In the first part of this article series, I talked about the three main threats to the data on your computer. I talked about the need for a data backup solution that protects your data properly. In this article, I'll outline the most common data backup solution options available to you.
A simple data backup solution
A simple way to backup your data is to save everything to CD. By burning your vital information to a CD-ROM, you can have another copy of your data if something goes wrong with your computer. Burning your data to a CD-ROM will provide rudimentary data backup protection. There are some problems with this approach however.
Burning your files regularly to CD requires human intervention and effort. It isn't automatic. You have to take time out of your schedule to do it. People get busy, things happen and before you know it, you haven't done a data backup in over a month then BAM! Your data is lost.
The second major threat to using CD's as your data backup solution is that there are limitations to CD media. The first is that they won't survive a fire. If your place or office burns down and you've stored your CD's on site, your data is gone too. The second problem with CD media is that the media itself degrades over time. A recent study found that even CD's that were advertised to last for 100 years were loosing data after just two or three years.
Burning your data to CD is certainly much better than doing nothing but it has limitations.
Saving Data to a Web Server
With the advent of inexpensive online data storage options, it is now possible to archive your most crucial data online. This option potentially protects you from theft and it is an off site option so it protects you from fire. The only way theft could risk your data is if your computers are not password protected by default and you choose to save all your passwords automatically in your applications. If this is the case, someone who gains physical access to your computers could certainly gain access to your data. This issue aside, saving your files to a web server is certainly an option.
The limitation to this data backup solution usually revolves around the cost for the web server storage. While it is usually cost effective for up to 2 GB of data, it isn't appropriate for backing up an entire hard drive worth of data.
In House Hardware Data Backup Solutions
Another data backup solution is to equip your computers with RAID compatible motherboards and install multiple hard drives in each computer. This option protects your computers from hard drive crashes. It will usually require the services of a computer hardware technician to setup. Done properly, it can pretty much protect you from all hardware failure type data loss.
This solution doesn't usually protect you from theft as the extra hard drives for RAID storage are usually installed in your computer or in other equipment on site. It usually won't protect you from fire either so this method does have its limitations.
Use a combination of all three data backup solutions
For maximum protection, you should consider using a combination of all three data backup solutions for maximum protection. Burn critical documents to CD on a regular basis. Get a web hosting account with lots of storage and upload critical files to the web server. With this option however, keep in mind that unless the data is encrypted on your end, an administrator of the web server could potentially access all your data.
Finally, along with burning a CD and using an off site web server, get a qualified computer technician to install a RAID system in your computer systems. If cost is an issue, get at least one of your computers installed with a RAID capable hard drive and at least one other hard drive.
Using these three data backup solutions, you will minimize the risk to your data and to your livelihood.
Joe Duchesne is the webmaster of Gotocompare.com a computer hardware information site with links to hardware drivers, manuals and lots more. Reprint freely as long as you maintain the live keyword rich links in this resource box.
Backup Your Data Or Lose Your Life!
Oh the perils of collecting those precious photos on your PC for years, only to have your hard drive crash one day, and not have made a SINGLE BACKUP COPY of any of your priceless pictures. Well, now is the time to backup your hard drive. A few simple steps will set you on your way?so let's not think about it anymore: let's DO it.
There are several ways you can backup your PC data.
1.)CD's and DVD's are one of the simplest ways to go. It's a very simple process to pop in a CD-ROM and burn a copy of your important information, but there's a catch: you'll have to be disciplined enough to do this on a regular basis. You'll also have to burn new CD's weekly in order to keep up with the new information you've just stored on your PC for the past week and this can get rather expensive as you go out to buy new CD-ROMS every month. So there are other solutions?
2.)Another way to go, is to purchase an external hard drive. You can drag and rop all of our new data onto your hard drive and it will replace the old data. This way you don't have to burn new CD's or DVD's for each backup. However, you still have to be disciplined enough to remember to do this each week?so there is yet another solution.
3.)If you have Windows XP Professional, you can use what is called Microsoft Backup, a utility that lets you create backups of data that you choose and be able to run these backups on schedule. The only disadvantage to using Microsoft Backup is that you must use your backups with the same operating system. For example, if your Windows ME hard drive crashed, you couldn't use a backup you created there in Windows XP.
So, there you have several ways you can backup your PC data and be safe. Keep in mind that despite the disadvantages of CD-ROM and DVD backup (purchasing new CD's and performing backups regularly), you can't beat the fact that CD's and DVD's last for years and are transportable, which is great for traveling.
If you're anything like me, you probably have a whole slew of information stored on your PC, much of which is personal in nature (such as family pics), and most of which is business-related (which is crucial to your business success).
Being sure that you select at least one method of backup is your first step. Your second step is to make sure you follow through with this plan each and every week.
Remember, consistency is key.
Back up your data, and save your life!
Demetria Zinga is the founder and owner of http://www.faith-media.com, a technology and consulting firm which specializes in web design and hosting, graphics and print designs, internet marketing, and e-training. She is also the founder of http://www.christianladies.net, an interactive ezine, blog, and podcast for Christian women.
There are several ways you can backup your PC data.
1.)CD's and DVD's are one of the simplest ways to go. It's a very simple process to pop in a CD-ROM and burn a copy of your important information, but there's a catch: you'll have to be disciplined enough to do this on a regular basis. You'll also have to burn new CD's weekly in order to keep up with the new information you've just stored on your PC for the past week and this can get rather expensive as you go out to buy new CD-ROMS every month. So there are other solutions?
2.)Another way to go, is to purchase an external hard drive. You can drag and rop all of our new data onto your hard drive and it will replace the old data. This way you don't have to burn new CD's or DVD's for each backup. However, you still have to be disciplined enough to remember to do this each week?so there is yet another solution.
3.)If you have Windows XP Professional, you can use what is called Microsoft Backup, a utility that lets you create backups of data that you choose and be able to run these backups on schedule. The only disadvantage to using Microsoft Backup is that you must use your backups with the same operating system. For example, if your Windows ME hard drive crashed, you couldn't use a backup you created there in Windows XP.
So, there you have several ways you can backup your PC data and be safe. Keep in mind that despite the disadvantages of CD-ROM and DVD backup (purchasing new CD's and performing backups regularly), you can't beat the fact that CD's and DVD's last for years and are transportable, which is great for traveling.
If you're anything like me, you probably have a whole slew of information stored on your PC, much of which is personal in nature (such as family pics), and most of which is business-related (which is crucial to your business success).
Being sure that you select at least one method of backup is your first step. Your second step is to make sure you follow through with this plan each and every week.
Remember, consistency is key.
Back up your data, and save your life!
Demetria Zinga is the founder and owner of http://www.faith-media.com, a technology and consulting firm which specializes in web design and hosting, graphics and print designs, internet marketing, and e-training. She is also the founder of http://www.christianladies.net, an interactive ezine, blog, and podcast for Christian women.
Data Backup Solution: Why You Need a Backup Plan in Place ? Part 1
Is a data backup solution part of your computer plans? Do you have a way to protect yourself if something goes wrong with your computer or data? Computers are a useful part of our lives but we don't always protect ourselves from their loss be it fire, theft or hardware failure.
We often don't consider how fragile our computer data really is. Do you keep sensitive information on your computer that you would be upset if you lost it? Not sure? Consider this. If I told you that I was going to format your hard drive right now and you will lose all of the information on your computer, would you be ready? Or would you need to get a few files first... If you are in the second group, chances are you don't have a proper data backup solution in place to help you handle disasters.
What happens if your computers are stolen?
I recently had a business colleague of mine who's office was robbed and who had all of his computers stolen. He naturally felt helpless and victimized over the situation. What was especially frustrating was that he thought he had taken the proper measures to secure his office. He had a good security system in place, had secured his premises and yet they were still able to cut his phone lines, disable his alarm and have their way in his office. Don't think a computer theft can happen to you? You know what? It can happen to anyone and you don't have to own a business.
Computer hard drives do crash
If theft doesn't get your computer, a hard drive failure certainly might. Hard drives are the devices in your computer that store the information on your computer. Your computers' long term memory if you will. They are built with rotating mechanical parts. These parts break down. If they break down, your data can be gone. Are you prepared?
Data on a hard drive can often be recovered by expert data retrieval houses but their prices usually start at $10,000 and up. Want to avoid such costly recovering options? Establish a data backup solution.
A fire can wipe out your computers and your data
If computer theft or hard drive failure don't destroy the data on your computers, a fire certainly might. This threat speaks to an off site backup storage solution. While the first two can be averted by simply burning a CD of your most critical data, fire can destroy your CD's too if they aren't stored off site. Fire is just one more reason why a data backup solution needs to be a part of your vocabulary and your action plan.
Protecting your data just makes good common sense. If you have data that you don't want to loose ? and most of us do ? you owe it to yourself to protect your data. The next article in this series gives you some simple steps you can follow to protect yourself from data loss.
Joe Duchesne is the webmaster of Gotocompare.com a computer hardware information site with links to hardware drivers, manuals and lots more. Reprint freely as long as you maintain the live keyword rich links in this resource box.
We often don't consider how fragile our computer data really is. Do you keep sensitive information on your computer that you would be upset if you lost it? Not sure? Consider this. If I told you that I was going to format your hard drive right now and you will lose all of the information on your computer, would you be ready? Or would you need to get a few files first... If you are in the second group, chances are you don't have a proper data backup solution in place to help you handle disasters.
What happens if your computers are stolen?
I recently had a business colleague of mine who's office was robbed and who had all of his computers stolen. He naturally felt helpless and victimized over the situation. What was especially frustrating was that he thought he had taken the proper measures to secure his office. He had a good security system in place, had secured his premises and yet they were still able to cut his phone lines, disable his alarm and have their way in his office. Don't think a computer theft can happen to you? You know what? It can happen to anyone and you don't have to own a business.
Computer hard drives do crash
If theft doesn't get your computer, a hard drive failure certainly might. Hard drives are the devices in your computer that store the information on your computer. Your computers' long term memory if you will. They are built with rotating mechanical parts. These parts break down. If they break down, your data can be gone. Are you prepared?
Data on a hard drive can often be recovered by expert data retrieval houses but their prices usually start at $10,000 and up. Want to avoid such costly recovering options? Establish a data backup solution.
A fire can wipe out your computers and your data
If computer theft or hard drive failure don't destroy the data on your computers, a fire certainly might. This threat speaks to an off site backup storage solution. While the first two can be averted by simply burning a CD of your most critical data, fire can destroy your CD's too if they aren't stored off site. Fire is just one more reason why a data backup solution needs to be a part of your vocabulary and your action plan.
Protecting your data just makes good common sense. If you have data that you don't want to loose ? and most of us do ? you owe it to yourself to protect your data. The next article in this series gives you some simple steps you can follow to protect yourself from data loss.
Joe Duchesne is the webmaster of Gotocompare.com a computer hardware information site with links to hardware drivers, manuals and lots more. Reprint freely as long as you maintain the live keyword rich links in this resource box.
HasYour Computer Hard Drive Ever Crashed? Are You Challenged by Backups?
The following scenario's have probably been repeated thousands of times, on computer systems of all kinds and sizes, operated by all levels of users from complete novice, to expert user.
・You log on and your computer will not boot to your operating system.
・You have installed some piece of new hardware, or some new software, your computer cannot find your operating system.
In more than 20 years of using personal computers, I have experienced all kinds of computer/operator failures. Some were caused by equipment failure, others by me doing something dumb. It really makes no difference, when your computer does not work, the only thing that matters is getting it up and running, and saving as much data as possible
All mechanical devices, will at some point fail, there is no timetable that tells you exactly when they will fail, however it is usually when you can least afford the time lost or the cost of repair, or of course immediately after the warranty has expired. Current computer hard drives are very reliable, they work for hours on end and keep right on ticking, they are however partially mechanical, as such they are subject to unannounced failure. They could fail in 5 minutes, or in 5 years or even longer.
As computer users we have all been admonished time and time again to backup our work on a regular basis, as insurance against losing data. Data can be lost in other ways of course, but if you do have a current backup you will only lose whatever you created or changed just before the failure.
My first experience with a hard drive failure was the classic computer will not boot. My first course of action was to call tech support from the manufacturer. The customer service rep stayed on the phone with me for about 4 hours, as we tried to diagnose where the problem was, after trying every thing she knew to try, she said they would send a technician to replace my hard drive. Of course none of my data was easily retrievable, and I did not have a current backup. Immediately after this episode I began to backup my data frequently. However at this particular time, backup software was not real easy to use, and choosing the media to backup to required the installation of more hardware. I quickly fell out of the habit of frequent backups.
I have experienced logon failures after adding or changing hardware or software many times. Usually followed by a call to customer support, which you most likely will have to pay for. Your support call may be transferred to a foreign country, your support person may or may not be highly qualified, there have been many instances where I felt that I knew more than the support person. There have been many instances that I managed to fix the problem myself, while waiting for support to get back to me. Sometimes I lost information, sometimes it was there but hard to find etc. The times that were most successful were when I did have a current backup.
Backup software has evolved, there are very easy programs to use, they are very easy to automate, the media options are many and easy to set up.
In my current setup I use Norton Ghost 9.0 as my software of choice, and I send my backups to a removable USB 2.0 hard drive. The advantages of this system are an extremely easy to set software program that can do anything form complete backups on whatever schedule you choose to complete copies of hard drives. The speed and safety of using a removable hard drive would be hard to beat. Because of the "set it and forget it" nature of this system, I now have complete backups always at hand.
Peace of mind is a wonderful thing
Jim Newell
Please visit http://www.edotmall2000.com/backup.htm for more information on these products and other solutions to backup and storage problems.
Jimmie Newell is an experienced computer user, and web publisher with many articles to his credit. Jim is the webmaster for http://www.edotmall2000.com an online shopping destination.
・You log on and your computer will not boot to your operating system.
・You have installed some piece of new hardware, or some new software, your computer cannot find your operating system.
In more than 20 years of using personal computers, I have experienced all kinds of computer/operator failures. Some were caused by equipment failure, others by me doing something dumb. It really makes no difference, when your computer does not work, the only thing that matters is getting it up and running, and saving as much data as possible
All mechanical devices, will at some point fail, there is no timetable that tells you exactly when they will fail, however it is usually when you can least afford the time lost or the cost of repair, or of course immediately after the warranty has expired. Current computer hard drives are very reliable, they work for hours on end and keep right on ticking, they are however partially mechanical, as such they are subject to unannounced failure. They could fail in 5 minutes, or in 5 years or even longer.
As computer users we have all been admonished time and time again to backup our work on a regular basis, as insurance against losing data. Data can be lost in other ways of course, but if you do have a current backup you will only lose whatever you created or changed just before the failure.
My first experience with a hard drive failure was the classic computer will not boot. My first course of action was to call tech support from the manufacturer. The customer service rep stayed on the phone with me for about 4 hours, as we tried to diagnose where the problem was, after trying every thing she knew to try, she said they would send a technician to replace my hard drive. Of course none of my data was easily retrievable, and I did not have a current backup. Immediately after this episode I began to backup my data frequently. However at this particular time, backup software was not real easy to use, and choosing the media to backup to required the installation of more hardware. I quickly fell out of the habit of frequent backups.
I have experienced logon failures after adding or changing hardware or software many times. Usually followed by a call to customer support, which you most likely will have to pay for. Your support call may be transferred to a foreign country, your support person may or may not be highly qualified, there have been many instances where I felt that I knew more than the support person. There have been many instances that I managed to fix the problem myself, while waiting for support to get back to me. Sometimes I lost information, sometimes it was there but hard to find etc. The times that were most successful were when I did have a current backup.
Backup software has evolved, there are very easy programs to use, they are very easy to automate, the media options are many and easy to set up.
In my current setup I use Norton Ghost 9.0 as my software of choice, and I send my backups to a removable USB 2.0 hard drive. The advantages of this system are an extremely easy to set software program that can do anything form complete backups on whatever schedule you choose to complete copies of hard drives. The speed and safety of using a removable hard drive would be hard to beat. Because of the "set it and forget it" nature of this system, I now have complete backups always at hand.
