| One of the most often overlooked items when it | | | | weeks or even months while the unit is being |
| comes to maintaining computer systems is the | | | | repaired. Even if the specialists manage to get most |
| importance of backups. Whether you are a casual | | | | of your data recovered there is no guarantee that |
| home user, an everyday power user, or a computer | | | | they will be able to rescue all or any of it, nor is their |
| professional if you care about the data that you | | | | any assurance that it will be in a completely usable |
| have stored on your computer then some form of | | | | state when you get it back. |
| BACKUP STRATEGY is necessary to ensure the | | | | For pennies on the dollar (compared to data recovery |
| safety and integrity of your important information. | | | | services) you could have planned ahead before |
| All information Technology professionals agree that | | | | disaster struck and used an online backup service to |
| the biggest threat to business survival is loss of data. | | | | keep your data safe and sound. |
| There are many ways to lose your data. If you are | | | | Offsite data backup services work by backing up a |
| not using some form of backup plan (such as an | | | | subset of files that you choose. You can back up |
| offsite data backup service), you are taking a risk | | | | just certain particular files that are important to you, |
| every day your data is not backed up. Bedsides the | | | | or your entire hard drive. You can set these backups |
| obvious perils, such as a stolen or destroyed laptop, | | | | to occur as often as you wish, and can even set |
| there are many other reasons why you should be | | | | your computer to back itself up overnight while you |
| considering some form of data backup storage. For | | | | sleep. Many of these online backups are completely |
| example, have you ever installed a program on your | | | | transparent, meaning once you set up the software |
| computer that completely ruined your Windows | | | | and your account, you can simply forget about it and |
| installation? Perhaps you upgraded your Windows | | | | rest assured that your data is being backed up on a |
| Service Pack level only to find out that your | | | | regular basis. Most importantly, it is safe and secure in |
| computer cannot boot anymore. Not to mention | | | | an offsite location, impervious to all threats to your |
| viruses, worms, human error and hardware failure. | | | | data. |
| Although you can possibly have this data recovered | | | | If you value the files you create on your computer |
| by professional hard drive recovery specialists it is | | | | you should definitely look into an offsite data backup |
| VERY expensive to have the process done, and can | | | | service to make sure you never have to endure the |
| involve being separated from your hard drive for | | | | loss of critical data. |