Don’t lose all your hard work – 5 ways to avoid losing everything on your computer

Odds are you keep a lot of important documents, folders, pictures (and maybe even some college work) on your computer. All that valuable data is not something you want to lose.

So …. here are the steps you can take to reduce the odds of this happening. You can't say you haven't been warned.

Keep Your Computer Safe

Well obviously. But you'd be surprised how often this basic point is not adhered to. Make sure you’re taking all necessary steps to prevent your computer from being damaged. That means storing it in a safe and temperature-controlled space that’s generally low-traffic, keeping it in an appropriate bag or container when taking it with you outside your home, making sure it’s not left unattended for someone else to steal, and avoiding eating or drinking near your computer.

Use a Cloud Backup Service

The digital cloud isn’t as ethereal as it may sound. The cloud is actually physical servers that another company owns and operates. You can turn to a cloud service and storage providers to backup your data in the cloud, ensuring that physical damage to your computer, viruses, and other such threats don’t result in unanticipated data loss.

Using a cloud backup service won’t merely keep your data safe in case something ever happens to your computer. It can also allow you to free up space on your computer.

Use a Backup Power Supply During Storms

Power surges typically occur during lightning storms. They involve a spike in the voltage of any power delivered to devices and appliances via outlets.

If your computer is plugged into an outlet when a power surge occurs, your data could be lost. Guard against this by using your computer’s battery during a storm. If your battery is running low but you need to use your computer, plug it into a backup, external power source.

Use Virus Detection Program

You might like to think your computer will never be stricken with viruses or malware – think again, it's happening all the time. So don't be overly optimistic on this one.

Viruses and malware have the potential to damage or erase your data. Thus, you must use effective virus detection and prevention software, and you must update it regularly. It’s also wise to familiarise yourself with the various ways you can avoid computer viruses, such as not clicking on links from parties you don’t know or trust.

Consider External Hard Drives

The value of baking up your data in the cloud can’t be overstated. However, experts do recommend backing up your data in multiple ways. For example, along with backing up your data in the cloud, you might also back it up on external hard drives. This will give you the additional peace of mind that comes from knowing your data is saved across a range of locations and devices.

Remember, the data on your computer may be very important to you for both personal and professional reasons. You don’t want anything to prevent you from accessing and retrieving it.