Important Information
Every Cedar Crest Employee is responsible for his/her own data, so please contact the Helpdesk at ext. 4357, or email us at helpdesk@cedarcrest.edu if you have any questions.
Please Note: Helpdesk Student Consultants CANNOT assist in saving data. Employees will need to schedule a call with an IT Staff Member to help walk them through the backup process.
- Information Technology is not responsible for data stored locally, and if problems arise, we may not be able to retrieve any information you may have forgotten to save elsewhere!
- After Information Technology removes your old computer, all data will be erased before it is packaged for shipping. Any files that you forget to save may not be recoverable once that computer leaves your office.
Getting Started
Organize your local files
Find all the documents you have created using applications such as Word, Excel, Access, PowerPoint, etc. Move them all into one main folder and then organize them into subfolders. [Most PC users prefer to store their files in the Documents folder.]
Which files should I back up?
You must back up all files which you have created or modified. Below is a list of recommended items you should back up.
Documents.
Back up all the documents you have created using applications* such as Word, Excel, Access, PowerPoint, DreamWeaver, etc and saved locally to your C:/ drive. This includes your Documents folder and your Desktop.
You do NOT need to backup files located on network drives, such as H:/ , F:/, or L:/.
Internet favorites or bookmarks.
To preserve your personal bookmarks, back up your bookmark file and/or your favorites list in Internet Explorer, Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, or Safari. For instructions, see Exporting Bookmarks.
Portable Device user folders.
If you have an iPod or other portable device and sync it with your computer, you may want to consider backing up your user folder.
*You do not need to back up program files; applications such as Microsoft Office, Jenzabar, and Internet Explorer can be restored from the original installation media, or come pre-installed for you if you are a faculty or staff member getting a new College-owned computer.
Finding Your Files
Here are some directions of a few places you can check for where your important files are stored. Note that this is a generalization, and that you may need to take a little time to find the location of particular files on your computer.
For the average user there are two main locations where you will probably backup files from
- Documents which will most likely contain your day to day files like Word files etc.,
and
- Desktop of your computer.
One of the easiest ways to locate Documents is to open Windows Explorer by right-clicking on the Windows Start button, then clicking Open Windows Explorer from the pop-up menu. At the top left of the Explorer window you will see the Documents folder underneath the Libraries section. To view files on your Desktop in Windows Explorer, look for the Desktop link under Favorites. This makes it a little easier to select multiple files to copy and paste.
Backing Up Your Data
Following the 3-2-1 Backup Rule
Following the 3-2-1 backup rule is easy! Here’s how it works:
► Have at least 3 copies of your data
By three copies, I mean your original data and two backups. It’s obvious that the more copies of your data you make, the less risk you have of losing everything.
For lease employees, Information Technology recommends that you save one copy of your local files to the temporary Lease Backup folder on your personal network share (H:/), and on a portable device or in your Office365 OneDrive folder.
► Keep these backups on 2 different media
Having several backups of your data and keeping them in the same place is NOT logical. Why? Because a common failure will affect all devices. For example, department data kept on your mapped L:/ drive resides on the same server that your personal network folder (H:/ drive). If something happens to that server, both drives would be inaccessible until a restoration is completed.
The 3-2-1 backup rule urges you to keep backups on a wide range of different mediums: network folders, USB drives, OneDrive, external and internal hard drives, etc. By saving one copy on our lease network site and another copy on either OneDrive or a flash drive, this will ensure that one copy will survive if the other copy is lost or damaged.
► Store 1 backup offsite
Offsite means as FAR AWAY as possible. Your data is safe then, even if there is a fire or national disaster. Keep in mind that any data that contains FERPA-protected data needs to be secured, either behind your login on your OneDrive folder, or a password-protected flash drive or external hard drive.
Using a USB Flash Drive
Please see How to Use a USB Flash Drive for instructions on using a USB flashdrive.
Using OneDrive for Office365
Please see How to Use OneDrive for Office365 for instructions on using OneDrive for Office365.
Additional Backup Directions for Mac Users
Mac users have a few additional options for backing up files, including Time Machine.
Directions can be found on Apple’s support site: https://support.apple.com/mac-backup.
Exporting Bookmarks or Favorites
Please see Saving/Importing Bookmarks for instructions on saving your bookmarks from Internet Explorer, Firefox, and Chrome.
What Else Should I Do?
- If you have specialty software that is specific to your computer or department, it’s a good idea to make a list of the software that is installed on your computer. To see the list, click on the Windows (Start) Button, and choose All Programs.
- If you have software that you installed, make sure that you have the installation discs or links to the download sites on hand.