Peace of mind is a wonderful thing
Jim Newell
Please visit http://www.edotmall2000.com/backup.htm for more information on these products and other solutions to backup and storage problems.
Jimmie Newell is an experienced computer user, and web publisher with many articles to his credit. Jim is the webmaster for http://www.edotmall2000.com an online shopping destination.
Did You Loose Your Windows XP Password? What Should You Have Done Before it Happened?
There is a common problem that happens with lot of computer users. This problem is the loss of a password. It happens to many of us due to the enormous number of application we use.
Also, it can happen due to other reasons, like forgetting to keep the passwords in a safe place, or failing to update your password list after a change was made to it.
In this case, when you need to recall the password, you willbe surprised to find out, that your password list doesn't help you since you forgot to update your record.
Without a doubt, losing access to your computer is disastrous and is near impossible to regain, if you can't recall your password.
You will lose all your saved work, applications, programs, and whatever you have saved on your computer. You will have to gothrough a new installation, which is time consuming.
This is assuming you still can locate your original CD-ROM and registration key.
The best solution to this big problem is to prevent it if youcan. You may not be able to prevent this problem from happening,that is the loss of access to your Windows XP computer.
However, there is one simple tool you can use right away that will prepare you to regain access to your computer.Even if you lost the password, and unable to recall it at all.
The trick is to use the tool before the problem happens. Once you prepare yourself, and get the toll ready, you will be able to regain access to your computer.
Here is the solution: Creating a reset disk.
When you are logged on you computer, you open the control panelfrom the Start Menu, and click open the user accounts option. Isis an icon inside the control panel window.
Now, another window will open, with the title user accounts. In the top left side of this window, you will see "Related Tasks". Under the relate tasks, there is a link that says : "prevent a forgotten password".
Once you click on this link, a wizard will open that will guide you in two steps to create a "Password Reset Disk". It will prompt you to enter a formatted floppy disk, and then it will create the disk.
The resulting disk will let you reset the password in case youlost the password. What you do is click on the "?" or help in the login box, so the system will prompt you to enter the Reset password disk you created before.
Once you enter the floppy disk, and hit ok, you will be presented with a box with three inputs. The first is the new password, the second is the password confirmation, and the third is the password hint.
In summary, creating a reset password disk, will save you lots of trouble, time, and loss of data. It is simple, and you can use this method on any Windows Xp computer, whether home, or Pro. edition. Don't delay it, create your disk once you are done reading this article.
Thanks,George Chamoun
For tips about your Windows XP computer, visit our new website:http://www.ResolveWindowsXpProblems.com
Also, it can happen due to other reasons, like forgetting to keep the passwords in a safe place, or failing to update your password list after a change was made to it.
In this case, when you need to recall the password, you willbe surprised to find out, that your password list doesn't help you since you forgot to update your record.
Without a doubt, losing access to your computer is disastrous and is near impossible to regain, if you can't recall your password.
You will lose all your saved work, applications, programs, and whatever you have saved on your computer. You will have to gothrough a new installation, which is time consuming.
This is assuming you still can locate your original CD-ROM and registration key.
The best solution to this big problem is to prevent it if youcan. You may not be able to prevent this problem from happening,that is the loss of access to your Windows XP computer.
However, there is one simple tool you can use right away that will prepare you to regain access to your computer.Even if you lost the password, and unable to recall it at all.
The trick is to use the tool before the problem happens. Once you prepare yourself, and get the toll ready, you will be able to regain access to your computer.
Here is the solution: Creating a reset disk.
When you are logged on you computer, you open the control panelfrom the Start Menu, and click open the user accounts option. Isis an icon inside the control panel window.
Now, another window will open, with the title user accounts. In the top left side of this window, you will see "Related Tasks". Under the relate tasks, there is a link that says : "prevent a forgotten password".
Once you click on this link, a wizard will open that will guide you in two steps to create a "Password Reset Disk". It will prompt you to enter a formatted floppy disk, and then it will create the disk.
The resulting disk will let you reset the password in case youlost the password. What you do is click on the "?" or help in the login box, so the system will prompt you to enter the Reset password disk you created before.
Once you enter the floppy disk, and hit ok, you will be presented with a box with three inputs. The first is the new password, the second is the password confirmation, and the third is the password hint.
In summary, creating a reset password disk, will save you lots of trouble, time, and loss of data. It is simple, and you can use this method on any Windows Xp computer, whether home, or Pro. edition. Don't delay it, create your disk once you are done reading this article.
Thanks,George Chamoun
For tips about your Windows XP computer, visit our new website:http://www.ResolveWindowsXpProblems.com
I Lost It! Simple Guide To Recovering Corrupted Images And Files
WinUndelete
http://www.deprice.com/winundelete.htm
WinUndelete? is an easy to use undelete software utility to recover deleted files from hard drives, floppy disks, zip drives, USB external flash drives, digital camera cards, and more. Its unique and exclusive SmartScan technology completes those impossible recovery tasks that other software cannot touch - SmartScan quickly locates and restores deleted files. WinUndelete works with Microsoft Windows 95, 98, ME, NT, 2000, XP, 2003 and can recover data from both FAT and NTFS file systems.
Filerecovery Professional
http://www.deprice.com/filerecoveryprofessional.htm
FILERECOVERY Professional can detect drives even if they are not visible in explorer. The full directory structure of the drive is displayed (Even on NTFS Drives where it is recoverable) and the built in search feature makes finding files much easier. The Recovery Wizard allows even novice users to successfully recover lost data. Supports Hard Drives, RAIDS, Most Removable Media, SmartMedia, CompactFlash, Memory Sticks and Micro Drives.
BadCopy Pro
http://www.deprice.com/badcopypro.htm
BadCopy Pro is a leading data recovery software for floppy disks, CD-ROMs, CD-R/Ws, digital media, zip disks, and other storage media. BadCopy Pro can effectively recover and rescue corrupted or lost data from damaged, unreadable, or defective disks. The software supports all kinds of damage situations and all file types.
Recover My Files
http://www.deprice.com/recovermyfiles.htm
Recover My Files Data Recovery Software will bring back files emptied from the Recycle Bin, from a formatted disk, lost due to a system crash or virus infection, and will even recover temporary files for documents never even saved. Recovery takes 4 simple steps, no technical skill is required. Recover My Files Data Recovery Software will recover documents that undelete programs won't find! It searches every sector of your hard drive to recognize deleted files by their internal format. You may be surprised what deleted documents are lurking on your hard disk without your knowledge. The demo includes a FREE Preview which allows you to see deleted files before you decide to buy.
Recover My Photos
http://www.deprice.com/recovermyphotos.htm
Recover My Photos is a powerful data recovery program to recover deleted photos including JPEG, NEF, TIFF, BMP, MOV, MPEG and WAV. Works on Smart Media, Compact Flash, Memory Sticks, hard drives, floppy disks, Zip disks, USB drives. With Recover My Photos you can recover your precious photos even after your digital camera media has been formatted.
John Deprice knows all the inside secrets of picking the right software to recover files. He makes his findings publically available at http://www.deprice.com/utilities.htm
http://www.deprice.com/winundelete.htm
WinUndelete? is an easy to use undelete software utility to recover deleted files from hard drives, floppy disks, zip drives, USB external flash drives, digital camera cards, and more. Its unique and exclusive SmartScan technology completes those impossible recovery tasks that other software cannot touch - SmartScan quickly locates and restores deleted files. WinUndelete works with Microsoft Windows 95, 98, ME, NT, 2000, XP, 2003 and can recover data from both FAT and NTFS file systems.
Filerecovery Professional
http://www.deprice.com/filerecoveryprofessional.htm
FILERECOVERY Professional can detect drives even if they are not visible in explorer. The full directory structure of the drive is displayed (Even on NTFS Drives where it is recoverable) and the built in search feature makes finding files much easier. The Recovery Wizard allows even novice users to successfully recover lost data. Supports Hard Drives, RAIDS, Most Removable Media, SmartMedia, CompactFlash, Memory Sticks and Micro Drives.
BadCopy Pro
http://www.deprice.com/badcopypro.htm
BadCopy Pro is a leading data recovery software for floppy disks, CD-ROMs, CD-R/Ws, digital media, zip disks, and other storage media. BadCopy Pro can effectively recover and rescue corrupted or lost data from damaged, unreadable, or defective disks. The software supports all kinds of damage situations and all file types.
Recover My Files
http://www.deprice.com/recovermyfiles.htm
Recover My Files Data Recovery Software will bring back files emptied from the Recycle Bin, from a formatted disk, lost due to a system crash or virus infection, and will even recover temporary files for documents never even saved. Recovery takes 4 simple steps, no technical skill is required. Recover My Files Data Recovery Software will recover documents that undelete programs won't find! It searches every sector of your hard drive to recognize deleted files by their internal format. You may be surprised what deleted documents are lurking on your hard disk without your knowledge. The demo includes a FREE Preview which allows you to see deleted files before you decide to buy.
Recover My Photos
http://www.deprice.com/recovermyphotos.htm
Recover My Photos is a powerful data recovery program to recover deleted photos including JPEG, NEF, TIFF, BMP, MOV, MPEG and WAV. Works on Smart Media, Compact Flash, Memory Sticks, hard drives, floppy disks, Zip disks, USB drives. With Recover My Photos you can recover your precious photos even after your digital camera media has been formatted.
John Deprice knows all the inside secrets of picking the right software to recover files. He makes his findings publically available at http://www.deprice.com/utilities.htm
How Secure Are Online Data Backups?
Processing DATA is what all businesses do. Protecting data is what SMART businesses do. Smart businesses understand that if they lose their data they lose their business.
If you are considering taking steps to ensure the integrity and safety of your important computer data you may be concerned about the security involved when dealing with such a task. When considering a third party such as an online secure data backup solution there are a few things to consider:
For starters, it is critical that your data be secure not only while in the possession of a third party but also while in transit to them. Most modern online secure data backup providers make there services available via the Internet and will provide you with the necessary software to back up a predefined set of your critical data, which is then encrypted (typically up to 448 bit), before it is transferred over a high speed connection to a secure data storage facility. By securing your data before transferring it over the Internet, you can be assured that your sensitive data (such as financial reports, company memos, and client databases) are safe from prying eyes. For ultra-critical, or highly sensitive applications, the data may be transferred over a completely encrypted channel (also known as an encrypted "tunnel" or virtual private network). If you will be backing up sensitive data that demands the utmost of privacy be sure to inquire about the level of encryption offered by the online secure data backup you are considering.
When considering a remote data backup vendor you should also take into consideration the facilities in which your sensitive data will be physically stored. In addition to encryption technology other things to be on the lookout for are fully secure facilities, biometric security systems, facility lockout policies, and human security. Depending on the level of security you need there are many levels of protection for your data that can be provided by remote data backup companies.
Be sure to do your research and investigate the track record and reputation of the online data backup company you are considering doing business with and never hesitate to ask questions when it comes to ensuring the security of your mission critical confidential data.
Your DATA is your LIFE. Protect it!
Harald Anderson is a freelance writer and webmaster for http://www.online-remote-data-backup.com an online backup service. Experience the Digital Peace of Mind that safe, secure, encrypted online data backups can offer. Online Backups
If you are considering taking steps to ensure the integrity and safety of your important computer data you may be concerned about the security involved when dealing with such a task. When considering a third party such as an online secure data backup solution there are a few things to consider:
For starters, it is critical that your data be secure not only while in the possession of a third party but also while in transit to them. Most modern online secure data backup providers make there services available via the Internet and will provide you with the necessary software to back up a predefined set of your critical data, which is then encrypted (typically up to 448 bit), before it is transferred over a high speed connection to a secure data storage facility. By securing your data before transferring it over the Internet, you can be assured that your sensitive data (such as financial reports, company memos, and client databases) are safe from prying eyes. For ultra-critical, or highly sensitive applications, the data may be transferred over a completely encrypted channel (also known as an encrypted "tunnel" or virtual private network). If you will be backing up sensitive data that demands the utmost of privacy be sure to inquire about the level of encryption offered by the online secure data backup you are considering.
When considering a remote data backup vendor you should also take into consideration the facilities in which your sensitive data will be physically stored. In addition to encryption technology other things to be on the lookout for are fully secure facilities, biometric security systems, facility lockout policies, and human security. Depending on the level of security you need there are many levels of protection for your data that can be provided by remote data backup companies.
Be sure to do your research and investigate the track record and reputation of the online data backup company you are considering doing business with and never hesitate to ask questions when it comes to ensuring the security of your mission critical confidential data.
Your DATA is your LIFE. Protect it!
Harald Anderson is a freelance writer and webmaster for http://www.online-remote-data-backup.com an online backup service. Experience the Digital Peace of Mind that safe, secure, encrypted online data backups can offer. Online Backups
Backup 101 - How To Pick The Right Backup Software
Vision Backup
http://www.deprice.com/visionbackupenterprise.htm
Vision Backup 10 Enterprise is an advanced and easy-to-use backup solution, designed for scheduled backup of your mission critical data. Supported media's include CD-R/CD-RW/DVD-R/DVD-RW, FTP/SFTP/FTPS, Tape, Flash Devices and USB Hard Drives. Vision Backup gives you the ability to backup all your valuable data on your entire network. Increase Vision Backup's functionality by adding FREE plug-ins such as Microsoft Outlook, Microsoft Outlook Express, Directories and Files, and My Desktop and Files.
SmartSync Pro
http://www.deprice.com/smartsyncpro.htm
SmartSync Pro is a universal tool to backup and synchronize your important data to the same drive, different drive, removable ZIP/JAZZ drive, network volume or even remote computer. To make the application automatically copy new and modified files to some destination, you just need to setup the profile using easy to use wizard just once. The profile defines what, where and when to copy. Obsolete files will be also removed when they are not needed. If source data are destroyed or lost, they can be recovered with one mouse click.
Genie Backup Manager
http://www.deprice.com/geniebackupmanagerprofessional.htm
GBM Pro is perfect for users of all computer comfort levels. Novice users will find it easy to create their first backup job in matter of minutes after installing the software, thanks to its intuitive wizard-based user interface, while advanced users will appreciate the software's extended flexibility and features such as preserving NTFS Alternative Data Streams, Email notification, Self executable backup sets, and scripting capabilities (GRunScript and GenieScript).
HandyBackup
http://www.deprice.com/handybackup.htm
Handy Backup is an easy-to-use program designed for an automatic backup of your critical data virtually to any type of storage media including CD-RW devices and remote FTP servers. You can use Handy Backup to make a reserve copy of any valuable data on your system. Special addons are provided to facilitate the backup of MS Outlook, system registry and ICQ files. Restoring is as easy as clicking a button, but you can also use a number of advanced options. The program can be also used to synchronize files between two computers on a network.
Backup4All
http://www.deprice.com/backup4all.htm
The software performs all four fundamental backup types: full backup, differential backup, incremental backup and mirror backup. Using the wizard you can easily set up any backup configuration you wish. You can define powerful file filters and schedule your backups any way you want. Once a backup is performed, you can see what files have been changed since the last backup using the explorer-like tree view or you can read the statistics about the next backup execution. You can use the context menu from the tree to run standard actions associated with the file type.
David Deprice has tested over 114 different backup programs. He made his findings publically available athttp://www.deprice.com/utilities.htm
http://www.deprice.com/visionbackupenterprise.htm
Vision Backup 10 Enterprise is an advanced and easy-to-use backup solution, designed for scheduled backup of your mission critical data. Supported media's include CD-R/CD-RW/DVD-R/DVD-RW, FTP/SFTP/FTPS, Tape, Flash Devices and USB Hard Drives. Vision Backup gives you the ability to backup all your valuable data on your entire network. Increase Vision Backup's functionality by adding FREE plug-ins such as Microsoft Outlook, Microsoft Outlook Express, Directories and Files, and My Desktop and Files.
SmartSync Pro
http://www.deprice.com/smartsyncpro.htm
SmartSync Pro is a universal tool to backup and synchronize your important data to the same drive, different drive, removable ZIP/JAZZ drive, network volume or even remote computer. To make the application automatically copy new and modified files to some destination, you just need to setup the profile using easy to use wizard just once. The profile defines what, where and when to copy. Obsolete files will be also removed when they are not needed. If source data are destroyed or lost, they can be recovered with one mouse click.
