1-44 Dell Dimension L Series Systems Reference and Troubleshooting GuidePreventive MaintenanceThe following sections contain maintenance procedures that you should perform reg-ularly to keep the system in top operating condition.Preserving DataEveryone inadvertently deletes files at one time or another, viruses can corrupt files,and hard-disk drives can fail after extended use. To avoid data loss, regularly back upthe data files on the hard-disk drive. If you should lose the contents of your hard-diskdrive, you can reinstall programs, but your data files will be lost if you do not have abackup.Your Dell-installed drivers and online documentation are preserved on the Dell Dimen-sion ResourceCD. Use this CD if you ever need to restore the drivers andCD if you ever need to restore the drivers anddocumentation that came on your Dell-installed hard-disk drive.NOTE: In case of warranty replacement of your hard-disk drive, youhard-disk drive, you will receive ablank, formatted drive from Dell. You must reinstall application programs and restoredata files.Scheduling BackupsDell recommends that you back up the hard-disk drive at least once a week, with a dailybackup of those files that have been changed. Following these guidelines ensures theloss of no more than a day's work. As further insurance against data loss, keep dupli-cate copies of the weekly and monthly backups at an off-site location. Doing so ensuresthat you lose no more than a week's work, even if one of the on-site backups becomescorrupted.Backup DevicesTape and Zip drives are convenient and affordable devices that can back up data atrates of up to 2 megabytes per second (MB/sec) and can often run unattended. Dellrecommends these drives and their associated backup software for use as systembackup devices. Depending on how many data files you have, you can also use dis-kettes as backup devices.Virus-Scanning Software and Data TransfersWith thousands of known viruses and with the prevalence of data transfers over tele-communications lines, Dell recommends that you use virus-scanning software toprotect your computer. Regularly update your virus-scanning software as described inthe software documentation and load updates immediately.Use the virus-scanning software before installing any software from unlicensedsources, either downloaded from the Internet or on diskettes. Making regular backupsas discussed in the previous section provides insurance in case a virus does infectyour system.
