I just wanted to share with you a catastrophe that I avoided this month regarding my family photos.
These photos are stored on my main computer and this month, the Hard Disk inside it broke and I could no longer get my computer to start. My computer stores many important files, but the most important files to me were the photos.
Fortunately, I know that Hard Disk Drives inside computers will fail, so I had put in place a regular, automatic backup plan which backed up the important files before the failure and I was able to rebuild my computer and and restore all of my important files. I didn't lose a single photo.
As you are a valued fan of Geekmobile, I wanted to share this with you, as I feel it is my duty to make you aware that as we become more reliant on our computers to perform our digital needs, we need to have a backup plan in place, or we run the risk of losing all of our important files.
Here are some questions that I hope you can say Yes, I do.
Do you have important files on your computer that you couldn't bare to lose? If you do, are they backed up?
Do you know how to schedule a backup plan that will protect your files in the event of a similar failure to what I experienced?
At Geekmobile, our technicians are experts in this type of thing and can suggest and set-up a backup plan which most suits you. There are many different types of backup plans, which are suitable for different people.
If you think that we could be of help in this area, give us a call and schedule in a Data Safe Guard Service for your system.
Recent backup and data recovery related services
| Description | Suburb |
|---|---|
| Transferred all data Set up printer to print from iPad To discuss about emails with Outlook or Live Mail | Carlton |
| Hard drive error Scanned, found one bad block - fixed Filesystem corruption fixed Drive seems to be OK otherwise, but stay alert for possible sudden failure - keep up to date backups | Palm Beach |
| Windows Crashed. No restore point found. Fresh installation is required. | Springwood |
| Viruses removed Corrupt system files restored Updates applied Installed Avast free AV Unable to solve missing driver/sound problem, possible fault on motherboard | Campsie |
| - Restored internet access - Removed junk and excess files from PC - Removes unneeded startup entries | Belmont North |
| - Client bought an external HDD to use for the data that could be retrieved - Started data retrieval with Data Rescue 3 - Left running and client went through all the photos that had been detected - Client was happy with what had been recovered | Varsity Lakes |
| Problem did not occur while I was here. It sounds like the DSL sync or internet connection is dropping out, restarting the modem restores the connection. However all lights on the modem appear normal Outages may be temporary problem related to recent stormy weather conditions. Turned on Modem logs to try to capture any error message that may be generated when the problem occurs. | Oakville |
| - Built new system and installed Windows 7 Pro - Installed all Windows Updates and Service Packs - Installed Adobe Reader, Flash Player and Java - Transferred all personal data from the old Hard Drive | Runaway Bay |
| Taken PC offsite Re-installed Windows XP Home Re-installed MYOB Retail manager Downloaded & Installed DELL drivers Ran windows updates Downloaded and installed CA antivirus per customer request Delivered PC and performed the following on site: Configured Email Restored MYOB Retail manager data Installed printer and tested working | West Burleigh |
| Copied IERTUTIL.DLL via boot CD. This restored Windows access. Downloaded & installed updated Firefox, set as default browser, imported favourites from Internet Explorer. | Runaway Bay |
| - PC not booting due to RAM issue - Moved RAM to 2nd DIMM slot > booting fine - Moved it back to the 1st DIMM slot > booting fine - Just encase the 1st slot is starting to fail, I have moved the RAM to the 2nd DIMM slot - Created a batch file to backup emails and address book on 2 PCs | Banora Point |
| - Performed various malware and virus removal procedures - Restored operation of anti-virus software - Restored .exe file association - Replaced hosts file - Restored desktop icons - Uninstalled browser tool bars - Removed unnecessary startup programs | Warners Bay |
| - Removed Windows account password - Downloaded and installed Legacy 7.5, Imported database - Removed McAfee software and downloaded and isntalled Norton 360 (Activated) - Copied all personal information from old PC to Acer (Photos, Documents, Emails and Address Book) - Setup Windows Live Mail | Bilambil Heights |
| User profile corrupt Created new profile and copied user data, set up email account | Enfield |
| - PC would randomly stop responding when using the computer - Found Hard Drive 1 would click when trying to process - Cloned HDD 1 to HDD 2 which was emtpy - PC running better but still has issue with games not loading - Installed Windows 7 onto HDD 2 - Installed all Windows Updates - Installed Adobe Reader and Flash Player - Copied all personal data over from HDD 1 - Installed Steam and updated | Tallebudgera |
