Under just the right circumstances, any computer can crash. There is very little you can do to stop it. The best you can do is limit the risks. But no matter how careful you are, eventually something bad is going to happen to your computer. Even if you do no wrong and the hardware and software work like a champ, ram goes bad. Fans stop working. Systems overheat. Then, there is the grinding, clicky sound that tells you the computer has likely booted up for the last time.
When that happens to a personal computer, it can be heartbreaking. When it happens to a business computer, it can be devastating. When your business computer dies, you don’t have the option of doing nothing. Here are the first few things you need to do, and why:
Call a Professional So You Don’t Make Things Worse
There is a pretty good chance you don’t repair busted computers for a living. While there are some computer repair projects you can do for yourself, you should probably leave the big ones to the experts. When your business computer stops working, the first thing you will need to do is get the data off of the hard drive. Fixing the computer is secondary. Recovering data is primary.
Secure Data Recovery in Canada had this to say: Hard disk drives contain a number of fast-moving components, and over time, all mechanical parts will gradually wear down. As a result, most computer users eventually encounter a hard drive failure. Unfortunately, hard drive failures can occur without warning, leaving you without access to important files.
Important files can be everywhere. You have a lot more to worry about than a hard drive on a single computer. You also have to consider the following:
- Server recovery
- RAID recovery
- NAS recovery
- SAN recovery
- Laptop recovery
- SQL recovery
If you attempt to do it yourself, you stand a good chance of making things worse. Your best intentions could leave your data irrecoverable. So when a piece of critical information technology breaks, don’t make matters worse. And don’t worry about fixing the equipment. Recover the data. Only then should you worry about the reuse of the hardware.
Spend the Money or Lose Customer Confidence
Your business computer has gone down yet again. You have to apologize to your customers yet again. This is the second (or is it the third?) time this week. Your sincerest apologies and self-deprecating humor wears thin. Your customers didn’t call or stop by to hear how sorry you are. They need to get their business completed. The fact that your computer is down is not their problem. It’s yours.
By not budgeting proper repairs or replacements, you are putting your business in jeopardy. There are a number of reasons why outdated hardware and software is bad for business. Poor customer experience is just one of those reasons. From the customer’s perspective, if you can’t be bothered to care about your internal systems, you probably can’t be trusted with their even more pressing concerns. Make your next crash your last crash. Spend the cash to avoid the crash.
Revert to Your Backup
As a business person who relies on her technology, you can’t afford to have only one computer. One personal computer is probably sufficient. But one business computer is irresponsible. If you have a good cloud backup that you keep up to date, then it doesn’t matter what happens to any one machine. Just power up your backup and knock em’ dead at the presentation.
For business travel, it’s not crazy to carry a second thin n’ light. If your main system is a Macbook Pro, keeping an iPad in your bag might be just the thing that saves the day. Whether at the office or on the road, you need a plan B in the event that your primary system crashes at the worst possible time. Hint: It is always the worst possible time.
You can’t stop crashes from happening. But you can be prepared with a plan for when it happens. Call a profession to recover your data. Don’t be penny wise and pound foolish. Spend the money for upgrades. And have a backup system, especially when you are on the road.