PICKING UP THE PIECES AFTER A COMPUTER CRASH
A Crashed Hard Drive is Never Out of the Question and Lost Data Can be Agony for Any Computer User. Here's How to Survive the Nightmare.
By Jeanie Swisher
The project for the day was to install a new Epson printer. After connecting all the cables and turning on the power, I sat down to install the software. Bingo! Up went the big yellow warning flag.
After shutting the computer down and starting over, I got the yellow flag again, warning me to back up my files. I called my computer guru and used up the blank Zip disks that I had on hand. The end result was that the hard drive blew up when the guru attempted to install the printer software the third time. Ugh...
This is a classic example of what every computer owner hopes will never happen. I was able to back up about 80 percent of my files but hundreds of hours of work were irretrievably lost.
LOOKING FOR THE BRIGHT SIDE
At the time, it was difficult to find a bright side. This was a costly accident in money and time. After checking out the possibility of repairing the hard drive, my only choice was to order a new one. It was more than a week until I got set up to roll again so that I could evaluate how much data I had lost. Now, almost a year later, I'm still coming across things that are no longer in the files. But, one of the few good things was that I was able to get a hard drive with more memory, which increases the capacity.
SURVIVING A CRASH
Anyone familiar with the motherboard inside of a computer will attest to the unseen wealth of connections. Keeping the stored data safe is another challenge. Losing business or personal files turns back the clock. We have all read about the tragedy of fire or water damage to business records. Well, today a crash of your hard drive is equally as devastating to your business.
There are rarely things in life that are 100 percent. But the data that runs your business has to be a close to 100 percent as humanly possible. The survival of your business depends on it. It's possible today to have a million pieces of information stored inside a computer. There may be correspondence, financial records, a book or two, photographs, and graphics. Add to this all the layouts that have evolved through the time you have owned the computer.
BUY A ZIP DRIVE
Some of the new computers have a built-in Zip drive for automatically backing up the information on your computer. I prefer an external drive so that I can use it on more than one computer. On one Zip disk, you will be able to copy 100 megabytes of information. Larger disks are also available. With this you can keep a second set of all the data stored on your computer and it will give you a great deal of peace of mind. You can store these disks at another location.
SOFTWARE IS A GOLD MINE
Don't forget the software that runs the programs for your computer. Basic programs for word processing are standard if you need to buy another computer. But, the specialty software programs that you have purchased may not be replaceable. Without these software programs you will be unable to use the data that you have saved on the Zip disks. It may be a good idea to store the software disks away from the computer in case of fire.
BUY AN INSURANCE POLICY
Although no amount of money can replace the files that you might lose, the money will greatly help to mend the damage. A complete computer system with the hard drive, processor, printers, scanner, digital camera, and Zip drive can cost thousands of dollars to replace. Make sure there is a provision on your homeowner's or business insurance policy to cover the cost of replacing your system in the event that a catastrophe happens.
ELECTRICAL SURGES
An electrical power surge or power failure can also destroy your hard drive. In addition to the purchase of a high-quality surge protector, you need a back-up battery power pack. In the event of an erratic power supply, the battery pack will kick in and give you a few extra minutes to save your work and properly shut down your computer.
COMPUTER CRASHES
In a crash a computer program may freeze or stop running. It happens to everyone now and then. There are several anti-crash programs on the market that some people either swear by or swear at. None of them are effective 100 percent of the time. The best offense is to back up your work frequently. This simple step will prevent hours of your time being lost in the event of an unknown mishap. Always take the high road, better safe than sorry.
WHAT HAVE I LEARNED?
In hindsight, what have I learned? It would be great if I could stop to back up every file as it is created. But it is not always possible. Today I run a back-up Zip disk frequently. I also make sure that I always have a supply of blank disks on hand. I learned a valuable lesson in this accident. Computers are subject to a million configurations. When everything is working properly, computers are the best things that have ever been invented. But computers sure can make havoc in your life a the most inopportune time. Be prepared.
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