| Smart failure of HDD customer already has new PC doesn't want to proceed with data recovery | Toowoomba |
| - Supplied a test modem to the client for about a week until the Bigpond modem arrived - Test modem still had the same issue after a day - Client has setup and configured the new Bigpond modem and it has been working for 3 days. - Deleted old Optus email data from Outlook | Currumbin Waters |
| Coffee spill on computer Client will try and have relative retrieve data Doesn't want to proceed with repair or new computer | Westbrook |
| XP System cannot start. Repair system with Windows Recovery Console | Eight Mile Plains |
| C: drive was totally out of free space. Freed some space by removing temp files and moving photos to external drive User profile corrupt. Restored | Bangor |
| - HP desktop had no display on boot - Removed AGP video card and tried onboard video > same issue - Took out RAM > PC beeping on boot - Placed RAM back in > PC now booting fine - Placed AGP video card > PC still booting - Took out HDD and connected to new iMac - Transfered all personal data: Documents, Photos, Desktop and Favourites - Imported photos into iPhoto - Imported Favourites into Safari - Installed Brother printer and scanning software | Southport |
| run disagnostic program from system (compaq), no problems were detected on hardware. boot up system and backup all user files customer will upgrade to win7 | Brookwater |
| Data files, emails and address book transferred to New PC. Norton 360 installed and activated. Office 2010 activated and installed. 2 printers installed on PC. | New Beith |
| "System Control Panel" Fake antivirus removed. Registry fixed. Data files and shorcuts recovered. | Eastern Heights |
| Backed up customer data recovered non bootable drive Holding customer Data until the aquire a new machine. PC failed to boot, faulty motherboard faulty HDD | Broadbeach |
| - Backed up clients data (Photos, Music, Documents, Mail and Address Book) - Packed up old computer - Setup new iMac - Setup new HP all in one printer - Transfered data onto Mac - Setup Email and imported Address book - Installed VodaFone wireless broadband | Runaway Bay |
| Motherboard has died. Will return tomorrow with USB/IDE adaptor to recover data. | Westlake |
| Re-Installed Windows Backed up data that could be retrieved Unable to get all data as virus had infected the system and .dll extensions were missing. PC reinstalled and tested OK | Runaway Bay |
| Restored files to ealier date. BSOD - Repaired Config network card. | Currumbin |
| Took machine back to base, performed backup, format and reinstall of wondows vista. Reinstalled essential programs, Norton, Office and etc. Installed Vista Serice pack 2 and related updates. Fitted 2GB DRR2 Ram for faster performance | Maudsland |
| clone hdd and transfer data to other computer, remove viruses and setup wireless network. | Reedy Creek |
| Tested machine, found faulty HDD and power supply. PC was taken back to base and new 500GB HDD and power supply was fitted. Reinstalled Windows XP and all essential programs. Performed data recovery on the old drive. The recovered files were then imported back to the windows set up. System now loads and functions normally. | Robina |
| Checked over system, noticed that the system was heavily corrupted. Machine was taken back at the base for full thorough clean up. Found and removed viruses, malware, etc. Restored deafault settings and cleanned up registry and start up. System now boot and loads normally. | Runaway Bay |
| Booted from installation disk and performed restore from backup. 6 Dec 2011 backup restored. | Middle Ridge |
| Checked email settings and passwords. Reset account back to default incoming and outgoing email servers. Tried logging into webmail using prestored settings from problem account but could not access this way either. Contacted ISP to retrieve correct password and saved in account settings. Updated CCleaner and Malwarebytes on PC and cleaned computer. Also set CHKDSK scan to run on leaving premises. | Kellyville Ridge |
| System restored. (restore point :18/11/2011) Autocad English version unistaled sucessfully. | Daisy Hill |
| Restored missing folders | Kirrawee |
| Ran Boot CD to see if data could be retrieved from drive. File strcuture on HDD not being recognised properly. Ran two utilities and with the 2nd was able to retrieve a large quantity of the customer's data and put it onto their external HDD. Saved this data and then reconnected HDD back to old PC and verified that files were accessible and could be opened. | Greenfield Park |
| PC had suffered Catasrophic Fail. Removed HDD and recovered data. | Logan Village |
| retrieve data from old hard disk | Regents Park |
| Backed up data Checked XP machine HDD fail Motherboard Fail | Robina |
