Back up! Back up! Back Up!

After three decades in business, we at Total Computer Services still cannot stress enough the necessity of backing up your computer. The hard drive is the heart and soul of your system and the number one point of failure.

CRASH!

Years and years of crucial data is gone. Hours and hours of hard work is gone. Hundreds and hundreds of photos are gone. Your programs are gone. Everything is gone!

Panic! Panic! Panic!

STOP!

Clicking and clicking on corrupted files causes more harm than good to the affected drive. Turn the computer off. It’s possible your data can be recovered.
Relief? Maybe. Depending on the severity of damage done to your software and/or hardware the repair costs can be a shock to your wallet.
This brings us back to where we started…Back Up!

Local Back-Ups

Local back-ups are connected to your computer either through an external drive or network attached storage device – taking a complete image of your computer on a pre-determined schedule. The advantage of a complete image is that it contains all of your programs, data and system configurations. Therefore, if your disk fails, a complete recovery is quick and painless. The main disadvantage of a local backup is that it can be vulnerable to viruses.

Cloud Back-Ups

Cloud back-ups are not connected to your computer and instead store your information in the cloud. This option operates through your Internet connection and tends to be much slower than local backups and therefore will only contain data – not your programs and settings.

The advantage of cloud backups is that they are usually safe from viruses.

What Should You Do Next?

There are pros and cons to both types of back-ups. Depending on your individual concerns and usage, you may choose one or use both in combination.

Come talk to a professional at Total Computer Services to find out the best back-up solution for your business and personal needs.