If you decide to upgrade or change your operating system it is important to know that when you make the switch your data will not be automatically saved. It is highly recommended to back up your computer to a secondary hard drive, so you don’t risk the chance of loosing your irreplaceable data.
For Mac users who will be installing the new macOS 10.7 Lion operating system in July, make sure your data is backed up to a separate external hard drive. The same is recommended if you are looking to upgrade your Windows Vista to the newer Windows 7 operating system. We recommend a simple USB or FireWire drive, found in any computer store. A clone backup is a good solution in this scenario as a clone of your drive will allow you to revert back to the other drive seamlessly should anything go wrong.
Once you’ve completely backed up your computer, the next step is to CHECK your backup.. That is, don’t just assume that the backup went ok and you’re covered. Check the drive to make sure it is indeed backed up correctly.
When you’re upgrading the OS, make sure to take your time during the steps. Don’t just click “return” on steps, assuming the update wizard is assuming the correct procedure for you. There are many options when updating the OS and you need to check the selection that you want. We deal with many customers who made mistakes during the OS upgrade process which could be avoided with some good old fashioned patience and reading during the steps. As much as you want to rush through the upgrade and start playing with the new Operating System, it really is important to take a breath and make sure you’re choosing the right steps.
Another reason we see a lot of hard drive recovery needs during a major OS release is that customers’ hard drives can fail on them during the upgrade. Here’s why: A hard drive is a spinning, moving piece of equipment. It is under a lot of stress daily, but when you do something major like upgrade the Operating System, that puts even more pressure on the drive. I think of it much like a stress test you may perform at a doctor’s office. Sometimes the intense writing and moving of files during a major OS upgrade is enough to put a drive over the edge and physical or logical issues with the drive that weren’t apparent before may become exposed. Its no wonder that we see a huge spike our sales of our hard drive recovery software, Data Rescue, whenever a major OS is released.
So, before you upgrade to macOS 10.7 Lion, make sure to backup your Mac. Then, make sure to check the backup.. And once you are indeed doing the upgrade, make sure to read and understand the different options given, so as not to overwrite any data or lose any files.
If something doesn’t go right during the installation, and you fear you’ve lost some computer files, the first step is to stop doing anything on the computer and give us a call. By stopping your computer use, you are minimizing the damage as you’re not creating new files (even temp files your computer makes in the background can write over files!).
If you have any questions, at any time, just give us a call or email.