How to Create a Home Computer First-Aid Kit

As each day passes, and we enter further into the technology age, people become more reliant on computers to play vital roles in their personal and business lives.

It's interesting to note that although this phenomenon continues to progress each year, the average computer user does not take any preventative measures to preserve their personal data, programs, and overall daily workflow.

That is why we decided to dedicate this article to helping our clients plan ahead to prevent any dreadful circumstances that can come from relying so heavily on a device that is not preserved in some backup state.

We've prepared a quick guide to creating your personal "home computer first aid kit," you can have peace of mind in knowing that your pictures, videos, programs, files, settings, banking data, etc. are recoverable should your computer crash or hardware fail.

3 Elements of a "Home Computer First-Aid Kit"

1. You'll want to start by bringing your computer to a perfect state of operating. Many times this can be acheived by re-installing Windows, updating your Windows updates, optimizing your personal settings, installing all of your favorite programs, organizing your personal folders and files, etc. We realize this is a lengthy step to take, but it is important to establish a "perfect state of operation" where your computer is running at optimal performance.
2. The next step is to create a "system image" of your hard drive. There are various tools you can use to create an image of your computer. In layman's terms, a "system image" is like taking a picture of your hard drive that can be stored on a DVD (or two). That "picture" can then be restored onto your hard drive at any time. If your computer ever crashed, or you were interested in purchasing a new hard drive, this "system image" would come in handy as a convenient way to restoring your computer back to that perfect state.
3. The next step in creating a "Home Computer First-Aid Kit" is to choose an online or offline backup system. There are websites online that will automatically backup your personal files (e.g. pictures, videos, music, software data, etc.). You can also purchase an external hard drive that has auto-backup capabilities.
4. Once you have your "system image" and auto-backup system in place, you'll have peace of mind in knowing that your data, programs, settings, etc. are all recoverable.

We realize that some of these steps are advanced and not everyone would feel comfortable performing them. Many of our clients hire us for the re-install, system imaging, and auto-backup installation. You are welcome to implement these steps yourself. If you feel you would rather a professional handle them, we are happy to assist.

We cannot stress enough how important it is to protect your computer. We receive calls every week from clients who've lost everything, and it can be an extremely sudden and costly situation to be in. You can prevent this from happening to you if you go in with a plan.

Contact MAX Communications at 847-348-3489 if you have questions, or would like assistance with these tips.