Genie Backup Manager
http://www.deprice.com/geniebackupmanagerprofessional.htm
GBM Pro is perfect for users of all computer comfort levels. Novice users will find it easy to create their first backup job in matter of minutes after installing the software, thanks to its intuitive wizard-based user interface, while advanced users will appreciate the software's extended flexibility and features such as preserving NTFS Alternative Data Streams, Email notification, Self executable backup sets, and scripting capabilities (GRunScript and GenieScript).
HandyBackup
http://www.deprice.com/handybackup.htm
Handy Backup is an easy-to-use program designed for an automatic backup of your critical data virtually to any type of storage media including CD-RW devices and remote FTP servers. You can use Handy Backup to make a reserve copy of any valuable data on your system. Special addons are provided to facilitate the backup of MS Outlook, system registry and ICQ files. Restoring is as easy as clicking a button, but you can also use a number of advanced options. The program can be also used to synchronize files between two computers on a network.
Backup4All
http://www.deprice.com/backup4all.htm
The software performs all four fundamental backup types: full backup, differential backup, incremental backup and mirror backup. Using the wizard you can easily set up any backup configuration you wish. You can define powerful file filters and schedule your backups any way you want. Once a backup is performed, you can see what files have been changed since the last backup using the explorer-like tree view or you can read the statistics about the next backup execution. You can use the context menu from the tree to run standard actions associated with the file type.
David Deprice has tested over 114 different backup programs. He made his findings publically available athttp://www.deprice.com/utilities.htm
How to Survive an Operating System Crash
"We apologize for the inconvenience, but Windows could not be accessed or located."
It happens to the best of us. A complete operating system failure. One day you might turn on your p.c. and that dreadful message is on your screen as plain as day. You don't know what you could have possibly done, as your computer was working fine just a little while ago.
Panic is usually the first thing to set in. Something like an operating system failure can literally put home business owners out of business indefinitely. The cost and time involved in trying to repair a p.c. and the months or even years of lost information is overwhelming and frightening to think about.
This doesn't have to happen to you if you are prepared.
When you think about it, our businesses are at the mercy of technology. The technology is only as good as long as it's working properly. What a wonderful world we would live in if technology were flawless.
The reality is that systems fail. Computers are machines and machines sometimes break down. It doesn't get any simpler that than. We have no other choice than to be prepared for when those times come, especially IF we want to make sure our home business suffers very little down time.
There are some very easy things you can do right now to make ensure your peace of mind for your business. You need to be back up and running as quickly as possible in the event of an operating system crash.
1. Document everything including usernames, passwords, merchant account numbers, important websites and especially software unlock codes. Anything that is not written down on paper is subject to be lost.
2. Back up your hard-drive as necessary for how often you have new updates that you cannot afford to lose or rebuild.
** Important! If you have to completely reinstall your operating system, the "My Documents" folder is usually lost. Make sure you don't forget this folder when you do the back up.
3. Make sure all of your .exe, zip and software install files are on a disk. This is easily done by backing them up or burning them onto a CD. You should already have the system restoration and any other store-bought software disks handy.
The actual repair or reinstall of your operating system may simple or it may be complicated. If you are well versed in this area, you may be able to restore the system yourself. If you're like most of us, you may have to call a computer repair professional.
When your p.c. is restored, you will be able to simply reinstall your software and documents files from the disks you created. If you have access to a secondary p.c., you can install your programs on the backup computer in the interim.
Regardless, you will rest much easier knowing that you have taken some basic steps necessary to prepare yourself and protect your business.
This very same scenario happened to me just recently. It could have been a disaster for my business, but it wasn't. I was prepared and was back up and running within 24 hours.
Don't wait until it's too late.
To Your Success!
Patty Gale
Patty Gale is a successful entrepreneur who specializes inpersonalization and customer care for all her clients. She exchangedher suits, hose and heels for working at home in her "jammies" and ison a mission to empower other women to do the same.
She can be reached at http://www.Home-Office-Recovery-Plan.com
It happens to the best of us. A complete operating system failure. One day you might turn on your p.c. and that dreadful message is on your screen as plain as day. You don't know what you could have possibly done, as your computer was working fine just a little while ago.
Panic is usually the first thing to set in. Something like an operating system failure can literally put home business owners out of business indefinitely. The cost and time involved in trying to repair a p.c. and the months or even years of lost information is overwhelming and frightening to think about.
This doesn't have to happen to you if you are prepared.
When you think about it, our businesses are at the mercy of technology. The technology is only as good as long as it's working properly. What a wonderful world we would live in if technology were flawless.
The reality is that systems fail. Computers are machines and machines sometimes break down. It doesn't get any simpler that than. We have no other choice than to be prepared for when those times come, especially IF we want to make sure our home business suffers very little down time.
There are some very easy things you can do right now to make ensure your peace of mind for your business. You need to be back up and running as quickly as possible in the event of an operating system crash.
1. Document everything including usernames, passwords, merchant account numbers, important websites and especially software unlock codes. Anything that is not written down on paper is subject to be lost.
2. Back up your hard-drive as necessary for how often you have new updates that you cannot afford to lose or rebuild.
** Important! If you have to completely reinstall your operating system, the "My Documents" folder is usually lost. Make sure you don't forget this folder when you do the back up.
3. Make sure all of your .exe, zip and software install files are on a disk. This is easily done by backing them up or burning them onto a CD. You should already have the system restoration and any other store-bought software disks handy.
The actual repair or reinstall of your operating system may simple or it may be complicated. If you are well versed in this area, you may be able to restore the system yourself. If you're like most of us, you may have to call a computer repair professional.
When your p.c. is restored, you will be able to simply reinstall your software and documents files from the disks you created. If you have access to a secondary p.c., you can install your programs on the backup computer in the interim.
Regardless, you will rest much easier knowing that you have taken some basic steps necessary to prepare yourself and protect your business.
This very same scenario happened to me just recently. It could have been a disaster for my business, but it wasn't. I was prepared and was back up and running within 24 hours.
Don't wait until it's too late.
To Your Success!
Patty Gale
Patty Gale is a successful entrepreneur who specializes inpersonalization and customer care for all her clients. She exchangedher suits, hose and heels for working at home in her "jammies" and ison a mission to empower other women to do the same.
She can be reached at http://www.Home-Office-Recovery-Plan.com
Sea-Front or Action-gate
June 25, 2005
Seagate Technologies' web site now indicates the company offers data recovery services. Further investigation shows the shipping address, the place to send your subject drive for data recovery service, actually belongs to ActionFront Data Recovery. Many may already be aware of this little tidbit, to others it may be a surprise.
When asked about their arrangement Seagate's Mike Hall responded, "The services are in trials with a limited number of customers at this time so, as with any other Seagate beta program, there's little we can share about them other than what appears on our web site." ActionFront's Ron Austin responded with a simple, "No comment". So much for gathering facts.
Hard disk drives wear-out by nature, a percentage fail prematurely, their storage content can be corrupted and often consumers neglect or are unaware of their responsibility to backup the data. Messages posted in forums and other comments I've received suggest that those who experience drive failures, place the blame for failure on the drive manufacturer. Subsequent occurrences almost always result in a "black-ball the brand" attitude by consumers. These people are not happy at the prospect of spending hundreds or thousands of dollars to recover data. It's doubtful that a hard drive manufacturer offering such services will be well received.
Until this recent change hard drive manufacturers have not offered the service, presumably for liability reasons. Hence, the birth of the data recovery service industry. ActionFront is an industry leader that has, over the years, expanded at a fast pace. They are technically capable and have surpassed many competitors. They are also, quite obviously, veracious sales and marketing experts. I've always held the belief that if drive manufacturers offered data recovery services it would kill the independent shops. Kudos to ActionFront for such a prestigious achievement, with one caveat. It's always dangerous for a mouse to sleep with a lion.
Any hard disk drive manufacturer would be more qualified to perform data recovery services than an independent firm. They certainly have the knowledge, equipment and technology necessary. Why would Seagate need, or want, to align themselves with any data recovery service company? Is this arrangement profitable for Seagate? Does Seagate get access to competitive technology with this arrangement? Could this be a prelude to a Seagate buyout of ActionFront? If there is no intent to purchase ActionFront, will this adversely affect Seagate in the long-run? Does ActionFront just have an excellent inside connection with Seagate? If ActionFront does have an excellent inside connection with Seagate, what technologies or information has Seagate provided to ActionFront that other data recovery shops don't have access to? No comments and limited responses do allot to raise questions not to mention suspicion.
Some may feel that this union brings a certain amount of legitimacy to the data recovery service industry. That may be true from one point-of-view. From another point-of-view Seagate stands to lose goodwill if consumers perceive the company as taking advantage of them. There is no foreseeable benefit to the consumer, as there is no apparent motivation for ActionFront to reduce prices or improve service as a result of the alliance. For now there is only one clear winner, and that's ActionFront.
Richard K. MyersOwner/Webmaster http://www.data-recovery-hub.com
Seagate Technologies' web site now indicates the company offers data recovery services. Further investigation shows the shipping address, the place to send your subject drive for data recovery service, actually belongs to ActionFront Data Recovery. Many may already be aware of this little tidbit, to others it may be a surprise.
When asked about their arrangement Seagate's Mike Hall responded, "The services are in trials with a limited number of customers at this time so, as with any other Seagate beta program, there's little we can share about them other than what appears on our web site." ActionFront's Ron Austin responded with a simple, "No comment". So much for gathering facts.
Hard disk drives wear-out by nature, a percentage fail prematurely, their storage content can be corrupted and often consumers neglect or are unaware of their responsibility to backup the data. Messages posted in forums and other comments I've received suggest that those who experience drive failures, place the blame for failure on the drive manufacturer. Subsequent occurrences almost always result in a "black-ball the brand" attitude by consumers. These people are not happy at the prospect of spending hundreds or thousands of dollars to recover data. It's doubtful that a hard drive manufacturer offering such services will be well received.
Until this recent change hard drive manufacturers have not offered the service, presumably for liability reasons. Hence, the birth of the data recovery service industry. ActionFront is an industry leader that has, over the years, expanded at a fast pace. They are technically capable and have surpassed many competitors. They are also, quite obviously, veracious sales and marketing experts. I've always held the belief that if drive manufacturers offered data recovery services it would kill the independent shops. Kudos to ActionFront for such a prestigious achievement, with one caveat. It's always dangerous for a mouse to sleep with a lion.
Any hard disk drive manufacturer would be more qualified to perform data recovery services than an independent firm. They certainly have the knowledge, equipment and technology necessary. Why would Seagate need, or want, to align themselves with any data recovery service company? Is this arrangement profitable for Seagate? Does Seagate get access to competitive technology with this arrangement? Could this be a prelude to a Seagate buyout of ActionFront? If there is no intent to purchase ActionFront, will this adversely affect Seagate in the long-run? Does ActionFront just have an excellent inside connection with Seagate? If ActionFront does have an excellent inside connection with Seagate, what technologies or information has Seagate provided to ActionFront that other data recovery shops don't have access to? No comments and limited responses do allot to raise questions not to mention suspicion.
Some may feel that this union brings a certain amount of legitimacy to the data recovery service industry. That may be true from one point-of-view. From another point-of-view Seagate stands to lose goodwill if consumers perceive the company as taking advantage of them. There is no foreseeable benefit to the consumer, as there is no apparent motivation for ActionFront to reduce prices or improve service as a result of the alliance. For now there is only one clear winner, and that's ActionFront.
Richard K. MyersOwner/Webmaster http://www.data-recovery-hub.com
3 Ways Computers Can Hurt Your Ministry - Part 1 - Ineffective Data Backups
Our computers have become almost indispensable ministry tools. What would you do if the worst happened and you had to function without your computers? Would your ministry survive?
This article is the first in a 3-part series on how to protect your ministry from serious computer-related loss. This time we're going to focus on protecting your critical data with effective backups. In the next two installments, we'll cover the basics of network security and finally what you should know about software license compliance.
Ineffective data backups really do have the potential to hurt your ministry. Here are some frightening statistics:
31% of PC users have lost all of their files due to events beyond their control.
60% of companies that lose their data will shut down within 6 months of the disaster.
Armed with the right knowledge, you can protect yourself and avoid becoming another statistic.
Back Up Your Data!
Most people would agree that computer data is one of their most valuable organizational assets. What would you do if all your donor and accounting files were suddenly gone forever because a hard drive on your server crashed? This could also happen through disgruntled employees, accidental deletion, corruption in one of your software programs or even because of an attack from an outside hacker. The first line of defense in protecting your ministry data is to perform regular backups.
What exactly is a backup? It's when you make a copy of your important data and keep it in a safe place, so you can restore that data if it ever becomes necessary later. The most common method of backing up data is to use a tape drive and backup tapes. I'll have some important recommendations for you later in this article, but the critical thing to understand is that you MUST do something?any kind of data backup is better than none at all. If you ignore your data, it just might go away!
Back to the Future
Remember the 1985 movie "Back to the Future"? Just like the character in that film used a sports car to travel back in time, you can take your ministry back in time, too. Instead of keeping just one backup copy of your data, you should set up a system that keeps copies of your data for set time intervals (every day, every week, every month, every quarter, every year, etc.). Use a different tape or disk for each backup you make and then label them by date, and you will soon have a library of archived data backups you can restore from as needed.
Why go through all that trouble? Well, suppose you find out that a very important Excel spreadsheet is now corrupted and you can't open it. You haven't used it for several months, and your backup strategy has been to keep writing over the same tapes every week. Chances are all the backups of that Excel file are probably corrupted, too! But what if you would've used a different strategy and kept an archive of your backups for each month of the previous year? You could then easily go back in time to the month when you knew the Excel file was still working and restore that copy?the issue would be quickly & easily resolved. Time travel can be pretty useful sometimes!
How to Make Effective Data Backups
If you have multiple computers networked in your office, keeping all your data in a single location (like a file server) and backing that up every night is the recommended way to perform backups. I would also recommend using a 20-tape rotation, which gives you the ability to "go back in time" up to a whole year (in various intervals) to restore important files.
You should also keep the most recent copy of your backup off-site (i.e., at another location away from your office). This is critical because if your building burned to the ground, your data backups would be destroyed right along with it. With a recent off-site copy, you could restore what you need on new equipment and get back to the business of ministry quickly.
I recommend using enterprise-quality backup software to perform your data backups. Good software, like Veritas Backup Exec and Computer Associates BrightStor ArcServe will schedule everything for you, run automatically and keep logs of everything that does and doesn't get backed up. These programs can also notify you by email (or some other method) when a backup is finished, if it was successful and whether or not you need to address anything. Aside from a little ongoing monitoring, everything can be automated. All you have to do is remember to change tapes every day.
If you're a home office or small office user without the resources to do tape backups, a ZIP drive, an external hard drive, a CD/DVD burner or even one of those cool little USB jump drives that fit on a key ring would all be options to consider. There are also services that let you do online backups over the Internet for a monthly fee. These are good options, as long as the amount of data isn't too large. Some services you can check into include Remote Data Backups, U.S. Data Trust's LiveVault Online Backup Service and iBackup.
Another Form of Insurance
Backups are really like another form of insurance. What kind of problems would you have if your ministry data was wiped out? Could it be replaced at any price? With a relatively small initial investment in equipment and some ongoing monitoring and maintenance, you can practically guarantee that your critical data will be available when you need it.
Protecting your data by effective backups is only part of the solution. Next time we'll talk about some simple steps you can take to protect your network against hackers, viruses, disgruntled employees and other potential vulnerabilities.
Donnie Schexnayder is a ministry technology expert. He holds industry certifications from Microsoft and CompTIA and has over 10 years experience in supporting churches and Christian ministries with technology. With a mixture of passion and expertise, Donnie helps ministries advance their mission of bringing the Gospel of Jesus Christ to the ends of the earth by using cutting-edge technology. Donnie lives with his wife and 2 children in Colorado Springs, CO.
