Back Up Your Data!

Men may not cry when the Red Sox lose, or when the DOW dips 10 percent, but what can really bring a man to tears is losing all the valuable data on his computer—whether it’s financial records, emails, digital photos, music or business information—and realizing that he hasn’t backed-up in months.

According to Kroll Ontrack, the world’s leading data recovery company, two gigabytes of data—equivalent to all of the songs on someone’s iPod Nano, for example—is lost every minute. And, studies have shown that the majority of people rarely, if ever, back up their personal data, yet still consider it “priceless.” To ensure you never lose your precious data consider these tips from Kroll Ontrack.

Back Up, Back Up, Back Up–Even if you have a monster hard drive, make secondary backups of your data using a DVD, external drive, flash drives, or another medium, it is recommended that you back up at least once a week to ensure that important files are up to date.

Test Backups Periodically–It is crucial to verify all your backups to make sure that your important files, photos and music are available when needed.

Virus Prevention–Computer viruses are one of the worst enemies of the computer. Make sure to run a virus scan and update it regularly. In addition, beware of spyware, a common problem brought about by Web surfing and downloads that can cause complications with your computer’s efficiency. There are several programs available on the Internet that assist with removal of these programs.

Monitor Your Computer’s Health–Don’t wait for your computer to break down to take precautions because you’ll risk losing your data. Most quality diagnostic programs can be used to both diagnose current problems and/or as part of a regular maintenance program to identify potential problems that could lead to data loss. If your computer makes a strange noise or grinding sound, there is most likely a mechanical error with your drive. Turn off the computer immediately and call an expert. Further operation may damage the hard drive beyond repair.

Be Kind to Media–Storage media is small and fragile, so keep it stored in a closed (zippered) compartment that will also protect it from bending, flexing or crushing (i.e. your back pants pocket is not a good place to hold extra storage!)

A Home for the Computer–Ensure your computer is set up/stored in a clean, dust-free environment and be careful not to have beverages close by. Placing your computer in a low-traffic area will protect your system from harmful jarring, bumping and spills–a very common way of losing data.

Transport Carefully–When laptops are docked, moved or transported, the greatest of care should be taken to prevent unnecessary shock or impact. Use a sturdy, well padded laptop bag.

Organize, Organize, Organize–Put all of your most valuable data in the same folder. This might seem like a no-brainer, but many people save different types of important documents in several different places, making it difficult to remember where everything is located. Most documents are automatically saved within the same main folder (“My Documents” in Windows or “user/desktop” on Macs) but it is best to be as detailed as possible. Put all of your most important documents in the same subfolder so they are easier to find.

Defrag Often–Regularly run the defragmenter function on your computer. This puts your files in a more recognizable chain. Consider Data Recovery. It is important to know that if something does go wrong and you experience data loss, don’t give up hope. Simply turn off your computer and let a professional deal with the problem.