The Utlimate Data Recovery Questionnaire
One of the most overlooked facets of the company information technology structure is an optimized backup and disaster recovery system. With all of the technology available today, the absence of even the most elementary backup system 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 happens if I delete a file?
2. Where is my email stored and is it backed up?
3. What if my computer crashes? Even if my data is saved how long will it take me to rebuild my computer to a functioning state?
4. Is my data all located in the same physical space?
5. Will a catastrophe wipe out my backup solution i.e. an earthquake?
6. Does my business rely on any one system for important functions? How long can my business operate without a functioning 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 system 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 to Look for When Searching for the Best Online Backup Services
You may not realize this now but the best online backup services can actually help you a lot. Whether you are a student dealing with schoolwork, or just your average user with a decent volume of files, photos, and personal documents in your hard drive, using online backup solutions is still applicable to you. Other than keeping your data secure in a location that isn’t susceptible to theft or damage caused by various disasters, backup services also protect them from falling into the wrong hands. But finding the best online backup services is essential for you to get all the advantages of this backup method.
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 reliable service.
Access to the files you backup may or may not be extremely important to you. If you are just looking to store your photos, you may not need them at a moment’s notice. But if you are a student who wants access to you old homework files or a business person who needs to get to old client information, you want a service that does not require you to wait all day to see your files. Different companies offer different levels of access to the files you store so getting the one that suits your needs is very important.
Of course, you also want to make sure that using the software offered to you by the company is easy to use. Different companies have different systems and because of this, you often have to deal with different levels of user-friendliness. Programs which are technical to use may be difficult to work with. The good thing about backing up your files online is that you are given the protection you need without having to waste your time. And so, it is necessary that the company you pick can offer you 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?
You may not think you have a good reason to backup your computer data. You’re not a bank protecting thousands of customers from losing their financial information, nor are you a government body storing personal data for millions of people. But that doesn’t mean that the pictures and e-mails and recipes on your drive aren’t priceless. To you, they hold memories perhaps of an entire lifetime. While losing those things may not impact anyone but you, you owe it to yourself to safeguard the things that you love. Protecting your computer’s files is a must in the digital age when so many people keep so much of themselves on their computer.
Some people have been keeping copies of their computer’s files for decades. And it was always done the same way. You had to buy an expensive stack of floppy disks or CDs and organize your files so that everything in a category would fit onto one disk. Then, you had to label everything and store it away, taking up hours of time and lots of space. And you had to be very careful since something as simple as a little water, some scratches or even a magnet could erase all your information and hard work. Of course, you could buy a protective safe for all those storage disks, but even then you may not have enough space and you’re just spending more money you don’t want to spend.
It’s a good thing that recent developments in technology have given way to better methods when it comes to data backups and storage. External hard drives are already available that allow you to just plug and backup. It has become as simple as that. And your files are organized exactly the way they were in your computer’s hard drive so the process should only take a few minutes of your time. External hard drives also let you store so much data — up to several terabytes. For many who don’t have an idea how big a terabyte is, one terabyte can hold up to 200,000 photos at 5MB each.
However, not everybody is open to buying a new and costly hard drive. Yes, it offers comfort to most people since it allows you to keep all of your files at your reach, but hard drives can also be daunting to some people.
Fortunately, there are plenty 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 Do Data Recovery From Hard Drives That Have Failed
You may think that data recovery from hard drive units that have experienced some kind of failure is impossible. Many people fear that when a hard drive dies, everything on it is lost. Fortunately, there are different kinds of failures that may make data recovery possible. Depending upon what happened to your drive, you may find the situation may have some solutions after all. But regardless of how the drive failed, there are still some things you should never do.
The first thing to avoid is attempting 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.
The first thing to do during hard drive failure is to check if your drive is still recognized by your unit. If it still works physically, the crash may have been caused by a software. In some cases, it may have been caused by a virus. You can try running a virus scanner through your files. You may find some files corrupted but the drive still works. Furthermore, many drives can become unreadable as caused by file fragmentation. You can solve this particular trouble by running a file de-fragmentation program.
However, if the hard drive is making strange sounds or no longer operates at all, you may have experienced a mechanical failure. The hard drive is a very delicate piece of equipment and even the smallest things can cause damage. Data recovery from hard drive units that have had a mechanical failure should always be left to the professionals. Only those with a clean room and the right tools and knowledge can repair a drive which has been physically damaged. Although this can be expensive, many people do not put a price tag on the things they have stored on their hard drive.
You will probably have to experience the woes of a hard drive crash before you decide to start backing up data. But it is worth the relatively small amount of money you will spend to ensure the security of your data. If you choose to use an online backup service now, before you ever have to deal with a hard drive crash, you won’t have to spend time, effort and potentially thousands of dollars to recover your important data later on.
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 and takes pride in its affordable services, and backup and restore process that are so simple, you don’t need to be a geek or a techie to figure them out.
The first step to restoring all of your files after a major crash or hard drive format is to download the Carbonite software again. Once you do, the wizard will let you choose from two options. You will be able to click an option to restore your files later or you will be able to select an option that lets you restore all of your files now. If you select the latter, you will get two more options. Most people will choose to restore all of their files to their original locations, but you will also be able to select specific files based upon user profiles if you like. This option is really for more advanced users, but it is still not difficult.
In restoring files from Carbonite, you also have the choice to restore a single file or an older file version. To do this, first you would need to go to My Computer, where Carbonite is listed as a virtual drive. Open the drive and go through it just as you would any other computer drive. You should be able to find all your files there. Once you locate the particular file you want to restore, highlight it, and click Restore to download it back to its previous location. You may also click Restore To to send the file to another location. If you want to restore an older version of a particular file (up to three months back), click on Restore Previous Version.
However, you are also bound to discover some drawbacks to Carbonite as well. You will not be able to restore files from Carbonite very quickly if they are huge. A file that is a few hundred megs could take hours or even days depending upon the speed of the servers. Carbonite servers can be fairly slow, but that is how they are able to offer such an affordable price. In the event of a system crash, where you lose all of your data, you may not care if it is slow so long as you get all of your files back. However, if you need to restore an important document very quickly, you may be left waiting for a bit.
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 need 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.