Academic work such as assessments or study notes are import throughout college or university. It can be very frustrating and stressful to have an important document go missing just hours before submission. Most academic institutions will insist on having work submitted by a deadline and will not accept technological issues such as data loss as a valid excuse for an extension.
It is therefore the responsibility of the student to have an appropriate backup solution in place in the event of data loss or corruption. This guide offers some helpful tips on how to prevent data loss and how to implement an appropriate backup solution.
Data corruption and data loss
Digital content such as word documents, images, videos, audio files and so on can be corrupted, accidentally or intentionally deleted, and in more recent years subject to ransomware attacks. Data corruption is usually the result of physical damage to the drive on which the data is stored whether removable or built-in.
1. Leverage operating system backup solutions
Windows and Mac users can use built-in backup solutions that come with the operating system. On windows, users can access Windows Backup or File History. This involves designating a backup drive where files will be stored and can be accessed if the originals are lost or damaged. Mac users can enable Time Machine which automatically backs up personal data, including apps, music, photos, emails and documents.
2. Use software that supports versioning
Backup considerations are not limited to protecting against loss or damage to files. Another crucially overlooked aspect is the ability to restore files to previous versions with ease. Often times, editing draft essays and other documents results in changes that are unintentional or less than ideal leaving the need to return to a more suitable version of the file. Software that supports versioning will regularly take snapshots of major revisions in a document and allow the user to view and restore versions if necessary. Depending on the software, versions are automatically generated upon saving or if a major change occurs.
3. Backup to the cloud
Local backup to the machine or an external drive are great solutions but hardware failure, damage or theft can mean loss of the original files as well as backups. To prevent against this an offsite backup solution should be used. Backing up files to the cloud is an easy and convent way to accomplish this. When choosing a cloud provider, ensure to select one with a reputation for reliability, security and privacy.