HardDriveFailed

Monday, April 30, 2012

Seagate Momentus XT 750GB Review




If you're searching for a fastest hard drive with a huge capacity for your laptop, it's time for you to learn about the new Seagate Momentus XT 750GB Hybrid drive. After the success of the aboriginal bearing amalgam drives in the anatomy of XT 500GB, with added than a Million awash about the world. Seagate came out with the additional bearing amalgam drive but this time it's faster and bigger.
Benefits Of Hybrid Drive
Hybrid drive is the fusion of SSD's and HDD. The HDD plays the bigger part of it as it offers a huge storage capacity and the SSD is only partial that promotes a faster data access. The Seagate hard drive is a combination of solid state drive and rational spindle hard drives. It’s smaller and more compact, which makes fitting this in your PC a breeze.
Seagate promises a boost in its performance up to 1.5X with this new drive compare to the previous one. An additional 50 percent in its size is clearly visible, from 500GB and now jump to 750GB. The drive has much to offer. It gives you’re a large capacity to store your data at an amazing performance standard. This has one of the best price/performance ratios out there. Check it out. 

Why Solid State Hard Drives are the Future of Data Storage



Looking for Solid State Hard Drive? You are definitely not the only one. People everywhere are looking for great prices on these Solid State Hard Drives and selecting one can be a difficult task.
Traditional Hard Disk Drives have remained in long use since the modern computers appeared. They are composed of movable parts such as platters, heads, magnetic surfaces and spindles, an engineering design that has long since outlived the advances in computer science. The affidavit of acceptable Hard Disk Drives getting absolutely anachronous is apprenticed home by its annoying and intolerable imperfections.
Solid State drives are made of non-moveable parts and are less susceptible to damage and failure. The read/write speeds of these solid state storage devices are much faster than your traditional hard drive, hence the more expensive price you may encounter. Prices are dropping, however.
Aside from that, traditional hard disk drives are a little slow in performance; the disk have to spin first and the head must be positioned correctly in order to read. It is an amiss system, still actual abundant in use, that is not befitting up with the advances in computer science today.
But of course, like an technology it is always evolving and changing. Expect to see these storage devices drop in price and become more widely available in the near future.

Recovery of Corrupted Hard Drive and Master Boot Record




Cause:
This problem often happens when data on the hard drive is corrupted or not found. First, check your BIOS settings to insure the hard drive is active and that the proper partition is selected. Secondly, make sure you don't have any external USB devices attached to your computer. If the USB flash drive is corrupted or has crashed, it may cause the boot process to slow or not start at all. 
Resolution:
To resolve this issue, you should perform the following steps:
Eject the flash drive from the computer.
Insert the Windows 7 installation DVD in the disc drive.
Start the computer.
Press any key when there is a prompt to do so.
Select language, time, currency, keyboard, input method, etc.
Click Next.
Click the Repair your computer option.
Click the operating system that is to be repaired.
Click Next.
Click Command Prompt in the System Recovery Options dialog box.
Enter Bootrec.exe/fixmbr and press Enter. This command would fix the MBR issue.


Hard Drive Repair - Fixing File System Problems



Although today's PCs and Macs make it easy to take care of a lot of tasks, hard drive repair is definitely not one of them. A hard drive failure may lead to the loss of very critical data, and is frankly beyond the scope of many users; at least users without help, anyway. Here are some methods that you should consider when you are experiencing a hard disk crash.
General Hard Drive Troubleshooting Comes First
Your broken hard drive can display errors such as "retry, terminate, ignore" or "cannot read disk" while operating, or during the boot process. This is a sign that there may be bad or unreadable sectors on the drive. You can first try reformatting the hard drive or even re-installing the operating system. Hard drive failure is a somewhat common problem, so do not think it’s impossible.
Use Operating System Utilities
Often, fixing file errors within the operating system can be as easy as using the built-in Windows tools themselves. Scandisk can be a good starter, as can disk defragmenter. Scan the hard drive for errors. Use programs and utilities you can easily find on the web.
Check Drive Cables and Connections
If there is a sign that the hard drive may not be receiving power, check the four wire connector from the power supply. Is it properly seated?
You can check the voltage with a meter and determine if the hard drive is getting the proper amount of voltage. If the hard drive has crashed, it may not be receiving any power at all. If the connection shows very low or spiking voltage from the power supply, the power supply may be going bad.

