To most people, the loss of important files, documents, music collection, photos, and whatever stuff is built up over time in one’s PC is a great challenge to overcome. In fact, according to an article in a popular tech magazine, a person who has just experienced data loss goes through five stages of grief.
If you haven’t tried losing computer data and files, count yourself as one of the lucky ones. But if you’ve ever mourned such loss, let’s see if you can identify with each of these 5 stages:
Denial. A computer user’s usual first reaction to a computer malfunction is to deny the gravity of the situation and rationalize. You would always think that whatever the issue is, this can be resolved with a few tweaks or a reboot. Not until later would you realize that you may have seen the last of your files.
Anger. When realization about the loss finally dawns (perhaps after having restarted the PC for the nth time to no avail), anger sets in. The anger could be directed at the computer company, the hard disk manufacturer, the anti-virus software, even the power provider. But most of the anger could be directed at oneself for not having put preventive measures in place like online backup solutions.
Bargaining. When the anger subsides, the data loss victim will then likely think of the most feasible data recovery options available. Will a replacement hard disk do? Is it even possible to transfer the data at all? If not, how much would it cost if a recovery expert were to do the retrieval? If you’re hoping that data recovery won’t cost as much these days, you’re in for a huge disappointment.
Depression. Losing files must feel really bad and with recovery prospects looking dim, the victim understandably goes through a period of depression. If data loss is worth crying over, then it is in this stage that you shed your tears or wallow in the throes of despair.
Acceptance. But when you’re done being depressed, you’ll soon come to terms with the fact that it’s time to pick up the pieces and do whatever you can to reconstruct or retrieve the lost data. While this was a definitely stressful period in your life, it’s also one that’s best put behind you.
If you ask me, having to go through all those stages of data loss grief is a waste of time and tears. To ensure that you won’t have to experience such loss, use an online backup service for all your important files, photos, music, and other data. They are secure, hassle-free, and affordable solutions to achieving peace of mind.