Saturday, December 31, 2011

Digital Photo Recovery

Digital photographs are something that are important to all of us.  Most of the pictures we take happen once in a lifetime, which is why they are so very important.  From your child’s first steps to pictures of your family, photographs are very important.  As important as they are, nothing is worse than losing them.  This can be very traumatic and frustrating, especially knowing that you’ll never to capture the picture again.

Even though it may appear that the camera malfunctioned, all hope isn’t completely lost.  There are ways that you can recover your digital photographs, even though you may not be aware of it.  Most digital camera’s for instance, use smart cards that will store the information.  To be on the safe side, you should always safe your photographs to your card, and transfer them to your computer the first chance you get - then back them up to a CD or DVD.

Sometimes, when you have your photographs on your computer, you may move them to the recycle bin and not even realize it.  You can always correct this, by right mouse clicking the recycle bin then choosing to open it up.  If the pictures are there, simply drag them to your desktop or right click them and choose restore.  This will put them back in the location they were in before they were moved to the recycle bin.

There are other instances where your photographs aren’t this easy to recover.  If the card in your camera has become corrupted or if your camera has experienced hardware problems, then it won’t be so easy to recover your pictures.  If this is the case, you should always look towards software or professional repairmen.  There is software out there that is designed for most types of digital camera problems, and it can normally recover your pictures in the case of malfunction.

Most services and software can recover almost all files that you have on your camera, from JPEG pictures to video files.  Most people transfer their pictures to their computer as soon as they can, which can be recovered using data recovery methods.  On the other hand, those who don’t, will need a professional to take a look at the camera.  If you don’t waste any time and seek a professional immediately, your pictures can normally be recovered.

Digital cameras are something that most of us own these days, as they take professional quality photos.  Anytime that it appears you have lost your pictures, you can turn to software and professional recovery services to get your pictures back.  Your digital photographs are very important, which is why you’ll want to take care of them.  Mistakes and disasters do happen though - which is why there are recovery services.

Friday, December 30, 2011

Help With Data Recovery

If you’ve had something bad happen to your hard drive and find yourself looking for data recovery help, your probably in a hurry, not wanted to listen to hype or schemes.  Many individuals who have experienced the loss of their data cannot wait, and need to have their data now.  Businesses on the other hand, need to have their data up and working so that they can continue to carry out their normal day to day operations.

Anytime you experience problems with your hard drive, you can count on data recovery to recover your data.  There are a few options available, the first being recovery specialists that can actually come to you.  They will look at your computer and your hard drive, and first determine what caused the hard drive to malfunction.  Data recovery specialists are highly skilled computer technicians, and know the hard drive inside and out.

Good specialists are those who can be there anytime you call.  You don’t want someone who isn’t reliable, especially if you are looking to establish a relationship.  If the technician is able to be there immediately, he or she is showing that they are dependable.  In the event of data loss or hard drive failure, you’ll want someone who doesn’t waste any time at all.

Another option available to you is software programs.  These programs are great to use, although they must be used before you problem.  You can’t use them after the disaster has happened, as there is nothing there to install it to.  If you install the program before hand and keep it installed, it can help you after the disaster.  Most programs keep your previous data and information on file, so just in case something does happen to your hard drive, it will be available 

In the event of a hard drive failure, virus, or natural disaster, there are options that you can use to recover your data.  The most popular are data recovery technicians and data recovery software.  For businesses and corporations, technicians are the preferred way to go.  Technicians can recover your files, even rebuild your hard drive if they need to.  In the event of a hardware problem, the software won’t be able to do much for you.

Anytime you need help with data recovery, you should always look towards a specialist to help you.  They can fix most problems, and more importantly - restore your precious data.  No matter where you live, there should be specialists close by who are always on call.  Most charge very reasonable prices, and will come to you in the event of an emergency.  When you compare specialists to software - the specialists are by far the best option for helping you with your data recovery.

Thursday, December 29, 2011

How To Back Up Files Correctly

Throughout the world of computers, it’s simply amazing just how many people are scared to death of losing their data.  Most of those who are scared, don’t give a second thought to backing up their data.  Even though the thought may be the same, most people are worried more about losing their data than actually backing it up - which can prove to be a downfall in the face of disaster.

The process of backing up files is done by using servers, floppy disks, CD, DVD, external hard drives, or other methods to keep the data protected.  This way, when something happens to your hard drive and you lose your information, you’ll have the information backed up so that you can easily access it again.  Data that is important, such as tax files or business records should always be backed up, to ensure that nothing happens to it.

If you are using Windows as your operating system, it will be a lot easier to back up your files.  Windows XP has a back up facility in it, so that it can make things a lot easier when you create your backups.  If data that is stored on hard drives with XP becomes lost, Windows will immediately fetch the file from another drive or area where it has been stored as a back up.  This is a very useful technique, although it still has to be practiced to ensure that you understand how it works.  Although it may be very useful, it isn’t as safe as other options.

In order to back up your data and programs in a safe and efficient manner, you’ll need to use some of the more reliable methods, such as external hard drives or servers.  Offsite backups are great as well, as the data you backup isn’t left around your office, it is instead entrusted with a company who will ensure that it stays protected.

