Anticipating and Avoiding Personal Computer Disasters

By Gabriel Goldberg

The most common computer-related advice is backup, backup, backup (your data). While it's well worth doing -- and when did YOU last back up your hard drive? -- other simple practices can provide deeper peace of mind and avoid nasty PC surprises.

The reason for this is simple: today's computers are much more powerful and capable than devices of just a few years ago, so we depend heavily on them. And since they're increasingly complex, they can fail in new and distressing ways.

AARP's Computers and Technology Web site links many helpful articles on topics such as backing up data, creating system restore disks, ensuring reliable power for your PC, etc. (Enter the term in which you're interested in the Search box and click Go.) But complete protection requires recognizing that disasters come in many varieties and severities. Your modem or mouse can break, an application might fail repeatedly, a critical data file may disappear, Windows' registry can be corrupted, your hard drive can disintegrate. Your annoyance/irritation/panic level will depend on whether you're facing a nuisance, problem, or disaster.

Anything going wrong is less severe if you've planned for it. So your first step is analyzing what you use your computing equipment for, listing what you depend on (hardware, software, electricity, Internet connection, etc.), and deciding what you'd do if various problems occur. Then practice following your plan, because these procedures always take longer the first time, and doing them as if a real problem exists often reveals false assumptions and missing steps.

If you depend on employer-furnished equipment or services, consider what you'd do without access to them.

As mentioned, backing up PC data and software is described in many other articles on this Web site. For planning, you'll choose your backup media (diskette, tape, CD/DVD, Web site, USB key, Ghost file, internal/external hard drive, etc.). If you have multiple PCs, cloning data across them can reduce problem impact.

Backup methodology choices include file-level, image backup, full/incremental, etc. If you don't do full or image backups, be sure to protect all application data -- some apps store files in out-of-the-way locations. Keep data separate from software -- it greatly simplifies backup and recovery.

Back up software or patches you download. A friend's close call of nearly losing family photos stored on his PC reminded him how precious they were, though he'd taken them for granted. A long-term issue is that storage media deteriorates, and sometimes becomes obsolete (how many eight-track tapes have you seen lately?).

It's important to keep multiple backup generations so that you have choices of restore versions and failure of one backup doesn't turn a nuisance into a catastrophe. Creating backup generations simply requires rotating (using three or more) volumes or devices onto which you back up files, labeling them with date and type of backup.

Two steps are essential for a 100% reliable backup philosophy: First, periodically test restoring files. Too many people go through the motions of backing up data only to discover that their backups are incomplete or don't work. Second, rotate backups outside the building in which your PC operates. Complete and current backups in a file cabinet next to your PC don't do much good if your house burns down or is swept away by a hurricane.

File all system install CDs, application CDs, patch CDs, etc. in a safe and organized place. Follow instructions for preparing emergency recovery disks: operating system, application, anti-virus, etc.

Track changes to your hardware, software, and operating system. This information is critical for understanding and recovering from problems. Don't ignore mysterious variations in PC behavior -- they often reveal small problems that will grow worse. Use diagnostic tools such as Norton SystemWorks to check PC health. An alert from Norton Utilities once told me that my hard drive was failing, allowing me to replace the drive without losing data. Use current anti-virus and anti-spyware tools and update them often. One tongue-in-cheek tip is to never talk about replacing hardware where it can hear you -- it'll fail instantly.

Keep current printed copies of key files such as technical and family contacts, important contracts originated on the computer, ISP phone information, passwords, etc. As more such information lives on hard drives, vulnerability to PC problems increases. I wrote about what happens when people lose their high-tech gizmos. It's not a pretty story, revealing the need to synchronize PDAs and such with computers whose files are backed up.

If your house is subject to flooding or heavy rain, consider putting basement equipment on pallets or rolling files to prevent water damage.

Even the most reliable power and ISP connections can fail. If you depend on your PC and Internet access, it's prudent to install an uninterruptible power supply and arrange backup Internet service. A colleague has a medium-size portable generator with which he powered his and neighbors' critical appliances during an extended power failure, with extension cords across lawns. If printing is critical, consider an extra printer -- or agreeing with a neighbor to back each other up.

For easier recovery and repair, document your PC's hardware/software/Internet configuration. Be especially thorough if someone else set up your PC. Print it and save it offsite -- it won't help as a PC file if your PC fails!

Label both ends of all cables and draw a map of your cable layout. It's no fun creating the map when you need to disassemble the PC for repair -- and you don't want to reassemble your PC's nest of cables without a diagram.

After congratulating yourself for being protected against these PC road hazards, make a calendar entry for six months from now to review, update, and test your plan. And check your insurance coverage of electronics. Disaster planning isn't an event, it's a process that never ends.