Eternitek: Advancing Christian Ministries Through Technology
http://www.eternitek.com
info@eternitek.com
This article is the first in a 3-part series on how to protect your ministry from serious computer-related loss. This time we're going to focus on protecting your critical data with effective backups. In the next two installments, we'll cover the basics of network security and finally what you should know about software license compliance.
Ineffective data backups really do have the potential to hurt your ministry. Here are some frightening statistics:
31% of PC users have lost all of their files due to events beyond their control.
60% of companies that lose their data will shut down within 6 months of the disaster.
Armed with the right knowledge, you can protect yourself and avoid becoming another statistic.
Back Up Your Data!
Most people would agree that computer data is one of their most valuable organizational assets. What would you do if all your donor and accounting files were suddenly gone forever because a hard drive on your server crashed? This could also happen through disgruntled employees, accidental deletion, corruption in one of your software programs or even because of an attack from an outside hacker. The first line of defense in protecting your ministry data is to perform regular backups.
What exactly is a backup? It's when you make a copy of your important data and keep it in a safe place, so you can restore that data if it ever becomes necessary later. The most common method of backing up data is to use a tape drive and backup tapes. I'll have some important recommendations for you later in this article, but the critical thing to understand is that you MUST do something?any kind of data backup is better than none at all. If you ignore your data, it just might go away!
Back to the Future
Remember the 1985 movie "Back to the Future"? Just like the character in that film used a sports car to travel back in time, you can take your ministry back in time, too. Instead of keeping just one backup copy of your data, you should set up a system that keeps copies of your data for set time intervals (every day, every week, every month, every quarter, every year, etc.). Use a different tape or disk for each backup you make and then label them by date, and you will soon have a library of archived data backups you can restore from as needed.
Why go through all that trouble? Well, suppose you find out that a very important Excel spreadsheet is now corrupted and you can't open it. You haven't used it for several months, and your backup strategy has been to keep writing over the same tapes every week. Chances are all the backups of that Excel file are probably corrupted, too! But what if you would've used a different strategy and kept an archive of your backups for each month of the previous year? You could then easily go back in time to the month when you knew the Excel file was still working and restore that copy?the issue would be quickly & easily resolved. Time travel can be pretty useful sometimes!
How to Make Effective Data Backups
If you have multiple computers networked in your office, keeping all your data in a single location (like a file server) and backing that up every night is the recommended way to perform backups. I would also recommend using a 20-tape rotation, which gives you the ability to "go back in time" up to a whole year (in various intervals) to restore important files.
You should also keep the most recent copy of your backup off-site (i.e., at another location away from your office). This is critical because if your building burned to the ground, your data backups would be destroyed right along with it. With a recent off-site copy, you could restore what you need on new equipment and get back to the business of ministry quickly.
I recommend using enterprise-quality backup software to perform your data backups. Good software, like Veritas Backup Exec and Computer Associates BrightStor ArcServe will schedule everything for you, run automatically and keep logs of everything that does and doesn't get backed up. These programs can also notify you by email (or some other method) when a backup is finished, if it was successful and whether or not you need to address anything. Aside from a little ongoing monitoring, everything can be automated. All you have to do is remember to change tapes every day.
If you're a home office or small office user without the resources to do tape backups, a ZIP drive, an external hard drive, a CD/DVD burner or even one of those cool little USB jump drives that fit on a key ring would all be options to consider. There are also services that let you do online backups over the Internet for a monthly fee. These are good options, as long as the amount of data isn't too large. Some services you can check into include Remote Data Backups, U.S. Data Trust's LiveVault Online Backup Service and iBackup.
Another Form of Insurance
Backups are really like another form of insurance. What kind of problems would you have if your ministry data was wiped out? Could it be replaced at any price? With a relatively small initial investment in equipment and some ongoing monitoring and maintenance, you can practically guarantee that your critical data will be available when you need it.
Protecting your data by effective backups is only part of the solution. Next time we'll talk about some simple steps you can take to protect your network against hackers, viruses, disgruntled employees and other potential vulnerabilities.
Donnie Schexnayder is a ministry technology expert. He holds industry certifications from Microsoft and CompTIA and has over 10 years experience in supporting churches and Christian ministries with technology. With a mixture of passion and expertise, Donnie helps ministries advance their mission of bringing the Gospel of Jesus Christ to the ends of the earth by using cutting-edge technology. Donnie lives with his wife and 2 children in Colorado Springs, CO.
Eternitek: Advancing Christian Ministries Through Technology
http://www.eternitek.com
info@eternitek.com
Protect Yourself Before Your Hard Drive Crashes
Almost everyone who has used a computer has experienced a hard drive problem at some point. Are you prepared to lose your data? If your hard drive crashes right now, do you have an action plan to follow?
Most people get complacent about protecting the data on their computers. The time to back up your data is before you experience a problem. Don't set yourself up for a disaster if your computer hard drive crashes.
Your data integrity action plan should consist of the following:
1) How often you will back up your data
2) What data you will back up
3) What back up procedure you will use
How often you back up your data can only be determined by how important you feel it is. Answer this question, "If my hard drive crashed right now, would I be alright if I had the data from at least (time) ago?" For some people, a daily backup is required while for others it may be weekly depending on how often you create important data files.
Of course you would want everything but if you could have the data from 1 month, or 6 months ago would that be sufficient? Whatever time is sufficient, mark it on your calendar and set up a reminder on your PC to help you remember. Another idea is to use an automatic backup program where you can set up specific times for the backup program to run.
Should I back up my entire hard drive?
What data you back up depends on how you use your PC. Some of the key directories, if you are using the Windows operating system, are the My Documents, Favorites, Program Files, and Desktop directories.
Remember if you are using multiple profiles on your PC then some of the directories above can be different for each profile and each one would need to be backed up.
You will also want to include your email data. Don't forget to write down the email accounts you have. You should also write down any username and passwords so they are not lost. You should look at every directory to see if it has information that you would need.
Make a list of all the software programs you are using. If you have the physical CDs put them all together in a safe location.Don't forget the CDs for your peripherals like your scanner, digital camera, PDA etc?
Collecting these CDs may remind you of additional data that you need to back up.
If you are running software that you installed from downloaded files, burn them to a CD-R and add it to your collection. If you use a CD-R or DVD-R you can update it as you download and install new applications.
How should I back up my data?
What procedure you use to back up your data can be determined by the amount of data you want to back up. Your data might fit onto a CD or DVD in which case you just need to burn it and you're done.
If it spans multiple DVDs then you might want to consider getting a second hard drive to copy your data onto. If you are not comfortable with adding a second internal hard drive or you are using a laptop then you can purchase an external hard drive to back up your data. An external hard drive that uses USB 2.0 is a very convenient way to back up yoru data. You just have to plug in the drive to the USB port of your computer and you're ready to go.
The information you have on your hard drive could disappear in a flash. If you don't want to spend thousands of dollars to have a data recovery company retrieve what information they can from your hard drive, then take a few minutes right now and create your back up action plan.
If you ever have a data emergency your action plan will be your insurance policy. If you adhere to it, your valuable data will adhere to you!
Jim Scotty maintains a website with the latest news updates on data recovery and protection. This article may be reprinted provided that it is reproduced in its entirety and with the hyperlink and author information kept intact.
Most people get complacent about protecting the data on their computers. The time to back up your data is before you experience a problem. Don't set yourself up for a disaster if your computer hard drive crashes.
Your data integrity action plan should consist of the following:
1) How often you will back up your data
2) What data you will back up
3) What back up procedure you will use
How often you back up your data can only be determined by how important you feel it is. Answer this question, "If my hard drive crashed right now, would I be alright if I had the data from at least (time) ago?" For some people, a daily backup is required while for others it may be weekly depending on how often you create important data files.
Of course you would want everything but if you could have the data from 1 month, or 6 months ago would that be sufficient? Whatever time is sufficient, mark it on your calendar and set up a reminder on your PC to help you remember. Another idea is to use an automatic backup program where you can set up specific times for the backup program to run.
Should I back up my entire hard drive?
What data you back up depends on how you use your PC. Some of the key directories, if you are using the Windows operating system, are the My Documents, Favorites, Program Files, and Desktop directories.
Remember if you are using multiple profiles on your PC then some of the directories above can be different for each profile and each one would need to be backed up.
You will also want to include your email data. Don't forget to write down the email accounts you have. You should also write down any username and passwords so they are not lost. You should look at every directory to see if it has information that you would need.
Make a list of all the software programs you are using. If you have the physical CDs put them all together in a safe location.Don't forget the CDs for your peripherals like your scanner, digital camera, PDA etc?
Collecting these CDs may remind you of additional data that you need to back up.
If you are running software that you installed from downloaded files, burn them to a CD-R and add it to your collection. If you use a CD-R or DVD-R you can update it as you download and install new applications.
How should I back up my data?
What procedure you use to back up your data can be determined by the amount of data you want to back up. Your data might fit onto a CD or DVD in which case you just need to burn it and you're done.
If it spans multiple DVDs then you might want to consider getting a second hard drive to copy your data onto. If you are not comfortable with adding a second internal hard drive or you are using a laptop then you can purchase an external hard drive to back up your data. An external hard drive that uses USB 2.0 is a very convenient way to back up yoru data. You just have to plug in the drive to the USB port of your computer and you're ready to go.
The information you have on your hard drive could disappear in a flash. If you don't want to spend thousands of dollars to have a data recovery company retrieve what information they can from your hard drive, then take a few minutes right now and create your back up action plan.
If you ever have a data emergency your action plan will be your insurance policy. If you adhere to it, your valuable data will adhere to you!
Jim Scotty maintains a website with the latest news updates on data recovery and protection. This article may be reprinted provided that it is reproduced in its entirety and with the hyperlink and author information kept intact.
9 Things to Look for when Considering Data Backup Solutions
It's one thing to loose data and money because of hackers and thieves of various kinds; it's a different thing again when it's because you didn't back up your data properly or not at all. Value your data! Whether it's that critical business document, your thesis, your website or your home accounts and precious photo's.
Data can be lost through power surges, computer crashes, fires and theft to name a few. You wouldn't leave your home unlocked and the doors wide open without any occupants, so be sure to close the door to possible losses and theft of data.
The most important aspect of this issue, is to properly back up. So here are a few things to look for when considering a data back up solution.
1. Is it automatic?
You don't want to be using a system that is dependent on human action and consequently vulnerable to being forgotten or misused.
2. Is it simple to use?
You don't want something that's complicated and time consuming to understand. You need a set and forget system; at least until it's needed!
3. Is it secure?
Your data must be off-site. It is no good having a back up file on your PC. It must be remotely stored on at least one other PC. If your PC has a major fire etc the hardware maybe lost but the data and profit is safe.
4. Is it confidential?
A sad fact of life is that there are those around that get their kicks from destroying or stealing your data. Make sure the system you use is encrypted to at least 448 bit and password protected. That way total privacy gives peace of mind.
5. Is the data compressed?
If you have a lot of data to back up you'll want to reduce the storage requirement and cost by having it compressed first. Don't underestimate how much you business or study material will grow!
6. Is the system informative?
Don't put your self in the position of "hoping it worked". Get some form of feedback that assures you it has.
7. Is the system flexible?
Make sure that the system is capable of backing up any file size or type. Don't get caught out by thinking you don't need much storage or the ability to save certain types of files.
8. Is it versatile?
Make sure the system has the versatility to deal with pda's and mobile phones. Also make sure that it has both automatic and manual back facility. You want the automatic feature for the benefit of set and forget, but you also want the, "back up my data now" feature so that you have the benefit of not having to worry through the time between finishing your thesis or proposal and knowing it is really secure.
9. Is it backed up more than once?
Don't rely on a system that only has one copy. Make sure that it has several copies stored on at least 2, preferably 3, off-site computers. Think virus! If your system is hit with a virus you can then go back to a file before the virus took a hold.
Ray Burton is an online marketer of resources, business opp's and training programs for those wanting to start and maintain an online presence. Visit his site at http://www.cyberchoices.info. Get a full review of his recommended resource for data backup at http://www.cyberchoices.info/depositit/
Data can be lost through power surges, computer crashes, fires and theft to name a few. You wouldn't leave your home unlocked and the doors wide open without any occupants, so be sure to close the door to possible losses and theft of data.
The most important aspect of this issue, is to properly back up. So here are a few things to look for when considering a data back up solution.
1. Is it automatic?
You don't want to be using a system that is dependent on human action and consequently vulnerable to being forgotten or misused.
2. Is it simple to use?
You don't want something that's complicated and time consuming to understand. You need a set and forget system; at least until it's needed!
3. Is it secure?
Your data must be off-site. It is no good having a back up file on your PC. It must be remotely stored on at least one other PC. If your PC has a major fire etc the hardware maybe lost but the data and profit is safe.
4. Is it confidential?
A sad fact of life is that there are those around that get their kicks from destroying or stealing your data. Make sure the system you use is encrypted to at least 448 bit and password protected. That way total privacy gives peace of mind.
5. Is the data compressed?
If you have a lot of data to back up you'll want to reduce the storage requirement and cost by having it compressed first. Don't underestimate how much you business or study material will grow!
6. Is the system informative?
Don't put your self in the position of "hoping it worked". Get some form of feedback that assures you it has.
7. Is the system flexible?
Make sure that the system is capable of backing up any file size or type. Don't get caught out by thinking you don't need much storage or the ability to save certain types of files.
8. Is it versatile?
Make sure the system has the versatility to deal with pda's and mobile phones. Also make sure that it has both automatic and manual back facility. You want the automatic feature for the benefit of set and forget, but you also want the, "back up my data now" feature so that you have the benefit of not having to worry through the time between finishing your thesis or proposal and knowing it is really secure.
9. Is it backed up more than once?
Don't rely on a system that only has one copy. Make sure that it has several copies stored on at least 2, preferably 3, off-site computers. Think virus! If your system is hit with a virus you can then go back to a file before the virus took a hold.
Ray Burton is an online marketer of resources, business opp's and training programs for those wanting to start and maintain an online presence. Visit his site at http://www.cyberchoices.info. Get a full review of his recommended resource for data backup at http://www.cyberchoices.info/depositit/
Bill Gates Made Data Recovery Easy
Bill gates provided a ready made option in Microsoft windows, which is very useful for data recovery.
Several time we make mistakes unknowingly and we lost our data, then we need to recover the data. There are so many data recovery solutions available but most of them are very costly. There may be a very easy way for data recovery.
To use data recovery you can back up your files to CDs, DVDs, external hard drives, other internal hard drives, tape drives, etc. They all work, it's just that each media choice has it's own pros and cons regarding ease of use, data storage capacity, and so on. It hardly matter what media you choose for data recovery but the important thing is that it should work.
There are several good backup programs that are very much useful for data recovery job, but Bill gates provided one very good option to do data recovery very easily. Most Microsoft Windows users have a great backup program included with their operating software. If you are a Windows XP user that program is called NT Backup. If it's not already installed on your computer insert your Windows CD, find the folder titled ValueAddMSFTtbackup, and run the program in that folder called ntbackup.msi. It will set up the backup software for use on your computer in no time and you will even have simple to use wizards that will walk you through doing file backups and restores simply and easily.
After properly installing the software you can be prepapered for any time data recovery. Probably this is the easiest way to recover your data. Whenever you will need this trick will work and the cost of data recovery will be negligible.
Author is an engineer and is running a website http://engineering-updates.com, you can reproduce this article if all the link are alive.
Several time we make mistakes unknowingly and we lost our data, then we need to recover the data. There are so many data recovery solutions available but most of them are very costly. There may be a very easy way for data recovery.
To use data recovery you can back up your files to CDs, DVDs, external hard drives, other internal hard drives, tape drives, etc. They all work, it's just that each media choice has it's own pros and cons regarding ease of use, data storage capacity, and so on. It hardly matter what media you choose for data recovery but the important thing is that it should work.
There are several good backup programs that are very much useful for data recovery job, but Bill gates provided one very good option to do data recovery very easily. Most Microsoft Windows users have a great backup program included with their operating software. If you are a Windows XP user that program is called NT Backup. If it's not already installed on your computer insert your Windows CD, find the folder titled ValueAddMSFTtbackup, and run the program in that folder called ntbackup.msi. It will set up the backup software for use on your computer in no time and you will even have simple to use wizards that will walk you through doing file backups and restores simply and easily.
