This morning we had some storms in the area.   Storms bad enough to make the power flicker on and off a few times.   When my computer, used for email, voicemail retrieval and editing booted up it no longer recognized one of the hard drives.   The hard drive that contains all of my email, programs and voicemail!   Panic quickly set in.

I removed the hard drives from the computer and placed the 2 offending drives in the freezer.  Yes, the freezer.   Once removed I quickly connected them to the computer and magically, the data reappeared!   Now comes the process of backing everything up to another computer, installing a new hard drive and then restoring the data.

The reason I’m writing this post is two fold.  If you don’t make regular backups of important data, please do so!   My last backup was a month old and I quickly realized how much happens in just 4 short weeks.  From now on, ALL of my email will be delivered and stored on my redundant server, where it should had been in the first place.

The next reason, if you called or emailed me in the last 4 days and I have yet to respond, it may take me until Sunday to get back to you.  I have a wedding tomorrow and won’t have a chance to finish complete recovery/install until then.

Last point I’d like to make.. if you don’t have a UPS and live in an area that gets frequent storms.. it’s a good investment.  I do have a UPS, but as of right now only my Server and second computer are connected because of them being in another room.   I’ll be running out tonight to buy another to place alongside my desktop so this problem doesn’t happen again.   I’m not sure if it was the power outtage that caused the problem, or the Maxtor hard drives which I no longer trust.   The drives were scheduled to be replaced with another brand, but I hadn’t had the time.  I’m making the time now!