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As you start reading the beginning of this article you find yourself wondering why you haven’t found this information sooner. You don’t realize it yet, but in the next 2 minutes you’re going to learn how to use a tool that is free to use and free to download from Microsoft. You will have control over your data like never before. Are you ready to get started?

One of the largest software companies has given us a tool to use to help us backup our data and keep it synchronized. They have even kept it easy to use. It’s called Microsoft SyncToy. This tool can keep multiple hard drives in sync which is one method you can backup your data with out having to use any crazy software. Let’s get into how to use it.

You will start with the option to choose a left folder and a right folder. These folders represent the data that you want to maintain synchronized or backed up. One way you can look at the “left” and “right” folder are similar to “source” and “destination” but in the following options you will see that the synchronization can take place in both directions.

The next option is to choose between the type of synchronization. Your options are to synchronize, echo, subscribe, contribute, or combine. For this article we are going to focus on “contribute”. It is the closest to a backup that we can get using this tool.

The contribute function will allow you to synchronize from left to right any new files, updated files, renames, and but not deletes. This is how you can set up a computer backup system with out having to purchase a software product.

The next step you will be asked to name your folder pair. The reason for this is to keep yourself organized. If you are synchronizing your digital picture backups or your music backups you will be able to recognize what you are doing easily.

Once you have completed your setup you will have the option to perform a preview of the synchronization. The preview will give you just that a description of what will occur on the next run.

The preview will show you the source and target, the operation that will occur, and even the size of the files. You will get a summary of the total data you will be copying and the number of files you will be copying in total.

Once you have completed your preview and verified what will happen you can select the run option and start your synchronization. Depending on how much data you have to copy, if you are copying to a USB drive, or if you are copying across a network will determine how long it takes. Well, the point is that you backup your data and keep yourself safe.

The Microsoft SyncToy is a tool that is free and easy to use. There is no reason that you shouldn’t be backing up your files to an alternate location. You get to choose the files that are important to you don’t let something crazy like a lightning bolt to decide to delete your files. Protect yourself.

As you read each word in this article have you noticed yet that the fear that overwhelms you is because you haven’t backed up your data yet? Get moving to backup your data, if you don’t feel the fear then good on you and good thing you backup your data already.

Don’t become a statistic. Backup your data. Discover how to implement a computer backup system, learn how to backup files, and find out how to protect your data. Joseph Simcic has written this easy to read eBook so that you can download it now from http://www.dontloseyourfiles.com

A lot of myths surround the concept of data recovery. You hear people having it out with their computers when they accidentally deleted important files from their hard drives. Or you see someone post in data recovery forums asking how they should go about reloading data that was lost when their computer crashed. So-called experts would reply, You made back-ups, didnt you And of course, you didnt, so there goes your final history project down the drain.

The theory is: Whats gone is gone.

But in most cases, that is not entirely true. As long the data was not overwritten physically, data once saved into the system is never completely gone. Whether it was accidentally deleted, corrupted by a virus, or the disk was formatted, data will stick to the system like gum to a shoe. This is the small fact that the whole concept of data recovery is based on.

What really happens with data loss is that the files are simply inaccessible by usual measures. For instance, your file about, say The Annals of American History, was deleted accidentally. This doesnt mean youre going to have to do the research all over just to pass that final exam your psycho professor will give you on Monday. The file is still in the drive only a signature byte has been added to the beginning of its file name.

Now, heres the tricky part. The file will remain in the drive but once you save some new input, the new data will take the space occupied by the signatured file. So if you loose any files, make sure that you dont put in any more data so you can keep that deleted file intact, and therefore, available for data recovery.

So with data retrieval, you just have to remember one thing: Never input new data right after you accidentally delete a file.

Lesson learned? Now, we move on to the next important myth to dispel.

Installing this one data recovery software wont hurt, will it?

The answer is simple: NO. Although data retrieval software is the in-thing right now and self-running it on your drive might seem like a plausible solution, DONT install it into your drive. You can still use your downloaded version of data recovery software but run it on a separate, healthy drive.

Remember Lesson #1: Never input new data into your drive. A simple 1 MB of data recovery software can reduce the chances of data recovery success in reloading data into an uncorrupted drive.

