Introduction

Congratulations! Just arriving at this first page indicates that you are a person who chooses to act intelligently before a problem occurs rather than react to trouble after the fact. And you’re someone who realizes how critical your PC and data are and recognizes the need to protect them.

First, it’s important to note that not all disasters come from natural catastrophes or terrorism and vandalism. In fact, most PC disasters are created by the person using the PC. These disasters may be caused by operating the PC unsafely, without proper maintenance or safeguards, or by adding lots of new software and hardware to a system without checking first for incompatibilities that may arise.

However, even when you do exercise proper care, defective hardware or software can wreak terrible havoc. You need to know how to recognize such problems when they occur, prevent them from causing too much damage, and resolve them with a minimal loss of data.

Yet you are also living, working, and playing in a world that has become tougher and more complex in many respects. New technology, some tested better than others, comes at you all the time. Trying to incorporate it into your PCs can create unforeseen disasters.

Global warming is creating increasingly extreme weather conditions, resulting in more hurricanes, floods, and power-draining heat waves. We’ve experienced a few years where electrical shortages and rolling brownouts have made big news. The instability of the international political climate has brought horrifically destructive acts of terrorism to some American places of business, as it already has to many other parts of the world.

All of these factors have many smart people, you included, thinking about how to reduce their risks, both at home and on the job. This is why I wrote this book.

It can be tough to analyze problems once a disaster has struck, so this book is designed to help you check the same details a good technician would check. You’ll also learn how to think like a skilled repair person, picking up valuable tips and tricks without having to study thick tomes on PC hardware and operation. In fact, you’ll finish this book understanding what I mean when I say that solid knowledge and preparedness can really reduce the stress and downtime when disaster strikes.

The best way to protect your PC and the data on your PC’s hard drives is to couple a better understanding of your PC and how it works with smart planning about how to keep your PC running—or at least cut your losses—in the event of a disaster. And today, that’s a wise approach for just about everyone.

Just like that famed Boy Scout motto, the message throughout this book is, “Be prepared!” After all, you just never know when the unthinkable may happen to you and your precious PC data.

In the first chapter, you’ll get an understanding of the types of disasters you can encounter, You’ll also get a preview of the software, services, and support open to you as you try to grapple with a PC that no longer works properly. After that, you’ll learn ways to troubleshoot your problems and you’ll learn how to prevent them altogether. By the time you finish the last chapter, you’ll feel a great deal more in control of your PC and data’s destiny.

With so much to cover, let’s jump in!



PC Disaster and Recovery
PC Disaster and Recovery
ISBN: 078214182X
EAN: 2147483647
Year: 2006
Pages: 140
Authors: Kate J. Chase

flylib.com © 2008-2017.
If you may any questions please contact us: flylib@qtcs.net