For any personal computer user, the last thing that they want to experience on their machine is an operating system crash. During a system crash, a notorious blue screen appears on the user PC and there is nothing that can be done to change it except to shut down or restart the computer. The most significant loss during a system crash is the loss of useful data that occurs due to a sudden halt in the operating system. The best way to avoid this scenario is to perform regular windows backup on your PC.
Full Windows backup will allow users to replicate all the information that is stored on a hard drive on to a storage device. In case the operating system stops working, a PC user will not lose important data or any files on their computer. There could be many reasons for a system crash including the conflict in a random-access memory address, regular power outages or hard drive malfunction. To avoid losing precious data, PC users should perform windows backup at regular intervals.
How to create a Windows backup
Creating a windows backup is an easy process since the operating system comes with its own utility to store all information on a backup device. All a user needs to do is select a few options including the location where the backup will be created and the information that will be copied on to that location. Once the windows backup is complete, the system also allows you to create a bootable CD or a USB so that you can restart your computer with the backup operating system in case the Windows on your PC stops working.
For restoring your PC back to its original form, you need to plug in your bootable device into the PC and reboot the computer. Once the computer restarts, it will prompt the user to select the basic information which may include language and time settings. The system restore tool will then ask you to select the instance of the operating system that you want to reinstall on your PC. This will initiate the operating system recovery process and will eventually restore windows backup on your PC.
Different reasons for a system crash
An operating system may crash for any number of reasons; therefore, it is always better to have a windows backup in place. Some of the most common ways in which a system can crash include:
- RAM or Random-Access Memory may provide an invalid information to the CPU which can render the program to a complete stop.
- System registry can be one of the main causes of operating system failure. If the operating system register is not properly configured, the system will not boot at all. Therefore, it is important to refresh windows registry after regular intervals.
- Another major reason for a system crash is a hard drive failure. Since a PC hard disk is made up of magnetic material, there is no guarantee that it gets corrupted or damaged after excessive use. Hence, it is always beneficial to keep a windows backup on a portable disk so that it can be placed at a secured location.
- Any discussion of a system crash cannot be complete without the mention of a virus or a malware attack. If you notice a virus or malware on the PC, the best you can do is to remove it from your computer. However, you can never know how much damage it has already done to your PC. If your system starts crashing after you have removed the malware, then you should know that it was because the virus has already damaged some files on the hard drive. If you have a windows backup in place, you can format your PC and restore a clean instance of your operating system form the last backup you made.
Backup solutions available in the market today
There are multiple options available to PC users to back up their systems on remote locations. Windows backup can be created on a local hard drive or on to a cloud. Cloud service providers allow PC users to transfer multiple instances of their hard disk using a high-speed internet connection to their online storage facility. Technology firms like Microsoft, Amazon, and Oracle provide large storage space for their corporate and consumer clients to keep their data online. This provides great savings for customers in terms of hardware and storage space. Windows backup that is created on the cloud can be accessed from anywhere at any time. This is a great facility when people are traveling abroad and need quick access to their windows backup.
PC users can also create windows backups using portable storage devices. External hard drives, USBs, and Compact Disks are a great way to create windows backup on portable devices in no time. Devices with windows backup can be kept at a secure place to be used later on by the user.
Types of backup
There are primarily two ways in which people backup their data on secondary storage platforms. The first one is a Full backup and the second one is an incremental backup. Using a full backup technique, users of windows and other operating systems can completely replicate the data from their hard drive on to a secondary storage device. Incremental backup, on the other hand, requires users to use advanced tools that can differentiate between each instance of the backup and copy only that data which has changed from the last instance. Incremental backup is usually faster and takes up less space than a full backup.
Users who regularly perform data backup do so by using a hybrid methodology in which they perform full data backup once a month and copy incremental data once a week. This helps in saving space and keeping backup data updated as well.
Windows backup is a great way to keep your files safe and secure in case there is a hardware malfunction or a system crash due to any software issue. Windows backup is easy to create and with so many online and offline storage options, users can copy data on a frequent basis without worrying about costs or space.
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