| - Fixed internet speeds - Replaced Internet Explorer as default browser - Downloaded and configured Google Chrome as new default browser - Added most-used bookmarks to bookmarks bar in Google Chrome - Imported bookmarks, history, form data and search history from Internet Explorer into Google Chrome - Configured home page for Google Chrome - Removed unwanted start-up entries to speed up PC boot time - Removed unwanted desktop icons | Elermore Vale |
| Ran chkdsk Ran malware check System rebooted with errors. Ran system restore. Flushed registry. Flushed temp files. System tested - OK | Nerang |
| System restored to last save point. Reset Passwords Tested OK | Hollywell |
| - Tested power supply unit for faults - Power supply operational - Identified motherboard as faulty - Removed hard disk drive to backup data | Belmont North |
| Installed Wireless Router. 4 Ports 2GB DDR2 667Mhz RAM Chip for Sara's Computer Networked MYOB. Setup Online Data Backup with www.carbonite.com All tested and working fine | Labrador |
| None genuine XP prof crashed. Windows vista business installed. Data transferred. | Church Hill |
| Fine Tuned a few problems with Internet explorer and a backup on the external hard drive. | Ashmore |
| Removed some rootkit virus. Virus was causing system restore points to be taken constantly. Also reconfigured page file to be appropriate to memory size. Upgrade to Windows 7 may help, but changing Nortons to Avast or other AV would make more of a difference. Fixed corrupted Outlook datafile | St Ives |
| Sorted out email issues with Telstra Created a work around with admin@danlan.com.au Removed lance@danlan.com.au from PC2. Removed Outlook Data file on PC2 and added to the Outlook Data File on PC1. Sorted out Printing issues through the network. | Yatala |
| Transfer of Data from Old PC to New PC. Configuration of all user preferences. | Oxenford |
| diagnose internet connection problem. corrupted internet explorer. backup all user files on system. reinstall windows, anti virus and drivers | Kingston |
| System restored. Un necessary programs and services removed from startup. Firefox installed. | Heritage Park |
| External HDD showing signs of failure Could not read SMART data Could not read all data Copied most photos Client adv movies and music did not need to be recovered Adv client to try and retain HDD after warranty | Centenary Heights |
| Removed My DOCUMENTS, OUTLOOK to External Hard Drive and Linked the Outlook PST file to the new location. Installed Carbonite Online Data Backup and Setup the automatic Backup. Had extra issues downloading the carbonite installation utility through the virtual fusion environment. Implemented a work arouind. 1 hour 45min spent. | Tallebudgera |
| Performed CHKDSK scan, startup repair and system restore but was unable to restore access to Operating System. Have backed up user data to an external HDD and have set PC to run system recovery. Will contact customer later this afternoon to restore emails into Windows Mail via remote access. | Blacktown |
| Data tansferred. MS Office installed. Email account configured. IE configured. Eset provided CD is not compatible with Win 7. | Brassall |
| Windows had been crashed. No files found on the system partition. Data transferred to external hard drive from data partition. Windows XP re-installed. Windows activated. Service pack 3 installed. Office 2010 re-installed. Email account setup on MS Outlook Wireless settings fixed. USB hub 7 ports installed. VGA extention cable installed. | Springfield Lakes |
| Wireless router/modem configured. PC connected to WLAN. Connection fixed. Norton updates installed. Administrator account on windows not recoverable. | Eagleby |
| PC would not boot due to corruption of the OS, backed up user data and reinstalled Windows. | Gaven |
| Removed old hardware from computer case. Installed new hardware into computer case. Installed Windows 7 SP1 Home Premium x64. Install Video Card, Audio Card & other system drivers. Installed Mozilla Firefox and LG Burning applications. Installed Cyberlink PowerDVD Software. Copied users data over from old hard drive to new hard drive in its respective locations (eg. Users data, My Documents, My Pictures, etc). | Charlestown |
| Data transfered. Emails imported. MS work installed. | Logan Reserve |
| Windows Installer service not responding correctly, unable to install or remove any software. Left PC running through factory restore. | Runaway Drive |
| Wireless Internet Not Working. Restored Computer To Earlier time before Problem occurred. Installed TrendMicro Antivirus Subcription purchased by Client. | Surfers Paradise |
| Performed restore using the "overwrite existing files" option. Installed EaseUS backup program to take system image backups and created emergency boot CD | West Ryde |
| Data Recovery | Elanora |
| Data recovery on hdd | Mt Gravatt East |
| Registry recovered. Windows latest updates installed. Microsoft essential uninstalled. AVG (Free Version) updated | Tanah Merah |
| Client had restored windows. Appears documents have been lost Client adv has a backup on USB and ok to do fresh start | East Toowoomba |
