We’ve all been there ; we are working on that large contention for our finals, we’re doing the finishing touches on that large project thats guaranteed to get you that promotion, you’re making the final edits for that client who’s going to literally hand you a burlap bag with a money symbol-when it happens.  It might be a hard drive crash, a power surge, a tremor or a direct slap from God I don’t know-but all your work is gone and you did not back it up.  If you have not begun to feel that wave of icy shock and terror, then you’ve got to prepare-because what will you do when it *does*?  I remember years back, I was finishing my last project for my 2-D advert class, merely a stupid old timey propaganda war poster.  It was raining terribly heavily and the thunder was getting louder, I saved my project under a few separate titles but I would have liked to have a backup-just in case.  I put my USB memory card in and did another fast save-literally a second before we had a brown out / power surge. 

That 2nd of darkness felt like a cold, numb, scaring century.  When the light came back on and my computer started booting up all I could do was pray that my final was there and any damage was not.  My last was on my PC, one of the saves anyhow.  The final was still intact on my USB, but half the other files were corrupted and that port was fried and has not worked since.  The drive itself went 2 weeks later , a week after I handed in my project.  I got lucky, intensely lucky.  Hopefully if it happens again I can be as fortunate.  But always  ‘hoping for the best’ is a very foolish action to take.  That’s’s like never wearing a helmet on a bike and hoping you can never get hurt if you hopefully don’t fall-one search on Youtube proves you will get hurt when you fall off a bike.  Hilariously though, but still I’m sure smashing your face on a concrete path hurts. 

Thankfully for people that do enjoy wearing wearing helmets while using our PCs ( or making your PCs roughly wear one ), there are actually many options to be certain our files will be safe and backed up when the time comes.  Online backup is great to store your files, nevertheless it can be prices and you are restrained by the rate of your web and the scale of your information.  If you are prepared to spend the scratch, it easy and convenient and always a comfort knowing that what ever you want should be available to you at all times-as long as a Net source in close.  Which naturally it mostly is, I adore living in THE FUTURE. 

Still, if you’ve got the art of insane coincidence and karma makes a decision to say Sup? when you are backing up your information online-your doubly %$+.  And probably awfully short of a hug to boot. 
To avoid that rare catastrophe you can go with the classic strategy of offline info storage, the external disk drive.  Prices start for as little as under 20 greenbacks and you can buy one just about anywhere, it’s truthfully one of those invests you will be grateful for. 

Any PC with USB or Firewire capability will see the external disc drive as a storage gadget and allot it a letter to designate it.  Whenever you plug it in, you fundamentally just deal with it like any standard hard drive.  You simply drag and drop what you need, it’s super easy to transfer huge files forwards and backwards from work to home, to a friend’s house, or between your desktop and laptop.  It’s particularly helpful if you tend to keep large amounts of photographs, music, flick, or game files on your PC too.  Just treat your external like your attic, toss everything in there that you do not truly use or need-but your hoarder instinct is too dynamic to just remove them.  This way you get to fulfill your compulsion, your personal computer runs faster, and you all of a sudden have more space to hoard more data!  Or you can actually use if for critical stuff like I discussed earlier, so that in an emergency your info will remain safe and sound.  But I understand if that doesn’t slake your desire to having floor to ceiling hard drives for your LOLcat addiction .

I work at Geek Choice, a nationwide computer repair company. We can help you with: Linksys Setup, Virus Removal, Spyware Removal, Computer startup problems, Printer not printing, Internet Connection Problems, and much more.

Perhaps some of you may think that data recovery from hard drive that has failed is impossible. The biggest fear among most people is that when a hard drive fails, almost everything is lost. The good news is that there are different categories of failures that makes information recovery possible. Regardless of the level of failure of the hard drive, there are certain no-no’s that should be kept in mind.

First, never try fixing the drive on your own. The sealed casing of the hard drive should remain closed because once the parts are exposed to the dust particles, the damage could worsen. Even if you are able to identify the problem and repair it yourself, the exposure to air particulates could cause another problem altogether. Keeping the hard drive sealed but attempting home remedies wouldn’t work either. For instance, freezing your hard drive wouldn’t make things any better. What you should do instead is keep your calm and consider the right steps to take.

One of the first steps you should make is to see if your computer can still recognize the drive. Once you establish that the drive still works, you can then consider the other possible causes of the hard drive crash. It may have been brought about by a faulty program or software, or a virus. Running a virus scan will allow you to check if your files may be corrupted. There is also a possibility that your files are extremely fragmented, and the strain on your hard drive caused it to crash. You can correct this problem by doing defragmentation regularly.

