Ontrack Advises Computer Users About Severe Summer Weather

Predictions of Bad Hurricane Season Dictate Proactive Measures Against Data Loss.

The hurricane season can be as destructive to computer data as it is to property, according to Ontrack Data Recovery, the industry’s leading data recovery provider. With the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration predicting 12 to 15 tropical storms this year, the Atlantic Seaboard and Gulf Coast will likely be in for another bad hurricane season.

“Last year’s hurricane season was devastating to many businesses in Florida and the Gulf Coast as several were unprepared to deal with the downtime caused by significant computer damage and data loss,” said Jim Reinert, senior director of Software and Services for Ontrack Data Recovery. “If damaged computers are not handled properly, valuable information could be lost. Ontrack can usually recover data from computers that have been corrupted or seemingly destroyed due to severe summer weather of any kind.”

To help computer users prepare for the upcoming hurricane season and other severe summer weather, Ontrack offers these tips to help protect against damage from severe weather and lessen the chances of data loss if damage does occur:

• Do not shake, disassemble or attempt to clean any hard drive or server that has been damaged - improper handling can make recovery operations more difficult, which can lead to valuable information being lost.

• Lightning can be a significant problem during summer storms. Make sure to install a surge protector between the power source and the computer’s power cable - and spend the extra $20 - $30 to get an actual surge protector, not a power strip.
• Check protection devices regularly: At least once a year you should inspect your power protection devices to make sure that they are functioning properly. Most good ones will have a signaling light to tell you when they are protecting your equipment properly.
• Businesses with network servers should invest in some form of Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS), which uses batteries to keep servers running during power outages.
• Summer heat also can be a significant problem. Keep your computer in a cool, dry area to prevent overheating.
• Never attempt to dry water-damaged media by opening it or exposing it to heat - such as that from a hairdryer.
• Do not attempt to operate visibly damaged devices.
• For mission critical situations, contact a data recovery professional before any attempts are made to reconfigure, reinstall or reformat.