Why Should I Back-Up My Data?

Published on: March 31st, 2016

It’s a call no one wants to make to an IT service provider…You’ve turned on your computer and nothing happens.  Undoubtedly, the voice on the other end of the line asks “is your data backed up?”

Back-Up Data

Your data is the most important thing on your computer.  Be it family photos, important tax documents, your music collection, or sensitive research papers, losing it is simply NOT an option.  Unfortunately, computers fail and hard drives have a limited life.  Having a back-up plan before anything goes wrong is one of the most important tasks you will undertake as a responsible computer user.

There are so many ways you can lose data stored on your computer:  Hard disk crashes, viruses, hackers, data corruption, fire, flood, natural disasters, theft, and human error are just some of the ways that data can be lost.  Data loss is a common experience for computer users.  Let’s take a look at some statistics:

  • 30% of people have never backed up their data
  • 29% of disk drive disasters are caused by accident
  • 1 in 10 computers is infected with viruses each month.  Some viruses will delete or encrypt your files and make them unreadable.

What options do I have for backing up my data? Most people backup their files in one of two ways:  to an external drive or somewhere on the Internet (the Cloud).  Things to consider are reliability, simplicity, providing enough capacity, and cost.

Cloud Storage – Cloud Storage is an online backup service, or remote backup service, offers the advantage of securely storing your files at off-site server locations.  Your files can be configured to back up automatically every night or as soon as you save them.  The advantage of having your important data backed up off-site, away from your home or office, is that it is safe from theft, fire, and other local disasters.  Using a trusted resource, like Computer Troubleshooters, for this service may also include other advantages like virus protection and service.  This service is usually priced per computer at a low monthly or annual fee, and costs a fraction of a data recovery service.

USB Flash Drives – Flash drives are small, portable, and can be reused many times.  The disadvantage is that they offer significantly less storage space than other backup options.  They are also much easier to lose and can fail like your computer hard drive.

CDs and DVDs – CDs and DVDs are physical media that you can use to back up data.  This is a time consuming process and if your system does not support CD or DVD writing, you will need to install a separate software program that allows you to copy your files.  Today, CDs and DVDs hold even less data than USB Flash Drives.

External Drives – External drives large enough to back up your computer’s entire hard drive can be purchased and stored at an offsite location.  These are a good option for backing up your data, but you have to manage the schedule for regular backups and check them regularly to make sure they are working properly.  This usually requires more skill and patience than most people are willing to commit to.  Typically, people bring us local backup drives that are either empty or the last backup is six months old or older.  Viruses can also make local backup drive date unreadable.

Hopefully you have a better understanding of the importance of data backup.  Do not hesitate any longer, create a backup plan today, or better yet, call us and let us help you with your plan.  203.702.2103

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