Fields Data Recovery Tips for Students

College and high school students are among the biggest users of laptops and netbook computer. Many joke that they carry their lives on their computers, but they have a bad habit of being quite cavalier with their all-important data. Homework, papers, research, contact lists and that all-important master’s thesis or doctoral dissertation can all be gone in a flash because they have a touching faith in the invulnerability of their technology. Unfortunately, that faith may be put to the test when the unthinkable happens and they press the power button and their hard drive refuses to spin up. Data loss can be even more devastating to a college student than it is to a businessman—just imagine having to recollect two years worth of research and data collection all over again. Fields Data Recovery, one of the UK’s best known data recovery companies, have dealt with enough college students and their lost data to know how important that research, that paper and that dissertation is. Because it’s easier to prevent data loss than it is to recover data after a hard drive crashes, these tips from data recovery specialists can help prevent disasters.

·      Treat your laptop with care. It may seem sturdy and rugged, but appearances can be deceiving. Be careful about when you carry your laptop around with you, and watch where you dock it. Dropping your laptop may not cause any obvious damage at first, but it could be all it takes make your hard drive stop working.

·      Keep your computer in a cool, clean environment. Dust, smoke, hair and other debris can make its way inside your laptop and cause problems. Invest in a keyboard skin to keep dust out of the laptop case and prevent it from damaging the works.

·      Invest in a well-padded laptop bag. It’s tempting to treat your netbook like a toy, especially when they’re so inexpensive, but remember that replacing your netbook won’t replace your lost data, and data recovery can cost a pretty penny. Don’t just toss your laptop or netbook into your backpack or rucksack, but instead always carry it in a specially constructed bag that will protect it and your hard drive from damage.

·      Back up your data regularly. Backed up data can be restored to a new computer, and new options for data backup make it easier than ever. Some web companies offer data backup services that automatically copy your hard drive to a web drive on a regular basis. It’s worth the few dollars a week or month that it costs for your peace of mind.

·      Install a good antivirus program, and set it up to run automatically every day. Keep it updated to deal with the newest threats to your data, and always run real-time virus protection when you’re working online. Viruses are among the most common causes of data loss on hard drives.

·      Maintain your laptop properly. If your computer starts making a funny noise, turn it off immediately and contact a professional. If you keep running your computer after it starts making a grinding noise or other funny noise, you could damage your hard drive and make it nearly impossible to recover any data remaining on the drive.

If all of your efforts fail and you find yourself faced with a data loss emergency, don’t try DIY data recovery methods. Contact a professional outlet like Fields Data Recovery to get a quote on recovering the data for you.