Hard Drives and Hard Lessons

Crashes are never good. Whether it's the stock market, your car or some dishes, a mess always has to be cleaned up and things are never the same afterwards. Computers are not immune to crashes. A computer "crash" is termed when an application or the OS (Operating System) stops performing the expected function and causes the "blue screen of death". This is the screen most people with Microsoft Windows see when their hard drive crashes. Other colors such as black and red designate which OS you have installed.

Some computer crashes are preventable, but most are inevitable. Talk with any computer tech and they'll say it's not a question of how, but when. I think most of us take technology for granted. It looks sleek and it's supposed to be designed to simplify our lives, but when it goes haywire we want to smash it under our car tire. Now that's a real crash.

One of the ways to prevent a crash is to back up your data system. Most companies have large amounts of data and they employ other companies to back up and secure their data. They can usually afford this cost and although most consumers don't ask the companies that they do business with if their data is secure, because we hope they know that it's important enough, we seldom ask the question of ourselves. Do you back up your data? If you don't then you're going to learn the hard way, and believe me, there is no other way.

PC's are a necessary function of life. Not everybody has one, but you can't turn in any direction without seeing the impact they have on our day to day routine. Most computers come with instructions on how to back up your systems main hard drive but we tend to glance over those important steps, as if it won't happen to us. If you have Microsoft Windows click on Start, move your cursor to Programs, slide over to Accessories, go to Systems Tools and then to Backup. Pretty simple stuff and the set up wizard will walk you through it.

Backing up your systems hard drive will help to keep important files safely stored. If a system failure happens, you won't lose important documents, media files or precious pictures. Websites such as MSN and Yahoo that are used for e-mail purposes, back up their data so it won't be lost, your password or ID might need to be recovered but their information is backed up as a precaution.

The cost of backing up your hard drive is far cheaper than buying a new one. You can back up data on a disc, CD or an external hard drive, these have become more and more popular since the design can match your existing hardware and it can sit on your computer desk or be stored away for later use. Its not recommended but encouraged that you get an external hard drive that matches your current PC's hard drive. Incompatibility is something you don't want to deal with.

You can type in "external hard drive" into your favorite search engine and be bombarded with tons of choices. Pick the GB or giga bytes that you think you might need. Not sure how much you'll need, they start at 80GB and go all the way to 500GB.

If you have Microsoft Windows the easiest way to find out your systems current GB click on Start, move up to Settings, slide over to Control Panel, use the pull down menu and find My Computer, click on that and then right click on Local Disc (C:). Slide down to Properties, click on that. This will give you the current GB for your system. An average computer has a capacity of 150 GB, some have more, and some have less. You can also tell how many GB you have used so far, that will help in your decision. Some people put all their music or documents on their external hard drive and leave their PC's hard drive empty.

The convenient thing about an external hard drive is that you can leave it plugged into your PC while you work and drag and drop files when you're done working on them. You could load your entire music library on it, or your thesis, and take it with you. The possibilities are incredible. Most external hard drives work through the USB port on your computer, they don't need to be charged but they do need to be protected. After you have transferred the chosen files you can disconnect and place your external hard drive in a protective sleeve or case and put it way.

External hard drives do have a shelf life and are subject to heat and cold just like your desktops OS, so be careful and treat it like you would any technical piece of equipment. If you don't want the hassle of backing up your system or you're afraid you might not do it properly, there are plenty of computer stores, or on-line companies that will gladly do it for you. They may cost a little more but if its piece of mind you're worried about then the extra insurance of having a professional or trained tech do it is probably worth it.

The cost of an external hard drive can start at $60.00 and climb to $200.00. It just depends on the GB and the deal you get. Shop around and find the best one for you, don't make this an impulse buy, do your research and you'll be more informed about what you need and what you're willing to spend. Take the preventative measure and protect your life's work by backing up your system or purchasing an external hard drive. Don't learn a lesson the hard way.