used before. To put it in its simplest terms, overclocking is taking a PC component such as a CPU and running at a specification higher than rated by the manufacturer. Every part produced by companies such as Intel and AMD are rated for a specific speeds. They have tested the capabilities of the part and certified it for that given speed. Of course, most parts are underrated for increased reliability. Overclocking a part simply takes advantage of the remaining potential out of a computer part that the manufacturer is unwilling to certify the part for but it is capable of.

Overclocking the CPU

In general CPU chips are tested by the manufacturer to see at what speed they fail at.. They are then rated at a speed one step lower than this. Since the tests are quite stringent the idea is that it may be possible to push the CPU somewhat faster than its rating while maintaining stability in the system. Sometimes, when manufacturers are short on stock, they package faster MHz CPUs as slower ones; overclockers perceive this as a windfall.

Results from overclocking the CPU alone must be balanced against the rest of the system's specifications, namely the bus speed of the motherboard, memory, et cetera. For example, a 20% increase in CPU speed does not usually translate to a 20% overall improvement. The CPU might be running faster than the rest of the system, operating in a "hurry up and wait" environment

Unsuccessful overclocking can result in an unstable system at best, and in the worst case scenario can damage the CPU. Though the latter is less common, it happens. Pushing also reduces the lifetime of the CPU an indeterminable amount, as it forces the CPU to work harder and hotter. Cooling fans and a good heatsink become even more important in this case.

Overclocking the System Bus

Changing the CPU bus speed successfully can create a noticeable improvement on the entire system because all components will run faster. Since the CPU's effectiveness is helped by the bus speed, an improvement here can also utilize the full benefit of the CPU. However, overclocking the PC is risky because it means pushing every PC component on the motherboard.

HEAT!

The biggest obstacle to overclocking the computer system is heat. Today's high-speed computer systems already produce a large amount of heat. Overclocking a computer system just compounds these problems. As a result, anyone planning to overclock their PC should be very aware of the needs for high performance cooling solutions.
The most common form of cooling a computer system is through standard air cooling. This comes in the form of CPU heatsinks and fans, heat spreaders on memory, fans on video cards and case fans. Proper airflow and good conducting metals are key to the performance of air cooling. Large copper heatsinks tend to perform better and the greater number of case fans to pull in air into the system also helps to improve cooling.

Beyond air cooling there is water cooling and phase change cooling. These PCs are far more complex and expensive than standard PC cooling solutions, but they offer a higher performance at heat dissipation and generally lower noise. Well-built systems can allow the overclocker to really push the performance of their hardware to its limits.

If you would like to learn more about overclocking with easy to follow guides taking you through step by step. I would recommend on visiting the link below. This site teach you how to get the most out of your PC without damaging it.

By James Scholes

http://www.overclockyourcpu.co.uk

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=James_Scholes

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Some Tips To Consider When Buying A Laptop

Many lap top computers are far more powerful than even high end desk top computers were just a few years ago. So let's take a look at some tips you'll want to be aware of when you go to buy a lap top computer.

As the capacities, power, size and lower cost of laptops continues to improve, laptop computers continue to represent increasing value for the dollar. But there are some important things to be aware of when considering a laptop. This article will focus on some of the primary issues.

The first decision to consider when purchasing a laptop is whether you need or want a Windows, Apple or Linux operating system.

Because the windows operating system has become so pervasive the majority will stick by with a Windows operating system. Windows XP Pro should be minimum and their new VISTA operating system if you can afford it. Keep in mind, if you are going to be dependent on friends and family to help you in getting used to using your new laptop computer, most of them will not have knowledge of the VISTA Operating system until even as late as 2010.

Those who have used Apple in the past, and are more familiar with Apple will have far more limited options, but are probably best off sticking with Apple.

Linux users will need to analyze compatibility issues on Linux forums online.

Again, if you are new to computing, and know you will be dependent on friends, family or even business associates for assistance as you get up to speed on using your computer, they are far more likely to be able to help you if you have a Windows Operating System on your laptop than a Mac or Linux operating system. Not that one operating system is necessarily any better than the other, but windows is known best by most computer users.

