Losing data and important files can be exceptionally frustrating at best, and if your business depends on your data, can be very expensive as well.
Computer hard drives are mechanical devices and as such will fail eventually, taking your precious files and information with them.
While it is often possible to recover some or all of the data you've lost, there are no guarantees and it can be costly and time consuming.
Fortunately, there are steps you can take to prevent, or at least significantly reduce the chance of you experiencing a data loss incident.
Spending some time and effort to protect yourself from data loss can save you a significant amount of time and money in the long run.
Here are some things you can do to prevent data loss: 1.
Back up your files regularly.
This should be common sense, but many people don't do it! They may think that a hard drive failure or accidental file deletion couldn't happen to them (and we know how that usually turns out) but whatever the reason, many people still leave themselves vulnerable to data loss.
You should back up any files that you wouldn't want to lose and make sure that your backups are stored in a safe place, away from moisture or extreme temperatures.
2.
Store your documents on a different drive from your operating system.
Most word processing and spreadsheet documents are set up to be stored in your My Documents folder, but this is a dangerous strategy.
If you have a serious virus or software problem, the solution is often to reformat the drive and reinstall the operating system, wiping out your data in the process.
Installing an external hard drive or flash drive is an inexpensive way to store your data safely.
The external drive can be installed by simply plugging it into one of your computer's USB ports.
If your main system hard drive fails for any reason, your data and files stored on an external drive will still be safe.
Many external drives offer the benefit of regularly scheduled file backups, which save your files on a specific schedule without any extra effort on your part.
3.
Keep hard copies of your most important documents.
This decidedly low-tech option ensures that your files are protected from any kind of computer failure.
The downside of this option for saving your files is that if the worst happens, you'll have to retype your documents.
The best option might be to have an external backup for all of your files and then a hard copy as a last resort for extremely important documents.
4.
Protect yourself against computer viruses.
Make you have an up-to-date and effective virus protection program installed on your computer at all times and regularly scan your hard drive for potential problems.
Be careful opening email attachments and make use of email filters to protect you from spam and potentially malicious files and attachments.
5.
Be careful.
Sometimes we can all be our own worst enemy.
Even the most careful computer users can accidentally delete files and cause themselves a lot of frustration.
Take advantage of the safeguards that your document files provide, such as tracking the changes or versioning features.
Make sure you save any changes to your files and be careful about saving different files under the same name.
Make sure you shut down your computer and quit all files when you're done using your computer.
Quitting the files ensures that you'll save the files you were working on and your data will be stored safely.
6.
Don't try to disassemble your hard drive on your own.
Data recovery and hard drive repair are not do-it-yourself projects.
Recovering data from a failed hard drive usually requires a dust free clean room environment and the right tools and expertise for the job.
If the average computer user tries to "fix" their hard drive, most of the time the only result is that their data becomes unrecoverable.
It's best to leave the job to a qualified and reputable data recovery company.
7.
Take care of your computer.
Computers are mechanical devices and as such are vulnerable to physical damage, moisture and extremes of temperature.
Keep your computer in a relatively low-traffic area of your home in a relatively cool and dry room, out of direct sunlight.
Be sure to use surge protection as power surges are one of the most common causes of hard drive failure and data loss.
If you have a laptop, be careful when transporting it.
Make sure you carry it in a protective case, and protect it from rain or extreme weather conditions.
Computer hard drives are mechanical devices and as such will fail eventually, taking your precious files and information with them.
While it is often possible to recover some or all of the data you've lost, there are no guarantees and it can be costly and time consuming.
Fortunately, there are steps you can take to prevent, or at least significantly reduce the chance of you experiencing a data loss incident.
Spending some time and effort to protect yourself from data loss can save you a significant amount of time and money in the long run.
Here are some things you can do to prevent data loss: 1.
Back up your files regularly.
This should be common sense, but many people don't do it! They may think that a hard drive failure or accidental file deletion couldn't happen to them (and we know how that usually turns out) but whatever the reason, many people still leave themselves vulnerable to data loss.
You should back up any files that you wouldn't want to lose and make sure that your backups are stored in a safe place, away from moisture or extreme temperatures.
2.
Store your documents on a different drive from your operating system.
Most word processing and spreadsheet documents are set up to be stored in your My Documents folder, but this is a dangerous strategy.
If you have a serious virus or software problem, the solution is often to reformat the drive and reinstall the operating system, wiping out your data in the process.
Installing an external hard drive or flash drive is an inexpensive way to store your data safely.
The external drive can be installed by simply plugging it into one of your computer's USB ports.
If your main system hard drive fails for any reason, your data and files stored on an external drive will still be safe.
Many external drives offer the benefit of regularly scheduled file backups, which save your files on a specific schedule without any extra effort on your part.
3.
Keep hard copies of your most important documents.
This decidedly low-tech option ensures that your files are protected from any kind of computer failure.
The downside of this option for saving your files is that if the worst happens, you'll have to retype your documents.
The best option might be to have an external backup for all of your files and then a hard copy as a last resort for extremely important documents.
4.
Protect yourself against computer viruses.
Make you have an up-to-date and effective virus protection program installed on your computer at all times and regularly scan your hard drive for potential problems.
Be careful opening email attachments and make use of email filters to protect you from spam and potentially malicious files and attachments.
5.
Be careful.
Sometimes we can all be our own worst enemy.
Even the most careful computer users can accidentally delete files and cause themselves a lot of frustration.
Take advantage of the safeguards that your document files provide, such as tracking the changes or versioning features.
Make sure you save any changes to your files and be careful about saving different files under the same name.
Make sure you shut down your computer and quit all files when you're done using your computer.
Quitting the files ensures that you'll save the files you were working on and your data will be stored safely.
6.
Don't try to disassemble your hard drive on your own.
Data recovery and hard drive repair are not do-it-yourself projects.
Recovering data from a failed hard drive usually requires a dust free clean room environment and the right tools and expertise for the job.
If the average computer user tries to "fix" their hard drive, most of the time the only result is that their data becomes unrecoverable.
It's best to leave the job to a qualified and reputable data recovery company.
7.
Take care of your computer.
Computers are mechanical devices and as such are vulnerable to physical damage, moisture and extremes of temperature.
Keep your computer in a relatively low-traffic area of your home in a relatively cool and dry room, out of direct sunlight.
Be sure to use surge protection as power surges are one of the most common causes of hard drive failure and data loss.
If you have a laptop, be careful when transporting it.
Make sure you carry it in a protective case, and protect it from rain or extreme weather conditions.
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