8 Tips for Surviving PC Failure(Part 1)

I have been lucky with computers. They have died on me but only after they’ve had a long life and I had replaced them with something better. My main PC had never blown up … until last week.Losing a computer can be traumatic. We store our lives on them: contact details, financial accounts, family photographs, music collections, videos and more. Here are 8 tips that could help you survive a PC meltdown…

1. BACK UP

If you have never backed up your data, stop everything and do it now! External hard disks and NAS drives are cheap and easy to use.

Try to automate your backup process or make it as easy as possible. There are several free Windows applications that could help, including SyncBack Freeware, CloneZilla, Allway Sync, ezback-it-up, or FullSync.

2. Keep a spare PC

A spare PC is vital. It may be old or underpowered, but it will keep you working whilst you hunt for a replacement. I survived on a lumbering 8 year-old PC and a netbook – it was not always an enjoyable experience, but it allowed me to keep in contact with clients.

3. Purchase a hard-disk enclosure

Even if your PC is irreparable, the hard disk may be intact. It is relatively simple to remove the device, slot it into an enclosure, and create a USB hard drive. This allows you to retrieve data that had not been backed up, but do not rely on this as your only backup method.

4. Use online synchronization

Online storage is unlikely to be practical for all your data, but it could certainly be used for vital files such as password databases, important accounts, or current documents. I can personally recommend Dropbox; it is available on Windows, Mac and Linux and just works.