Back up your documents, pictures and desktop folders with OneDrive by Feb. 1

System Administration is changing its backup service to OneDrive from Code42. OneDrive gives users access to their files on their computer or in the cloud, syncing your data across multiple devices. OneDrive is an online service that is included in your Office 365 license, which will give the university significant cost savings over the current backup service. Below, you will find steps that need to be completed before our current backup service expires. These must be completed by Feb. 1.

Employees who do not currently use OneDrive

  1. Log into your OneDrive account
  2. Sync your OneDrive account (Note: you must be connected to the Internet)
  3. Move your files that are not automatically backed up
    • OneDrive backs up your desktop, documents and pictures. It does not backup downloads, music or videos.
    • What to do with downloads, music and video folders:
      • Don’t use these folders?
        • Then you’re done!
      • Best practice is to move items out of these folders if you do not want to lose them in case of a crash.
        • You can go through these files initially and determine what you’d like to be available if your computer were to crash. You would then file anything of significance in one of the backed up folders (desktop, documents or pictures). Any time you downloaded an item, it would need to be refiled in order to have it backed up.
      • Don’t have time to refile everything in your downloads, music and videos folders?
        • A quick way to back up everything that is currently in those folders is to make folders in your documents for downloads, music and videos. Copy the content in those folders and paste them into the folders inside your documents folder. Need help? Contact the Service Desk or attend one of our live trainings below.

Failure to move items out of your downloads, music and pictures folders could result in losing these items if your computer crashed. Note: This is a rare occurrence that System Service Desk sees less than one a year.

Employees that currently use OneDrive

If your desktop, documents and pictures folders are backed up through OneDrive, you will need to decide what to do with your downloads, music and video folders.

Options include:

  • Refile your important documents out of downloads, music and video folders into documents, desktop or picture folders.
    • Best practice is to move items out of these folders if you do not want to lose them in case of a crash. You can go through these files initially and determine what you’d like to be available if your computer were to crash. You would then file anything of significance in one of the backed up folders (desktop, documents or pictures). Any time you downloaded an item, it would need to be refiled in order to have it backed up.
  • Copy all items into a folder into your documents.
    • A quick way to back up everything that is currently in those folders is to make folders in your documents for downloads, music and videos. Copy the content in those folders and paste them into the folders inside your documents folder. Need help? Contact the Service Desk or attend one of our live trainings below.
  • Don’t need these folders backed up?
    • Then you’re done!

Failure to move items out of your downloads, music and pictures folders could result in losing these items if your computer crashed. Note: This is a rare occurrence that System Service Desk sees less than one a year.

How-to guides

Benefits of using OneDrive

  • Enhanced flexibility: Once the files are synced with OneDrive, users can access their files on their computer, mobile device or in the cloud. Note: to use OneDrive on a mobile device, a free app is available for download.
  • Easy organization: You can store any kind of file on OneDrive, be it photos, video, and documents. Files are organized by type, so it’s easy to find what you need.
  • Version control: You can view or restore previous versions of documents in OneDrive. Version control is accessible through Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint).
  • Restore deleted files: The Service Desk can restore deleted files from OneDrive up to 30 days after it has been deleted. 
  • Storage included in our Office 365 license: OneDrive offers users 5 TB of storage space with our Office 365 licenses. 

When to use OneDrive versus P: drive

Sometimes referred to as your individual drive, your P: drive is a private data storage area on the CU network that no one but you can access. You must use the VPN to access your P: drive. This is where you should file highly confidential information.

Use OneDrive to store documents (Word, PowerPoint, Excel) that do not contain highly confidential information. OneDrive does not require the VPN and can be accessed from any PC or mobile device. 

After Feb. 1

Starting Feb. 1, Code42, the current backup service on your computer, will be removed from all System Administration employees’ computers. If you do not have your downloads, music or videos files backed up by this time, those folders will have no emergency backup. Your files will not be deleted. However, if your computer crashes or breaks, these files will be lost.

Have questions?

The UIS Service Desk is here to help! Contact us with any questions at help@cu.edu or 303-860-HELP (4357).