Many times a year I come across folks in Berkshire County who either back up their data once in a while, or never back up their data at all. In fact, data backup is the least common issue raised by many home users who seek my help, and they don’t see the need until it’s too late. Your important documents, family photos, music collections and vital emails may be stored on your computer’s hard drive, which is a mechanical and electrical device. When your hard drive dies (and it is a matter of when, and not if) everything that you’ve stored on it is gone for good.
Data Recovery Services
Yes, there are such things as hard drive recovery services, always advertised on the internet and found in web searches. As with everything else on the internet, there are many fake and illegitimate recovery services, so you can’t just pick any one to recover lost data, or your data could be in the hands of thieves and hackers. Secondly, most of the legitimate hard drive recovery services have recovery fees starting at $500. So using your computer for years and not backing up any of your data is a very expensive risk that most people do not consider.
How Long Do Hard Drives Last?
In my years of experience, the average hard drive lasts about 5 years, and usually less than that for laptop and portable computers, or in computers that are used extensively on a daily basis. And 5 years is just the average, any given hard drive can fail after just a few days or weeks, so don’t assume you’re somehow protected from hard drive failure just because your computer is quite new. To avoid becoming one of the unlucky victims who loses all of their data in a hard drive crash, you need to remember to do perform backups regularly, as an out of date backup is not much better than none at all.
Backing Up Data On Your Own
If you’re savvy with your computer, you can obviously perform your own backups. Note that today there are numerous devices out there that are set up to make your backups easier and quicker so you can spend more time working and less time performing your own maintenance.
For example, the HP SimpleSave 500 GB USB 2.0 Portable External Hard Drive fits stylishly in your pocket or purse, is perfect for plug-and-play extra storage and makes data backup so simple anyone can do it. The included backup software runs right off the drive. The minute you plug it in to a USB port, it begins backing up your data. There’s no need to install and learn software; it’s practically hands-free. Users will love this backup solution because the software finds all your valuable data, no matter where it is on your computer and, after the first backup, it frequently checks for file changes so your backup is always up to date.
Do You Need Help With Your Backup Strategy?
Everyone’s situations are different. Some of you have towers, some of you have laptops, etc. If you don’t feel confident with setting up a data backup solution, contact me for a house call. I can help you to determine your backup storage capacity, to choose a suitable backup device, and to help you plan an automated or manual backup strategy to match your specific needs.
