Just in time for the start of the semester, Marty and Eric talk about ways you can organize and manage your document backups
The Simple Backup Plan (3-2-1)
Rule: 3 copies, 2 types of storage, 1 off-site.
Step-by-step (7 steps)
Make a home base: Create folders: Teaching, Research, Service, Admin.
Turn on encryption: FileVault (Mac) / BitLocker (Win).
Cloud copy (off-site): Save active work inside OneDrive/Google Drive/Box (edu account). Make sure version history is on.
Local versioned copy:
Mac → Time Machine to an external drive/NAS.
Windows → File History/Windows Backup to an external drive/NAS.
Air-gapped copy (optional but great): A second encrypted SSD you plug in weekly, back up, then unplug and keep elsewhere (office/home).
Label & note: Keep a one-page “Backup Map” listing where copies live and how to restore.
Test restore: Once a quarter, restore one random file from each place.
Weekly rhythm (easy to remember)
Daily: Work from your cloud-synced folder.
Weekly (Fri): Plug drive, let Time Machine/File History run; if you have a second SSD, run it, unplug, store off-site.
Quarterly: Do a 5-minute test restore.
Tips that prevent headaches
Compliance first: Use IT/IRB-approved storage for FERPA/PHI/IRB data.
Ransomware safety: Keep one offline copy or use cloud “file lock/immutable” if available.
Email ≠ backup: Export gradebooks/key emails (PDF/CSV) into your term folders.
Name things clearly: 2025-FA COUN62356 Syllabus v03.docx.
Exclude junk: Downloads, caches, node_modules, giant temp files.
Notifications on: Set backup apps to alert on failures.
One-line defaults (pick these if unsure)
Cloud: OneDrive (edu)
Local backup: Time Machine (Mac) / File History (Win)
Extra SSD: 2TB USB-C, encrypted
iDrive
Backblaze
Backblaze.com
Carbonite
Carbonite.com
pCloud
Sync
Sync.com
Crashplan
GoogleOne
one.google.com
OneDrive
https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-365/onedrive/online-cloud-storage
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Website: ThePodTalk.Net
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