Contributed post
There’s a lot to be said for pen and paper. You can’t corrupt it, you can’t encrypt it and it’s hard to accidentally erase the written word, but for all the benefits of traditional communication most of us spend our personal and professional lives knee deep in electronic data.
That’s why when the worst happens, the effects can be devastating. Those files you were relying on to seal that deal, gone forever. For the most part data recovery specialists can retrieve lost files but it is a time consuming and expensive mistake.
Better still, avoid putting yourself in that situation in the first place. To help you avoid falling down the slippery slope of data loss, here are five common ways it can happen and how to avoid it.
The Oops Factor
When you have to hold your hands up and say you accidentally erased all your files. You’re not quite sure how it happened or when you did it but they are absolutely gone and you have been quietly panicking behind your desk for at least an hour before you called the IT guys. Get it fixed quickly before you have to make some extra cash to fix your costly mistake.
The Coffee Factor
You know when you jumped up and sent your Starbucks flying? That’s when it happened. Accidental damage to your hard drive can occur through a simple knock, a sudden change of temperature or simply not taking care of your computer properly. Those files disappeared in a blur of caffeine beverage. Just, be more careful.
The Nature Factor
Computers get old and like a favourite pet they die. It’s a hard but true fact of life. Their parts are delicate and prone to breaking. At some point some inner working of your computer, usually the bit that stores all your confidential files, will have to be replaced and it’s usually about a week after the warranty is up.
Don’t ignore any little issues, prevention is better than cure.
The Outside Factor
When the outside comes in and wreaks havoc on your system. A virus does more than shut down your computer, it can take all your files with it especially if sent maliciously.
Naturally having decent antivirus software is the answer or, if a Mac user, keep your updates up-to-date.
The Power Out Factor
Hard to avoid but when you’re half way through your memoirs or deep, deep down into a complicated CMS database, losing your work through a power cut will have you climbing the walls. Many programmes will automatically backup your files every few hundred words but this doesn’t apply everywhere. Quite simply back up your work manually every 10 to 20 minutes. Get it on Cloud storage for added security.
A little extra care, a little extra attention to detail and you can easily minimize the risk of losing all your hard earned work. Clean and service your machine regularly, avoid having drinks and other liquid near your station and keep those viruses at bay.