These days the majority of our lives are stored on our personal devices containing everything from our financial records to our clients’ details. Can you imagine losing all of that because of a software glitch or virus? Join Neil today as he discusses what to do to avoid a complete loss of personal data should your computer fail you. Learn the importance of having a rescue USB, a separate partition on your C drive and why backing up your financial data is essential.

 

KEY TAKEAWAYS

 

• No matter what software you are using to run your machine on, it is always recommended to have a rescue USB or CD drive ready for the inevitable crashing of the system.

 

• When you reinstall your operating system (such as Windows), it will usually wipe all of your apps, all of your settings and all of your personal data if it is held on the same drive as the files that are used to run the computer itself. On most computers, this is called the C drive.

 

• If your data is on the system drive and the drive is wiped, you have lost that data forever. That could be many years of work or even your students’ contact details and personalised lesson plans. Don’t think that it won’t happen to you, because it will. Start thinking ‘when it happens to me’ and protect your data now. It is truly the lifeblood of your business.

 

• Be paranoid. It will happen. The best suggestion to avoid loss of data is to put it all onto a separate data drive or separate partition on your C drive from your system files. Keep moving your app set up files from the download folder which it normally defaults to in your browser to a new folder on your second data drive. That way when you need to reinstall the app you won’t have to go to the website and download it all over again.

 

• It is always recommended to invest in good security software across all of your devices. Viruses evolve for computers and they also mutate. Make sure the updates take place automatically. If you’re using a Windows machine, turn off automatic Windows updates.

 

• Backing up your financial data is essential. If you are investigated for tax reasons by HMRC you need to provide them with 6 years worth of records from the end of the last financial year. Set your calendar now to do regular back-up days.

 

BEST MOMENTS

“If your plan for the day is teaching online, good luck with that.”

“It is your data that matters.”

“Be paranoid.”

“I can only imagine how distressing it is going to be to switch on your PC and discover it’s a basket case.”

 

VALUABLE RESOURCES

• Listen to The Tutor Podcast on the Apple Podcasts (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-tutor-podcast/id1369191372)!
  • Build Your Online Course Week 1: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/build-your-online-course/id1369191372?i=1000477109724

Course Planning Week 2: Who Am I?: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/build-your-online-course/id1369191372?i=1000477109724

Who are They? (Know Your Punters): https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/who-are-they-know-your-punters/id1369191372?i=1000478984529

Read the Weird Things Guitarists Do book by Neil Cowmeadow, which is available now on Amazon. Link - https://www.amazon.co.uk/Weird-Things-Guitarists-Do-Misconceptions/dp/1519026579/

Contact Neil via this website - com!

ABOUT THE HOST

Neil Cowmeadow is a maverick peripatetic guitar teacher from Telford with over 19 years’ experience in the business of helping people. Learn how to start, grow and love your business with Neil’s invaluable advice and tips without the buzzwords and BS!

CONTACT METHOD

[email protected]