However, if the hard drive is making strange sounds or no longer operates at all, this may be due to a mechanical failure. The hard drive is a very delicate piece of equipment and even the smallest things can cause damage. Data recovery from hard drive units that have had a mechanical failure should always be left to the professionals. Only those with a clean room and the right tools and knowledge can repair a drive which has been physically damaged. Note that this can cost a lot of money, many people do not put a price tag on the things they have stored on their hard drive.

Most people have to go through the bad experience of a hard drive crash before they finally realize the importance of backing up data.  If you do online backup now before facing the unfortunate event of having to deal with your first hard drive nightmare, you are saving yourself from wasting a lot of time, effort and thousands of dollars. While recovering information from a hard drive which just crashed remains doable, investing on a good computer backup is a practical option to consider as it saves you from having to endure the hassle of data recovery.

For some people, backing up computer information does not seem very necessary. After all, they’re not bankers or government officials with millions of important information to protect. However,  personal e-mails, pictures and notes on your drives should not be taken any less seriously. Just like a banker’s file of finances, every personal file of photo or of just about anything can hold wonderful memories of you and your loved one. Losing these things may not have a great impact on anyone else but you owe it to yourself to protect these important bits of info and backup your computer. Safeguarding your computer files is very important especially in the digital age when every person can put so much about himself on his computer.

Some have kept certain files for years. And this was always done in the same old process. First, you buy a stack of floppy  disks  or CDs which can be costly. You organize your files in such a way that everything in one category would fit into the disk space. Then, you label each disk before finally storing the information – which usually takes lots of space and hours of time. In storing your files, you need to be extra careful since a few scratches or a several drops of water could be enough to erase all your hard work and stored data. You may buy a protective safe for your disks but this would mean additional expenses on your part.

It’s a good thing that recent developments in technology have given way to better methods when it comes to data backups and storage. External hard drives are already available that allow you to just plug and backup. It has become as simple as that. And your files are organized exactly the way they were in your computer’s hard drive so the process should only take a few minutes of your time. External hard drives also let you store so much data — up to several terabytes. For many who don’t have an idea how big a terabyte is, one terabyte can hold up to 200,000 photos at 5MB each.

But not everyone wants to run out and buy a new, and often expensive, hard drive. While it lets you keep all of your files with you, which offers some comfort to most people, it can be a bit overwhelming for some people.

For these types of computer users, a good option for ensuring that your data is safe from all possible causes of data loss would be to avail of online backup services being offered by many companies, one example of which is Carbonite online backup. With this backup method, you don’t need to be a techie because most of these online storage solutions are very user-friendly. And, you get the assurance that your data is being kept away from prying eyes using advanced encryption technology and stored in servers located in a protected area.

Whether you are a student with school work to store or just someone looking for a place to keep your numerous photos, the best online backup services have a lot to offer you. If you  just want to make space on your hard drive for something else or if you are worried about possible damage to your files, you will find that the best place to  keep them is far, far away. Since most file backup companies have bunkers which are nearly impervious to outside disasters, there really is no safer place  that you can put your important files. But finding the company that works best for you can be a bit of a challenge unless you know what to look for.

Online storage companies which offer similar services are priced competitively – usually around per month. However, depending on the exact services that you want, you may pay less or more, sometimes even nothing at all. Just be extra careful in accepting services with suspiciously low or free offers. While most of them are usually harmless, entrusting your important data with someone who does not necessarily offer the service that you need may not be a good idea. Additionally, it is just about fair that you get what you pay for, for your online backup services.

File accessibility is also another factor to consider. Being able to retrieve your files immediately would not be such a major issue if you’re just looking to have copies of old photos printed, but for a student who needs access to his notes ASAP or for an office employee who sometimes brings work at home, even a day of waiting could be too long. You would therefore want an online backup service that can best respond to this need. Different online storage companies have varying policies when it comes to file restoration so be sure to raise these concerns before signing up.

Of course, you also want to make sure that using the software offered to you by the company is easy to use. Different companies have different systems and because of this, you often have to deal with different levels of user-friendliness.  Programs which are technical to use may be difficult to work with. The good thing about backing up your files online is that you are given the security you need without having to waste your time. And so, it is  necessary that the company you pick can offer you a decent backup wizard in their software suite.

Lastly, it’s important that you get an online service that gives absolute security. Online backup companies employ different methods of keeping your data secure. Most of them have the files encrypted while being backed up, and there are those that distribute the files across different services so that an intruder will find it impossible to get access to any one user’s data. There are also companies which allow you to keep hold of your password yourself. For you to find the best online backup services, make the decision based on what service fits your needs best, and reviews are a great tool to help you make that decision. As an example, a great review of a great service is the Carbonite review.