Technology: Computers: Retrieving lost data

Every day, people lose data stored on desktops, laptops, servers and hard drives. There is nothing more frustrating than losing those all important documents you’ve spent so much time creating – especially if you’re like most users and don’t back your work up. According to Sam Sewanyana, an IT technician, there are several possible root causes of data loss. He explained that data loss maybe a logical failure - the hard drive is in working order but some files or data cannot be accessed for logical reasons such as a lost partition or accidental reformatting caused by power surges, overwriting, physical damages, natural disasters, or viruses. It could also be a mechanical failure - the hard drive is not functioning. The most common causes are forced operations resulting in a crash and motor failures. Laptops When a laptop experiences data loss, it may make strange noises or grinding sound, hang (unresponsiveness) or even display a blue screen of death. If your computer is still running and you are unable to switch it off do not install or re-install any software or even use file recovery or other utility software to attempt repair for a damaged or failed drive. Leave your laptop to run out of power and switch off itself. Restarting your computer after a short while might solve the problem if the hard drive was not damaged. Server A server that feeds more than one computer may portray similar signs to a laptop when it crashes. Follow the same steps for data recovery of a laptop, however there is no need to restart your computer. Some tips 1. Never store your documents on the same drive as your operating system. While most word processors will save your files in my documents folder, this is the worst place for them. Whether it is a virus or software failure, the majority of computer problems affect the operating system, and often the only solution to reformat the drive and reinstall the operating system. In such an instance, everything on the drive will be lost. If you are skeptical about installing a second internal drive, an excellent alternative is to buy an external hard-drive. 2. Back up your files regularly Just storing your files in a different location to your operating system is not enough; you need to create regular backups of your files. Even your back up is subject to failure: cds get scratched, hard drives break, and floppies get erased. 3. Beware of user error We often engineer our own problems. Take advantage of safeguards included in your word processor, such as versioning features and tracked changes. 5. Keep hardcopies of your documents You’ll have to retype your document but will at least ensure you have the contents of the file - and that is better than having nothing at all! Contact: eddiemukaaya@yahoo.com