Data Disaster Recovery

Do you create a back-up of your computer's hard drive? Or, are you like millions of Americans who would suffer a catastrophic loss if their computer hard drive suffered from malfunction?

There's nothing worse than seeing the black screen of death and the words "System Failure". The thing is you can save yourself a tremendous amount of stress and frustration by developing a data disaster recovery plan. It isn't very difficult and requires little of your time.

Today, most computers have a data disaster recovery software program installed. These programs allow you to back-up your entire system and transfer the data to a CD or DVD. You will want to store this back-up data disk in a safe location, such as a fireproof safe or safety deposit box at your bank.

If your computer does not have data disaster recovery software, you can download it for free via the Internet. Some of the most common and highly-rated back-up and data disaster recovery software programs include:

v SyncBack Freeware offered by 2BrightSparks
v Comparator Pro offered by SoftByte Labs, Inc.
v File Recover offered by PCa Tools
v PC Inspector File Recovery offered by PC Inspector

The first thing you'll want to do is back-up your entire system. Doing so will allow you to restore the operating system, software programs and data currently stored on your hard drive. Afterwards, you should back-up newly created data on a daily basis. Some users choose to back-up their hard drive on a weekly basis, which is sufficient if you do not frequently use your computer.

When it comes to data disaster recovery, there are two important things you should consider. First, if your data includes valuable information such as extensive spreadsheets, Power Point presentations, and financial information it's best to avoid using freeware programs. Instead invest in a licensed data disaster recovery software program or hire a professional to conduct the recovery for you.

Second, it's advised to use a data disaster recovery program that does not require installation. Instead, look for a program that runs off a CD or floppy. The reason being, if you install data disaster recovery software it will overwrite your data which could result in the loss of critical operating system files or loss of data.