| Trend Micro Uninstalled. Windows Essential Installed. Windows Mail Live configured. Files and Emails imported. Norton 360 auto backup Configured. MS Office 2007 installed. MS Access 2010 downloaded and installed. | Fig Tree Pocket |
| Replaced SATA 2.5" Hard Drive with new WD 500GB Drive. Cloned original drive to the new drive. Ran various scans for spyware/adware. Performed system restore to an earlier point, 7th September. | Gateshead |
| Kasperski databases corrupted. Run repair install for Kaspersky | Blakehurst |
| System restored. Un wanted programs uninstalled. Third party services removed from startup. VGA connection fixed. | Springwood |
| Ran system restore to fix issues with services not starting correctly. | Burleigh Heads |
| Hard disk errors repaired. Important windows updates installed. Norton 360 auto backup settings changed. | Bellbird Park |
| Transfer data from old PC Install programs required | Five Dock |
| backup info from Win7 to external hard disk setup MS Office for MAC setup sync for iPhone from old PC to new MAC | Shailer Park |
| Registry had been crashed. Registry restored. Hard disk errors repaired. Windows last updates installed. Anti virus updated. | Marsden |
| System Check. Jean had used system restore to take the computer back to an earlier time and all seems to be working fine now. Removed computer and Compressor cleaned dust out. Turned off certain updates to troubleshoot which update could be causing the issue. | Ashmore |
| Problem with customer's LCD monitor Took main unit home for system restore | Munruben |
| Freed up space on system drive by moving old files to second partition. Confirmed that backup drive can be used on multiple computers | Woolooware |
| Restored last known good config Removed McAfee & SuperSpyware Installed MSE Checked ext HDD, suspect faulty or not enough power in USB ports | Highfields |
| Located missing files and restored to original location | Windsor |
| Tested USB Port with data transfer from HD VidCam 7.41GB Copied ok. Suggested to client that P/W could be too small (300W) Plugged in USB devices in every port (6 ports) and noticed a drop in transfer speed Norton 360 may have been interfering with transfer / adding new devices Uninstalled Norton 360 Installed AVG Free 2011 | Harristown |
| Problem diagnosed to damaged hard drive. Supply and install new 320Gb hard drive. Attempted to clone existing drive, however damage to the drive made this not possible. Attempted to recover the drive as best as possible using Regenerator, however process was requested to be stopped due to taking too long. Regeneration may ultimately have been unsuccessful anyway due to 50% of bad sectors failing to regenerate. | Neutral Bay |
| Backup provided (Just in case) BIOS changed. Windows repaired. Windows started normally. Emails and Internet connection checked successfully. | Calvert |
| Restored Pci.sys using windows recovery console | Beenleigh |
| Backed up clients info to second HDD. Backed up documents, cash flow management. Music. Emails. Installed windows alongside current info ( this keeps the files but not the programs ). Updated windows. Copied data back across. Installed cash-flow. | Capalaba |
| Virus removal and system recovery | Paddington |
| Back up of Data. Reinstalled the operating system and programs. Installed the telstra stick | Southport |
| Hard Drive Errors. Scanned and tested. Replaced hard drive with 500Gb as well as installed a 2GB SODIMM RAM Memory module to speed things up. Backed up all data and re installed the operating system. Restored All Data. Installed all programs etc etc. | Elanora |
| SFC Found no issues System Restore to 18-07-2011 Re-installed SP1 Installed latest Windows Updates Configured Wireless on PC2 Setup Email on Ipad | Mount Rascal |
| Backed Up Outlook. PST File Uninstalled Office 2007 Reinstalled Office 2007 Restored Office PST Files System Optimisation Setup Remote Support Defraggler Ccleaner Registry Cleaner | Upper Coomera |
| Motherboard failed on old PC. Copied data onto new PC and setup printer. | Burleigh Waters |
| Backed up data file and installed new version of Quickbooks. | Surfers Paradise |
| Client requested data recovery from new pc before sending it away for warranty. Client already had permission from company for an IT guy to break the warranty seal to retrieve data. PC would power on but nothing on screen. Opened case. resit RAM and video card. Powered back on without incident. Booted into windows, started backup to external drive. | Cornubia |
| * Diagnose PC * Remove ATI Drivers * Reinstall ATI drivers (ATI) * Install ATI Drivers (Microsoft) * Install ATI Drivers (Acer) * Set Restore point and rollback * Run Windows Update * Update Java * Update Adobe Reader * Configure Network * Update Firefox * Copy Ipod Music to HDD | Castle Hill |
| Installed Quickbooks and imported data from old PC. | Labrador |
| Scanned computer, rootkit viruses removed Outlook datafile almost at 2Gb, archived old items to bring back to size | Mosman |
| recovered Data (profile, documents, pictres etc) from HDD | Shailer Park |