Zyra international
NET //// Zyra //// Hard Disc Drive //// Ontrack Data
Recovery //// Travel //// Advice //// Hotels //// Site Index
Precautions
to Safeguard your Data While on Vacation:
The
perils of the "working holiday" explained and covered
in advance of the expedition!
Here's
an except from the newsletter of Ontrack
Data Recovery Services from the summer of
2003. I thought the technical tips were so helpful it was worth
making into a web page. The paranoia in hotels I thought was
especially notable!
Working While on
Vacation? Tips for Protecting Your Valuable Data While on the
Road
With the busy summer
vacation season
upon us, many people are preparing for camping excursions, road
trips with the family or simply relaxing at the beach.
Unfortunately for some, it is impossible to get away completely
and leave all work behind. As a result, laptops are becoming as
common as sunscreen at vacation destinations, but working
remotely brings its own set of problems. Since human error is
responsible for approximately 26 percent of data loss cases we
see, Ontrack offers
several critical tips on how people can protect their data while
on the road:
Keeping Data
Secure
- If you
use a hotel
or other public computer, take a minute to erase the
computer's history files, cache files and cookie
files before you finish using the machine.
- Take
caution when using a hotel business centre computer
to access password-protected Internet sites. Someone
could attach a keystroke interceptor on the machine
in an attempt to obtain user IDs and passwords.
- If you
use a hotel's printer, request that the printer be
turned off and restarted after you finish printing.
If this precaution is not taken, a simple press of a
button will allow subsequent users to reprint the
last document sent through the printer.
- Make
sure your portable computer is protected with its own
firewall
and has the most updated anti-virus
software.
- If using
your own laptop to get online at a hotel, be wary if
you are told that you have to load "special
software" to use the hotel's connection. You
should not have to do anything more than start your
browser to be connected.
Keeping Data
Safe
- Back up
all data before going on vacation and make additional
backups on the road if possible.
- Only
operate your laptop in a dry, shaded environment such
as a hotel room or airport lounge.
- Avoid
eating or drinking in close proximity to your
computer.
- Check
the power supply to avoid power surges.
If Damage
Does Occur
- Never
presume that data is lost for good, no matter how
damaged the hard drive or magnetic band on a tape
appears.
- Do not
shake or remove a damaged hard drive.
- Do not
attempt to dry a wet hard
drive or data
source by opening it or exposing it to a heat source,
such as a hairdryer.
- Do not
use utility software maintenance tools to attempt to
repair damaged drives - you may make it worse.
- Do not
attempt to clean the hard drive - send it to a professional,
trustworthy data recovery company
immediately.
Whether
you leave your computer in the sun too long, get sand in the hard
drive or drop the whole thing in the pool, Ontrack has experience
recovering data from nearly every disaster imaginable. Follow
these tips to avoid simple mistakes and make sure your data is
protected - and know that Ontrack
Data Recovery can help when
accidents occur.
Technical
Information and Training
Beginner's Guide
to Data Recovery Software
Your customers
experience data loss for a variety of reasons. Everything from
power spikes to natural disasters can cause significant problems
- but sometimes, the trouble is a result of new computer users
simply not being very computer-savvy. Many new computer users don't
know how to properly manage their data and a few simple
precautions could help them avoid data disasters in the future.
Check out these tips from Ontrack that can
help new computer users protect their valuable data:
Physical
Damage:
1. Use a quality power surge protector to protect your
computer from power spikes.
2. Place the computer in a well ventilated area; heat and
excessive dust can shorten the computer's lifespan.
3. If your computer is under your desk, place it in such a
way so it doesn't get kicked.
Electronic
Organisation:
4. Keep your Documents organised by using folders.
5. Files that frequently grow in size become fragmented; use
the operating system's defragment tool or a reputable third
party defragment utility.
6. Clean out your internet browser's temporary cache of
viewed pages frequently. (See your internet browser's
documentation for the exact cache location.)
7. Delete unwanted files to the recycle bin.
8. Do not delete important system files by hand; use your
system's 'Software Uninstall' feature to remove unwanted
programs.
9. Do not overwrite updated documents; use the 'Save As'
option and rename the new file with a version number. (Remove
older versions only when they are no longer needed.)
10. Keep your system regularly updated with updates and
patches.
11. When permanently deleting files, double check to make
sure they are the exact ones you want to remove.
Email:
12. Do not open email messages from people you do not know or
click on suspicious
message attachments.
13. Use passwords that have symbols and numbers in them;
memorise your password and do not save computer passwords on
paper.
Backup/Storage:
14. Backup your important documents daily
15. Do not use floppy diskettes for permanent storage of
important documents.
16. Verify backed up data on CD-ROM/DVD-ROM media before
moving or deleting the original data.
The
good people who brought you these helpful tips for saving
yourself from various computer problems can recovery your data if
your hard disc drive suffers an unfortunate data loss. If you
have having problems right now, contact Ontrack Data
Recovery Services now. If you have no
disc drive problems at present, but would like to avoid the
feeling of helplessness which is associated with such data
problems at some future time, here's a helpful way to be prepared in
advance! Have lifeboats;
Hope to never need them.
Except
from Newsletter by Ontrack Data
Recovery Services published on Zyra's affiliate
website.