After properly installing the software you can be prepapered for any time data recovery. Probably this is the easiest way to recover your data. Whenever you will need this trick will work and the cost of data recovery will be negligible.
Author is an engineer and is running a website http://engineering-updates.com, you can reproduce this article if all the link are alive.
The Importance of Data Backups
All computers and their components are subject to failure. In fact sooner or later every business will be confronted with some type of computer failure. The largest threat to businesses during a failure will be some type of data loss or data corruption. While the causes of data loss and data corruption vary, not all are easily fixed.
When a data loss or data corruption occurs, many times the only option is to restore the data from a previously created backup of the affected data. Many businesses today over look the importance of data backups until they suffer the unexpected loss or corruption of valuable data. Once this occurs it would be too late, unless the business is lucky enough to restore the data by physically recreating all the affected files from scratch. This of course is only possible if they have a hard copy or another source from which to recreate the data. It will also cost the business a valuable amount of man hours in recreating the data as well. That is if they are lucky enough to be able to even recreate the data in the first place.
If your business has made backups of all data stored on the hard drives, restoring that data will go much more quickly and require a lot less effort. It will also require a lot less man hours and tears shed over the loss that has occurred.
Today there are many options available to businesses for storing and backing up their data. Some of the options available are tape drives and tape libraries, CD-R's and CD-RW's to DVD technologies. There is also the option to use NAS (Network Area Storage) and SAN (Storage Area Networks) and even remote backups over the internet. Even Windows XP/Server 2003 offers a restore point in case your system becomes corrupted. Of course just having these tools available to you is not enough. They need to be used properly and on a continuous basis to be effective.
Sooner or later all systems will face some type of failure that will require a restore from backup. The point is to perform those backups so they are there when you need them.
It is recommended that you sit down with your systems administrator to create a backup plan for your business immediately if you have not done so already. Also recommended, is that you review your backup plan yearly as well. When discussing your backup plan there are certain options to consider. Such as how often to perform the backups and what type of backup media is best suited for your business. Depending on your type of business and how much your data changes from day to day you may want to perform backups weekly, daily, or several times per day. For most small to mid-sized businesses I would recommend a full backup once per week with incremental backups at the end of each work day.
You will also want to consider whether or not to keep some of your backups off site in the case your business is affected by some type of natural or man made disaster. In addition you may also want software to monitor your backup process in order to ensure that your backups are not corrupted as well. This is a common experience with some types of backup media as well.
Finally you may also want to perform a system restore on an occasional basis so that you can check the effectiveness of the restoration process that you have set in place and to practice it so it goes as smoothly as possible.
Following these steps may be essential to your business continuity should your systems fail and you suffer a loss or corruption of data. Setting up a backup plan as well as a restoration plan will also go a long way in ensuring your business operations if you run into a system failure. This would help establish a "who is to do what" list if your systems should fail.
Failing to backup your business data, especially mission critical data is nothing short of a recipe for disaster. Nothing is as important to your business as the data that sits on the hard drives of your systems.
Copyright, Keith Erwood, Dynamic Network Technologies, c 2005 All Rights Reserved
Keith Erwood is the head consultant and owner of Dynamic Network Technologies, a computer consulting and services business in New York City. Visit us at Dynamic Network Technologies
When a data loss or data corruption occurs, many times the only option is to restore the data from a previously created backup of the affected data. Many businesses today over look the importance of data backups until they suffer the unexpected loss or corruption of valuable data. Once this occurs it would be too late, unless the business is lucky enough to restore the data by physically recreating all the affected files from scratch. This of course is only possible if they have a hard copy or another source from which to recreate the data. It will also cost the business a valuable amount of man hours in recreating the data as well. That is if they are lucky enough to be able to even recreate the data in the first place.
If your business has made backups of all data stored on the hard drives, restoring that data will go much more quickly and require a lot less effort. It will also require a lot less man hours and tears shed over the loss that has occurred.
Today there are many options available to businesses for storing and backing up their data. Some of the options available are tape drives and tape libraries, CD-R's and CD-RW's to DVD technologies. There is also the option to use NAS (Network Area Storage) and SAN (Storage Area Networks) and even remote backups over the internet. Even Windows XP/Server 2003 offers a restore point in case your system becomes corrupted. Of course just having these tools available to you is not enough. They need to be used properly and on a continuous basis to be effective.
Sooner or later all systems will face some type of failure that will require a restore from backup. The point is to perform those backups so they are there when you need them.
It is recommended that you sit down with your systems administrator to create a backup plan for your business immediately if you have not done so already. Also recommended, is that you review your backup plan yearly as well. When discussing your backup plan there are certain options to consider. Such as how often to perform the backups and what type of backup media is best suited for your business. Depending on your type of business and how much your data changes from day to day you may want to perform backups weekly, daily, or several times per day. For most small to mid-sized businesses I would recommend a full backup once per week with incremental backups at the end of each work day.
You will also want to consider whether or not to keep some of your backups off site in the case your business is affected by some type of natural or man made disaster. In addition you may also want software to monitor your backup process in order to ensure that your backups are not corrupted as well. This is a common experience with some types of backup media as well.
Finally you may also want to perform a system restore on an occasional basis so that you can check the effectiveness of the restoration process that you have set in place and to practice it so it goes as smoothly as possible.
Following these steps may be essential to your business continuity should your systems fail and you suffer a loss or corruption of data. Setting up a backup plan as well as a restoration plan will also go a long way in ensuring your business operations if you run into a system failure. This would help establish a "who is to do what" list if your systems should fail.
Failing to backup your business data, especially mission critical data is nothing short of a recipe for disaster. Nothing is as important to your business as the data that sits on the hard drives of your systems.
Copyright, Keith Erwood, Dynamic Network Technologies, c 2005 All Rights Reserved
Keith Erwood is the head consultant and owner of Dynamic Network Technologies, a computer consulting and services business in New York City. Visit us at Dynamic Network Technologies
Data Recovery Processes
Six months ago my computer crashed. When I turned my computer on it would not load Windows XP and so I could not get into my two hard drive files. As an author and writer of ebooks, I had all my files in two hard drives without any other backup. At first, I panic. The thought of losing all my data files and writings was unthinkable. Then I got angry with myself for letting myself get into this situation.
Have you ever felt the terror, fear, and then anger connected with losing data that you value so much? I started to think about the different ways I could try to get my data. After trying different things, I knew I could not recover my data by myself. I finally gave in and knew that I need help.
I thought about pulling the hard drives out or taking my computer to a data recovery service. As I looked in the yellow pages and through goggle search for local data recovery computer services, I was able to find a few. I knew it was going to cost me a few dollars, but I needed my data and I needed my computer to do my work.
Finally, I decided to call a computer friend of mine that had done some work for me in the past. After he tried what he could with his knowledge, he could not get windows to open. So here is what we decided was the best course of action:
* Buy a new 120-megabyte hard drive
* Format and install Windows XP on the new hard drive on another computer.
* Remove one hard drive C from old computer and install new hard drive on old computer
* Copy files from drive D that was left on old computer onto new hard drive
* Remove drive D old computer and install drive C
Job complete. With the new hard drive now call drive G, I now had drive C with all my old data and drive D with my old data.
There would have been many other ways to configure and transfer old hard drive data but this one worked for me and I was happy because I could access my files.
Cost was $150 for my friend and $100 for 120 MB hard drive and about a week of lost productivity.
I don't know what cause my computer to fail but I could have been a virus. If your computer crashes, can you afford to be a week without your data? As an individual, maybe you can fix it yourself or with the help of a computer expert. For a company computer you will need the help of a data recovery service if you don't have a resident IT person.
Rudy Silva has a degree in Physics from the University of San Jose. He is author of ebooks and has a variety of sites on various subjects. For more information on data recovery methods and techniques check out his site at: http://www.datalostandfound.info
Have you ever felt the terror, fear, and then anger connected with losing data that you value so much? I started to think about the different ways I could try to get my data. After trying different things, I knew I could not recover my data by myself. I finally gave in and knew that I need help.
I thought about pulling the hard drives out or taking my computer to a data recovery service. As I looked in the yellow pages and through goggle search for local data recovery computer services, I was able to find a few. I knew it was going to cost me a few dollars, but I needed my data and I needed my computer to do my work.
Finally, I decided to call a computer friend of mine that had done some work for me in the past. After he tried what he could with his knowledge, he could not get windows to open. So here is what we decided was the best course of action:
* Buy a new 120-megabyte hard drive
* Format and install Windows XP on the new hard drive on another computer.
* Remove one hard drive C from old computer and install new hard drive on old computer
* Copy files from drive D that was left on old computer onto new hard drive
* Remove drive D old computer and install drive C
Job complete. With the new hard drive now call drive G, I now had drive C with all my old data and drive D with my old data.
There would have been many other ways to configure and transfer old hard drive data but this one worked for me and I was happy because I could access my files.
Cost was $150 for my friend and $100 for 120 MB hard drive and about a week of lost productivity.
I don't know what cause my computer to fail but I could have been a virus. If your computer crashes, can you afford to be a week without your data? As an individual, maybe you can fix it yourself or with the help of a computer expert. For a company computer you will need the help of a data recovery service if you don't have a resident IT person.
Rudy Silva has a degree in Physics from the University of San Jose. He is author of ebooks and has a variety of sites on various subjects. For more information on data recovery methods and techniques check out his site at: http://www.datalostandfound.info
5 RAID Data Recovery Prevention Tips
If you have spent the time to increase your computer'sperformance by setting up a hardware RAID array, you owe it toyourself to invest a little extra time and effort in maintainingthe hard disks in your setup. Following these tips will helplimit the need for data disaster recovery in the future.
1. If you are copying information from an old harddrive ontothose being used in your array, be sure to keep the old diskaround for a while. That way, if you discover any faults orerrors in your raid array, you will still have your originaldata to work with.
2. Make sure you choose the raid level that works best for yourneeds. If you are just in need of faster reads and basicredundancy, RAID Level 1 may be your ticket. This basic levelRedundant Array of Inexpensive Disks ensures against data lossby incorporating 2 drives - one mirroring the other. Althoughthe cost per megabyte is higher, the increase in speed andprotection against data loss are well worth it.
3. If you are setting up a multi-user enviroment, creating a 3or 5 drive RAID-5 array may be your best choice for speed anddata protection. Keep in mind though, if your requirements arewrite performance sensitive, there are better alternatives.
4. If you are trying to decide between a software based orhardware based RAID array, remember, hardware based arrays donot require software to boot, have the logic within them and assuch are much more fault tolerant. Stick with a hardware arrayif you are concerned about disaster recovery planning!
5. Despite the increase in speed and performance using RAIDarrays, files can still become disorganized and corrupted. Besure to run your preferred software for scanning and checkingyour disks on a regular basis.
If you think taking the extra time to follow these tips andcare for your RAID array sounds tedious, take a few moments tocheck out the cost of raid data disaster recovery. That aloneshould make you realize that your efforts are not in vain!
James B. Allen blogs regularly about disaster recoveryplanning. To learn more about data recovery andother aspects of disaster recovery, visit James at:DisasterRecoveryData.com
1. If you are copying information from an old harddrive ontothose being used in your array, be sure to keep the old diskaround for a while. That way, if you discover any faults orerrors in your raid array, you will still have your originaldata to work with.
2. Make sure you choose the raid level that works best for yourneeds. If you are just in need of faster reads and basicredundancy, RAID Level 1 may be your ticket. This basic levelRedundant Array of Inexpensive Disks ensures against data lossby incorporating 2 drives - one mirroring the other. Althoughthe cost per megabyte is higher, the increase in speed andprotection against data loss are well worth it.
3. If you are setting up a multi-user enviroment, creating a 3or 5 drive RAID-5 array may be your best choice for speed anddata protection. Keep in mind though, if your requirements arewrite performance sensitive, there are better alternatives.
4. If you are trying to decide between a software based orhardware based RAID array, remember, hardware based arrays donot require software to boot, have the logic within them and assuch are much more fault tolerant. Stick with a hardware arrayif you are concerned about disaster recovery planning!
5. Despite the increase in speed and performance using RAIDarrays, files can still become disorganized and corrupted. Besure to run your preferred software for scanning and checkingyour disks on a regular basis.
If you think taking the extra time to follow these tips andcare for your RAID array sounds tedious, take a few moments tocheck out the cost of raid data disaster recovery. That aloneshould make you realize that your efforts are not in vain!
James B. Allen blogs regularly about disaster recoveryplanning. To learn more about data recovery andother aspects of disaster recovery, visit James at:DisasterRecoveryData.com
Avoiding Hard Disk Data Recovery Services
As a home computer owner, one of the greatest threats to yourinformation and to your wallet, is hard disk failure. When yourdrive crashes, you will quicky realize how valuable theinformation you can no longer access is.
And when you start searching for disaster recovery services,you will be surprised how much it will cost to recover thatdata. Here are a few tips to help you prevent a data disaster onyour harddisk.
1. If you have an older hard drive, be sure to run free toolslike Data Lifeguard software to check the current condition ofyour drive. By discovering any problems before they crash yourdisk, you'll have a chance to copy your information before allis lost.
2. When the time comes to copy your data from one disk toanother, remember to keep the old hard disk. You'll want to makesure you have a backup while you give your new drive some timeto make sure it is running well.
3. Even on new computers, files on your hard drive can becomedisorganized over time. Make sure to run your favoritedefragmentation program regularly.
4. Partioning your disk can also help improve performance. Makesure to do this from within your operating system if your diskalready has partitions on it. This can often be done throughyour operating systems management console.
5. Do not ignore any problems that crop up. If your computerstarts acting strangely, running slower, or giving your errormessages, run a scan disk or CHKDSK immediately. Remember, itwill be much cheaper to repair your hard drive prior to a totalcrash!
If you think taking the extra time to follow these steps tocare for your hard disk seems time consuming, I recommend youcheck out the cost of harddisk data recovery. You'll quicklyrealize the value of these tips!
James B. Allen blogs regularly about disaster recoveryplanning. To learn more about data recovery andother aspects of disaster recovery, visit James at:DisasterRecoveryData.com.
And when you start searching for disaster recovery services,you will be surprised how much it will cost to recover thatdata. Here are a few tips to help you prevent a data disaster onyour harddisk.
1. If you have an older hard drive, be sure to run free toolslike Data Lifeguard software to check the current condition ofyour drive. By discovering any problems before they crash yourdisk, you'll have a chance to copy your information before allis lost.
2. When the time comes to copy your data from one disk toanother, remember to keep the old hard disk. You'll want to makesure you have a backup while you give your new drive some timeto make sure it is running well.
3. Even on new computers, files on your hard drive can becomedisorganized over time. Make sure to run your favoritedefragmentation program regularly.
4. Partioning your disk can also help improve performance. Makesure to do this from within your operating system if your diskalready has partitions on it. This can often be done throughyour operating systems management console.
5. Do not ignore any problems that crop up. If your computerstarts acting strangely, running slower, or giving your errormessages, run a scan disk or CHKDSK immediately. Remember, itwill be much cheaper to repair your hard drive prior to a totalcrash!
If you think taking the extra time to follow these steps tocare for your hard disk seems time consuming, I recommend youcheck out the cost of harddisk data recovery. You'll quicklyrealize the value of these tips!
James B. Allen blogs regularly about disaster recoveryplanning. To learn more about data recovery andother aspects of disaster recovery, visit James at:DisasterRecoveryData.com.
How To Limit Hard Drive Data Recovery Costs
With the value on information rising day by day, one of thegreatest threats to businesses of any size is data loss. If thedata centers in your business have ever experienced a hard drivedisaster, you quicky realized just how valuable the informationlost is.
And then, the situation becomes even worse, when you realizehow much it is going to cost for a disaster recovery specialistto try and retrieve or restore your data for you.
Here are some basic tips for avoiding such a situation.
1. If you company is using older computers, be sure your techsupport is regulary checking for any problems on your harddrives. By discovering problems before they have a chance towreak havock on your data, they will have an opportuntiy to backthe data up before it is no longer retrievable.
