How to Pre-empt the Most Common Computing Disasters

Call it a sixth sense or just a really good hunch, but people usually get a feeling deep in the pits of their stomachs before something bad happens to their computers. You might have thought about unplugging your computer just before a big thunderstorm hit but decided not to for some odd reason. Or, you could have decided against backing up your data right before you spilled coffee on it. Now, some computing disasters are next to impossible to foresee or protect against. So, you shouldn’t feel too bad if you can’t prevent the inevitable from happening. This article will prepare you for the most common computing disasters that seem to happen to everyone.

Don’t Wait Until Disaster Strikes

Computers may be completely stationary, but they can be successfully compared to cars – at least in a couple of ways. First, computers tend to make distinctive sounds, more so when they are having mechanical issues. A computer with a failing cooling fan makes a distinctive ‘whirling’ noise. Clicking hard drives are also notorious just prior to them failing. In addition, computers that are having mechanical issues will not perform as they do normally, so you should pay attention when they take longer and longer to start-up, shut-down, or perform standard tasks.

Look at Your Computer’s Diagnostics Regularly

With a couple of mouse clicks you can see how your computer is performing. Looking at your computer’s health is the best way to help pre-empt commonly occurring computing disasters. If your computer is running out of physical memory, running a diagnostic will alert you of this problem. If you don’t fully understand how computer diagnostics work, ask an expert to suggest a program that can do the heavy lifting for you. Computer diagnostics are important for keeping computing devices running properly, alert you of issues with malware, and even give users recommendations on the best computer settings.

Have a Back-Up for Your Back-Up

Whether you save all your files on CD-roms, an external hard drive that you take with you everywhere, or a USB stick on your keyring, back-up methods aren’t fully foolproof. Just as computers can break down and malfunction for just about every reason under the sun, back-up methods can also unexpectedly fail. If you start to hear a clicking hard drive sound when you use your computer, you can anticipate that you will be having a major error with your hard drive very soon. Have it repaired or replaced as soon as possible, but more importantly, back-up all your data.

If the majority of disasters you experience with your computer are related to hardware malfunctions and system crashes, you can make a couple of small changes to avoid them. Have a professional service your computer from time to time and keep that anti-virus software up to date. Start treating your computer a bit more like a car, and you won’t have trouble pre-empting most major computing issues. It’ll take you just a few minutes a week to keep your computer running well.