DriveSavers Data Recovery's Tips for Protecting Your Valuable Data

How to avoid data loss, backup strategies, and disaster recovery solutions for small business. All Covered provides backup and business continuity consulting nationwide.

Never assume data is unrecoverable

DriveSavers has successfully recovered data from thousands of hard drives with extreme physical and logical damage. If your business has lost critical data, DriveSavers recovery service is your best and safest option.

Since 1985, DriveSavers has recovered data from hard drives and other storage media that have crashed, mechanically failed, been physically damaged, infected by viruses and worse.  This has earned DriveSavers a reputation as the most advanced and progressive data recovery service in the industry.  Their engineers have extensive experience developing innovative technology with major hard drive manufacturers to give you the most accurate data recovery possible.  Their proprietary techniques are so powerful that they can consistently rescue data others might simply abandon.  DriveSavers shares their sage advice for protecting data in your small business.

Best practices to avoid data loss

• Never upgrade any system without a verified backup.
• Use up-to-date hardware and software utilities for data security, such as firewalls and virus protection.
• Scan all incoming data, including packaged software, for viruses.
• Use ventilation, fans, and/or air conditioning to keep servers at the proper operating temperature.
• Connect systems to an uninterruptible power supply (UPS) to protect against power surges.
• Power down and take extreme caution when moving computers.
• Avoid static electrical charges when touching or handling the media, especially in arid environments.
• Maintain an alternate and remote data center with 'real-time' copies of corporate applications and data.
• Train users to report any unusual noises and power down immediately if a hard drive makes scraping, tapping, clicking, or humming sounds.

Backup strategies for small business

• Invest in redundant backup systems.
• Establish a structured backup procedure, using software compatible with the operating system and applications, to make copies of all critical data files.
• Periodically test the backups to verify that data – especially databases and other critical files – are being backed up properly.
• Keep at least one verified copy of critical data off-site.

When disaster strikes

• If possible, backup the data immediately.
• If the drive makes scraping, tapping, clicking, or humming sounds do not use utility software.
• Do not power up a device that has obvious physical damage, or is making unusual sounds.
• Shut down the computer to avoid further damage to the drive and its data.
• Do not attempt recovery yourself on severely traumatized drives (i.e., turning the computer off and on, using over-the-counter diagnostic tools), as this may cause further damage or permanent data loss.
• Configure another computer/server to temporarily replace the problem unit, restore available backups onto the new unit, and reconfigure it as necessary to begin productive work.
• Contact DriveSavers for recovery advice. Because of the broad range of complex operating systems – such as Windows NT/2003, Mac OS X, UNIX and NetWare – using utility software can potentially cause data loss.       

About DriveSavers: Hard drive data recovery

For more information about DriveSavers, visit their website at www.drivesavers.com or call a DriveSavers Recovery Advisor at 800.440.1904 or 415.382.2000. All Covered clients are eligible to receive a 10% discount off all recovery costs.

How All Covered Can Help

If this is an issue for your business, All Covered provides backup consulting and services for small businesses nationwide.

• Call us: For a personal consultation, call our friendly sales team at 866-446-1133
• Email us: Use our contact form and we'll contact you within one business day.
• Free Newsletters: Use our Free IT Newsletters about IT issues facing small business
• Our services: All Covered Care
  Premium Coverage for Complete Network Management and Computer Support
• Learn more: Business Continuity Planning
  Planning for Business Continuity and Securing your Data