By David Kubik, Creative Director for Kubik Digital.
Why Back Up Your Files?
We have all heard of the horror stories from our friends, family and coworkers losing data on their computer due to hard drive crashes, stolen laptops, or viruses. Or maybe you were the one telling others about your nightmare. The only real way to protect your files is the back them up!
The Facts About Data Loss
- Up to 13% of hard drives fail every year (Carnegie Mellon University, 2007)
- 50% of computer users have lost or accidentally deleted files from their primary computer (Chadwick Martin Bailey, 2010)
- Approximately 2 million laptops are stolen every year, and only 2% are ever recovered. (FBI, 2008)
How to Properly Safeguard Your Data in 3 Steps
- Local - This is your first line of defense against data loss.
Turn on System Restore on your Start Menu. System Restore is like a big “Undo” button for Windows. It lets you undo changes to your computer’s operating system and programs without affecting personal files such as documents or photos. It’s a great solution if a program you downloaded or installed doesn’t work right, and you can’t seem to uninstall it or get back to where you were before. http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/windows7/products/features/backup-and-restore
Perform a Backup Wizard on DVD or internal hard drive. This is a great tool provided with any computer which will help establish a first line of defense against data loss. Simply follow the steps and select the data you want to be backed up. http://www.microsoft.com/windows/windows-7/features/backup-and-restore.aspx - Removable Storage - Better but not fool proof.
Consider investing in a portable hard drive. With newer USB 3.0 models hitting the shelves, you can now get 512GB hard drives for about $50. Many name brand companies also bundle software with hard drives which include automated backup software. I always make it a point to archive my office computer files once per week and store the drive in my fireproof safe. In the event that my computer fails, I have quick access to my data and can continue working without any major interruption. This method does have some hiccups because it does not save my work in 'real-time' and if I ever forget to backup, I can often lose 1 or more weeks worth of work. http://reviews.cnet.com/best-external-storage-drives/?tag=contentMain;contentBody;pm - Cloud - Incase all else fails.
A cloud backup is another term for a web-based data storage which can be accessible via a remote network or through the internet. This type of storage method is an absolute must in the event of a catastrophic failure or disaster where all local computers and hardware suffer irreparrable damage.
Kubik Digital uses and endorses Carbonite for all of our most important files. (Over 5TB worth of data!) We guarantee that all of our clients files will never be lost or damaged for any reason! Carbonite provides real-time automatic data backup via a secure connection which is accessible anywhere you have an internet connection.
Click Here to get 1 Month Free with Carbonite
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