Data Loss - Prevent and Recover from Data Loss
Data Loss.
Even the simplest things can result in data loss. Knowing what threatens to erase your data, as described in the data loss article below, is the first and most important step in preventing data loss and keeping your data safe.
DATA LOSS Think your data are safe and that you'll never suffer from data loss? Well, think again! There is a number of ways you can lose your valued data. Ways of data loss can be divided into three categories.
Data Loss due to Natural Causes If your machine, namely your hard disk fails, it is very likely that your data will be lost. Sometimes, all it takes is a simple short circuit for the PC to crash (I had this happen to my father's computer and it was not pretty!) Anything that threatens to burn, scratch, melt, or in any way damage your hard drive and/or your computer has the potential to result in severe data loss. How can you prevent hard drive crashes and damage for happening? Well, precautions include monitoring the heat of your computer, regularly checking for bad clusters e.t.c and taking good care of the wires. However, bad weather conditions and abrupt power failures will always be a threat unless you get a UPS system, which can be expensive. If you do lose your data due to a damaged hard disk, you might consider consulting a data recovery specialist. There are data recovery companies that claim they can restore data from burned and partially damaged hard disks, or at least part of them. Data Loss caused by Other people Other people might intentionally or not erase important data - that's the reason you should not let people play around with your computer unattended. Data loss because of other people's intervention has happened to me one too many times to classify it as an insignificant threat. My advice is to never let anyone move files in your computer without watching them. Sometimes, people might think they're doing you a favor by deleting files and thus freeing your hard disk space. It never really occurs to them that document689a7.txt contains important data and should be left alone. Loss of data like that is off course less likely to happen if your PC is password protected. Data Loss caused by You Even the owner of the computer might accidentally delete important documents. You should never opt to automatically delete files instead of sending them to the recycle bin first. Also, you really shouldn't hide important files in obscure directories, because you might forget about them and delete them when doing some hard disk clean up. Be sure to label your directories clearly, with unique and meaningful names. The same thing goes for the files themselves. I am sure every one has insane stories to tell about other, far more unlikely events that have resulted in data loss, but what I tried to do was give you the basic outline of how people can lose data. The main point is, your data are not as safe as you think, not even taking into account possible virus threats or malicious programs, so you really should back up important documents every 15 or 30 days and purchase a copy of data recovery software, just in case, because data loss can be a major setback in your work. Where are my data 
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