Then you've never had a real drive crash... Restoring a drive that, when turned on, only goes "whiiiiiiiiiirrrr-CLICK.... whiiiiiiiine-CLICK..." is impossible without spending loads of $$ per megabyte.
Oh for Pete's sake...A "crash" is not a single definition.
Yes, I've had drives that click and whir and make all sorts of noises and YES...I say YES...I was able to recover the data. Why? Well, in my particular case in such said crash definition, my drive was not 100% full. The "failed" piece(s) of the drive was not where my data resided. I connected the drive as a slave (back in the day of IDE) and was able to copy my data off it. I was lucky.
Yes, I've also seen users' drives that are totally gone. Sure, I could have pointed my customer to a restoration company and paid $795 for the drive to be pulled apart and ATTEMPTED to get back files/folders (much like how the Feds will try to recover deleted/destroyed files)...but that was unrealistically expensive...there was no value.
The point is that there is no single definition of a "backup"...nor of a "crash".
99% of the average to above average computer users who use their computer for non-work activities (ie: not a home business or work for an employer) do not back up their machines mainly because the risk is presumed low...low risk of a problem and low risk that the problem is serious...and low risk that the problem is irreversible. Add to that that all users come to terms with "what they can afford to lose"...can they afford to lose some pix? Maybe...maybe they are already on Shutterfly...or emailed to friends/family. Can they afford to lose email?...in this day and age of most people having at least an online Google or Yahoo account I would say they have no worries of losing the emails. More "Can they afford to lose ______" questions can be asked and are asked by the average user....and since most users are not buying and using backup programs (either included in an OS or $25 for your favorite off-the-shelf) then we must assume they, for whatever reason, are purposely CHOOSING NOT to back up.
As someone mentioned before I and re-stated earlier, the backup software solutions are cheap (free-$50 in the PC world) and very easy to use and also offer a wide range of "backup" solutions. But people still do not back up. Everyone knows they should back up...just like they should keep their tax records (and copies of them) for 10 years...and should keep copies of all their critical life paperwork in a fireproof box or bank's safety deposit box...and should read the 38 page user manual with that new dvd player before setting it up.
It's all in presumed risk.
-Eric
