The Newberry Group Blog

Hurricane season is upon the southern United States and now is a good time to make sure your data and computer is prepared for an emergency too. Here are some tips to get you started:

1. Backup your data with an online backup service - There are many online backup services to choose from. This article by PC magazine does a great job of outlining the different options available.

2. Copy your User folder (the folder named "Username") to an external hard drive – This will ensure that all of your documents, photos, videos, music, desktop, and application data such as email archives and application preferences are saved. For the ultimate backup, consider making a "snapshot" of your entire computer with a program such as Acronis True Image (PC) or Carbon Copy Cloner (Mac). The "snapshot" will allow you to boot from that hard drive if you had to completely restore your files.

3. Use a battery backup + surge protector – If you use a desktop computer, a battery backup will provide some buffer time for you to save your files when there is a power outage. Most battery backups also give you the benefit of a surge protector.

4. Plug your cable modem’s coaxial cable into a surge protector – If you use a cable modem and your computer is directly connected to it via an ethernet cord, be sure to plug the coaxial cable into the battery backup. This will help prevent power surges being transferred from the cable, through the ethernet cord, and on into your computer.

5. Unplug your computer when not in use during a storm – The most certain way to avoid power surge damage is to simply unplug your computer from its power cord.