Recovering Deleted Text Messages on an Iphone




Have you ever wondered where your teens really go when they say they are heading out to the mall? Or do suspect your husband might be off visiting an ex girlfriend on the other side of town when he says he's working late? If you have these kind of worries, there may be a high tech solution for you. It is indeed possible to recover deleted data from an iphone or ipod related device. The IOS operating system stores this data in memory.
Cell buzz argumentative experts accept developed new accoutrement to accomplishment the awful publicized iPhone area tracking affection that was all over the account in aboriginal 2011.So now if you wish to apperceive area your apron or adolescence accept been over the accomplished few weeks, months or even years. You can accept the iPhone advised and accept an abundant address that includes all the locations the buzz has been.
The new forensic tool available to police and private investigators and other professionals will downloads these tracking points from your iPhone and display them in Google Earth as well as give you the details in a spreadsheet. It is really amazing how far forensics and data recovery technology has become. Whether it’s deleted files from your hard drive or data stored deep within an Iphone, forensics software can help you uncover it. 

Sunday, April 29, 2012

World of Warcraft - Mists of Pandaria Beta Key Giveaway!

       
     That's right, we at HardDriveFailed Blog are giving away three beta keys for the upcoming game, World of Warcraft: Mists of Pandaria. Just leave a comment below and include your e-mail address. Three lucky browsers will be selected at random and e-mailed a key. You have until May 8th to enter.

The game is set after the events of Deathwing and the Cataclysm. The major setting is the titular land of Pandaria, one of the continents of the world of Azeroth. Discovery of Pandaria is made after a naval battle between the Horde and the Alliance. It had previously been hidden by magic since The Sundering, only to resurface.
Pandaria
Pandaria is a new continent located to the south of the Eastern Kingdoms and Kalimdor. Several zones have been announced, including the Jade Forest, Valley of the Four Winds, Vale of Eternal Blossoms, Townlong Steppes, and the Kun-Lai Summit. The Jade Forest will be the first zone, and the entry point for the Alliance and Horde. It will feature lush rainforest and stone spires, and introduce the player to the Hozu and Jinyu races. It will contain the Temple of the Jade Serpent, one of the new dungeons, and introduce the Sha enemy. The Valley of the Four Winds will include Pandaren farm lands, with a coastal jungle. The Stormstout Brewery, another new dungeon, is located in the valley.
The Wandering Isle
The Wandering Isle is a roaming giant turtle[ where Pandaren player characters begin their adventure, which they leave after choosing a faction.
Creatures and enemies
Pandaria will play host to new races that the players will encounter. One is the Jinyu, a race that is similar to the Murlocs and Naga. There will be the Hozu, a monkey like race, and the Verming, who are related to Kobolds. The Mantids are an insectoid race with some of Pandaria's raids planned on them. Players will encounter the Mogu, who were the first to inhabit Pandaria, and the Sha, who are "the manifestation of negative energy on Pandaria".

Xbox 360 Hard Drive Repair and Recovery


If you have a faulty Hard drive then from this article, you can learn how to repair your XBox 360 Hard drive. All you need do is to follow these steps.
1. Take out the hard disk drive cover from the console. This will give you access to the old XBox 360 drive. Most hard disk drive covers can be removed easily.
2. Remove the drive case from the XBox 360. Make sure you do this quickly and straight.
3. Detach the drive from the case using a screwdriver. After removing all the screws from the hard drive, remove the old drive. Make sure you keep the screws in a small tray to prevent them from getting lost.
4. Put the new drive into the case using the torx screwdriver. Insert the new hard drive into the XBox case with much care, make sure that you put it in a straight manner. This is because, if any pins are bent, the drive will become unusable.
Assuming the botheration with the old drive was not as a aftereffect of concrete damage, the old drive could be acclimated as a an auxiliary
5. Put back the console cover and switch it back on.
I hope these tips help repair your broken Xbox 360 hard drive. With the right tools and patience, you should be able to get the job done. If you continue to have problems, you may want to contact Microsoft customer support. Xbox 360 consoles today generally have some type of warranty.

