Options for Backing Up Computer Data

IT does not have a recommended time frame for when you should back up your data, however, if you make any new additions to your files, or have something that you consider to be important, you should back up your data.​

Data Backups (STUDENTS ONLY):
If you are a student and have a problem with your computer, you can back up your data to a different source to keep it safe and secure (recommended: OneDrive , How do I get Google Drive for my Desktop?). If your computer will not boot and you need to access your data, the IT Help Desk will attempt to recover your data at no charge; recovery of data cannot be guaranteed. 

Google Apps (Google Drive)
Butler University is partnered with Google for Google Apps for Education. This gives Butler students, faculty, and staff access to their suite of online tools.  Personal Google accounts begin with 15GB of free storage. For more information on Google Apps, please see Google Apps at Butler Article Index. Due to a recent policy change enforced by Google, Google Workspace for Education no longer includes unlimited storage.

OneDrive
OneDrive is an online storage option that is open to users that have a Microsoft account. It is free to sign up for a Microsoft account, and additional space may be purchased if needed. It allows you to store and access files from anywhere. It gives the ability to sync files and later access them from a web browser or mobile device. Files can be shared privately or publicly to others as well. You can find out more information about OneDrive on Microsoft’s website.

DropBox
Dropbox is an online storage option and is open to users that have a DropBox account. Dropbox accounts are free to create and begin with 2GB of storage. There are different ways to get additional space if needed. The files that are stored on DropBox can be accessed from anywhere - you can download them to work offline, and then easily upload them back to Dropbox online. Learn more about Dropbox here.

iCloud
iCloud Drive allows you to store your files online and can also be accessed anywhere from any of your devices. iCloud is tied to your AppleID which can be created for free at Apple’s website. iCloud also allows for users to work on the same file within multiple applications. The starting storage space on iCloud Drive is 5GB, but there are options to change the amount of storage you have. Purchased music, movies, apps, book, TV shows, and shared albums do not count against the free storage. To learn more about iCloud Drive click here.

Box
Box allows users to store their files online. Box also allows the sharing of large files between users with a simple link. Users begin with 10GB of free storage for personal accounts, but can gain more space by changing the type of account they have for a price. To find out more, check out their webpage.

Local Storage: Computer Hard Drive/USB Flash Drive/External Hard Drive
Users can store their files locally on their computer hard drives, or store them on flash drives and external hard drives for added portability. This will allow users to physically transfer files from one location to another and then upload them to another device. The amount of space on these devices will vary for each one that is purchased. This can be a very convenient method for data storage because of fast access to the stored information and data can be easily transferred. However, though this is a good method for backing up data, users should approach this with caution as hardware always has the potential to fail. If a hard drive fails the data may be difficult to recover.