Working in a preventative manner

• The best way to avoid losing something is to have multiple copies of it. If you use your laptop to create, update or save important files, it is wise to back them up to multiple places besides the laptop's hard drive. The typical methods include online backup, automatic backup with a portable hard drive, manual backup onto a flash drive or CD/DVD backup. Popular online options include Dropbox and even using your personal email account to send the file to yourself. Visit your local electronics store to look into a portable hard drive. Once you install the included software, it will ask what you want backed up on a scheduled basis. Flash drives are great options for transferring files between work and personal computers. Most modern laptops have a CD/DVD burner installed with appropriate software available as well.
  
  

When unable to log into an account

• It has happened to just about everyone: You forget your password, someone creates a password on your previously unlocked account or something else happens to lock you out. If you haven't been backing up but need access to those files, there are options. A Linux live disc will grant you access to the computer to either back up your files or reset your account password. If you don't feel comfortable with Linux, contact your local computer repair shop to see if it can perform the service for a fee. In the worst-case scenario, you can purchase a hard drive enclosure, remove your laptop's hard drive, plug it into the enclosure and retrieve the data through another computer.
  
  

Attempting to recover a wiped drive

• If someone gets ahold of your computer and mercilessly wipes the drive, you may be able to retrieve the data. Different recovery options exist as software that you can buy in stores or purchase online. These programs search through the hard drive's contents, often in deleted portions that haven't been fully cleared and can typically recover what you want and need. If the programs fail to do what you want, contact your local computer repair shop to inquire about data recovery.
  
  

Working with an assumably dead drive

• If the drive refuses to respond at all, you may have a tough situation. If the drive is non-responsive in the laptop, attempt to install it into a hard drive enclosure. Typically a drive will click or spin if it has any life left. If no signs of life are present, the best chance for an in-home remedy is to place the drive in a freezer for a few hours and then attempt again. Drive freezing is only a temporary fix, and, if it is successful, then the drive should be backed up and replaced immediately. If no attempt is successful, contacting your local computer repair shop may yield better results.