data – Hopedale Technologies https://www.hopedaletech.com Computer Sales and Services Thu, 13 Jan 2022 18:04:13 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.9 https://www.hopedaletech.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/cropped-ht_logo3-32x32.png data – Hopedale Technologies https://www.hopedaletech.com 32 32 175068569 Why Are System Restore Points So Important? https://www.hopedaletech.com/why-are-system-restore-points-so-important/ Tue, 23 Nov 2021 16:30:00 +0000 https://www.hopedaletech.com/?p=6049 We understand that sometimes things happen. You interrupt a Microsoft update and now your computer won’t run. So if your computer crashes, are you out of luck? If you have a system restore point, your operating system may be recovered without a full reinstall of Windows that could wipe out your data.

What is a restore point?

A restore point is a saved “snapshot” of a computer operating system’s data at a specific time or date. It is a collection of essential registry keys, drivers and system files that provide basic functionality to Windows. The idea of a restore point was to hopefully restore just enough functionality for the user to access Windows’ tools or their own installed applications to solve a problem.

There are no user files (documents, pictures, etc.) in a restore point. Make sure you regularly back up your files!

Restore points are created in the Windows application System Restore, which is in the control panel. You can schedule your PC to make them automatically every week. You can also create them yourself manually. 

A restore point is created automatically before:

  • a program is installed, assuming the program’s installer tool is compliant with System Restore.
  • an update is installed via Windows Update.
  • an update to a driver.
  • executing a System Restore, which allows for undoing the restore.

Take time and verify that your System Restore is turned on and scheduled through the control panel.

]]> 6049 What is the Best Way to Backup? https://www.hopedaletech.com/what-is-the-best-way-to-backup/ Fri, 19 Jun 2020 17:18:07 +0000 https://www.hopedaletech.com/?p=4928 “That will never happen to me.” We get through our lives telling ourselves the worst won’t happen to us. Yet, whether for home or business, secure, reliable backup ensures business as usual and preserves your memories and records. So, what’s the best way to backup? Here’s help.

Why You Need to BackupData loses of any kind can be costly and heartbreaking. The disaster might take one of several shapes:

  1. Natural (e.g. wildfires, floods, earthquakes, or hurricanes)
  2. On-site (e.g. hardware/software failure, power outage, inability to access building)
  3. People driven (e.g. damaging mistakes or intentional sabotage by a disgruntled employee)
  4. Cyber-attack (e.g. data breach, ransomware, or distributed denial of service attack).  

Regardless, the best backup solution can help reduce downtime and damage. 

Plan B: Approaches to Backup

There are several off-the-shelf backup options your business can use. Let’s consider the pros and cons of the most popular ones. 

USB Thumb Drives — Also known as “flash drives,” “pen drives,” or “memory sticks,” these thumb-sized devices are compact and portable. But, they have size limitations compared to hard drives. Also, the mobility makes them easy to lose (which can actually set the disaster scenario in motion).  

Additionally, a USB thumb drive is robust when not plugged in, but more vulnerable when attached. If someone inadvertently snaps the drive or employs too much force, they can put the data on that backup at risk.

The cheap ones also tend to be slow, which can make backing up sluggish.

USB Hard Drives — Portable hard drives increase the data storage available, often at a decent price. They are designed to be compact and mobile. You can prioritize durability, processing speed, storage volumes and more. 

Hard drives are less likely to get damaged than a thumb drive. If knocked or jostled, the cables are flexible. Still, a hard drive can be prone to physical failure. Selecting an external solid slate drive (SSD) can help since it has no moving parts. Information is stored instead in microchips. 

Cloud Storage — Backing up to the cloud stores data on an external, secure server. If thieves take your computers and USB backup, you can still access your data on the cloud. Cloud storage providers build in redundancy to ensure your backup remains safe.  

Most cloud storage services back up to secure centers with thousands of servers storing data. Oh, and they’ll have their own server backups too, just in case they’re the ones hit by a disaster. The providers also encrypt data during transit to further ensure compliance and security. 

Migrating to a third-party cloud storage service also cuts the clutter at your premises. You can count on expert help to ensure security and compliance. Plus, you can cut operational costs by offloading in-house storage or external hard drive expenses.

OK, What’s the Best Answer? 

Don’t think disaster won’t strike you or your business. Research has found data loss and downtime are most often caused by:

  • Hardware failures (45% of total unplanned downtime)
  • Loss of power (35%)
  • Software failure (34%)
  • Data corruption (24%)
  • External security breaches (23%)
  • Accidental user error (20%). 

We recommend the 3-2-1 backup strategy. This means having 3 copies of your data. Two (2) of these would be located on different devices (e.g. on your computer and on a backup drive). The other remaining backup copy (1) would be secured offsite, in the cloud.

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