Scott Larson Consulting

1. Where is your data today? How many copies do you have? If someone sntached your equipment would you be able to reproduce your digital life? If you cant answer these questions, now is the time to start thinking about it.  Always have a backup in another location in case something happens. A physical hard drive will work or you can use a backup service like Mozy.  If you live locally, Sonic.net has a free backup service for existing internet service customers. Invest in your future by getting a good backup solution recommended by Scott Larson Consulting. Read more about this in our Smart Practices guide "If you lost all of your data right now, what would you do?"

2. Protect your computer equipment from power surges with a Good, Reliable UPS. Power spikes and blackouts have the potential of acting like a bolt of lightning on your computer and its devices. One non-filtered surge can wipe out your entire setup. 

3. Turn off or disconnect external storage devices safely. Use the "Safely Remove Hardware" Icon by the time to disconnect devices. In case they are in use at the time, the system will warn you first. Disconnecting a device that is in use can have catastrophic effects on the data. In the event of data corruption, don't continue using the device. Shut it off and Contact Scott Larson for Data Recovery Support.

4. If you delete a file or accidentally format/destroy a partition, if you want the data back don't continue using the computer or attempt to retrieve the data yourself.  You can further damage your data if you do not know what you are doing. First shutdown your computer and Contact Scott Larson Consulting for help. 

5. If you hear unusual noises, turn off the unit immediately and contact Scott Larson for help. The sounds may indicate a hardware problem that could result in data loss.