Backing Up Your Data

Backups?

The notion of backing up your data is very simple: Keep your data in more than one location. This can be accomplished in a variety of ways, from network storage with your H:/ or Home drive, to USB flash drives and external hard drives. However you do it, you want to make sure you never have important data in just one location.

Why backup?

If you don't have your data files stored in more than one location, you're betting that none of the following will ever happen to you.

• Hard drive failure

• Computer damage

• Accidental deletion

• Computer theft

Where to Store Your Files

The first step in developing a back-up strategy is to organize how you store your files. Here are the basic guidelines.

For critical or sensitive data, save your files in Your Home Folder or a designated network storage space.

IT provides all users with private space on a network server called the H:/ drive (Windows) or Home (Macintosh). On Windows computers, this space is by default mapped to drive letter H:/ (for home). On Macintosh computers (which don't use drive letters), you can mount your Home drive on your Mac and save the folder location to easily access it. See how to access your home folder here Your Home Folder

Storage capacity on your Home drive is limited to 20GB. It is recommended that you only use the Home drive for files that you wouldn't normally store on your department file shares. The contents of your Home drive is backed up every day by the IT department. You don't have to worry about backing it up yourself.

Staff can also store files on department shared network space. Contact the IT if you have network storage space requests.

For non-critical data: your computer's hard drive

Any files that are not important to your work but still wish to save would be considered non-critical. This can include everything for music and picture files to 20 years of personal notes that you use for work. You store this data on your local hard disk, as there is usually far too much of it to fit on your Home drive.

Please keep in mind that IT does not back up your local hard drive.

Where to put your non-critical data

If you have files and folders on your local hard drive that you wish to be backed up, it is recommended that you use an external hard drive or a flash drive.