Recovering Deleted Files From the Recycle Bin


Have you ever deleted a file and emptied the recycle bin? You are not alone. You may think your data is forever lost, but do not fret. With a few simple tools you can recover this lost data. The information itself can live on until it is overwritten by new files. This is the common way that hard drives work. The data is not truly deleted, but only placed in a queue to be overwritten. If you deleted something you want to recover, simply stop using the hard drive and use a software program to help recover these lost data files.


Computer Forensics Software for Data Recovery


The past decade has seen a great stride forward in technological development. Many new software have been developed by engineers and scientists making lives much easier for people. Computer forensic software h This software can be purchased by anyone who wants to break crimes with affluence for a nominal fee. Most of the best abomination labs use this argumentative software.
What types of programs?
There are many different types of forensic programs. Forensic software is a program that can be downloaded on a PDA or even a cell phone. All kinds of data can be recovered, including text messages, voicemail messages, and a host of other data that is stored on a hard drive or chip.
This software also offers programs that equip your computer with enough skills to meet forensic requirements such as PDWIPE and DRIVESPY. These will effectively erase everything from a hard drive in just a few seconds.
What will they do?
There are many programs that offer potent tools for creating file previews, creating picture gallery, creating detailed drive table content and capturing free space. It is possible to use this software as a cloning and imaging device.
Forensic software thus mainly helps in retrieving hidden files and deleted files for companies that charge them to be retrieved or to break crimes. Companies that accept to anxiously accumulate clue of their abstracts can use this software to accumulate clue of even the deleted emails. This software is awful advantageous for law administration admiral to break a ambit of crimes.
It is important choosing from the most reliable and best software. Look for one that has the best acquisition capability and good analysis. These types of software can be expensive and difficult to use. Make sure you do research before dropping any money on them. Find out what exactly you want to accomplish, and pick the right tool for the job. Data recovery can be a difficult task. If your hard drive crashes or fails, you may want to contact an expert.

Backup Your Data With Cloud Computing


Cloud backup is an important element of any reliable computer system. If you do not have a good backup system, you are at the mercy of chance. Data can be wiped absolutely calmly as anon as a harder drive fails, and it may not be accessible to retrieve it. However, advancement solutions differ, and allotment the appropriate one can sometimes be difficult if you do not apperceive what belief is important.

Durability
One of the most important elements of any backup solution is durability. The cloud server from which you intend to retrieve your data must be available. If it is bare for any reason, your abstracts will be irretrievable. Therefore, a ample uptime admeasurement is basic for any business that ethics its abstracts and needs quick retrieval.
Bandwidth
A single user rarely has severe problems with bandwidth. However, cloud backup for an entire company is a different story. It is entirely possible for the system to become saturated with constant backups and duplicate data. This system is great for the company and its users. It saves money for everyone and makes for a great alternative.
Access
In this modern age of smart phones and other portable devices, it is important not to limit access only to full-size computers. Many employees will find their jobs easier if they can access their files through their phone or tablet. The advancement band-aid should baby for this and be accordant with all operating systems beyond all accessories if it is to be absolutely universal. Therefore, attending for cross-platform with any advancement system.
Security
Your business's data is important, and it is very important to keep it private. Last but not least, your employees and customers privacy is at stake. When dealing with important data and information, you want to be secure. Data on the cloud is stored remotely and cannot be accessed without proper credentials. Most cloud computing services focus on security first and foremost. Data is usually encrypted and made difficult for hackers to retrieve. Data recovery can is also an important part of the security process.

How To Install and Replace a Hard Drive In Your Computer




       Installing a hard drive can be a daunting task for someone that is new to computer hardware. However, this quick guide will help you make quick work of your task. It’s simply a matter of mounting your hard drive and making the right connection. Most modern day PC cases can hold a number of hard drive, ranging from 1-5 or more. Take your time and relax, it's not really that difficult. 

