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Lowering The Risks In Developing "Do-It-Yourself" Software Projects
Lowering The Risks In Developing "Do-It-Yourself" Software Projects by Phil McCutchen Marketing Manager, VCG, Inc. Mike Dunville* had a decision to make. As the new operations manager for Alpha Staffing, he wanted to make a difference at the...
Maps of Cyberspace
"Cyberspace. A consensual hallucination experienced daily by billions of legitimate operators, in every nation, by children being taught mathematical concepts...A graphical representation of data abstracted from the banks of every computer in the...
Protect Your Computer...and Your Business!
We all take the computer for granted. I mean, all we have to do is switch it on and it's ready to go. But did you ever stop to think what would happen if your computer suddenly crashed? And that is the only computer you have to work on! What...
The Need for Executive Recruiting Software -
It is vital that companies have efficient management. While it is common for companies to hire from within, meaning that they promote current employees to executive positions, it is not always possible. There are times when companies must search...
What is Spam?
spam: noun Spam is unsolicited e-mail on the Internet. From the sender's point-of-view, it's a form of bulk mail, often to a list culled from subscribers to a Usenet discussion group or obtained by companies that specialize in creating e-mail...
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Your Hard Drive is Going to Explode – Why a UPS is Essential
It’s most peoples worst computing nightmare. You wake up in the morning, flip on the computer, and it doesn’t boot. Sometimes the problem rears its ugly head as a horrific clacking noise. Other times it simply gives a read error.
At this point, most people panic. The first thing you wonder is whether or not the data is recoverable. There is no universal answer to this. In some cases, a simple scan with some data recovery software is all that it takes to retrieve the contents of the drive. In other cases, if you want it badly enough, it will take thousands of dollars and a shipment of the drive to a clean lab where they will pull the platters inside of the drive and access them that way.
Now you’re probably wondering if there’s a way to prevent this from happening. Well, you’re in luck. Getting a UPS (Uninterruptible Power Supply) is the very best and most effective way to prevent your data from pulling a disappearing act.
While it is not fool-proof, having something that regulates the electricity flowing into your computer can reduce the risk of a drive failure by up to 70%. This figure goes up to around 90% if the computer is being used while in an electrical storm. (My computer repair business always gets a little boost after a thunderstorm, courtesy of the lightning wreaking havoc on people’s hard drives.)
Don’t just run
out and get any UPS. You want to get an intelligent one. The ‘intelligent’ UPS will regulate the power without having to hit the battery every time the voltage takes a dip which greatly improves battery longevity. They also include options to hook the power supply up to your computer via a serial or USB port so you can monitor what the power is doing. This also gives the option to allow for a soft shut-down if the power goes out and you are away from your desk.
You can get an Uninterruptible Power Supply at most computer stores. Best Buy carries a fairly wide selection of them.
As for brands, I’ve personally used APC with much success. Opti-UPS is another excellent brand. In fact, I have an Opti that is 6 years old and still works fine, although the batteries now have no life to them. (That’s to be expected. Rechargeable batteries only last so long)
Now that you know of the importance of a UPS I would strongly encourage you to invest in one. It is far better to spend $100 now on some preventative maintenance than having to spend much more later on data recovery.
About the Author
Kevin Souter is a full time computer technician. He also operates some free spyware removal and computer repair websites.
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