No matter which method or methods you have decided to use for backing up your data, you’ll be happy to know that they are all easy to use.  CD and DVD backups are easy to create, all you need is the software installed on your computer to create the backups with.  Servers are easy to use as well, all you have to do is upload your data to a server, then log into the server anytime you need to have access to the data.

All in all, creating backups of your data and information is the perfect way to ensure that you always have it in the event of a disaster.  Disasters can happen at any time, which is why you should always back up your data anytime you have something new or something that you haven’t backed up yet.

Wednesday, December 28, 2011

Importance Of Recovery Planning

Disasters are common in the world today, from nature to car wrecks.  In the computer industry, disasters aren’t any different.  They can come in the form of an office fire, computer crashes, hard drive failure, missing IT documents, stolen hardware, and many other forms.  Disasters can be very traumatic and stressful, although there are actions that you can take.

Even though disasters can occur at any time, recovery planning doesn’t cross the mind of business owners or individuals.  Most just carry out their normal day to day routines, never aware of what could result from a disaster.  Then, when disaster does strike, most tend to freak out and wonder just what they can do to fix the situation at hand.

If you are prepared for a disaster or hard drive failure, then your business will be able to deal with anything that happens.  The first step in planning and preparing for disaster is to analyze your business or operations.  You should determine how often your systems go down, and how you can manage operations without the equipment.  You should also find out how long it would take you to fix the equipment, and what your business can do to make ends meet when the equipment is unavailable.

Something else you’ll need to do is identify the risks of possible disaster.  This can include computer failure, loss of power, hardware problems, etc.  You should always include the causes as well as the solution in your plans.  If your office suffers from disaster and cannot be used for a period of time, you should always have another location that you can go to continue your business. 

In the event of disaster, you should always have a dedicated team that will work on fixing any problems.  This team should be responsible for your recovery plan and hold regular meetings to make sure that everything is accurate.  Then, if disaster should strike, your team should be well enough prepared to take care of anything that comes your way.

On a frequent basis, you should create backups of your IT systems and test the backups that you have created.  Always make sure that the backups you made are in a safe place, and out of the way of harm.  You should also check with your disaster recovery team as well, and make sure that they have the location of your backups noted in their recovery plans.

One of the most important aspects of recovery and disaster planning is to keep an up to date inventory on all of your equipment and material.  You should always stay on top of this, to make sure that you can easily identify what you have and how to go about replacing equipment whenever something happens.  If you keep a record of your suppliers and their phone numbers, you can have them with you for easy access in the event of an emergency.

Even though it may be easier to document all of your recover plans on your computer, you should also record them on paper as well.  Disasters can render your computers useless, which would it very hard to access plans that are stored on your IT systems.  If you have them noted on paper as well, you can access them without any problems.

Above everything else, you should always think about the possible disasters that can occur at any time and how to be prepared for them.  If you think about things and plan things out before hand, you’ll find that you can handle any type of disaster.  This way - a disaster doesn’t have to stop you from carrying out your normal day to day operations.

Tuesday, December 27, 2011

Knowing Your Data Is Safe

All companies of today make great use of the technology available to them and rely on their data.  Most businesses however, don’t have the budget to invest in network storage or large servers, which is what the bigger companies use to transfer information and create a backup of the information they rely on to carry out their operations.

Smaller businesses have a limited budget.  When most encounter a disaster they never seem to recover, normally going out of business.  Past disasters such as 9/11 or the dreaded hurricane have showed the importance of backups and disaster planning.  Companies that thought things out and protected their data survived these disasters, while those that didn’t went out of business.

There are several ways that you can protect your data and keep it safe.  One of the most popular and easiest ways to protect your data is with a server.  Servers are great for both large and small businesses, and protection the data for your business.  They can tend to get expensive though, with the most popular server, Microsoft, starting out around $3,000. 

Unlike other options, servers provide you with a safe and secure system to store all of your corporate data.  You can set the permission of your files to prevent any unauthorized access, to keep your files safe.  When using servers, most of the loss comes from either accidental deletion or employees that are upset with corporate management and decide to get into the server and erase files.

When using a server, your data will be stored in one central location, and not spread around over different computers in your network.  Servers are very user friendly, and keep your files neat and tidy - in one location.  This way you don’t have to go looking all over the place for your data, you can look in the server and find everything you need.

Another way to keep your data safe is with CDs, DVDs, and even external hard drives.  If you are using any of these methods, you should always do a backup of your information at the end of every day.  With disasters being completely unpredictable, backing things up every day will ensure that you are protected if something should occur. 

If you are backing things up to CD or DVD media, you should always put the discs in a safe and secure location, preferably a fireproof safe.  This way, if the office should catch on fire, you’ll have your backup discs protected.  You should always add your new backups to the safe at the end of every working day, so you’ll have them tomorrow if you need them.

You can also store your data and information offsite as well.  This is a highly recommended option, as you pay a flat monthly fee and a company stores your information.  Most have secure vaults and servers for your data, which ensures protection from unauthorized accidents or hazards.  You don’t need to worry about your data when using these services, as they will do the protection for you.

No matter which method you use for protecting your information, you should always make sure that you have a plan.  Corporate data is very important and essential to success, which is why you should look into immediately if you don’t have a plan already.  If you know your data is safe and protected from hazards and unauthorized access - you’ll have the peace of mind in knowing that your data will be there each and every time you need it.