Saturday, April 28, 2012

An Introduction to RAID Configurations


RAID Configurations
     Doing server installs got me cerebration about RAID configurations and the altered setups and affidavit abaft application anniversary altered configuration. From a business angle point a lot of companies just assurance their IT technicians to use the best ill-fitted agreement for their business, after in fact compassionate the acumen abaft the RAID setup. Sometimes we are accustomed arrangement specs from our audience which cover the appropriate RAID bureaucracy although accepting done some of these installs I am still not assertive that they absolutely accept why the bureaucracy has been used.

    First off what does RAID angle for? Redundant Array of Inexpensive (or Independent) Disks. This is basically a arrangement of application assorted drives to act as one and as such you get several allowances out of them, such as back-up in case a drive fails or acceleration for account files faster and in some configurations you get both. However you do lose deejay amplitude for e.g. if you use 2 x 100GB drives in a arrest configuration, you will about accept alone 100GB of accumulator space.
And This Means....

     Understanding the use of RAID setups is accessible for if your business needs to advancement your servers or just change the accepted bureaucracy for something that apparel your business better. Budget and blow constraints are aswell things that should be advised afore authoritative any changes to your currently installed configuration. It's aswell advantageous to agenda that some setups are added able while utilising assorted RAID configurations on the aforementioned server.

3 Tips For Recovering Lost Data


1. Stop using the computer
This is the most important rule. If you panic, you may end up taking action that will ultimately stop you from recovering the file. So once the file has been deleted, stop what you are doing. Even accessing the internet can potentially overwrite the space in which the information is stored, so whatever you do from here, do it on a different computer.
2. Find a data recovery program
Search the internet for a data recovery program using a different computer. There are many reliable programs, and even more unreliable ones, so once you find one make sure you do your research on it. If you find one that looks reliable and has a few recommendations backing it up, see if it has a free trial. Often, these sorts of programs allow you to scan for recoverable files without purchase, so you'll be able to see if your file is still there. so run the browse and see what you find. If you see the file, again you should now install and run the program. Be acquainted that a lot of acclaimed abstracts accretion programs crave you to buy a license; it will be a case of barometer up the amount of acquirement adjoin the amount of accident your data.
3.Don't install the affairs to the harder drive

Remember that you can't install the affairs assimilate the harder drive from which you're aggravating to balance the file, as it may overwrite locations of the book in the process. Instead, use an alien harder drive, anamnesis agenda or anamnesis stick. During install, it may alert you to abode an figure on your desktop - do not do this either. Limit the appulse the affairs has on your capital harder drive, and you access your affairs of convalescent your data.



When Your Hard Drive Fails


To own a laptop or desktop computer, agency that at some date of its alive life, it will could could cause you to abide the tribulations of deejay drive breakdown. The factors that could could cause this vary, and could absorb aggregate from a agitated drink, to issues of old age. whatever the reason, if your harder drive dies you are traveling to charge abstracts retrieval solutions.

Computer bacilli may accept a duke in this at the aforementioned time, as may assorted added elements, too abundant to acknowledgment here. The accomplishment to restore actual that is deleted or asleep is a advantageous advantage. Nearly all harddisks are able to be brought back.

A abrading or possibly a active noise, appearing from a machine, can about be abounding to by the use of specific software articles for abating the content. In some cases, because of age or awry equipment, the breach arm from the deejay drive ability accord in, and / or platters may be abnormal and lose admission to your abstracts that they carry.

Any time you can not achieve the actual with the advice of software applications, you will by call charge to celerity the deejay drive about and accept it refurbished, or accept abstruse experts get aback your material.
Data apology casework are actually addition reasonable solution. For harddisks from 2 gigs accommodation up to the better that may be 300 gigs or college in capacity. Whatever blazon of deejay drive you possess, your abstracts can commonly be retrieved.

The Top 4 Online Backup Services 2012


iCloud (mainly for Apple users): If you create, upload or change files or photos on one computer or device, this annual will automatically and wirelessly accord it to the blow of your devices, and these files can be accessed behindhand if you are affiliated or not to internet.
The annual is accordant with iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch and in the approaching with any iOS system. MAC users can aswell advance it.
iCloud is actual simple to use, as all your files will be begin in one abode and absolutely doesn't crave any hands-on management. The user alone has to save or download a book one time and can admission it on all devices.
Their advice and abutment includes buzz abetment and online ability area anyone can acquisition answers to their questions about appliance the service.