Assuming you know what operating system you are looking for, the next step is to set a budget, and determine whether you want a new or used machine. Used laptops represent a good value for machines in the $600 - $700 range and below. However they come with zero warranty. There are some excellent deals that can be found on "Refurbished" laptop computers, but you need to buy them locally, find out what the warranty and support conditions are and whether or not you can pay a little extra to increase the warranty and support period.

If you don't think you need all the bells and whistles of a brand new system, buying a used system through a seller at EBay or from a laptop refurbishing company can make a lot of sense economically. When scouring EBay, look for the Power Sellers who sell many used laptops, and make sure their customer satisfaction and return policies are solid. Don't be tempted to buy systems without enough processing power just because they are cheap. Now days, anything below a Pentium 3 processor is best avoided, as Pentium 3 machines can already be found relatively inexpensively used or refurbished.

Once you have set your budget, determine the minimum memory capacity for your needs. Here I am referring to RAM or Random Access Memory. I would highly recommend setting 512 MegaBytes as your minimum memory capacity. If you are intending to do high end graphic presentations or video presentations 1024 MegaBytes should be your minimum. Stripping memory out of a computer is a common way to sell them at lower prices. But memory is often the weak link in personal computer systems, bringing the performance of the machine down significantly. Lots of memory is the great equalizer in computers, and many people fail to realize that a lower end laptop with lots of memory will often outperform a higher end one without the memory.

Once you have you memory needs and budget set, you can start to compare models for weight, ergonomics, and most importantly, screen size. Finding a size and weight that is acceptable to you is important, but finding the correct screen size should be your primary consideration.

Many people are excited by the larger screened laptops, but fail to fully appreciate the impact of resolutions. Most laptops come with a set with an ideal resolution, and switching to a higher or lower resolution can distort text. Some laptops with large 17 inch screens are set at very high screen resolution, making them difficult to read for long periods of time without some eye strain. Some of the inexpensive laptops with 15 inch screens can also be difficult to read and with on than laptops with larger screens. 1024x768 should be an acceptable screen resolution for most laptop monitors. Avoiding larger screens that require higher resolutions above 1024X768 can save a lot of money, and deliver a machine that is just as easy to work on and read from.

Finally, there are networking considerations. By now, it does not make a lot of sense to purchase any laptop without WiFi wireless networking capabilities. Most new laptops will come with this standard, but with older and used laptops it is an item you need to verify. With the constant increase in wireless accessibility, a laptop without this capability will become obsolete within a few years.

By Dwayne Garrett

Dwayne Garrett is the author of several eBooks and popular software applications, he also offers an affordable IT Resource Guide that will help you to make sense of Information Technology and your business. Visit: http://www.InfoTechForSmallBusiness.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Dwayne_Garrett

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Free Adware Remover vs. Paid Adware Remover

Although there are several free adware remover programs available on the Internet, but which one do you opt for. Then you need to decide whether a free adware remover can really do the job well, or whether you should really go for a paid service. You will find that most free programs are not really complete programs as they will let you scan your computer and locate the adware, spyware, malware or whatever... but using the free program you may not be able to free your computer from the malicious codes that are running in the background. So perhaps it is advisable to opt for an adware remover program that offers the full service instead of trying to save money on a free version.

An adware can be quite a nuisance really. All of us tend to visit so many websites every day and no one quite likes the idea that their browsing history and pattern is monitored and saved by someone. But that is being done regularly and this is a fact. Like it or not! Then when these guys have gathered enough data on you and have a fair idea of your likes or dislikes, they tend to show you these ads, and in extreme cases even divert your browser to particular websites that are offering these services or products. The program that can do this is an adware, and to stop this, you need an adware remover.

An adware gets silently installed in your computer and works from the background. And sometimes they are not very innocent as they can capture your personal information as well that is not for public sharing. In fact it can be dangerous if this data is out in the open.

An adware remover will scan your computer and try to find out the presence of such programs. And if you are having them (most computers around the world are affected), then the adware remover will report them to you and either ask for your permission to delete them or delete them anyway themselves. The adware remover will also constantly monitor your activity and look out for any malicious code that is trying to gain entry, and stop them as well.

By Mike Barton

Did You Know That Most Adware Removers Don't Work. These are the ones that do.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Mike_Barton

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