The Utlimate Data Recovery Questionnaire
Data backup and recovery is one of the most overlooked parts of a company’s information technology. With all of the technology available today, the absence of even the most elementary backup solution is a mortal sin in regard to the business technology world. There are affordable backup and data recovery systems in every price range, so even companies with limited budgets can afford an elementary system at the very least. Also many computer services firms now offer backup and data recovery systems as integral parts of their managed IT services.
Here are the top 10 questions to answer when pondering the right backup and data recovery system:
1. What do I do if I delete a file I need?
2. Where is my email stored and is it backed up?
3. What if my computer crashes? Even if my data is backed up how long will it take me to rebuild my computer to a working state?
4. Is all of my backup data located in the same physical location?
5. Will a catastrophe wipe out my backup solution i.e. a fire?
6. Does my business rely on any one system for important functions? How long can my business operate without this system? Does my current backup solution accomodate that expectation?
7. Does someone in our company know how to retrieve information off backups?
8. Are my backups tested so I know they work?
9. Are my backups monitored so I know if they are ever failing?
10. Is the backup data media (i.e. hard drives or tapes) transferred in a secure, controlled manor since it contains all data for my entire business?
These questions covers about one-fourth of the questions that you should review when it comes to a practical backup and disaster recovery solution so if you haven’t asked yourself these questions, start today! If you are confused, contact a local computer services provider which should be able to assist your company.
What Do the Best Online Backup Services Have to Offer?
Whether you are a student with school work to store or just someone looking for a place to keep your huge photo collection, 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.
First is the price. Most online backup services are priced about the same, around per month, which you can opt to pay monthly or at the discounted annual fee. But that’s just for the basic service. You can also avail of other additional services like network backup for an added fee. On the other hand, there are also online backup services that come for free, for some companies on a limited trial basis, and for others, for a limited storage capacity. While these offers are not uncommon and are done for promotional purposes, be wary of those backup services that are offered at no cost at all. While they need not cost a lot, the online backup solutions shouldn’t come totally free or you would wonder how the company can give trustworthy service.
Getting immediate access to your files may not really be extremely important to you. For instance, if you are simply looking for a space to store your photos in, you do not always need them at a moment’s notice. Nevertheless, if you are a student or a businessman, you need a service which does not ask you to wait for a day before you can retrieve your files. Different companies provide different levels of access to the files that you store – which is why getting one which perfectly suits your needs is highly important.
You also want to make sure that you can use the software that most of these companies require you to work with. Since each company has its own system, you often have to deal with different levels of user-friendliness. If the program you have to work with is written in a hard to understand way or even extremely technical, you may not be able to work with it. The idea of backing up online is to give you the protection you need without wasting your time so be sure the company has a decent backup wizard in their software suite.
Lastly, you need a secure service. Most companies offer encryption of your stored information as it travels between your computer and theirs. However, some companies can offer more than that. You can find companies which scatter your files across their services making it impossible for any outsider to decipher any important data. You may also choose to put a password on your files. All these added services work together to give you the top-level security that you need. But to make sure that a service is right for your needs, just read a few reviews, like the Carbonite review.
Why Should You Backup Your Computer Files?
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. Ensuring the safety of your data 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.
Today, technology has come a long way in providing storage space. Now, a wide range of external hard drives are already available in the market. These hard drives can be plugged in to almost all types of computers so you can find your files and work on them right away. Another good thing about external hard drives is that it allows you to organize data into folders, just like how you do it with your home computer’s built-in hard drive. Now, you no longer need to sort through stacks of diskettes or CDs. The drives come in various sizes – others can hold multiple terabytes of information. For instance, a terabyte drive can store over 200,000 photos at 5 megabytes 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.
Fortunately, there are a number of companies which offer very user-friendly ways to store your data online, such as Carbonite backup. If you choose to use their services, you will be able to backup your computer using their storage devices. And you can rest easy because most of these companies house their servers in highly protected areas where they are nearly immune to damage or corruption. Your files are much safer with them than they are sitting in your office.
Tips on How to Restore Files from Carbonite
Those who are not familiar with this company think that when they restore files from Carbonite, he would need to go through a complicated and tedious process. But this couldn’t be further from the truth as Carbonite Backup is one of the most user-friendly online backup services available today. The company has made a name for itself as the leading service provider in the industry with computer backup services that are very affordable, and backup and restore process that are so simple, you don’t need to be a geek or a techie to figure them out.
If you are ever faced with the task of restoring your files after reformatting your hard drive or after a computer crash, the first thing you would need to do is download the Carbonite software again. As soon as you do this, the setup wizard will ask you to choose from two options – restore your files later or restore your files now. If you choose to retrieve them right there and then, you will then be asked if you prefer the files downloaded to their original locations, or choose specific files for specific users. Most users would choose option one but even the more advanced option is not that difficult to follow.
However, if you only want to restore a single file or an older version of a file, you have options there as well. Since Carbonite is listed under My Computer as a virtual drive, you can open it and navigate it just like any other drive. Once you have opened it, you simply have to find the file you want to restore. Click Restore to send it back to its original location or click Restore To if you want to send it somewhere else. You also have to option to retrieve previous versions of files by clicking the Restore Previous Version option. Carbonite will save older versions for up to three months.
However, you need to understand that while Carbonite offers great service, it is not a perfect backup solution. Depending on the file size, restoring files can take some time. For instance, a file of a few hundred megabytes can take hours or even days to fully retrieve. Although most users tend to overlook this fact and seem to not mind the number of hours spent waiting for the data as soon as the recovery is successful, some users who want their files back in a snap and consider the slow process as a huge inconvenience.
Carbonite online backup is not perfect. Nevertheless, it offers us good value for money considering we get a service that allows us to recover our lost data. Other companies can charge us 10 times higher than what Carbonite asks for and are a lot less user-friendly. While some of us may never have to restore files from Carbonite, the monthly subscription fee is still cheap insurance for the safety and security of our files and our own peace of mind.
Tips On How To Do Data Recovery From Hard Drives That Have Failed
For those who experience computer crashes from a failed hard disk, it may seem that data recovery from hard drive is a far off possibility. It’s frustrating to even think about this because such an event would mean the loss of hundreds of files and documents, whether personal or work-related. The truth is, it’s really not the end of the world because there are still ways to retrieve your data; the lesser the damage to your drive, the greater the chances of recovery. Yet, there are still a few things you should never do in this given situation..
The first thing to avoid is trying to repair a drive yourself. Never open the sealed casing of the hard drive. Exposure to any particulates will only make the drive even worse. And even if you do manage to repair the damaged piece, the drive will crash immediately due to the particulates in the air it was exposed to. Don’t try any home remedies either. Tricks such as freezing your hard drive will not fix your problem and will likely only make things worse. Keep a level head, don’t get angry and take the proper steps.
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.
And then of course, there is always the probability that a mechanical failure caused the failure. This is evidenced by the strange sounds emanating from your drive, or if the drive refuses to work at all. In this case, it’s best to leave the process of data recovery from hard drive to the experts. Such recovery is only possible with the use of a clean room, suitable tools, and the skill and knowledge of an experienced computer technician. The cost could run up to a considerable amount but it should be worth every dime you spend if you are able to salvage your important files and data.
Don’t wait for something like this to happen to you before implementing a data backup plan. By taking preventive steps, you save yourself a lot of time and effort in the future. If you choose to avail of an online backup service, you get the peace of mind that comes from having a secure backup for your documents and all your digital files, and at a price that’s only a small fraction of what you could potentially spend in case you would need to do data recovery from hard drive later on.