In a recent blog post we discussed the importance of testing your data back-ups and restore methods to ensure you can access your data in an emergency. It’s equally important to test the other protections you have in place that can help prevent a data recovery emergency, including your uninterruptible power supply.

What Is an Uninterruptible Power Supply?
An uninterruptible power supply, or UPS, is simply a battery back-up for your computer or other electronic equipment. The UPS should work even if you lose power in your home or office. Having a reliable battery backup can help prevent data loss if the power goes out.

Testing Your UPS The Easy Way
Testing your UPS is easy. Simply charge the UPS by means of a wall outlet. Plug in your computer to the UPS and power up the computer. Then, disconnect the UPS from the wall outlet. The fully-charged UPS should still deliver power to your computer.

Many UPS devices are equipped with a light that indicates whether the UPS is fully charged and if it’s functioning properly. But glitches can cause the light to illuminate even if the UPS isn’t working, while a dead LED bulb can show no light on a fully functioning UPS. It’s not always enough to use the light to determine whether or not the UPS will help keep your data safe in an emergency.

Testing Your UPS with a Voltmeter
As with any battery, a UPS can also be tested by means of a voltmeter. This is a more complicated process that requires you to open the UPS to access the battery. A voltmeter will tell you if the UPS battery is holding a full charge, which should be around 26 volts, a partial charge even when it should be fully charged, or no charge at all. As batteries age, they take longer to charge and may not be able to achieve a full charge. A voltmeter can tell you if this is the case with greater accuracy than any other means of testing a UPS.

Protect Yourself from a Data Recovery Emergency
A UPS is one small way you can help protect your personal computer or your business servers from data loss in the event of a power outage. It’s an affordable precaution that every computer owner should use.

Of course, there are many ways to lose data and many reasons people need data recovery. A UPS can help eliminate the chance that you’ll need professional data recovery services if your computer falls victim to a sudden power outage in your home or office.