Data recovery experts are experts in recovering and reloading data.

Yes, they are, but even experts scratch their heads in the face of a really physically damaged drive where not even the remotest possibility of data retrieval is possible. And they cant completely restore data 100 %. Theyre experts, not gods.

So what is the best way to overcome data loss? Answer: Always have back-up files.

T J Madigan has been established in online business since 1998 and is director of a number of successful online projects one of which is http://articles.net.au your best source for FREE articles and information.

With the advent of the computer age, our generation is inevitably linked with computer technology. Whether we like it or not, computers loom everywhere. They run and facilitate every industry. Be it in the train we take to go to work, the credit card we charged our payments with, atm cards, banks, electric power facilities, plants, etc. - name it and computer will come to mind.

It is imperative then that we take all necessary steps to ensure that computer data are well-protected. It is a well-known fact that several threats to our computer systems exist. Take for example the infamous i-love-you virus. Released on the eve of Valentines Day, this virus wreaked havoc to the worlds most complex, protected and highly developed computer systems. Banks, companies even the organizations like UN, Pentagon and FBI proved no match against its venom. And that is just one virus. A number of disasters stemming from other viruses could also plague the computer. Added to this are the threats of natural disaster, electro-magnetic failures, and computer crimes could befall. Virus though is not the number one reason for hard disk failure. Surprisingly, it is the avoidable user error.

For any computer user, the word hard disk failure is a nightmare! No one would want to be in this position. The amount of time, money and effort spent in the resulting file recovery is simply not worth it. To prevent this situation, one of the most important points every computer user should bear in mind then is to always back up computer data.

If one failed to adopt preventive measures through back-up files, hard drive recovery would be the next best option. Data recovery is another necessary tool to counter computer threats. Data recovery, simply put, is regaining damaged or corrupted files. But the amount of effort behind this endeavor cannot be branded as simple. Data recovery is a very time-consuming process and the cost is prohibitive. And it is necessary to approach the right hard disk recovery experts for this task. Data recovery cannot be left to chance.

If the problem is simple deletion of files, hard drive recovery software could be used. The cost is minimal. But hard drive recovery software merely goes through the file system and offer to recover deleted files. Data recovery softwares use is limited. The hard drive recovery software is not effective in all cases though. In more complicated cases like total hard disk failure, it would be wise to solicit help from hard disk recovery experts.

Hard disk recovery experts have different techniques in addressing hard disk failure. They could use off-the-shelf hard drive recovery software. Or, software that is custom-made. Going to hard disk recovery experts though, as a last resort, will not guarantee file recovery. Sometimes, hard drive recovery for total hard disk failure is a lost cause. Data recovery is not always possible. It is wise then to prepare for the worst. Before hard drive recovery occurs, preventive measures must be adopted.

If more people would commit time and resources to ensuring good back-up, hard drive recovery would have been unnecessary.

T J Madigan has been established in online business since 1998 and is director of a number of successful online projects one of which is http://articles.net.au your best source for FREE articles and information.

Hard drive recovery is an important tool to combat data loss. Many threats to computers could lessen data accessibility. It could be as simple as file deletion. Or, as catastrophic as hard disk failure. Whatever it may be, the necessity for hard drive recovery in both circumstances is foremost.

The number one rule in hard disk recovery is if you accidentally delete files; do not to write anything more to the hard drive. This data recovery rule applies in every circumstance. If you delete a partition, do not create another. Leave it blank instead. If you happen to delete files in the recycle bin which you consider important, do not save anything to the drive. This data recovery suggestion may sound puzzling but the reason for this is that hard disk do not delete anything, whether data or partition. When you delete a file, the data is still in the drive. What happened is that the operating system marks the physical area of the disc as available for future use while leaving the original data there. The computer hides the file so you can no longer get to it. Its still there until a new data is written over it. So if you save another data to the drive, it will consider files marked deleted as empty space and copy over them. If that happens, then the deleted data is in trouble in turn affecting hard disk recovery procedures.

The same rule applies to partition. If there is no partition information, the operating system cannot read any data. But that does not mean that the data is not there. Only, you cant read it. If you have just one partition and the operating system does not function, the best option is to transfer the drive to another computer.

