Preventing Computer Disasters
Today’s Dietitian
By Dina Aronson, MS, RD, LDN
Vol. 6 No. 5 p. 46

In many ways, computers are like people. They require love, attention, nourishment, and a dose of prevention to reduce the risks of chronic illness and early mortality.

If you have a computer and you’d be lost if you suddenly had no access to it, read on. It is important to protect your computer’s contents and prepare for any number of possible tragedies: file corruption, hard drive failure, theft, fire, flood … myriad things can lead to a situation where your trusty machine is suddenly rendered useless. Recently, my laptop abruptly refused to boot. The sympathetic tech support guy told me, “It’s toast.” Fortunately, my inclination to panic was beguiled by the fact that I was already prepared for the worst. This potential tragedy-gone-good inspired me to share what I have learned with other dietitians.

No computer is infallible. At its core, it’s nothing but an enormous array of 1’s and 0’s. Physiologically, it is a cluster of metal, plastic, and glass. We can’t expect such a complex system (existing in such a tiny space) to last forever. This is especially true for laptops, whose parts are arranged in the most condensed way possible and which get their fair share of moving, jarring, and bumping.

But It’s Not My Fault!
As tempting as it is to blame someone (usually, one multibillion-dollar computer corporation in particular) for our computer misfortunes, most of the time it’s impossible to tell exactly what caused a failure. Thus, we must take it upon ourselves to prepare for the worst. The bad news is that unless you’re very lucky or wealthy, others are not going to step up to the plate and buy you a new computer or recover your old one (and sometimes, all the cash in the world isn’t enough to recover corrupted files). The good news is that tools are available that will keep us in ultimate control should tragedy strike.

What Causes a Computer to Go Bad?
Most people think that a virus is the worst threat to their computer. It is true that a virus can do harm, but viruses are not the leading cause of decline, nor is the damage caused by any one piece of software or hardware. Most of the time, it is a particular combination of components on your computer that just don’t interact well. Sometimes, the issue is timing; maybe software caused your computer to crash, but the crash occurred at a time that caused a file to become corrupt, which destroyed your operating system. (This is what happened to my computer, probably along with other settings that are by themselves harmless, but in combination with the other problems, led to failure). Unfortunately, it is impossible for computer manufacturers to test for such failures in advance because, like people, no two computers are alike. Once we customize them for our use, our particular collection of files and settings is unique.

Prevention Strategy #1: Virus Protection and Firewalls
The frustrating fact is that there are malicious computer hackers out there whose sole purpose in life is to exploit your computer for their own benefit or just for kicks. Viruses and unauthorized access can present themselves via e-mail, through an Internet connection, or via a floppy disk or CD.

Malicious e-mail
It doesn’t matter who sent you the e-mail; some e-mails contain code intended to harm. Sometimes, the messages appear to be coming from a trusted friend, but they are in fact coming from another source who inserted your friend’s return address in the “from” field.

Solution:
1. Invest in an antivirus software package and download updates regularly. This software prevents viruses from attacking your computer; it also finds and removes viruses that may already be on your system. I recommend Norton Anti-Virus that you can set to do automatic virus definition updates and system scans.
2. Do not open any e-mail attachments you’re not expecting. Do not download any e-mails (if you use Outlook, for example) until you’ve reviewed them and know they’re benign. Simply opening an e-mail message residing on your computer might cause harm. Bad e-mails are like aging leftovers: When in doubt, throw them out (ie, delete).

Hackers
The person trying to gain entry to your computer does not know it’s “your” computer they’re trying to get into. Hackers write scripts that automatically scan computers connected to the Internet. They scan thousands of computers every minute. These scripts search for particular vulnerabilities, or “open doors,” where others can gain access to your computer.

Solution:
Close those doors by having a firewall running at all times. Firewalls monitor “traffic” along the border between your computer and the Internet. You can download one for free, but I recommend getting a reputable brand for approximately $30 at the computer store. (McAfee and Norton are good choices for both antivirus and firewall protection, and both sell bundle packages.) In the rare instance that a hacker gets by your firewall, having updated virus definitions should detect any malicious attack before it affects your computer. If you use Windows, make sure to download security patches as they become available. (For more information, visit http://windowsupdate.microsoft.com.)

Infected/Corrupted Floppy Disks or CDs
You never know whether or not a disk that you get from someone else is safe for your computer. Even tainted Word documents can do damage.

Solution:
Again, keep your antivirus software updated. You can tell it to scan any new media (disks) that you introduce to your computer before you open anything.

Prevention Strategy #2: Back Up Your Important Files
I can’t emphasize enough the importance of regular backups. When my computer pooped out, I restored a new one using my backup files. Had I not backed up, I would have lost years of important work. The following provides an overview of the types of files you should back up.

What to Back Up
If you use Microsoft software, the files listed below should be backed up. If you use other software, look into file equivalents. It’s a good idea to organize all of your important files into Windows folders so you can back up entire folders. To fit more on your backup media, you can zip or compress these files before backing them up.
• all Office documents—files ending in .doc, .xls, .ppt, .pub, .mdb (Tip: It’s a good idea to keep such documents in one main folder, such as “My Documents.” Then, when you back up “My Documents,” all of your office documents will be backed up.);
• any documents you have downloaded and want to keep (eg, PDF files);
• if you use Outlook, your Outlook data (“outlook.pst,” plus all files having a “pst” extension);
• e-mail folders (Find out what folders hold your e-mail messages—eg, AOL’s folder is called “Organize”);
• browser bookmarks (if you depend on them) called “Favorites” for Internet Explorer, or “Bookmarks.htm” for Netscape;
• any files you created yourself that you want to save;
• any installation or update files that you downloaded from the Internet (Tip: Keep all install files, program updates or patches, and executable files that you download in one folder called “Installs.” Then, you can back up “Installs” and be able to reinstall anything you need.); and
• any program installation files for your handheld computer or personal digital assistant. (For more information, visit www.pdard.com.)

