The following is written by Kathy, our new Customer Support Manager. When asked to write for the blog, this was her topic choice. It is heart breaking for us all to tell customers that a failed hard drive is beyond our ability to save, and the price of off-site data recovery will be over a thousand dollars. We see it every week. So, please consider Kathy’s recent exposure to unreliable electronics. This is the best advice we have for computer owners.
Back it up, Back it up, Back it up!
Back It Up! What does this mean exactly? What is the process? What files do I back up and which ones can I part with? Back it up means backing up your hard drive, and if not the entire hard drive, then the files, photographs, records, and information that your home or business absolutely cannot live without. For me, that means the photographs and documents I’ve so carefully kept in my computer over the years, and yes I’m proud to say, I have a backup file of all those documents. I’m lucky in that I’ve figured out a backup system that works efficiently and effectively for me. However, that came after losing two hard drives on two computer systems, and all the files that went with those hard drives. Live and learn! Back it up!!
What options do you have for backing up files? There are many options out there, as of late, the “Cloud” is the one we all hear about the most. Ironically, I had almost no idea what that meant until I joined the Your Computer Friends team and learned about file storage, encrypted outside my own computer, and stored for safe keeping. It’s like having a friend who visits my computer daily, pulls information that I have selected from my computer, and wraps it gently in a padded envelope to be stored in a massive storage facility. This means, no work for me. No to do list to ensure my files are backed up…it just gets done for me.
Your Computer Friends offers this service on a personal and business level. It’s so important! Our friends at Gillware, a partner company, have a “Cloud” as well, encrypted to military secret security clearance level. You choose the files, that need to be backed up, we configure that setup for you. Then your computer and Gillware speak daily to save those files and protect your information, around the clock. I HIGHLY recommend this option, not only as someone who works with Your Computer Friends but also as someone who has lost files in the past, the most precious being pictures of friends and family. I’m a bit of a photography nut, and really the only picture taker in my family, so I am capturing images for everyone not just myself…again, Back It Up!!
For businesses, especially those HIPAA compliant, this is a fantastic way to protect your files and hard drives. Sending employees home with tape backups is a bad idea. What happens to those tapes in a car accident? Additionally, Gillware saves up to five versions of every file and it is not possible to delete them from the backup. What this means is that if you accidently overwrite a file, you can get back the previous version. It also means that whether intentional or otherwise, you staff cannot delete your backup. I just can’t happen. Why not let Your Computer Friends work with your team to protect your hard drives and vital information? It’s like having a guard dog outside your facility, protecting your information, guarding the very bits and pieces that allow your business to run smoothly. And the best part is that if a computer goes down, those files are safe and protected, no double data entry or input required.
OK- just to review:
Why back it up? Digital files and information have become a part of our daily lives, and without them, well…we just don’t want to imagine being without them! And don’t forget Mother Nature…in the south, we know she loves her storms! Save those files before the storms come in.
How often should the files and information be backed up? Daily.
How do we get your backup in place? We install on laptops at the shop and servers on-site. Call us to make your appointment. We will assist in choosing which files you would like backed up, and which backup plan is best suited for your needs. The pricing for 10GB storage is $4.50/month. Pricing for 50GB is $23.00/month (more suited to business needs.)
We are here to assist you with all your backup needs as well as any other computer needs/ repairs!