Transferring the drive to another computer prevents the drive from being accidentally written over and potentially allows you to access the data in turn implement hard drive recovery by using Windows Explorer. If you erased essential operating system files, the drive can still be read from another operating system. If you cannot transfer the hard disk, resist the temptation of re-installing the operating system.

The simplest method to hard disk recovery with single partition with damaged operating system is to boot your computer with DOS boot disk. Then use a DOS compatible file recovery program.

Installing your had drive into another computer or putting a new drive with separate operating system into your current machine will enable you to attempt access to you data through Windows File Explorer. And you can safely try data recovery since you have a completely separate hard drive. Freeware hard disk recovery programs are also available to facilitate the task of recovery. One can choose from various options.

The hard drive recovery tools suggested above are meant to facilitate hard drive recovery efforts. If all else fails, a hard drive recovery service could be the last option. Hard drive recovery service could be much more expensive but data saved could be worth it.

T J Madigan has been established in online business since 1998 and is director of a number of successful online projects one of which is http://articles.net.au your best source for FREE articles and information.

Imagine this scenario. Youre working on your computer for a big project. Its due in a few days. But your system locks up. You tried to reboot. But the computer wont even start. Wonder what happened? You got it right. You just suffered a disastrous hard drive failure! Or, maybe youve encountered this situation. You delete some files in your computer only to find out that youve deleted something really important and urgent.

In cases like this you can do three things: panic, use data recovery software or you can go to a data recovery expert. Panic is never productive. Use of data recovery software might help, if you know how. What data recovery software does is go through your file system, find all the files that have been marked as deleted and offer to recover them. You should save the recovered files to someplace other than your hard drive. Otherwise, you run the risk of overwriting other files you may want to get back. The second option is sound if you just happen to delete important files.

But hard drive failure is another thing. A data recovery service from an expert might just be what you need. Computer data retrieval plays an integral part in todays computer-oriented market. Every computer user knows that numerous threats hound the computer industry causing disruptions to data retrieval. Accidental formats, virus problems, software malfunction, file/directory deletion or sabotage - all of these are potential threat to data retrieval. Experiencing hard drive crash or data loss disaster is not uncommon. This is where data recovery services come in.

Data safety cannot be compromised. Lost data can cause severe financial problems to a corporation. Companies spend anywhere between $100,000 to $1,000,0000 in total per year for desktop-oriented disasters (both hard and soft costs) according to the 7tn Annual ICSA Labs Virus Prevalence Survey last March 2002.

Several companies comprised of data retrieval experts exist in the market today to offer data recovery services. Some of these data retrieval experts offer a complete solution of file data retrieval services from software to lost data retrieval programs. Others provide expert information on Data Recovery Services from hard disk drives, tapes, zip disks, CD-Rom, flash cards and other storage media.

Utilizing recovery services from experts usually comes as a last resort. But they do not come cheap. Data recovery software like, say Symantecs, could cost something like $39.95. A data recovery expert could charge from $250 to $3,500 on their recovery services.

Each data recovery services have a unique approach in solving the data recovery problem. But usually, the priority is to get the damaged drive running again. Data loss prevention and retrieval requires a unique set of skills from the experts. A full knowledge of hard drive architecture and electronic circuitry are required. Data recovery experts must also have lots of innovation, experience and perseverance most of the time.

Data recovery service is often seen as an impossible and risky task by many. That is why, it is necessary to hire experts only in performing such delicate tasks. One should insist on the best service.

But data recovery services cannot perform miracles. A massive head crash in the drive usually mean its gone for good. That is why, when massive hard disk failure occur - sit back, relax and weigh your options.

T J Madigan has been established in online business since 1998 and is director of a number of successful online projects one of which is http://articles.net.au your best source for FREE articles and information.

With several companies and businesses relying on computers for storing their reports, files, and information sheets, protecting systems is no longer enough to emerge at the top of the industry. Data recovery is the latest in counteracting loss of data whether its due to bad weather, hardware failure, malicious intent, or human failure.