Egnyte HybridCloud: One acceptable affair about this annual is that users are not bound and can upload any admeasurement and blazon of files. These files can be calmly aggregate with friends, families or coworkers, while the ambassador has all the ability to admission permissions to the way users admission these files.
While Egnyte HybridCloud has not yet fabricated accessible apps for BlackBerry or Windows Adaptable devices, users with iPhone, iPad, and accessories with Android and HP webOS can admission and adapt their files on the go.
While the interface looks actual able-bodied professional, humans with little computer abilities will acquisition it simple to accomplish and can bound apprentice how to use it.
All users accept admission to online video tutorials and their chump abutment centermost includes ability abject and forums area the user can apprentice even more.

Google Apps: is a actual defended annual that allows you to abundance and adapt about any blazon of file.
These files can be accessed from any computer already internet admission is present. Android, iPhone, BlackBerry and Windows Adaptable users can aswell admission their files.
The interface of this appliance has allowance for improvement, but it is not harder to use. On the added hand, users accept 24/7 abstruse abetment and a acquirements centermost available. Also, one and one abutment via email, phone, and babble is available.

OpenDrive: this annual aswell syncs files that you upload to your annual to added devices. These files can be edited and changes will reflect on any added accessory or computer. Humans may aswell allotment assertive files with others accouterment them with a hotlink which is stored on the OpenDrive server appliance a 128 bit encrypted SSL connection. Their annual includes a accessible binder that you can use to allotment files, while you can administer permissions to the agreeable that can be beheld aural the folder.
Accessing your files from iPhones, or iPod Touch adaptable accessories is available.
The apparatus is simple to configure and will advancement and accord called files after user interaction.
As abounding others, they accept an online page area you can collaborate with added users via a forum, and FAQ

Is System Restore a Valid Backup Method?



You 've probably seen various versions of system restore software on the market. Some of them are built right into your operating system. If you 're on a server, there are some restore options that the host allow you to take advantage of without installing any extra software. There are some disputes between these and proper backups that you ought to be aware about. You can not depend on system restore functions so as to add you with a full data backup, in any case.

At the end of the day, system restore is simply not a valid method of data backup or recovery. Use the better, more effective methods out there. Good Luck!

How Important is Backing Up Your Data?


Why Backup Solutions Are Important?
Backup solutions have now become essential for every professional and individual. All computers, including servers and their components, are subject to failure. That means sooner or later every business will be confronted with some type of computer failure. One potential result of such a failure is loss or corruption of crucial business data. When data loss happens, normally the option is to restore the data from a previously created backup of the hard drive. If that back up doesn't exist, the business in question can face disastrous results, especially if the data is about customer, financial or proprietary material. Many Businesses ignore the importance of reliable data backup until they suffer the unexpected data loss. While the cause of data loss is vary but the results are always dire. Nothing is as important to your business as the data that sits on the hard drive of your computer system.
Importance of Backup Solutions for Small Businesses
Backup solutions are very important for small industries. Because there are many backup options available to small businesses, including tape drives and tape libraries, NAS (Network attached Storage) and offline backup over the internet. These backup options when properly designed and maintained, then they can all offer carefree protection. It's always recommend that your management team held a meeting with IT department and consult about the creation of thorough backup solutions and disaster recovery plan for your company. If you are unsure of how to know about creating a disaster recovery plan contact an IT consulting firm that has experience in this. When discussing your backup plan there are certain options to consider, including how often perform the backups and what type of backup media is best suited for your business and computer equipment.. For most small to mid-sized businesses it's commended to make full backup once a day and at least one backup per week to be stored offsite in case of a theft, or a natural disaster. It's recommended that your system administrator tests the data restoration procedure once a month to verify that the system is working as expected and that the data in the backup media is the right format and is easily recoverable.
If your business has reliable backup for your server hard drives, recovering from a data loss event will be much quicker and cheaper. It will also require for fewer man-hours and related expenses to recover from. Not backing up your business data, especially mission-critical data is nothing short of a recipe for cataclysm. With a little planning and the right advice, you can safeguard that data and focus on growing your business.