2. Make sure your techies are giving you the old hard diskswhen they do hard drive upgrades on your systems. Even when theinformation has been copied onto new disks, the old drives stillcontain all your valuable data. You don't want this getting intothe wrong hands. Plus, it is always good to have a backup whilethe new hardware is settling in.
3. Especially in a fast paced office environment, the thousandsof computer files can become disorganized over time. Make sureyour computer support is running defragmentation programs on aregular basis.
4. Keep the operating systems the same across all machines inyour office. This will help prevent hard drive corruption fromvarious users incorrectly installing programs on a system theyare not familiar with. Better yet, leave program installation,removal and system partitioning to your tech support.
5. Make sure employess report any problems that crop up ontheir machines. If even one computer starts acting strangely,running slower, or giving error messages, have support run ascan disk or CHKDSK immediately. Remember, it will be muchcheaper to repair one computer's hard drive than to pick up thetab after a total system disaster!
Keeping the following tips in mind when creating your data lossdisaster prevention plan will help limit not only headaches, butlosses to your bottom line.
James B. Allen blogs regularly about disaster recoveryplanning. To learn more about data recovery andother aspects of disaster recovery, visit James at:DisasterRecoveryData.com.
And then, the situation becomes even worse, when you realizehow much it is going to cost for a disaster recovery specialistto try and retrieve or restore your data for you.
Here are some basic tips for avoiding such a situation.
1. If you company is using older computers, be sure your techsupport is regulary checking for any problems on your harddrives. By discovering problems before they have a chance towreak havock on your data, they will have an opportuntiy to backthe data up before it is no longer retrievable.
2. Make sure your techies are giving you the old hard diskswhen they do hard drive upgrades on your systems. Even when theinformation has been copied onto new disks, the old drives stillcontain all your valuable data. You don't want this getting intothe wrong hands. Plus, it is always good to have a backup whilethe new hardware is settling in.
3. Especially in a fast paced office environment, the thousandsof computer files can become disorganized over time. Make sureyour computer support is running defragmentation programs on aregular basis.
4. Keep the operating systems the same across all machines inyour office. This will help prevent hard drive corruption fromvarious users incorrectly installing programs on a system theyare not familiar with. Better yet, leave program installation,removal and system partitioning to your tech support.
5. Make sure employess report any problems that crop up ontheir machines. If even one computer starts acting strangely,running slower, or giving error messages, have support run ascan disk or CHKDSK immediately. Remember, it will be muchcheaper to repair one computer's hard drive than to pick up thetab after a total system disaster!
Keeping the following tips in mind when creating your data lossdisaster prevention plan will help limit not only headaches, butlosses to your bottom line.
James B. Allen blogs regularly about disaster recoveryplanning. To learn more about data recovery andother aspects of disaster recovery, visit James at:DisasterRecoveryData.com.
Data Backup for Beginners
It's 10pm. Do you know where your data is?
Data. Small bits of information clustered together to make Word files, documents,pictures, MP3s, HTML etc. We work on our computers every single day never sparing a thought for all those millions of chunks of data spread all over our hard disks. The data is there and it does it's job.
Until of course the data is not there anymore.
72 hours ago I suffered from massive data loss. There were no hackers involved. No power surges or lightning strikes. Just wear and tear on my hard disk. 20 Gigabytes of business and personal information gone forever. Passwords, HTML files, ebooks all gone. I didn't lose any sleep though. Why? Simply because this was my secondary hard disk that was only used as a backup drive. All my critically important data is safely stored elsewhere.
Picture this scenario. You sit at your computer, turn it on and nothing. Dead. You've just lost everything you've worked on for the last 12 months. All your Adwords campaigns, website templates, ebooks, Excel files. Everything. How do you feel? How do you go about recovering?
70% of companies who suffer serious data loss go out of business within 12 months.
The truth is that most people never recover from losing all their data.
What can you do to prevent this happening to you? Backup.Backup. Backup. Use a backup system.
How do I backup my data?
You could use a zip drive, a CDR/DVD writer, a USB drive or an secure online storage service. Using any of the above is far better than using nothing at all and hoping for the best.
Data loss cost US businesses in excess of 18 billion dollars in 2003.
How often should I backup my data?
You should backup all important data on your PC at least once a week. An easy way to do this is to use a rotating backup system. Get 4 blank disks . Label these disks Week 1, Week 2, Week 3 and Week 4. At the start of the month make a fresh copy of all your critical data on the Week 1 disk and continue this process on Week 2, 3 and 4. Following this procedure ensures that no matter what happens your stored data will never be more than 1 week old and you'll also have 3 other copies of your data stored away that are less than a month old. Simple. Effective.
What software do I need?
Microsoft Windows has its own backup software included. Apple Mac users can take advantage of Apples Backup software and iDisk backup service.
How soon should I do this?
Now. Even using floppy disks start the process of backing up your data today. The sooner you start the safer your data is.
Human error and hardware failure account for 76% of all data loss.
The cost of recovering from a major hardware failure such as a hard disk crash can be massively reduced by keeping a backup of your data.
You're worked hard to build up your business. Don't throw all that hard work away by not taking the proper steps to safeguard your critical information.
This article was provided courtesy of BackupAdvice.com where you'll find lots of useful information on computer backups
Data. Small bits of information clustered together to make Word files, documents,pictures, MP3s, HTML etc. We work on our computers every single day never sparing a thought for all those millions of chunks of data spread all over our hard disks. The data is there and it does it's job.
Until of course the data is not there anymore.
72 hours ago I suffered from massive data loss. There were no hackers involved. No power surges or lightning strikes. Just wear and tear on my hard disk. 20 Gigabytes of business and personal information gone forever. Passwords, HTML files, ebooks all gone. I didn't lose any sleep though. Why? Simply because this was my secondary hard disk that was only used as a backup drive. All my critically important data is safely stored elsewhere.
Picture this scenario. You sit at your computer, turn it on and nothing. Dead. You've just lost everything you've worked on for the last 12 months. All your Adwords campaigns, website templates, ebooks, Excel files. Everything. How do you feel? How do you go about recovering?
70% of companies who suffer serious data loss go out of business within 12 months.
The truth is that most people never recover from losing all their data.
What can you do to prevent this happening to you? Backup.Backup. Backup. Use a backup system.
How do I backup my data?
You could use a zip drive, a CDR/DVD writer, a USB drive or an secure online storage service. Using any of the above is far better than using nothing at all and hoping for the best.
Data loss cost US businesses in excess of 18 billion dollars in 2003.
How often should I backup my data?
You should backup all important data on your PC at least once a week. An easy way to do this is to use a rotating backup system. Get 4 blank disks . Label these disks Week 1, Week 2, Week 3 and Week 4. At the start of the month make a fresh copy of all your critical data on the Week 1 disk and continue this process on Week 2, 3 and 4. Following this procedure ensures that no matter what happens your stored data will never be more than 1 week old and you'll also have 3 other copies of your data stored away that are less than a month old. Simple. Effective.
What software do I need?
Microsoft Windows has its own backup software included. Apple Mac users can take advantage of Apples Backup software and iDisk backup service.
How soon should I do this?
Now. Even using floppy disks start the process of backing up your data today. The sooner you start the safer your data is.
Human error and hardware failure account for 76% of all data loss.
The cost of recovering from a major hardware failure such as a hard disk crash can be massively reduced by keeping a backup of your data.
You're worked hard to build up your business. Don't throw all that hard work away by not taking the proper steps to safeguard your critical information.
This article was provided courtesy of BackupAdvice.com where you'll find lots of useful information on computer backups
Computer Data Backups: Test Now or Cry Later
If you're like most small business owners, your computer data backups are one of those things that you rarely pay attention to. Computer data backups are kind of like flossing your teeth and eating low-fat, high-fiber foods? everyone knows what they're supposed to do? but how many REALLY do these things religiously?!?
Unfortunately when it comes to your computer data backups however, complacency can be very dangerous. Of course, it's always a good idea to have a local computer service company that you can rely on for advice on selecting and maintaining your computer data backups. But, unless you're prepared to put a full-time PC support person on your company's payroll, it's really important that you get some basic understanding of the major issues with computer data backups.
So here's a compilation of some really crucial tips on computer data backups that I've put together, after nearly 15 years of helping small businesses protect their valuable computer data files.
Test your computer data backups regularly and monitor their log files.
To be effective, computer data backups must be highly automated to ensure that jobs are launched consistently and correctly, but your computer data backup system also needs to be watched over diligently to make sure it continues to function reliably.
Unfortunately, monitoring the computer data backup system generally isn't a priority until something goes wrong. By then it's too late?. Like the article title says, "Test Now or Cry Later!"
People have a strong tendency with a computer data backup system to set it and forget it. Automation clearly has many benefits, but a totally hands-off approach can be very dangerous if no one is overseeing your computer data backup process.
Test and Then Test Again: VERY Important with Computer Data Backup Systems
With any newly installed computer data backup system, don't assume everything works correctly right out of the box. Even more important, don't take for granted that your backup system will continue working indefinitely. You need periodically to restore some folders and files from your backup media to validate that your computer data backup system still works.
If your automated computer data backup routine is configured to include a verify run with each backup job, testing a sample restore job monthly should be adequate. However, if you have an extremely low tolerance for risk, you may want to simulate a sample restore job once a week.
The Hazard of Moving Parts and Open Design with Computer Backup Systems
Why do you need to take these precautions if you're purchasing a reliable, business-class computer data backup system to start with? Typically, a tape drive or other backup device is one of the few components in a PC or server that still have moving parts.
As a result, it's more prone to mechanical failure. In addition, because a backup device generally is open, as opposed to the sealed design of a hard drive, it's easy for the inside of the computer data backup system device to attract a significant dust buildup in a relatively short period of time.
Sample Restore Jobs and Cleaning Tape Heads of Computer Data Backup Systems
Testing a tape for a sample restore job is also a great time to clean the heads of the backup drive if your backup system requires this kind of maintenance.
Restoring a few hundred megabytes (MB) of data to a scratch directory and running a head-cleaning tape should take no more than 15 to 30 minutes.
When running a test restore job, always restore the data to an alternate server folder path, so as not to disrupt the use of any shared folders.
Building a Computer System Backup and Restore Procedure ChecklistIn times of crisis, the most crucial issue becomes how quickly you can get the data back onto your system, undamaged. So, as you build your computer data backup system, be sure to document your test procedures into handy checklists.
This documentation also can be great for cross-training and crucial for avoiding panic during an emergency. Be sure you have a hard copy of this documentation next to your system and stored off-site with your backup media.
Watching the Log Files of Your Computer Data Backup System
In addition to running test restore jobs, you must inspect your computer data backup system log files daily. When the backup system is first installed, take time to get familiar with the way log files look when everything is working. This way, if something goes awry, you'll be better prepared to pinpoint the nature of the problem immediately.
As network operating system (NOS) suites and backup software have become more sophisticated, it's now possible to monitor backup system log files remotely and more proactively. In most cases, the backup system log files are just plain text (.txt) files.
Many third-party tools and utilities, as well as those included with Microsoft BackOffice Small Business Server (SBS) and Microsoft BackOffice Server, can automatically e-mail or fax a backup system log file at a preconfigured time.
Automatically and Remotely Monitoring Tape Backup Log Files
Many computer consultants have their small business clients' log files automatically e-mailed to them daily, so the consultants proactively can watch out for potential problems with the computer data backup system.
However, don't think this proactive monitoring is limited to professional consultants. If your company has one or more branch offices you support from a centralized location, you also can use a similar method to monitor backup system health in remote locations.
For greater flexibility, you can set up an e-mail alias so the computer data backup system log file automatically is sent to you, your second-in-command and perhaps an external computer consultant ? so you are all kept in the loop. Also, this way, monitoring continues even when you're out of the office or on vacation.
The Bottom Line
If your small business depends greatly on its computer systems, backing up your data is not optional? and it is not something that can be casually brushed to the back burner.
Use the computer data backup tips in the articles to help you become a more IT-aware small business owner. And remember, when it comes to computer data backups, "Test Now or Cry Later". The choice is yours.
Joshua Feinberg is a 15-year veteran computer consultant, an internationally recognized expert on small business computer consulting. He has appeared in dozens of business and IT trade publications including American Express OPEN Platinum Ventures, Entrepreneur, Inc, SCORE, Small Business Computing, and USA Today. To learn more about Joshua's money-savings tips for small business PC support, visit his site at http://www.PCSupportTips.com
Unfortunately when it comes to your computer data backups however, complacency can be very dangerous. Of course, it's always a good idea to have a local computer service company that you can rely on for advice on selecting and maintaining your computer data backups. But, unless you're prepared to put a full-time PC support person on your company's payroll, it's really important that you get some basic understanding of the major issues with computer data backups.
So here's a compilation of some really crucial tips on computer data backups that I've put together, after nearly 15 years of helping small businesses protect their valuable computer data files.
Test your computer data backups regularly and monitor their log files.
To be effective, computer data backups must be highly automated to ensure that jobs are launched consistently and correctly, but your computer data backup system also needs to be watched over diligently to make sure it continues to function reliably.
Unfortunately, monitoring the computer data backup system generally isn't a priority until something goes wrong. By then it's too late?. Like the article title says, "Test Now or Cry Later!"
People have a strong tendency with a computer data backup system to set it and forget it. Automation clearly has many benefits, but a totally hands-off approach can be very dangerous if no one is overseeing your computer data backup process.
Test and Then Test Again: VERY Important with Computer Data Backup Systems
With any newly installed computer data backup system, don't assume everything works correctly right out of the box. Even more important, don't take for granted that your backup system will continue working indefinitely. You need periodically to restore some folders and files from your backup media to validate that your computer data backup system still works.
If your automated computer data backup routine is configured to include a verify run with each backup job, testing a sample restore job monthly should be adequate. However, if you have an extremely low tolerance for risk, you may want to simulate a sample restore job once a week.
The Hazard of Moving Parts and Open Design with Computer Backup Systems
Why do you need to take these precautions if you're purchasing a reliable, business-class computer data backup system to start with? Typically, a tape drive or other backup device is one of the few components in a PC or server that still have moving parts.
As a result, it's more prone to mechanical failure. In addition, because a backup device generally is open, as opposed to the sealed design of a hard drive, it's easy for the inside of the computer data backup system device to attract a significant dust buildup in a relatively short period of time.
Sample Restore Jobs and Cleaning Tape Heads of Computer Data Backup Systems
Testing a tape for a sample restore job is also a great time to clean the heads of the backup drive if your backup system requires this kind of maintenance.
Restoring a few hundred megabytes (MB) of data to a scratch directory and running a head-cleaning tape should take no more than 15 to 30 minutes.
When running a test restore job, always restore the data to an alternate server folder path, so as not to disrupt the use of any shared folders.
Building a Computer System Backup and Restore Procedure ChecklistIn times of crisis, the most crucial issue becomes how quickly you can get the data back onto your system, undamaged. So, as you build your computer data backup system, be sure to document your test procedures into handy checklists.
This documentation also can be great for cross-training and crucial for avoiding panic during an emergency. Be sure you have a hard copy of this documentation next to your system and stored off-site with your backup media.
Watching the Log Files of Your Computer Data Backup System
In addition to running test restore jobs, you must inspect your computer data backup system log files daily. When the backup system is first installed, take time to get familiar with the way log files look when everything is working. This way, if something goes awry, you'll be better prepared to pinpoint the nature of the problem immediately.
As network operating system (NOS) suites and backup software have become more sophisticated, it's now possible to monitor backup system log files remotely and more proactively. In most cases, the backup system log files are just plain text (.txt) files.
Many third-party tools and utilities, as well as those included with Microsoft BackOffice Small Business Server (SBS) and Microsoft BackOffice Server, can automatically e-mail or fax a backup system log file at a preconfigured time.
Automatically and Remotely Monitoring Tape Backup Log Files
Many computer consultants have their small business clients' log files automatically e-mailed to them daily, so the consultants proactively can watch out for potential problems with the computer data backup system.
However, don't think this proactive monitoring is limited to professional consultants. If your company has one or more branch offices you support from a centralized location, you also can use a similar method to monitor backup system health in remote locations.
