5 Common Ways You Can Lose Data

It’s a tale as old as time. No, we’re not talking about a book-loving mademoiselle who gradually falls in love with a prince-turned-hideous-beast who lives in a great gothic castle in the middle of the woods. We’re talking about the thing that everyone dreads, something far scarier than ghosts or chainsaw-wielding villains: accidentally losing data. Perhaps the scariest part of this modern horror story is just how very easy it is to accidentally send your data and vital documents to the virtual graveyard, never to be retrieved again.

Here are just a few ways you can accidentally lose your most important documents:

Human Error

Perhaps the most common way to lose data lies within us. Whether we accidentally spill coffee on our laptops, unintentionally delete files, or simply forget to hit that ever-handy save button, we’re pretty prone to losing important information. That’s why it’s important to back-up your files regularly.

Power Failure

Here’s some nightmare fuel for you: you’re working on a really-involved spreadsheet or writing an important document when the lights suddenly go out. Your computer shuts off and everything that wasn’t saved has been lost. Whether you force-quit a sluggish or unresponsive computer or a natural power surge KO’s your devices (and to-do list), data can be lost when a computer is shut down improperly.

Natural Disasters

Sure, you can take steps to back up your data and save your documents more regularly, but there are many factors you can’t control. Mother Nature is one of them. Natural disasters can completely wipe out your data and leave your company in shambles. In fact, several businesses often end up closing their doors for good after a natural disaster. We can’t think of anything scarier than that, to be honest!

Viruses and Harmful Malware

Being connected to the land of the Internet is pretty sweet, but it can open your computers up to being damaged by some pretty gnarly stuff. Should a nasty virus or malware infiltrate your system, you may find that your data is at best corrupted, if not completely lost. Keep your firewall and anti-virus software updated, and follow smart procedures when dealing with potential threats. This should keep your data nestled safely in your hard drive! Speaking of which…

Damaged Hard Drives

Hard drives are pretty great little devices. These miniature powerhouses can save a massive amount of data and vital information. Their downfall: they’re actually quite fragile. Should any part of the hard drive become damaged, you run the real risk of never recovering the data within the device.

So How Can You Prevent Data Loss?

• Save early, save often.

• Perform regular system backups

• Back up your data regularly

• Consider automatic data backups

• Introduce proper workflow procedures into your daily work life

And, of course, trust your friends here at Acropolis Technology Group. Our IT experts can give you the advice you need should you ever lose data. You can chat with us by calling (314) 890-2208!