Creating a Safe Password


     Love it or detest it, know-how has become a large part of our everyday lives. From the office to our homes, & everything in between, they are surrounded by devices, gizmos, & do-dads that are all designed to "help" us & make our lives "easier". While they could go on & on about whether or not all this know-how actually does this, the point of this editorial is about something decidedly more annoying, & more specific Passwords. Yes, those terribly annoying tiny (or long) things that they use to secure all of our personal "stuff" from nefariously-minded co-workers, bosses, spouses, friends, children, etc... The number of passwords that they must keep track of day-to-day can be staggering! From the ones that they use on a regular basis that are, as such, simple to keep in mind, to the "wait-that-has-a-password?-i-cant'-remember-what-i-set-it-to-the-last-time-i-logged-in-ten-years-ago" beasts that put a major speed bump in our lives at the wrong time.

     We have all come up with our tiny devices on how to keep in mind all of these tiny devils. From setting them to something that is simple & obvious to keep in mind (& guess), to making all of them the same, to adding trickery by ending swapping out the 'e's with '3's & ending all of them with a '1', or an '!', all of them have their nice points & bad points. Above all this, there is thing all of us understand, namely, that the passwords that protect our most valuable stuff must be complicated & confusing in order to be secure. Right? Wrong. Although unintentionally misguided, this idea of passwords having to be "complex" in order to be secure has its roots in something called password entropy.

     First, a tiny dip in to the theoretical side of the pool... Password entropy is the way in which technical geek-types measure how secure a password is. In a nutshell, entropy states that there's a finite number of guesses you can make for each character in a password before you get that particular character right. To increase a passwords entropy (or security), you increase the number potential characters that each individual character can be. This means that the bad guys have more guesses to make per character, & that your password is more secure. Confused? Let's break this down in to something a bit more tangible. Let's analyze a PIN number from an entropy standpoint. A typical PIN number has digits, each a numbered from 0 to 9. In entropy-speak, this means that in0 guesses or less, & password cracker will absolutely get the correct digit for each individual digit in the PIN number.

     Without going in to the math, each symbol in a 10-symbol-based password, has an entropy of three.3219. That is not excellent. So how do you make this PIN number more secure? option -which is the most-utilized option, is to increase the number of feasible symbols each character can be. In our PIN number, by adding the letters A through Z (without case-sensitivity) in to the mix, an additional 26 feasible guesses must be made in addition to our original ten. In entropy, our newly-upgraded PIN has an entropy of five.1699. Very full bits better than our original. If they then add case-sensitivity, spaces, & all the special characters they have on our keyboards (like '!', '@', etc..) they can push entropy up to 6.5699.

IT Backup - Is Your Company Safe?


A few weeks ago I was attending an early pre-lunch call at one of my customers. As I pulled onto the car park my eyes were drawn to blue flashing lights on the nearby industrial estate. Not being nosey you recognize, I thought I would just have a look to see what was going on.
No Smoke Without Fire?
Although it was still fairly dark and difficult to see there was a high point of activity by the fire crew and a fairly large group of observers were standing around. However, I could not see any smoke and guessed that whatever had brought the fire engines out had been dealt with earlier and they were winding down.
As I entered the main office door of the client I had come to see, I saw lying on the mat a leaflet which I duly picked up to hand to the MD.
Fire Affects Local Business
The leaflet turned out to be from West Midlands Fire Service. The main part of the leaflet read as follows:
"The West Midlands Fire Service has recently attended a serious fire in this area.
How Safe Is Your Business?
Due to the nature of the incident a Fire Safety Officer may visit you to ensure your amenabilities with the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005.
You may need to produce the subsequent items to show compliance with the Fire Safety Order: 
·         A copy of the emergency action plan for the premises;
·         Evidence of staff training and fire drills;
·         The most recent Service Certificate for the fire alarm system"

Backup IT Business Plan
Here are some of the things we think should be in your plan of action:

1.     If the main server is lost, stolen or damaged by fire, how long would it take to replace it?
1.     Do you know the specification of the server you would need?
2.     Do you have the driver disks?
3.     Do you know what programmes and versions are installed?
4.     Do you have the licence keys?
5.     What happens if the model of server lost is no longer available?

