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6 Comments Lessons learned – Back up your data!
I was reading a blog entry by Lee at Search Engine Viking which reminded me of the importance of backing up your data. I cannot stress enough how important it is to make regular backup copies of your important data. I have had a number of people experience problems with their computers, and ask if I can recover anything for them. I too have fallen victim to problems with computers, and not had a back up.
There are occasions when something goes wrong with your computer – for whatever reason – and you just cannot get any of the data back of it. Unfortunately this happens. It’s why we should back up!
I have been fortunate however, and want to share of a few experiences when I have been faced with having no backup to restore and a computer that is not working.
The first occasion was my own laptop. It happened about 2 years ago, over half way through my PhD research. I did everything on my laptop. I wrote reports, kept research documents, stored personal documents and various other items on my laptop. I really should have backed it up – or at least more regularly! Anyway, one day I power up the laptop and I get an error on the screen. I can’t remember what it was of the top of my head – however, it wasn’t pretty. Several expletives later, I decided, right, take it to a computer shop and see what they can do. So I leave it in with the “experts”. They plug it into their systems.
Sorry sir, but we cannot connect to your hard disk drive. A data recovery will not be possible
Okay I thought. Is there not anything can be done? Apparently not! All I can do, so they say, is get a new hard disk, and start from scratch.