Draft:PC laptop backup
Do I have to back up my own files manually?
Yes. Currently, WSU provides no backup services and does not support the use of any backup tool (e.g., Apple Time Machine). You are responsible for maintaining your own files and copying to external, network, or cloud storage any file you want to transfer from your old laptop to your new one.
Will someone help me back up my files during my exchange session?
No. We will gladly provide training and answer any question about backup at any other time during the year. However, you must complete your backup before attending your exchange session. Old devices will be collected before distributing new ones and no time will be allocated to file backup or restoration during the session. If you do not have your files backed up before the session, you will be required to reschedule.
What do I have to back up?
Everyone
- School-related and personal files - Back up school-related and personal documents, spreadsheets, presentations, and media. Search through your laptop hard drive carefully, don't forget to back up any documents saved to your desktop, and check your Downloads folder for any files you may have left in there.
Application-specific
- Files associated with unsupported personal applications - If you installed any unsupported software for school or personal use such as a password vault, a citation manager (e.g., EndNote, Reference Manager), a tax preparation tool (e.g., TurboTax), or photo gallery software, back up any related files you wish to retain. Consult your documentation to determine the location and format of these files.
- Microsoft Outlook email archives - If you use the email archive function in Outlook, it creates a file on your laptop with a .pst extension. You may have multiple Outlook archive files on your laptop. Back up these files if you want to retain this old mail.
- Microsoft Office tool modifications - If you have modified any Microsoft Office applications (e.g., added words to the dictionary, added macros, signatures), these are stored in files on your laptop that can be backed up and imported into the corresponding applications on your new laptop. Note that this may not be possible if you are changing versions (e.g., Office 2010 to Office 365) or operating systems (e.g., Mac to Windows) and you may need to recreate them on your new laptop.
- Microsoft OneNote notebooks - If you use OneNote, you will need to create a backup copy of your notebook files for import into the corresponding application on your new laptop.
- Browser favorites and bookmarks - If you save the addresses of frequently visited websites to your Favorites (Internet Explorer) or Bookmarks (Firefox or Safari) lists, this creates a file on your laptop that you can export and then import into your new laptop's browser.
- Apple iTunes music libraries - If you use iTunes, any purchased or ripped music track is stored as a file on your laptop. The folder in which these tracks are located can be backed up and imported into iTunes on your new laptop.
- Turning Technologies clicker databases - If you have used the Turning Technologies clicker system, you will need to make a backup copy of the associated databases on your laptop if you want to retain student data or clicker lessons.
- KeePass Password Safe database - If you use the WSU-supported KeePass password vault to store your passwords, that database is stored on your laptop and will need to be moved to your new laptop.
- Respondus test banks - If you use the Respondus test authoring tool (not to be confused with Respondus Lockdown Browser), your tests and question banks are saved as .rsa files on your laptop. These Respondus files will need to be backed up and moved to your new laptop.
- Camtasia videos - If you use TechSmith Camtasia Studio to record videos, there are multiple folders and files you need to copy and move to your new laptop.
- Adobe Presenter videos - If you use Adobe Presenter to narrate over your PowerPoint slideshows, there are multiple folders and files you need to copy and move to your new laptop. In addition, you will need to restore the original PowerPoint file and associated audio file the same folder if you ever want to edit the narration.
- SPSS databases. If you use SPSS to analyze data, both the datasets and output files are saved on your laptop and will need to be copied and moved to your new laptop.
- Custom fonts. If you have installed any custom fonts on your old laptop, the associated files will need to be copied and re-installed on your new laptop.
- Archived Tegrity videos. If you use Tegrity for video capture and have archived any of your old videos, these are stored on your laptop and will need to be moved to your new laptop.
- Archived D2L courses. If you use D2L and have archived any old courses, these files are stored on your laptop and will need to be moved to your new laptop.
What don't I have back up?
- Any files in your network drives or cloud storage folders - Although it's always a good idea to have multiple copies of important files and store those copies in different locations, you do not need to back up the folders and files in your R (personal), S (department), or W (course1; studentwebs) network drives in preparation for your laptop exchange. This information is not stored on your laptop and is backed up on the network every day automatically. The same holds true for any files in your OneDrive for Business or in any other cloud storage service that you use (e.g., Google Drive, Dropbox, Box).
- Software that you have installed on your laptop - Your new laptop will come with some software applications already installed. Any software that you installed on your old laptop yourself, including campus-provided and personally-owned applications, will need to be re-installed on your new laptop. Generally, you cannot copy software applications from one machine to another, so there is no need to back up any of your applications on your old laptop.
- Web browser plugins and extensions - If you have modified your web browser by installing plugins or extensions, you will need to re-install these on your new laptop. You cannot copy these things from one laptop to another. One notable exception is the Google Chrome browser. If you use Google Chrome with a Google Account, then your extension information is stored in the cloud and is applied to any instance of the browser on any device.
- Web applications - Tools like D2L and Qualtrics that you access on the web are not installed on your laptop and do not leave any related files on your laptop.
- Unarchived Outlook Email, Calendar, Contacts, and Tasks - Email messages that are in your username@winona.edu mailbox, including the Inbox, Drafts, Sent Items folders and custom subfolders, are not stored on your laptop and do not need to be backed up.
How do I back up?
The following articles provide helpful information about backing up your data on either a PC or Mac laptop:
Where Do I Store Backup Files?
There are three primary storage locations for backup files. You may use some combination of the three, depending on what it is that you need to store and/or personal preference.
- External Storage Media - This includes CDs, DVDs, and external hard drives that you purchase on your own and keep with you. Need to work on this - recommendation for external media
- WSU Network Storage - All WSU students and employees have secure, reliable personal network storage provided by ITS.
- Cloud-Based Storage - Anyone can store files of various types using emerging, cloud-based storage services. This includes web services like Microsoft OneDrive, Copy, Google Docs, and Dropbox. None of these services are supported by WSU currently and you use them at your own risk.
Update security of these storage solutions - where should they put what
Should I buy an external hard drive?
Should I Use Backup Software?
Currently, WSU ITS does not support any incremental backup (e.g., Time Machine) or migration (e.g., Windows Easy Transfer) tools, even though those tools may be available on your laptop. You use such tools at your own risk and are responsible for their operation. Note that many laptop exchanges involve migration across multiple operating system upgrades (e.g., Windows XP to Windows 7) and backup tools designed for one version of an operating system may not work well on another. Your best bet when exchanging laptops is to have a manual backup of all of your personal files that you have simply dragged and dropped to external, network, or web storage.
What if I forget something?
The hard drive of your old laptop will be stored for two weeks following your exchange session just in case you missed anything. Contact the Technical Support Center (457-5240 Option 1; techsupport@winona.edu, Somsen Hall 207), to schedule an appointment to access your old hard drive if needed.