For greater flexibility, you can set up an e-mail alias so the computer data backup system log file automatically is sent to you, your second-in-command and perhaps an external computer consultant ? so you are all kept in the loop. Also, this way, monitoring continues even when you're out of the office or on vacation.
The Bottom Line
If your small business depends greatly on its computer systems, backing up your data is not optional? and it is not something that can be casually brushed to the back burner.
Use the computer data backup tips in the articles to help you become a more IT-aware small business owner. And remember, when it comes to computer data backups, "Test Now or Cry Later". The choice is yours.
Joshua Feinberg is a 15-year veteran computer consultant, an internationally recognized expert on small business computer consulting. He has appeared in dozens of business and IT trade publications including American Express OPEN Platinum Ventures, Entrepreneur, Inc, SCORE, Small Business Computing, and USA Today. To learn more about Joshua's money-savings tips for small business PC support, visit his site at http://www.PCSupportTips.com
The Seven Golden Rules Of Data Backups
Backups of company data are carried out for two main reasons. The first is to cater for those times when a document is inadvertently deleted or damaged and you wish to recover the original document; the second is as part of a disaster recovery plan in case something catastrophic happens to your computers (e.g., victims of a fire or theft).
Backups cost time, money and effort to implement, and they are of no value right up until the time you need them. This means they tend to be given a low priority, but ultimately they may easily represent the difference between your business surviving and failing. In this TipSheet, we look at the most common mistakes businesses make with backups.
1. Backup often
Re-entering data is tedious and frustrating. Backing up your company data once a week means that the most you should ever have to re-input is one week's worth Backing up your company data once a day means the most you should ever have to re-input is one day's worth. Frequent backups lessen the impact of data loss.
2. Don't keep any volatile data on desktop PCs
In many organisations, documents are kept on the hard drive of desktop PCs. It is unlikely that this is backed up regularly, if at all. A PC can easily be replaced: last week's quotations may not be so easy to replace. In particular, check that email is not stored on the local hard drive (this is very common in small to medium size businesses). All documents, spreadsheets, email, etc should be kept on a central server, which is in turn backed up regularly.
3. Automate the backup process
Backups are tedious to do. At 6:30pm, most people would prefer to set off home or join colleagues in the bar rather than stay in the office to find the correct tape and start a backup. Automating tedious tasks means they get done.
4. Monitor the backup process
While automating backups is a good idea, do check that they are running correctly. Make sure new files are being backed up; make sure the files of new users are being backed up. A quick check once a week could avert a much more serious problem later.
5. Keep backups offsite
If your business premises suffer a fire or flood, it is likely that backup media will be lost as well. Fireproof safes only protect media for a given time, typically one hour - if you use one, check the manufacturer's specification. If you always keep your backup tape in the server then when it is stolen the thief will probably throw the tape away. It's worth nothing to him, but it could represent bankruptcy to you.
6. Produce a "backup recovery" manual
A major disaster is not the time to try to remember how to recover data from your backup media. Have an idiot-proof, step-by-step procedure written - with a copy stored off-site - detailing how to reinstate your company data.
7. Test the recovery procedure periodically
Without warning, give the backup recovery manual to a member of staff and see how long it takes them to recover data. Many organisations never do this! No one involved with creating the manual or the backups themselves should be involved in the test. The results of the test should be analysed and the manual updated accordingly. A recovery test should be carried out at least twice a year. This proves both that the backups themselves are usable, and that your organisation understands how to use them if necessary.
About The Author
Keith Edmunds has been helping companies get the most from their IT investment for over twenty years. He is the Managing Director of Tiger Computing Ltd (http://www.tiger-computing.co.uk) and may be contacted at keith.edmunds@tiger-computing.co.uk
Backups cost time, money and effort to implement, and they are of no value right up until the time you need them. This means they tend to be given a low priority, but ultimately they may easily represent the difference between your business surviving and failing. In this TipSheet, we look at the most common mistakes businesses make with backups.
1. Backup often
Re-entering data is tedious and frustrating. Backing up your company data once a week means that the most you should ever have to re-input is one week's worth Backing up your company data once a day means the most you should ever have to re-input is one day's worth. Frequent backups lessen the impact of data loss.
2. Don't keep any volatile data on desktop PCs
In many organisations, documents are kept on the hard drive of desktop PCs. It is unlikely that this is backed up regularly, if at all. A PC can easily be replaced: last week's quotations may not be so easy to replace. In particular, check that email is not stored on the local hard drive (this is very common in small to medium size businesses). All documents, spreadsheets, email, etc should be kept on a central server, which is in turn backed up regularly.
3. Automate the backup process
Backups are tedious to do. At 6:30pm, most people would prefer to set off home or join colleagues in the bar rather than stay in the office to find the correct tape and start a backup. Automating tedious tasks means they get done.
4. Monitor the backup process
While automating backups is a good idea, do check that they are running correctly. Make sure new files are being backed up; make sure the files of new users are being backed up. A quick check once a week could avert a much more serious problem later.
5. Keep backups offsite
If your business premises suffer a fire or flood, it is likely that backup media will be lost as well. Fireproof safes only protect media for a given time, typically one hour - if you use one, check the manufacturer's specification. If you always keep your backup tape in the server then when it is stolen the thief will probably throw the tape away. It's worth nothing to him, but it could represent bankruptcy to you.
6. Produce a "backup recovery" manual
A major disaster is not the time to try to remember how to recover data from your backup media. Have an idiot-proof, step-by-step procedure written - with a copy stored off-site - detailing how to reinstate your company data.
7. Test the recovery procedure periodically
Without warning, give the backup recovery manual to a member of staff and see how long it takes them to recover data. Many organisations never do this! No one involved with creating the manual or the backups themselves should be involved in the test. The results of the test should be analysed and the manual updated accordingly. A recovery test should be carried out at least twice a year. This proves both that the backups themselves are usable, and that your organisation understands how to use them if necessary.
About The Author
Keith Edmunds has been helping companies get the most from their IT investment for over twenty years. He is the Managing Director of Tiger Computing Ltd (http://www.tiger-computing.co.uk) and may be contacted at keith.edmunds@tiger-computing.co.uk
Business Continuity and Disaster Recovery - A Business Not a Technology Issue
Hackers, hurricanes, fires, flooding, power outages, denial of service attacks, application failures, employee error, sabotage and now terrorism are helping companies to focus on the necessity of a business continuity plan.
Through the late 1990s as companies prepared for Y2K, many IT executives, risk managers, CFOs and corporate managers realized that recovering computing systems, networks and data was not enough. As Y2K approached, it became more apparent that a disciplined approach was needed to recover not only data and systems, but also business processes, facilities and manpower to restore and maintain critical functions.
The starting point is a risk assessment. Identify and define your mission critical business processes and systems. Review them for vulnerabilities and identify steps required for restoration and recovery. For your data, make sure it is backed up to secure and separate locations. Evaluate various storage solutions including storage area networks, data replication systems, new virtualization systems, network attached storage devices and managed storage. Pay significant attention also to your telecommunications providers to ensure they have built diversity and redundancy into their networks and have well developed and tested contingency plans.
The risk assessment will start to drive out real questions on the business impacts and losses that could result from disruptions. Mission critical impacts, key business functions, processes and records must all be identified. This is also the time to determine resource requirements and acceptable recovery time frames.
Various recovery strategies should be evaluated to achieve your cost, reliability and time to recover objectives. Include physical, technological, legal, regulatory and personnel considerations when you evaluate alternatives. Common points of failure are a lack of executive and budget support and not fully engaging employees. Along with your data, employees are your most valuable asset. An excellent checklist "Considerations for senior management during a time of crisis" is at www.globalcontinuity.com (enter checklists in the search box, click on DR & BC checklists).
Business continuity planning sounds expensive and it can be time-consuming. However, losing your business functions, processes and systems as well as your company, customer and financial data can be devastating. Build your plan. Train, test, train and test again.
About The Author
Robert Mahood has significant technology and management experience in data communications, internet, storage, disaster recovery and data recovery. He is currently the president of Midwest Data Recovery. www.midwestdatarecovery.com
bmahood@midwestdatarecovery.com, 866 786 2595 or 312 907 2100
Through the late 1990s as companies prepared for Y2K, many IT executives, risk managers, CFOs and corporate managers realized that recovering computing systems, networks and data was not enough. As Y2K approached, it became more apparent that a disciplined approach was needed to recover not only data and systems, but also business processes, facilities and manpower to restore and maintain critical functions.
The starting point is a risk assessment. Identify and define your mission critical business processes and systems. Review them for vulnerabilities and identify steps required for restoration and recovery. For your data, make sure it is backed up to secure and separate locations. Evaluate various storage solutions including storage area networks, data replication systems, new virtualization systems, network attached storage devices and managed storage. Pay significant attention also to your telecommunications providers to ensure they have built diversity and redundancy into their networks and have well developed and tested contingency plans.
The risk assessment will start to drive out real questions on the business impacts and losses that could result from disruptions. Mission critical impacts, key business functions, processes and records must all be identified. This is also the time to determine resource requirements and acceptable recovery time frames.
Various recovery strategies should be evaluated to achieve your cost, reliability and time to recover objectives. Include physical, technological, legal, regulatory and personnel considerations when you evaluate alternatives. Common points of failure are a lack of executive and budget support and not fully engaging employees. Along with your data, employees are your most valuable asset. An excellent checklist "Considerations for senior management during a time of crisis" is at www.globalcontinuity.com (enter checklists in the search box, click on DR & BC checklists).
Business continuity planning sounds expensive and it can be time-consuming. However, losing your business functions, processes and systems as well as your company, customer and financial data can be devastating. Build your plan. Train, test, train and test again.
About The Author
Robert Mahood has significant technology and management experience in data communications, internet, storage, disaster recovery and data recovery. He is currently the president of Midwest Data Recovery. www.midwestdatarecovery.com
bmahood@midwestdatarecovery.com, 866 786 2595 or 312 907 2100
Business Continuity and Disaster Recovery - Risk Analysis and Control
In the risk evaluation phase, there are a number of key areas that must be covered. One of the most important is to understand probable threats. In an ideal world, which most of us have noticed does not exist, we would identify and protect ourselves against all threats to ensure that our business continues to survive. Obviously, we are constrained by other factors such as budgets, time and priorities and need to apply cost benefit analysis to ensure we are protecting the most critical business functions.
A second important step is to identify all probable threats and prioritize them. Threats, typically, can be classified in several ways such as internal/external, man-made/natural, primary/secondary, accidental/intentional, controllable/not controllable, warning/no warning, frequency, duration, speed of onset etc. While classifying threats is helpful in terms of understanding their characteristics and potential controls, grouping and understanding by business impact is also important. Obviously, the same impact can result from a number of different threats.
Identifying mission critical business processes and systems is another fundamental building block of the business continuity plan. After your critical business processes and systems and probable threats are established, the next step is to identify vulnerabilities and loss potential. This requires an extensive scan of the organization to identify vulnerabilities and then analysis to understand those vulnerabilities which would have the greatest impact on your critical business processes and the organization. This starts to clarify and quantify potential losses, which helps to establish priorities.
Following the identification of the most probable threats and vulnerabilities, an analysis of existing controls is needed. This spans physical security as well as people, processes, data, communications and asset protection. Some controls such as physical security and data backup are obvious. Other controls required are often less obvious, but they can be identified through the risk evaluation process.
Once the key building blocks of critical business functions, most probable threats, vulnerabilities and controls are identified, the next stage is to develop an understanding of the probability of threats factored by the severity or impact of the threats. This leads to the business impact analysis phase which establishes priorities for protection.
The goal is to minimize threats, impacts and downtime and to mitigate any losses. Fundamentally, the goal is to protect your people, protect your data, protect your vital communications, protect your assets and to protect your brand and reputation. Overall, of course, the goal is to ensure your business continues to operate and to do it in a cost-effective way meeting standards of reasonable and prudent judgment.
About The Author
Robert Mahood has significant technology and management experience in data communications, internet, storage, disaster recovery and data recovery. He is currently the president of Midwest Data Recovery. www.midwestdatarecovery.com
bmahood@midwestdatarecovery.com, 312 907 2100 or 866 786 2595
A second important step is to identify all probable threats and prioritize them. Threats, typically, can be classified in several ways such as internal/external, man-made/natural, primary/secondary, accidental/intentional, controllable/not controllable, warning/no warning, frequency, duration, speed of onset etc. While classifying threats is helpful in terms of understanding their characteristics and potential controls, grouping and understanding by business impact is also important. Obviously, the same impact can result from a number of different threats.
Identifying mission critical business processes and systems is another fundamental building block of the business continuity plan. After your critical business processes and systems and probable threats are established, the next step is to identify vulnerabilities and loss potential. This requires an extensive scan of the organization to identify vulnerabilities and then analysis to understand those vulnerabilities which would have the greatest impact on your critical business processes and the organization. This starts to clarify and quantify potential losses, which helps to establish priorities.
Following the identification of the most probable threats and vulnerabilities, an analysis of existing controls is needed. This spans physical security as well as people, processes, data, communications and asset protection. Some controls such as physical security and data backup are obvious. Other controls required are often less obvious, but they can be identified through the risk evaluation process.
Once the key building blocks of critical business functions, most probable threats, vulnerabilities and controls are identified, the next stage is to develop an understanding of the probability of threats factored by the severity or impact of the threats. This leads to the business impact analysis phase which establishes priorities for protection.
The goal is to minimize threats, impacts and downtime and to mitigate any losses. Fundamentally, the goal is to protect your people, protect your data, protect your vital communications, protect your assets and to protect your brand and reputation. Overall, of course, the goal is to ensure your business continues to operate and to do it in a cost-effective way meeting standards of reasonable and prudent judgment.
About The Author
Robert Mahood has significant technology and management experience in data communications, internet, storage, disaster recovery and data recovery. He is currently the president of Midwest Data Recovery. www.midwestdatarecovery.com
bmahood@midwestdatarecovery.com, 312 907 2100 or 866 786 2595
Business Continuity and Disaster Recovery - Business Impact Analysis
Business impact analysis is a critical part of the business continuity planning process. This step quantifies data and gets into the real world issue of potential losses that can negatively impact your business. It is used to understand the most important impacts and how to best protect your people, processes, data, communications, assets and the organization's goodwill and reputation.
Organizations often think in terms of disaster recovery. Business continuity and the business impact analysis is more focused on keeping the business up and running and less focused on recovery after a disaster. The business impact analysis also is not focused only on the potential disasters, but on all potentially critical discontinuities. Key elements of the Business Impact Analysis are to identify critical business functions, establish the maximum acceptable outage time for each of these functions and then to determine the impact of not performing those functions. This can be measured against regulatory, legal, financial, operations or customer service requirements.
Once the adequacy of security and controls is evaluated and critical business functions and outage times are defined, the business continuity planner needs to develop an understanding of the probability of threats factored by the severity or impact and to start to develop a cost benefit analysis of the largest impact and highest probability threats.
It's virtually impossible to create an absolute value and prioritization of threats and impacts. Generally, a relational system is used to drive out the key priorities. Often, each threat is evaluated according to its probability and assigned a 1, 5 or 10 rating. Then, each threat is evaluated according to its impact on critical business functions and on the business overall. For example, a discontinuity in a critical business function of less than one hour might receive a value of 0. A discontinuity of one to eight hours might be ranked a 1, eight to twenty four hours might be ranked a 2 and over 24 hours might be ranked a 3. Obviously, these rankings need to be developed on a company specific basis. Probability factored by impact creates the relational prioritization list.
This approach to risk evaluation and control allows management to start to quantify the risks and potential impacts on the organization in a thoughtful and analytical way. This results not only in higher quality decisions, but also provides an audit trail that demonstrates that management is paying attention to its risk management responsibilities. These responsibilities might be established by regulatory or legal bodies, demanded as a contractual commitment by customers or simply expected by shareholders as sound and prudent management. The key corporate goals are to protect people, protect assets, protect data and to protect the brand and reputation of the organization.