Before, much confusion and inconsistencies in information about data loss made data loss and data recovery the most misunderstood concept in the computer industry. Because of this, many users and experts often consider lost data as permanently damaged with no way of retrieving it. But now, with the advent of new facts on data recovery and loss, computer whiz and experts are now focusing more on restoring data into the systems as a new way of overcoming data loss or corruption.

The discovery of the concept of file retrieval led to several data recovery experts offering their online services. The services offered by these experts range from hard drive recovery, software or program retrieval, mailbox file retrieval, and more. Data recovery services are practically endless with numerous experts coming up with more and more ways of recovering important files and programs that are lost.

So what exactly is data recovery?

Data recovery, according to the word sleuths and recovery experts, is the process of salvaging of deleted or inaccessible data stored on damaged media like magnetic disks and computer hard drives, optical devices, and tape cartridges. A large number of file retrieval software and data recovery service is designed to help users retrieve their files at the event of a computer crash or viral infection.

How does data recovery work?

The first step of the process of data recovery service usually involves evaluation where the initial analysis of the extent of the data lost is determined. After the prognosis, the data recovery experts and technicians would then proceed in cloning or copying the media and queuing it into their systems. The actual file retrieval process occurs when the technicians secure and extract the data from the copy of the damaged media.

Hardware and Software Teams

A damaged media has the data locked within it and it is the job of highly experienced hardware and software engineers to unlock it. These two teams of experts work very closely together throughout the project, combining all their experiences in their respective fields to solve the problem quickly and surely.

For safety measures, hardware engineers access as much of the disk as they can to produce the copy which they then share with the software specialists. The bulk of the file retrieval process lies on the software team as they are the ones who do the actual extraction using complicated software programs designed especially for recovery work. The ensuing data are then filed and written onto a new, undamaged media.

Data recovery has become an essential part of the computer industry. Many companies offering data recovery service invest heavily on research and development to ensure efficiency in the whole spectrum of data recovery.

T J Madigan has been established in online business since 1998 and is director of a number of successful online projects one of which is http://articles.net.au your best source for FREE articles and information.

How can I backup and restore my desktop?

Data loss is inevitable when you don’t have a good backup solution in place. What can cause this data loss?

- Hard drive crashes
- Software malfunction
- Even operator error

Have you ever heard of a software malfunction happening? It happens even on the most secure and pristine computers in the world. Think about putting a computer backup system in place if you want to prevent costly downtime, data and software loss.

Next we are going to discover what your backup options are, what data should be backed up, what types of backup devices can be used, a restore strategy, and why testing is important.

The objective of a backup and recovery plan is to minimize the damage caused by a computer crash, and preserve your valuable software and data. Restoring your computer to its normal operating condition will be your first concern when facing this type of issue.

A common plan used by many computer users is to store all program installation disks including the operating system clearly labeled with serial numbers and necessary installation info in a safe place. As part of your backup program regularly back up your valuable data to another type of storage device other than your main drive where your operating system resides.

This secondary storage can be a CD, DVD, an extra hard drive mounted in your personal computer, or even a hard drive mounted in a hard drive enclosure connected by a USB cable. In the event of a hard drive crash or system failure, you could mount a replacement hard drive and reinstall your operating system with the disks you have already stored in a safe place. Programs could be added all at once or on as needed basis.

The importance of daily backups now becomes apparent. It is of most importance and sometimes obvious to make sure your critical data is included in your daily backup plan. If it is not backed up and it is lost, it is lost forever. You would be surprised how many people forget this important little statement.

When considering your backup and restore options you will need to determine the method of the backup and restore. Another option would be to completely backup the whole system by means of an Image backup. This would include a complete computer system backup bit by bit. Then when the inevitable happens and your system crashes you can restore your computer to the exact state it was at the time of the image backup.

If you value your computer software and data you should implement a computer backup solution that meets your needs. Prepare for the day when you could lose it all because of a computer malfunction. You should be considering a computer backup plan before anything major occurs. Now get going and make something happen.

Don’t become a statistic. Backup your data. Discover how to perform system restores, learn how to backup files, and find out how to protect your data. Joseph Simcic has written this easy to read eBook so that you can download it now from http://www.dontloseyourfiles.com