What Not to Back Up
• program files (unless you’re an advanced user and know which customized folders you’d like to save); and
• anything that you installed using a CD. (Tip: Keep all of your software installation CDs in the same safe place. If you have to start from scratch, this will make everything much easier.)

What’s the Best Way to Back Up Your PC?
Most people like to back up information on storage devices. My recommendation is DVDs, if you have a DVD burner. DVDs look just like CDs but hold much more data. You can choose regular DVDs (record on them only once) or rewritable DVDs, which you can rerecord on several times. If you’re in the market for a new computer, look for one with a built-in DVD burner.

The next best way is to back up onto a CD if you have a CD burner. (As with DVDs, you can use regular or rewritable CDs.) Most new computers today come with a CD burner built in.

Floppy disks are also an option, but they are becoming outdated. They hold very little data; they might work for you if you have limited amounts of work on your computer. I do not recommend zip drives; they are obsolete, unreliable, and are no longer supported by most companies.

Some people don’t like using hard media and prefer backing up on the Web. This is a great option if you don’t mind the monthly fee, which varies depending on the service and how much storage you need. Some choices include backup.com, ibackup.com, datasaver.com, connected.com, xdrive.com, and ahsay.com.

Finally, you can opt for an external drive. I think external drives are wonderful for people who do a lot on their computers and do daily backups, but they are not to be used alone. External drives can become corrupt or lost as well; so if you use an external drive as a backup, also back up your most important files on some type of recordable media, such as a CD.

How Often Should You Back Up?
It depends on how often you make changes to files. I personally keep a copy of my hard drive on an external drive, which I update every couple of months, and I do full system backups on DVD approximately once per month. I also back up recently used files every other day or so on floppy disks or rewritable CDs. Yes, it’s time consuming, but it’s worth the peace of mind.

Prevention Strategy #3: Run Disk Checks Regularly
Sometimes, even the tiniest glitches in your machine are disasters waiting to happen. Using your antivirus software package, scan your system weekly. The software will automatically fix problems and/or let you know whether or not you need to take action. Think of it as home maintenance.

Prevention Strategy #4: Protect From Theft, Fires, and Floods
Use common sense to avert theft. Keep your computer in a locked office or home; investing in an alarm system is a good idea overall. Laptops are especially tempting for thieves—by some estimates, as many as one-third of laptops used for travel are stolen. To prevent this from happening to you when traveling, keep your computer with you at all times and make sure your computer bag is securely attached to you and that the bag is closed. If you must leave your laptop for an extended period in a hotel room or a holding place, hide it if you can.

Fires or floods may destroy your computer, so keep some backups at a friend’s home or in a safe-deposit box. To prevent fires, make sure you don’t have too many electrical devices plugged into the same outlet. Use a surge protector, and regularly check to make sure that nothing is getting too hot.
If your area is prone to flooding, keep your computer as high off the floor as possible.

Prevention Strategy #5: Create a Set of Recovery Disks
This is a one-time deal that just might save you if your computer dies down the road. Some computers come with recovery disks, but some don’t. If yours didn’t or you’re not sure, buy Norton Utilities and create system recovery disks. The instructions are self-explanatory.

Picking Up the Pieces: What to Do Following a Crash
There are millions of ways your computer can fail. If you run into a problem where you cannot boot your computer, immediately call tech support for your computer manufacturer and let them know exactly what is wrong. (Keep tech support’s number written down somewhere, not just in your computer.) Assuming you followed all the prevention strategies, you need not worry. If the tech recommends that you reburn your hard drive, you will need to reinstall the operating system and all your software via CD and restore your files from your backups. This is a major inconvenience, but at least when all is said and done, nothing will be lost but some time.

If you had not followed the prevention strategies and your computer is damaged, try not to panic. In many cases, your files can be saved. The extent of recoverability will depend on how bad the crash is. You might be able to recover files with software such as Norton Disk Doctor or a comparable program. But, nothing is guaranteed. If nothing works, a last resort is hiring a computer expert to extract your important files, which can cost $2,000 or more.

Should You Fix the Old or Buy a New?
Sometimes, it’s just not worth it to reburn your hard drive following a system crash; you’re better off buying a new computer and starting fresh. If your computer is more than 3 years old and/or you were using Windows Me, 98, or 95, I recommend buying a new machine with Microsoft Windows XP, especially if the machine is unstable and crashes regularly. It’s painful to spend hundreds of dollars on a new computer, but it’s worth it in the long run. And if you do, you may be able to use your old computer as a backup for your new one. If you do buy a new one, look for a deal with a warranty of at least one year.

Things to Remember When Disposing of or Selling an Old Computer
Even a corrupted or reburned hard drive may still have data on it. Experienced computer hackers can usually extract data from these drives. In fact, PC World magazine recently reported that nine of 10 used computers bought or salvaged from a dump had personal information still extractable on it—including tax returns, credit card information, medical and legal records, and resumes. So, if you’re getting rid of an old computer, make sure your hard drive is completely and totally wiped clean. The best way to do this is to purchase software created for this purpose. I recommend the full Norton Utilities package, which includes an application called WipeInfo to wipe out all information on your drive completely.

— Dina Aronson, MS, RD, LDN, is a nutrition consultant, freelance writer, and speaker specializing in dietetics-related technology and vegetarian nutrition.

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