It’s hard to keep up with new and improved developments in technology. From the latest and greatest mobile gadgets to software designed uniquely tailored just for you, it’s a time when everything you do seems to be connected to an electronic device. While advancements and new technologies might make your life easier, carrying your eggs in one basket can also leave you in distress should a malfunction occur or a hard drive go bad.
What can cause a hard drive to fail.
There are many things natural and unnatural that can cause a hard drive to go bad. Exposure to water, heat and shock, improper ventilation, age, accidental drops (head crash), malware infections and human error are just a few of the reasons.
Importance of having a data recovery service.
Computers, tablets, notebooks and laptops are all wonderful devices that perform multiple tasks in seconds. The problem is that their life span is not infinite. In fact, the average life expectancy is 3 to 5 years before most of the components go bad and need replacing or repairing. When a serious error occurs such as loss of data or the dreaded blue screen, it’s best to let a trained professional run a diagnostic test and provide you with the answer to what the problem might be. If it’s a hard drive failure then you can make the decision to replace or repair it. If the machine is relatively new, replacing the hard drive might be a better option.
When you are protecting your assets, making sure that you pick the right service provider. You may want to check out Asset Bank, for example. While you’re at it, identify systems that cannot tolerate any downtime such your regular logging methods. How are these protected during a major disaster?
Delicate and handle with care.
A hard drive is the brain of your computer. It’s where all your created files like music, pictures, reports, software programs and e-mail get stored. When a hard drive crashes you stand to lose everything. Unless you have a background in computers this is not something you want to try your hand at. First of all, it sits internally well inside the computer surrounded by connecting parts and sealed in an airtight packaging. If you expose this without using a proper environment, such as a data recovery clean room, the chances of having the tiniest, itty-bitty piece of dust land on it are pretty great. That spec that you can’t see can wipe out the information on it and then even your most qualified engineers won’t be able to restore it.
Know the warning signs.
The good news is that a faltering hard drive usually sends noticeable signals that something isn’t right. Your computer may suddenly make weird noises you’ve never heard before like a screeching, grinding or clicking sound. It may also be slow or sluggish during start ups, shut downs and while moving from screen to screen. Or, in more serious cases, you may get a disk error message or notice that a file is missing. The sooner you have it looked at the more likely you are to retain your important files.
Back up often.
While you can’t always prevent a hard drive failure, you can take steps to ensure that you are able to continue to work in the event that one happens. The most effective way to do this is to perform a backup at least once or twice a week. This way the only information you’ll lose, even temporarily, would be the recent workload and newly created files. In addition to performing a weekly backup, you should also install spyware software to protect against malware infections.
Life happens and often at the most inopportune moment. By preparing your business for the worst case scenario you’ll stay afloat with a minor glitch instead of a full-blown shutdown.