Data Loss - How to Be Prepared


We all buy insurance, for our homes, our cars, and our businesses. Being prepared for disaster, whether natural or otherwise, is just the smart thing to do. It's also smart to be prepared for a data disaster to protect your business.
To prevent the catastrophic loss of critical business data, your customer's data or your own, you must have IT systems in place which will help you recover from data loss, and get you up and running again as quickly as humanly possible.
It is a simple fact of life that 70% of small to medium sized businesses are out of business within 6 months of a data loss disaster without a business continuity solution. By using the proper procedures and strategies to protect your business data, regardless of the type of disaster which might strike, you can prevent a catastrophic loss to your business, including the loss of your business.
Here are our my 5 Tips to minimize the chances of a disaster doing permanent damage to your business
1. Take a full inventory of the data you can't live without.
2. Write down all your software product keys, license amounts, passwords, configuration notes, and encryption codes and keep them in a locked safe -- preferably both on premises and off.
3. Write down a detailed plan for restoring data in the event of a loss.
4. Run backups regularly and test them often.
5. Find out from your data backup provider how long it would take to recover in the event of a complete data loss. Some data backup providers can take days or even weeks to ship a full set of disks; others may take less than 48 hours.
Why you need to do these things to recuperate from a data loss
Your data inventory will place priorities on material critical to the operation of your business. As you rebuild your systems following a data disaster, you will know exactly what needs to be done first, and you can leave less important tasks for later. In this case, it's always good to recall that urgency and importance are not the same thing.
In this computer age, we tend not to write things down. We store them on our computers. With a catastrophic data loss however, important information, information required for renovation our systems can also be lost if they are not saved in a separate, secure location.
Knowing what you need to do to advance from a data disaster is not the same as knowing how. Having a plan in place pre-disaster will speed the process greatly, allowing you, and your business, to recover from the loss more quickly. Keep your recovery plan in the same secure location as your other written recovery materials.

How to Backup your Data




Why should we back up our data? Most of us over time have figured out that we need to backup our computers and laptops. Hard drive failures and catastrophe will occur and it is just a matter of when it will occur not if. Many of us have already experienced a computer crash and have spent hours or days trying to piece back our computers before we could start working again. Data loss costs business billions of dollars a year and yet it can all be avoided. Floppy disks, DVD's, tape and even online systems can be set today to work in the related and keep our computer backup's up to date, so what is the problem. Why when tragedy occurs do we still lose data, days and even weeks restoring and trying to recover the latest versions of what we are working on.
The answer lies not just in how to backup your computer because backing up your computer doesn't do anyone any good if you cannot restore your data when you need it. Almost every backup medium and service has the same problems, restore.
1. CD, DVD -Media has limited lifespan, danger of losing disks and the media itself getting destroyed
2. Tape-Needs the tape drive to restore. Needs same software versions to restore. Media itself can get destroyed.
3. Online or cloud backups-Typically backs up incrementally and downloads in clusters. Large data files have to be re-built 2gb at a time. You need same software versions installed for reinstall to work properly. Trying to reinstall to new hardware is a nightmare. Not the way to go
I am sure everyone reading this has knowledgeable some if not all of the problems above. Trying to buy new hardware and then have to reinstall old software to make versions compatible to read the backed up files. To backup your computer the best method and one that every computer owner should be using today is a document administration software as a service (Saas). An Saas provides you the ability to backup all of your files in the background as you work. Various versions are tracked and can be referred back to. If catastrophe strikes, all you need is a web browser to access your Saas service and you can keep working.
Services like this not only allow you to backup your computer securely but to view, edit, share and access your files just as if you were sitting in front of your office computer. You can even use the service in your daily business life. Open a file from your secure cloud space or your local desktop. Every time you save that file, the latest version is saved "live" in your secure cloud work space. Never worry about a backup, hardware or software versions again. When catastrophe strikes just walk over to a web browser log in and open your word, excel or powerpoint. MS office tools will allow you to edit and share online without having Microsoft word or excel installed. You can open a PDF, edit and create pdf books online. All of your contacts, distribution lists and groups when uploaded can create an atmosphere where you can collaborate and share information and projects just like you would do with a fully customized version of Sharepoint.