How to protect the data on your laptop
Hard drives should never be relied on 100% and Google has indexed 150 million results of people complaining about hard drive failure and of course tips on preventing hard drive failure. However, even if hard drive failure occurs, there are certain measures you can take to prevent your data from being lost. Not only that, through these methods that I’ll be listing, you’ll be able to protect your hard work from thieves or people who generally want to do harm to your computer for financial gains and in some cases for fun.
Ways to protect your data from hard drive failure
Back up your data on the internet
BACK THEM UP. It can’t be any simpler than that. USB, extra hard drive, Google Docs, cloud hosting services… anything… back it up.
According to TechCrunch, over 400 million people are using cloud storage services and so should you! There are fantastic cloud storage services that are free and whilst most of the cloud storage services limit you to 5GBs of storage these same services will allow you to upgrade for a small monthly fee. You can store your photos, files, music, anything of importance and you’ll be able to access that data anywhere in the world that has internet access. Even if your hard drive fails, don’t let it fail you in exams when you have to submit papers or have strict deadlines. In most cases cloud storage services are free, reliable and extremely useful. I can’t think of a reason to not be using cloud storage; it’s the future!
Here are a few free cloud services where you can back up your data:
- Google Drive
- DropBox
- ZipCloud
Setup a password for your computer’s users
I know a great deal of people who have not secured their computer’s operating system by adding passwords to their Windows user accounts. Do not be lazy. There is a reason why that option exists in the first place and this option should be mandatory. It’s a step that prevents hackers from executing malicious files on your laptop/computer and from gaining access to pertinent system files that could cause your operating system to fail. Additionally, it’s just good practice to protect your files and other data by having a password in-place, so it can’t be stolen and be used by anyone else. You can add a password to your users by going to Control Panel > Add or Remove User Accounts > Make changes to [username]’s password.
Insurance
Whether your laptop has been stolen or whether your break it, contents insurance is a good back up plan. I’ve actually been in that situation where my laptop was stolen and taken from my very control from the boundaries of my dorm room. Luckily I had content insurance and I was given enough money to buy a brand-new laptop. This came at the cost of only £120 for the entire year. While that might seem a little steep, it won’t be steep when you suddenly find your laptop missing. There are, of course, cheaper options and I would encourage students to shop around and to get the best deals before committing to the first insurance deals you find on the internet or on the High Street.
Windows updates
Microsoft makes hundreds of varying updates to its operating systems that it has out there in use on a mass scale. They have to make constant updates as it’s the mainstream operating system and with this popularity comes the millions of hackers and script kiddies who will try and take advantage of any loopholes and cracks in the Windows operating system. And, while it’s a pain to have automatic updates on, it’s recommended and it doesn’t take long for an update to install.
Finally
Be vigilant. If you hear a noise coming from your computer, or if you think your computer is about to explode, get someone to look at it. I’d also recommend that if you have a laptop to buy a laptop cooling pad. They cost around £9.99 and can be bought on eBay, Amazon or even on the High Street in places like Maplin and Argos.
By Jonathan Jones – blogger and technology enthusiast.
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