Obviously, the best type of upgrade doesn’t involve the words “disaster” or “recovery.” Common sense, combined with a little study time and a bit of applied effort, can usually help you avoid the worst catastrophes and the usual pitfalls.
Here are some of the best techniques for ensuring a successful upgrade. Following these instructions can limit your damage or downtime should you encounter an unwanted hitch.
- Protect your data by backing it up first.
- Don’t upgrade in a distracting environment; wait until things are reasonably calm.
- Perform one upgrade at a time and verify that the last one is working well before you perform the next.
- Read the documentation that accompanies the upgrade—especially the special notes and warnings. Check the manufacturer’s or publisher’s web site for additional details or to ask questions before you perform the upgrade.
- Follow the instructions you just read. I know this step seems obvious, but informal studies suggest that even among those PC users who read the instructions, many users continue to perform a task without following the steps they read. Or they omit important steps that prevent easy recovery later.
- If you’re upgrading an operating system or a major component like BIOS or memory, check with your PC manufacturer ahead of time to make sure it’s compatible with your hardware and operating system.
- If you’re installing an operating system or application upgrade, shut down and restart your PC before you start and keep other programs—even those running in the background—closed until you’re done with the upgrade and satisfied.
- Double-check your work before you try to use the upgrade.
- If disaster strikes, don’t exacerbate the damage. Stop and think. Then, if necessary, restore everything back to the way it was before you started the upgrade to see if your system returns to normal. You can always try the upgrade again—exercising great care to follow the instructions—or wait until you get more information before you proceed.
