Smith College TechNotes blog

As a follow-up to last week’s post on extending the life of your laptop…

You probably can’t count the number of times you’ve been told to “Backup your data!” This phrase also probably doesn’t mean much to you unless you’ve ever lost some important data (and whether it was a term paper, your iTunes music library, or all your photos from spring break, it’s all data).

It’s important to have backups:

• Incase of theft (when laptops are stolen, usually the most valuable thing on them is the data – you can always use a lab computer or borrow a friend’s in a pinch, but it’s not easy to re-write your grad. school applications!)
• Incase of an accident (whether it was a smoothie that spilled on your keyboard or your cat knocked it off the coffee table, you’ll be glad you’ve got a backup)
• For version control (after an all-nighter, it’s easy to delete to trash the wrong copy of a paper – but if you have a backup, you may have only lost a few hours of work instead of the whole thing)
• For peace of mind!

So, where to put all that data?

Your H: Drive
Data on your H: drive is password-protected and available from anywhere you have an internet connection. Students currently get 1GB of space on the server.
How to use your Network Drive on your personal computer [TARA]
How to use your Network Drive on a networked (lab or classroom) computer [TARA] Mac or PC

USB Key (aka “ThumbDrive”)
USB keys are the most convenient backups, because you can take them with you even when you leave your laptop at home. USB keys range in size from a 24KB up to a few GB, so before you run out a buy one, consider what type of data you’ll want to carry around.
Using a Jump Drive [TARA]

An External HD
An external HD has the highest storage capacity, and with a large enough one, you can create an exact copy of your computer.
iBackup: Backup for Mac Users [TARA]

CDs/DVDs
CDs and DVDs are a great place to backup data that doesn’t change (photos, music, finished papers). And for really important files, you might consider putting a CD or DVD version at a remote location (like your parent’s house).
Burning Files to Disc on a Mac [TARA]
Using Roxio Easy CD Creator for Windows [TARA]

Online Storage
Many companies now offer free online storage (Gmail & Google Docs, Windows Live SkyDrive, and AOL XDrive). These services aren’t supported by ITS, but one of them may be good for you.