About The Author
Robert Mahood has significant technology and management experience in data communications, internet, storage, disaster recovery and data recovery. He is currently the president of Midwest Data Recovery. www.midwestdatarecovery.com
bmahood@midwestdatarecovery.com, 312 907 2100 or 866 786 2595
Organizations often think in terms of disaster recovery. Business continuity and the business impact analysis is more focused on keeping the business up and running and less focused on recovery after a disaster. The business impact analysis also is not focused only on the potential disasters, but on all potentially critical discontinuities. Key elements of the Business Impact Analysis are to identify critical business functions, establish the maximum acceptable outage time for each of these functions and then to determine the impact of not performing those functions. This can be measured against regulatory, legal, financial, operations or customer service requirements.
Once the adequacy of security and controls is evaluated and critical business functions and outage times are defined, the business continuity planner needs to develop an understanding of the probability of threats factored by the severity or impact and to start to develop a cost benefit analysis of the largest impact and highest probability threats.
It's virtually impossible to create an absolute value and prioritization of threats and impacts. Generally, a relational system is used to drive out the key priorities. Often, each threat is evaluated according to its probability and assigned a 1, 5 or 10 rating. Then, each threat is evaluated according to its impact on critical business functions and on the business overall. For example, a discontinuity in a critical business function of less than one hour might receive a value of 0. A discontinuity of one to eight hours might be ranked a 1, eight to twenty four hours might be ranked a 2 and over 24 hours might be ranked a 3. Obviously, these rankings need to be developed on a company specific basis. Probability factored by impact creates the relational prioritization list.
This approach to risk evaluation and control allows management to start to quantify the risks and potential impacts on the organization in a thoughtful and analytical way. This results not only in higher quality decisions, but also provides an audit trail that demonstrates that management is paying attention to its risk management responsibilities. These responsibilities might be established by regulatory or legal bodies, demanded as a contractual commitment by customers or simply expected by shareholders as sound and prudent management. The key corporate goals are to protect people, protect assets, protect data and to protect the brand and reputation of the organization.
About The Author
Robert Mahood has significant technology and management experience in data communications, internet, storage, disaster recovery and data recovery. He is currently the president of Midwest Data Recovery. www.midwestdatarecovery.com
bmahood@midwestdatarecovery.com, 312 907 2100 or 866 786 2595
Business Continuity and Disaster Recovery - Selecting A Business Continuity Strategy
The risk analysis and business impact analysis have identified risks to key business functions. Also, the potential impacts and probabilities of these risks as well as the costs to prevent or mitigate damages and the time to recover will have been established. Evaluating and selecting strategies is based on using this knowledge. Strategy selection involves focusing on key risk areas and selecting a strategy for each one. The primary goals are to maintain business continuity in the face of a disruption or disaster, to recover key business functions quickly and to mitigate damages.
Many companies associate disaster recovery and business continuity only with IT and communications functions and miss other critical areas that can seriously impact their business. Other common areas for strategy development and selection are employees, facilities, power, customer service, billing, and customer and public relations. All areas require a clear well thought out strategy based on recovery time objectives, cost and profitability impact.
Recovery related to employees is the most overlooked part of strategy selection. Simple steps like the ability to contact employees at home or on their personal cell phone and to ensure all are accounted for at each facility are often overlooked. Communications is critical to keep employees informed and engaged. The most powerful tools for continuity and recovery are the knowledge, capabilities and motivation of employees.
Developing strategies with implementation steps means no time is wasted in a recovery scenario. The focus is to implement the plan quickly and successfully. The right strategies implemented effectively minimize the disruption and mitigate damages.
In some cases, a strategy decision may be no strategy at all. In this scenario and others where there is significant risk to the financial viability of the organization, business interruption or business income insurance may be a viable strategy. Generally, this provides the company with the income it is losing due to damage to its property. It therefore increases the company's chances of survival and the ability to keep its customers and recover.
About The Author
Robert Mahood has significant technology and management experience in data communications, internet, storage, disaster recovery and data recovery. He is currently the president of Midwest Data Recovery. www.midwestdatarecovery.com
bmahood@midwestdatarecovery.com, 866 786 2595, 312 907 2100
Many companies associate disaster recovery and business continuity only with IT and communications functions and miss other critical areas that can seriously impact their business. Other common areas for strategy development and selection are employees, facilities, power, customer service, billing, and customer and public relations. All areas require a clear well thought out strategy based on recovery time objectives, cost and profitability impact.
Recovery related to employees is the most overlooked part of strategy selection. Simple steps like the ability to contact employees at home or on their personal cell phone and to ensure all are accounted for at each facility are often overlooked. Communications is critical to keep employees informed and engaged. The most powerful tools for continuity and recovery are the knowledge, capabilities and motivation of employees.
Developing strategies with implementation steps means no time is wasted in a recovery scenario. The focus is to implement the plan quickly and successfully. The right strategies implemented effectively minimize the disruption and mitigate damages.
In some cases, a strategy decision may be no strategy at all. In this scenario and others where there is significant risk to the financial viability of the organization, business interruption or business income insurance may be a viable strategy. Generally, this provides the company with the income it is losing due to damage to its property. It therefore increases the company's chances of survival and the ability to keep its customers and recover.
About The Author
Robert Mahood has significant technology and management experience in data communications, internet, storage, disaster recovery and data recovery. He is currently the president of Midwest Data Recovery. www.midwestdatarecovery.com
bmahood@midwestdatarecovery.com, 866 786 2595, 312 907 2100
Business Continuity and Disaster Recovery - The Business Continuity and Disaster Recovery Plan
Essentially, the plan addresses the who, what, where, why and when of recovery. Goal number one is to reduce the risk profile of the business. Goal two is to be well prepared so the impact of any disruption is minimized. Overall, the objective of the plan is to effectively minimize the chances of disruption and, if there is a disruption, to quickly implement the recovery and get the business or organization working again. The "why" is to maximize business continuity and minimize damages to company assets. Ultimately, the goal is to protect the organization from the key risks identified and to effectively implement the recovery strategies.
The "what" is a clear, detailed, but focused business continuity and disaster recovery plan, a plan that provides a successful road map to minimize business interruption and maximize business continuity.
The "who" refers to the teams. The recovery effort is focused through teams. While the Emergency Management Team is the leader of the recovery efforts, other teams could include: IT, telecommunications, facilities and power, customer relations, public relations, billing, customer service, and human resources.
The "where" is, of course, company facilities, but it's also other alternate sites, location of all employees and the ability to find and communicate with employees. Effectively organizing and deploying employees is the most fundamental requirement for successful recovery.
And finally, there is the question of "when." Unfortunately, hackers, hurricanes, fires and other risks seldom follow our agenda. The "when" we can control is the "when" of lowering the company's risk profile by implementing solutions before the problem develops. "When", of course, also has to do with the priorities of the recovery. These hopefully would be in place as a result of selecting effective strategies.
If you don't know where you're going, any road will get you there. The business continuity and disaster recovery plan is the road map to get you to your destination of minimizing risks, mitigating damages and reducing your risk profile.
About The Author
Robert Mahood has significant technology and management experience in data communications, internet, storage, disaster recovery and data recovery. He is currently the president of Midwest Data Recovery. www.midwestdatarecovery.com
bmahood@midwestdatarecovery.com, 866 786 2595, 312 907 2100
The "what" is a clear, detailed, but focused business continuity and disaster recovery plan, a plan that provides a successful road map to minimize business interruption and maximize business continuity.
The "who" refers to the teams. The recovery effort is focused through teams. While the Emergency Management Team is the leader of the recovery efforts, other teams could include: IT, telecommunications, facilities and power, customer relations, public relations, billing, customer service, and human resources.
The "where" is, of course, company facilities, but it's also other alternate sites, location of all employees and the ability to find and communicate with employees. Effectively organizing and deploying employees is the most fundamental requirement for successful recovery.
And finally, there is the question of "when." Unfortunately, hackers, hurricanes, fires and other risks seldom follow our agenda. The "when" we can control is the "when" of lowering the company's risk profile by implementing solutions before the problem develops. "When", of course, also has to do with the priorities of the recovery. These hopefully would be in place as a result of selecting effective strategies.
If you don't know where you're going, any road will get you there. The business continuity and disaster recovery plan is the road map to get you to your destination of minimizing risks, mitigating damages and reducing your risk profile.
About The Author
Robert Mahood has significant technology and management experience in data communications, internet, storage, disaster recovery and data recovery. He is currently the president of Midwest Data Recovery. www.midwestdatarecovery.com
bmahood@midwestdatarecovery.com, 866 786 2595, 312 907 2100
Business Continuity and Disaster Recovery - Reducing Your Risk Profile
Like all plans, there is an ultimate goal to achieve. The goal in a business continuity plan is simply that: to continue your business in the face of a disaster or a disruption. A business continuity plan is not just for a disaster. It's also for the smaller things in life, like your friendly neighborhood burglar who decides to borrow all of your computers or the small power interruption, which causes loss of data and downtime or the fire five floors below you, which causes a 5 hour building shutdown. These are a few of the many things, which do occur every day and do happen to companies like yours.
Disaster recovery has traditionally been associated with computing systems and data storage and recovery of data. Different than business continuity, disaster recovery is focused more on after the fact, quickly and effectively recovering from a disaster or disruption.
There are many good sources of information on both business continuity and disaster recovery. Some of the more authoritative sources are: Disaster Recovery International (www.drii.org), Disaster Recovery Journal (www.drj.com), and Global Continuity (www.globalcontinuity.com).
It's, of course, not realistic to think that you can guard against every risk. However, through risk analysis, business impact analysis, selecting effective strategies, documenting detailed recovery plans and testing your plans, you can significantly reduce many of your risks, often in a very cost effective way. You have an important management responsibility to safeguard company assets. Reducing your risk profile through a well thought out business continuity and disaster recovery plan is an effective way to do so.
About The Author
Robert Mahood has significant technology and management experience in data communications, internet, storage, disaster recovery and data recovery. He is currently the president of Midwest Data Recovery. www.midwestdatarecovery.com
bmahood@midwestdatarecovery.com, 866 786 2595, 312 907 2100
Disaster recovery has traditionally been associated with computing systems and data storage and recovery of data. Different than business continuity, disaster recovery is focused more on after the fact, quickly and effectively recovering from a disaster or disruption.
There are many good sources of information on both business continuity and disaster recovery. Some of the more authoritative sources are: Disaster Recovery International (www.drii.org), Disaster Recovery Journal (www.drj.com), and Global Continuity (www.globalcontinuity.com).
It's, of course, not realistic to think that you can guard against every risk. However, through risk analysis, business impact analysis, selecting effective strategies, documenting detailed recovery plans and testing your plans, you can significantly reduce many of your risks, often in a very cost effective way. You have an important management responsibility to safeguard company assets. Reducing your risk profile through a well thought out business continuity and disaster recovery plan is an effective way to do so.
About The Author
Robert Mahood has significant technology and management experience in data communications, internet, storage, disaster recovery and data recovery. He is currently the president of Midwest Data Recovery. www.midwestdatarecovery.com
bmahood@midwestdatarecovery.com, 866 786 2595, 312 907 2100
Data Recovery
Every person who uses a personal computer will eventually face the challenge of data recovery. Computer hardware and software can be temperamental from time to time. Hard drives and other mechanical components of personal computers and servers do not last forever, and when they fail recovering your data can be difficult, time consuming and costly.
If you are working diligently away on a document or spreadsheet in Microsoft Office and the power goes out, you may still be able to recover the documents you were working on when the lights come back on. This type of data recovery is relatively easy and straightforward. Software manufacturers recognize that power outages are inevitable and unpredictable and most office applications incorporate what is known as autosave features. At set intervals, the documents you have open are saved to a cached file. They remain in that cached state and should be accessible once your power is restored. Simply opening Microsoft Word or Excel will usually bring these documents back.
For instance, when you open Word after a power failure or a software error, you will be presented with a document followed by the word recovered in parentheses. This is the document you were working on at the most recent autosave point. You may still lose a couple minutes worth of work this way, but it sure beats having to go back and retype the entire document.
If the recovered document does not appear automatically, search your hard drive for files ending with tmp. Look for one created close to the time of the power failure or software error and open it. This is most likely the document you had open at the time. If this method of data recovery does not work, you may need to follow the steps listed below.
Of course not all data recovery is so easy and so straightforward. If you delete a file accidentally, it is a simple matter to recover it from the recycle bin. Once you empty the recycle bin, however, things become more difficult. The deleted file still resides on your computer somewhere, but the pointer that tells the program where to find the file is now gone. There are various software tools available that promise to help recover deleted files, and they all have their strengths and weaknesses. Some of the major players are Norton, McAfee and Computer Associates. There are a great many smaller vendors as well.
Even if all these products fail to recover your data, you may not be completely out of luck. Data recovery services specialize in recovering data from failed and corrupt hard drives. These data recovery services have tools and equipment not available to the general public.
Government and law enforcement forensic teams will often make use of these advanced data recovery techniques to investigate cases of computer crime. Businesses also will turn to a professional data recovery service to recover mission critical data from damaged hard drives.
It is important to choose a reputable firm any time you need to have data recovery services performed. The firm you choose should be able to provide references from previous clients. You should make sure to follow up with the references they provide.
The cost for the data recovery service will vary according to the type of equipment and the difficulty of the job. You should get several estimates to make sure you are paying a fair price for the service you receive.
Barry Stein is the owner of aWebBiz.com where he offers cutting-edge tips on all aspects of business. To find more advice, tools and resources to help you succeed in your business, visit: http://www.aWebBiz.com
Barry's Internet Marketing Blog: http://awebbiz.com/blog
--------------------------------------------------------------
You have permission to publish this article electronically, in print, in your e-book or on your web site, free of charge, as long as the author bylines are included with an active hyperlink to the aWebBiz.com website.
If you are working diligently away on a document or spreadsheet in Microsoft Office and the power goes out, you may still be able to recover the documents you were working on when the lights come back on. This type of data recovery is relatively easy and straightforward. Software manufacturers recognize that power outages are inevitable and unpredictable and most office applications incorporate what is known as autosave features. At set intervals, the documents you have open are saved to a cached file. They remain in that cached state and should be accessible once your power is restored. Simply opening Microsoft Word or Excel will usually bring these documents back.
For instance, when you open Word after a power failure or a software error, you will be presented with a document followed by the word recovered in parentheses. This is the document you were working on at the most recent autosave point. You may still lose a couple minutes worth of work this way, but it sure beats having to go back and retype the entire document.
If the recovered document does not appear automatically, search your hard drive for files ending with tmp. Look for one created close to the time of the power failure or software error and open it. This is most likely the document you had open at the time. If this method of data recovery does not work, you may need to follow the steps listed below.
Of course not all data recovery is so easy and so straightforward. If you delete a file accidentally, it is a simple matter to recover it from the recycle bin. Once you empty the recycle bin, however, things become more difficult. The deleted file still resides on your computer somewhere, but the pointer that tells the program where to find the file is now gone. There are various software tools available that promise to help recover deleted files, and they all have their strengths and weaknesses. Some of the major players are Norton, McAfee and Computer Associates. There are a great many smaller vendors as well.
Even if all these products fail to recover your data, you may not be completely out of luck. Data recovery services specialize in recovering data from failed and corrupt hard drives. These data recovery services have tools and equipment not available to the general public.
Government and law enforcement forensic teams will often make use of these advanced data recovery techniques to investigate cases of computer crime. Businesses also will turn to a professional data recovery service to recover mission critical data from damaged hard drives.
It is important to choose a reputable firm any time you need to have data recovery services performed. The firm you choose should be able to provide references from previous clients. You should make sure to follow up with the references they provide.
The cost for the data recovery service will vary according to the type of equipment and the difficulty of the job. You should get several estimates to make sure you are paying a fair price for the service you receive.
Barry Stein is the owner of aWebBiz.com where he offers cutting-edge tips on all aspects of business. To find more advice, tools and resources to help you succeed in your business, visit: http://www.aWebBiz.com
Barry's Internet Marketing Blog: http://awebbiz.com/blog
--------------------------------------------------------------
You have permission to publish this article electronically, in print, in your e-book or on your web site, free of charge, as long as the author bylines are included with an active hyperlink to the aWebBiz.com website.
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