Prevent Data Loss - My Strategy

Backup data - I aim to keep at least 3 backups of my data. I use thumb drives, portable hard disks and other computers. For longer term data, I use CDs and DVDs. Because it is very troublesome to manually synchronize the data, I use a freeware program called Syncback.

I recommend that every time you work on a document, ZIP a second copy and save both copies onto a thumb drive.

If you have Windows XP Pro, you can use Automated System Recovery to backup your computer. You can also backup your Outlook Express mail.


Do maintenance - I run chkdsk and defragment my hard disk every time the computer will be left idle for a while. I also check my camera's SD card, thumbdrive and portable hard disks. They are all capable of becoming corrupted.


Use sturdy hardware - Buy notebooks that are certified military grade, like the Durabook. If you drop or spill something on it, it will still work. Buy shock protected portable hard drives and waterproof thumbdrives.


Monitor your hard drives - Watch out for hard drive failures because they happen. Many times, people hear their hard disk clicking but they ignore it and lose all their data as a result.


Separate hard disk data - Avoid a hard disk with only Drive C. On a new computer, I will always make a Drive D to install programs and a Drive E to store my documents. We can do this through partitioning or by adding new hard drives. This way, if a virus strikes or some severe file corruption occurs, some of my files are still safe and sound.


Use NTFS - Some notebook computers (notably Acer notebooks) come with FAT32 file systems. These are less reliable than NTFS. Windows provides a utility to convert such file systems to NTFS.

Switch off WriteBehindCache - For those more technically inclined, here is another way to prevent data corruption.