Technology is ever changing. Even if you strive to upgrade your smartphone or computer every time a new model or gadget is out, it is still hard to keep up because new updates are released now and then and the options are also endless. Whether you are an Apple or a Windows user, you’d be lost too on all these advances if you are not an expert in the field yourself.
Considering how much data we share on the web or the number of files we have now made digital, it is but imperative we have a plan B in case your computer gets broken, your hard drive fails, or files get accidentally deleted. One of the best options for computer users to make sure their data stays safe no matter what happens is to purchase an external hard drive. You can transfer, save and store a copy of all important documents on it and free your mind from worries of possible data loss when you least expect it the most.
Tax documents, creative projects, family photos, school work – think about all the important things you have saved on your desktop computer. Now think about all of those things vanishing in an instant because your computer crashed. What would you do?
Well, at that point there’s not much you can do (other than hope for the best). Hopefully, you took preventative measures, such as investing in an external hard drive or cloud backup service. You can also make sure that your next desktop computer has a quality hard drive.
Unfortunately, not all hard drives are created equal. Backblaze released a list of hard drive failure rates for 2016. They calculated this rate by dividing the amount of failures by how many drives were studied. Since each drive wasn’t used equally, they also factored in how many days collectively that each device was used.
(Via: http://www.komando.com/happening-now/388789/avoid-these-hard-drives-they-are-most-likely-to-fail)
While they can be your life saver, you don’t just buy the first hard drive you see in the store. With a globally competitive market, there are just too many options to choose from and you may end up wasting lots of money on a brand that won’t live up to your expectations. There is actually a thing now such as “World Backup Day” that is celebrated on the last day of March to raise awareness on backing up data.
To create a backup of your files, simply connect an external hard drive to the computer by plugging it into a USB port. At this point, drag and drop the files you wish to protect or utilize a backup software utility.
A backup is slightly different than simply using external disk storage. With storage, you are able, and expected, to access and modify data regularly. Users interested in freeing up space on their internal HDDs turn to external disk storage as a solution.
A backup, however, is not usually accessed regularly.
Sometimes, depending on the type of program utilized, such as cold storage, files are kept in a read-only state; making it impossible for users to edit them on the backup drive.
The primary purpose of a backup is to provide you with a copy of files in the event of a total system failure, sort of like a library archive. With an external storage drive, you can manually or automatically relocate data to it.
Though backups are performed manually, they’re often left on auto-pilot; with the transfer software running in the background.
The advantage of using software to backup data from a PC lies in scheduling; you can tell the software when to backup, down to the hour and minute. The software takes care of backing up only the files which have experienced recent change, a process called incremental backup.
After the transfer is complete, just disconnect the drive and store it in a safe location. We recommend that files be backed up daily so that copies are up to date.
Even the experts suggest the importance of having a PC backup storage like an external hard drive because it works and delivers its promise of data protection.
Should an external hard disk drive be used for backup? Absolutely yes, it’s an easy and cost-effective way to save all kinds of data.
It offers peace of mind in the event of a system breakdown; ensuring nothing is lost forever. Of course, external hard drives should be used in conjunction with other methods of backup, such as a cloud service.
Which will help ensure all your files are protected, in the event of a cataclysmic occurrence or external drive corruption.
(Via: https://www.cloudwards.net/should-i-use-an-external-hard-drive-for-backup/)
While computer use remains tricky as various gadgets and upgrades are being released constantly, knowing the basic helps a lot so you don’t end up being victims of your own devices. A computer can help in different ways, from having a gateway to the digital world and the Internet to a platform in doing your admin tasks and file keeping. While it works most of the times, there are instances wherein it may fail and take with it all the precious files you have saved on it if you don’t have a back-up plan in place.
In the unfortunate event that both of your hard drives fail, you can try to recover lost data with the help of this: https://www.harddrivefailurerecovery.net/hard-drive-recovery/. While you want to steer away from hard drive recovery, there is a chance you’d have to deal with it in your lifetime so better be prepared for when that day comes. You can visit this link to learn more: https://www.harddrivefailurerecovery.net/. Your data is precious and if hard drive recovery is the answer, then so be it.