The Do’s And Don’ts Of Data Loss Prevention
Posted on November 28, 2008
Filed Under Uncategorized |
One very common cause of lost data amongst computer users from all walks of life; being they home computer users, business users or even IT support technicians, is that which occurs following an issue with the machine that prevents it from booting. Data loss is often a side affect of attempts to get the machine working again.
Hindsight is a wonderful thing and if you have ever experienced a data loss in the past you will at least have at the very least a modicum of experience to guide you. But that said there are many signs of impending system failure so what symptoms should you be on your guard against?
Computer starts up but never reaches the login window: When this happens there are a number of potential problems that can be to blame, these range from hardware issues relating to the hard disk drive, down to driver incompatibility or the loss of important system files. Sometimes the problem can be resolved by booting up in Safe Mode, however, not always.
Your computer loses its zing and starts to feel very jaded and slow: This could be the result of hard drive fragmentation which can be rectified, or could be a more serious operating system problem. The potential for data loss is possible in both scenarios and the most serious operating system problems are best dealt with by doing a totally clean OS install.
Pc virus, malware and spyware: Pc virus and other, malevolent applications can cause untold data loss and problems if not handled in the correct manner from the outset. Boot sector viruses and others will first start to be noticeable when you Pc starts behaving strangely so be on your guard.
So what are the options here once the problem has arrived, and how can we avoid any form of data loss when in a lot of circumstances the only answer is to wipe our system and start from fresh?
The Key, wherever possible, and where there is no hard disk drive fault requiring professional data recovery services is simple: Backup! Sounds simple enough if the drive is working fine, but not enough people do it.
External hard drives can be purchased in most computer shops now days and a quick search online for online backup will also give you a number of remote back up options.
So what can you do if the worst has happened to you? One simple technique that has helped thousands of people recover data that would otherwise be at risk due to the unpredictability of the reinstall process is to use a USB caddy and hook the drive in question up to a fully working, (and fully protected) machine.
You can find more great advice on data recovery and in particular for businesses raid data recovery here.
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