In a world where digitization is becoming increasingly predominant, data loss on PCs and mobile devices can result in catastrophic damage for individuals and even more so for businesses. Without a data backup, which sometimes may not even be enough, recovering deleted files on PCs, Android and iOS is often impossible.
A largely underestimated problem, as everyone starts worrying about deleted file recovery with free and paid programs only after losing them. Prevention is better than cure, especially in the digital sphere and with data storage systems. One never knows when a hard drive or SSD that no one has taken care to clone will stop working, nor when there will be a mandatory need to format PCs to reinstall Windows 10 with its license, and even less when the computer will be infected with malware.
In order not to risk losing years of work in a single moment, everyone should know how to avoid data loss on PCs to prevent storage disasters. And it is just the kind of overview we will provide with this piece.
Preventing data loss in storage systems
Cloud backup and synchronization with PC
The most obvious solution considered by ordinary users to avoid PC data loss is to make a cloud backup including synchronization with the PC. By using a cloud service such as Dropbox or Google’s, you can store all your data online, and all archived files will reside on the cloud service’s servers.
Thus, we will no longer have the burden of maintaining the infrastructure containing our data, but we can rest easy because all our data is stored online, thousands of miles away from us, and managed by a large company or multinational corporation. By synchronizing the cloud service with one’s PCs, it is possible to have the data always at hand as if it resides in a folder within our computer.
In this way you get lots of GB or TB of storage space without necessarily owning hard drives, computers or servers with your data saved. Usually a cloud service with so much storage space requires a subscription and this is one of the two main disadvantages. The other cons is the fact that an Internet connection is required to access the data, and the speed of file transfer will be affected by that of one’s private or business connection.
Storage on NAS server to prevent data loss
Another solution for data storage, among other things much more secure than using cloud services, is NAS server storage. A NAS (an acronym that stands for Network Attached Storage) is a kind of mini-server connected to one’s home network and containing disks inside.
The NAS has its own operating system and allows through the connection to access files not only within the local network, but from anywhere in the world. Of course in case you decide to access data while not connected to the same network as the NAS, the speed of your Internet connection will determine the performance in transferring files.
Of course, the same concept applies to buying a real server for business or private use to store your data. There are some tips we feel obliged to give you should you choose this solution.
- Never use RAID or hard drives if you become aware of damage
- Do not proceed to replace the circuit board if it is damaged
- Don’t change the controller if it malfunctions
These operations can lead to the impossibility of data recovery and its irreversible loss, and must be carried out by experienced and skilled operators. Should you need help, you can contact us through the appropriate Contact page.
Schedule backups on a regular basis
Making a manual backup using the methods we have listed is not enough to ward off all risks of data loss. Unless you hire an operator to do these backups manually every single day.
But there is something simpler and especially free to make sure you always have backups of your data: schedule backups on a regular basis. There are programs for PCs and many other platforms that allow you to make automatic backups every day at the same time, or every few days (or whatever your need).
In this way you can save your data periodically by creating backup copies that are always up-to-date. Of course, even in this case the risk of losing important data is not completely zeroed out, but the maximum amount of data that will be possible to lose will consist of the data saved since the last backup, made perhaps the day before.
How to get a comprehensive disaster recovery plan
Even backing up one’s data through a cloud service, NAS or server can sometimes fall short. More importantly, in the case of large companies, the purchase, management and maintenance of hardware and services can really cost a lot of time and money.
Not to mention when all deleted data needs to be restored. That’s why we at Oltrematica offer companies a complete hardware management service and also disaster recovery and business continuity plans. Disaster recovery refers to all those logistical/organizational measures that are used to restore systems, data and infrastructure that companies need to deliver business services after major emergencies that negatively affect their normal operations.
Our services are aimed not only at enterprises, but also at associations and institutions. We also offer advanced backup systems, ad hoc infrastructure configurations for businesses, endpoint systems and perimeter protection. We can also proceed with the installation of software and hardware firewalls to protect data from external attacks, antivirus and mail server filtering systems. If you are interested as a company in finding out about all our services, please go to our Hardware page, evaluate them, and contact us through the form at the end of the page.
- Contact us and request a consultation