| How To Prevent and Avoid a Computer Melt-Down |
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Simple practices can provide peace of mind and avoid nasty computer surprises. I’m sure you’ve heard this before, back up your computer! While everyone may know it’s important and well worth doing, few people actually follow through. When was the last time YOU backed up your hard drive? Backing up your computer is critical. Why? The reason is simple: today's computers are much more powerful and capable than devices of just a few years ago, so we depend heavily on them. And since they're increasingly complex, they can fail in new and horrific ways. Viruses are not your only worry. Backing up your data can be a life-saver if some of your software starts to fail repeatedly, a critical data file disappears, a Windows' registry file gets corrupted, or your hard drive just disintegrates. Your annoyance/irritation/panic level will depend on whether you're facing a nuisance, problem, or disaster. Anything that could go wrong is less severe if you've planned for it. So take a moment and write down what you would so at each one of these steps: 1. Analyze what you use your computer equipment for--listing what you depend on (hardware, software, electricity, Internet connection, etc.). Note: If you depend on employer-furnished equipment or services, consider what you'd do without access to them. 2. Decide what you'd do if various problems occur. i.e. Research a fix yourself. Get help, etc. 3. Try it. Go ahead and put into practice your plan. The first time you do, it will take longer. Acting out as if a real problem exists often reveals false assumptions and missing steps. For specifics as to back up your computer data refer to your specific software. For planning, you'll choose your backup media (diskette, tape, CD/DVD, Web site, USB key, Ghost file, internal/external hard drive, etc.). If you have multiple computers, cloning data across them can e a great time saver. What to Back Up Once you’ve decided that backing up is the way to go and you’ve found the way to do it, the next step is figuring out what is so important to keep a back up of. Your “backup methodology” will include choices such as file-level, image backup, full/incremental, etc. If you don't do full or image backups, be sure to protect all your application data (some applications store files in not so obvious locations). Keep data separate from software -- it greatly simplifies backup and recovery. Don’t forget to back up software or the patches you’ve downloaded. A friend's close call of nearly losing family photos stored on her computer reminded her how precious they were, though she'd taken them for granted. Storing Back Up’s It's important to keep multiple backup generations (dates of back up) so that you have choices of restore versions if one fails. Keeping 2 weeks of back up may sound extreme. It’s not. You need enough time to find a “good” version. It may take a few days or a week to figure out there’s a problem. Nothing is workse than having “bad” back up’s that are unusable. Creating multiple backup generations simply requires rotating (using three or more) volumes or devices onto which you back up files, labeling them with date and type of backup. Don’t forget. Your back up media (tape, cd, etc) deteriorates after excessive use. Rotate your media regularly. Sometimes media can even become obsolete (how many eight-track tapes have you seen lately?). Stay in tune with newer, less expensive options that may be available. 2 Steps to Safety Two steps are essential for a 100% reliable backup philosophy: 1. First, periodically test restoring files. Too many people go through the motions of backing up data only to discover that their backups are incomplete or don't work. 2. Second, rotate back ups outside the building in which your computer operates. Complete and current back ups in a file cabinet next to your computer don't do much good if your building burns down or is swept away by a storm. Other Tips · File all your system install CDs, application CDs, patch CDs, etc. in a safe and organized place. Follow and complete instructions for preparing emergency recovery disks: operating system, application, anti-virus, etc. · Track changes to your hardware, software, and operating system. This information is critical for understanding and recovering from problems. · Don't ignore mysterious changes in your computer behavior -- they often reveal small problems that will grow worse. Use diagnostic tools such as Norton SystemWorks to check PC health. An alert from Norton Utilities once told a client that their hard drive was failing, allowing them to replace the drive without losing data. · Use current anti-virus and anti-spyware tools and update them often. · One tongue-in-cheek tip is to never talk about replacing hardware where it can hear you -- it'll fail instantly. · Keep current printed copies of key files such as technical and support contacts, important contracts originated on the computer, ISP phone information, passwords, etc. As more such information lives on hard drives, vulnerability to PC problems increases. · If your building is subject to flooding or heavy rain, consider putting equipment on pallets or rolling files to prevent water damage. · Even the most reliable power and ISP connections can fail. If you depend on your computer and Internet access, it's prudent to install an uninterruptible power supply and arrange backup Internet service. A colleague has a medium-size portable generator with which he powered his and neighbors' critical appliances during an extended power failure, with extension cords across lawns. If printing is critical, consider an extra printer -- or agreeing with a neighbor to back each other up. · For easier recovery and repair, document your computer's hardware/software/Internet configuration. Be especially thorough if someone else set up your computer. Print it and save it offsite -- it won't help as a computer file if your computer fails! · Label both ends of all cables and draw a map of your cable layout. It's no fun creating the map when you need to disassemble the computer for repair -- and you don't want to reassemble your computer's nest of cables without a diagram. · After congratulating yourself for being protected against these computer road hazards, make a calendar entry for six months from now to review, update, and test your plan. · And check your insurance coverage of electronics. 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