What You Should Know About Data Recovery

One activity you hope you never have to deal with is data recovery. As a computer user, your data is like gold, and you should treat it that way.

You can get another computer, but your data cannot be replaced. The time you spent acquiring it or creating it can never be recovered.

Laptop users are especially vulnerable. All that moving around tends to be tough on hard disk drives. Data recovery can quickly become a necessity in short order. Whether you use laptops or desktops, however, you need to be prepared.

The fact is, hard disks fail more often than some of us would like to admit. My experience has proven that disk drive failure continues to be one of the most common hardware failures in all types of computers. It is certainly the most visible to you, and could be the most painful.

Why?...

Because hardware failures can be divided into two types... those that do not impair your ability to access your data, and those that do.

Examples of the first kind would be a failed usb port, or a bad mouse. You can usually get around these "minor" annoyances by using a different port, or a different mouse.

Examples of the second type would be a bad motherboard (or mainboard as it is sometimes called), or the failure of a data storage device, such as a bad hard disk drive. There is not an easy way to get around this type of failure and get to your data.

But, the only hardware failure that requires data recovery is... hard disk failure!

Yet, many people overlook this important area of computer maintenance. Even small business owners who can't be without their computers for more than a day often fail to implement some sort of data recovery strategy. If you have to, you can buy a computer in a matter of hours. But what good is the computer if you don't have your data?

Let's say your hard disk, which holds all of your files takes a dive. You've got problems. Since your hard disk holds your data, you are going to want to recover that data somehow... or at least try.

Is Data Recovery Possible?

When most people think of data recovery, they think of trying to resurrect a bad hard disk and get the data off of it. But since you are reading this, you are not most people! I'd like to encourage you to think a little differently about this subject.

I'd like to give you three simple data recovery concepts that you can take away from this discussion that can save you a lot of pain. Then I'd like to discuss specific steps that you can take to protect yourself from what could have been a disaster.

Three Simple Data Recovery Concepts You Must Know:

1. Protect Your Data: protecting your data includes detailed steps like setting autorecovery times in applications like Microsoft Office, installing and updating anti-virus and anti-spyware measures, and properly shutting down your system. But it also includes larger concepts like backup strategies, and storing media like CD's and DVD's safely, and possibly off-site secure storage of backup copies.

2. Protect Your Equipment: if your equipment fails, or fails to shut down properly, it could result in data loss. Protect your equipment with battery backup units and surge protection. Protect your electronics from the environment, and food and drink as well. I have a friend in the computer business who has damaged two laptops now by spilling liquid on them.

3. Prepare: you've heard this before... prepare for the worst, hope for the best. Prepare by implementing the concepts above. Have a backup strategy, an anti-virus/anti-spyware solution, battery backup and surge protection.

Vital Advice on Protecting Your Data:

1. Backup! ...what is the best data recovery strategy? The one that you never have to use.

   In a word, that means... backup. Implement a backup strategy now, and then hope you'll never have to use it. You can greatly reduce your risk of ever losing data with a good backup strategy.

   Remember, if you have to enlist outside help to recover your data, you will dramatically increase your costs, as well as the time it will take you to get back up and running. Making regular backups will save you time, money, and above all, the headaches and worry that come with what I'll call "data insecurity."

   Today, backing up data is easier and more affordable than ever. Virtually anyone can have their very own security blanket with a data backup solution that will protect them from a hard disk crash.

   There are several approaches to this, ranging from a usb flash memory device, to external hard disks, to tape drive solutions. For most of us, this translates to only a few hundred dollars, and is well worth it.

2. Backup your backups! ...and take them off-site. If your computer resides at your office, and your backup copies reside at your office... what happens if someone steals your computer and your backup copies? What happens if there is a natural disaster, or a fire and all of that is destroyed? Recent events should all make us aware that nothing is safe.

   Backups that can't be used may as well have not been made. Periodically make a second backup copy and take it to another location. Get a safe deposit box, a mailbox drop, or simply bring copies home. If your office is in your home, the safe deposit box or mailbox drop is probably your best bet.

   Making an arrangement with a relative or friend can work, but watch out for this. If it is critical business data, you don't want to have to bring a law suit against your uncle if his dog eats your backup tape. If the data is valuable enough to you, and it just may be... then you should consider a contract with a data storage company such as Iron Mountain. Your data will be picked up and stored at a secure facility designed to protect data. And, it can be recalled at any time and delivered to you.

Implement anti-virus, anti-spyware, and anti-hacking solutions... install and keep updated anti-virus and anti-spyware applications. Use a firewall to protect your systems from hacking. While your backup solution may allow you to restore your data, if your data becomes infected or corrupted before it is backed up, you've got problems! In addition, let's remember that we hope to never have to use the backup, so take measures to protect your data.
4. Protect your hardware... install surge protection and battery backup devices. Keep your equipment away from obvious threats like chemicals, water, and excessive heat. Ensure that you always shut your computer down properly. Improper shut downs can cause data loss.