The Information Technology Services (ITS) Technology Support Center (TSC) provides hands-on support to university-issued and personally-owned computers for UConn affiliates. This support is rendered by trained and specialized employees who have deep understanding of the computer systems that they work on. To the greatest extent that they can, technicians will work to resolve issues on computers without disturbing client data and applications. However, this is not always possible and the path to issue resolution may require or result in data loss. Because of this, all users who seek services from the TSC for their device are asked to back up their data to a location separate of their computer before coming to the TSC for service.

This article will outline recommendations for backing up device data for both university-issued and personally owned devices.

It is the responsibility of the device owner to back up their data. The Technology Support Center will not back up your data for you. This article offers suggestions for backup solutions, but it is the responsibility of the device owner to validate that their data is appropriately backed up before having their device serviced.

Options for UConn-issued devices (faculty/staff)

All university data must be stored on ITS-managed and approved file services. ITS offers several options that are compatible with macOS, Windows, and all popular mobile platforms. Data backed up to a USB flash drive is not considered properly backed up.

These suggestions apply for users and devices that are serviced by ITS. If you are serviced by a different university IT department (ex. CLAS IT, Engineering Technical Services, etc.), you should refer to their support channels for backing up and service. Click here to determine if you are supported by ITS.

The best practice for managing university data is to store it on a managed file service instead of storing it directly on your computer. This allows for ready access in the case that your computer is out for service, or that data is not permanently lost in the case of a broken or stolen device. This section will outline the options supported by ITS.

Individual user data

OneDrive

Data that is specific to a single user should be stored in OneDrive, the cloud sync solution offered by ITS to active university affiliates. OneDrive offers plentiful storage for individual users to store their files. ITS-managed computers should all have the OneDrive sync client installed on them, and anything in OneDrive folders should be automatically synced to the cloud. To make sure that you have OneDrive set up, follow the instructions here: Set Up OneDrive on a Computer

For training on how to use OneDrive, see the training session recorded here: OneDrive - Microsoft Provided Training

Departmental and shared data

SharePoint

SharePoint is the preferred method of storing shared data for UConn-affiliates. It allows for group collaboration, cross-platform data access, and is protected by modern authentication standards. SharePoint functions similarly to OneDrive, but data ownership is granted per department/office/organization instead of individual users. For information on how to set up and use SharePoint, see the articles listed here.

Options for personal devices (students)

There are many options for students to back up their data. This section will outline available systems for backing up personal and school data.

OneDrive

All students get access to OneDrive and the rest of the Microsoft 365 suite of products. Files stored in OneDrive will sync across devices and have collaboration enabled for Word, Excel, and PowerPoint documents. To learn how to use OneDrive, see this article.

Non-UConn services

This section will outline services and products available outside of UConn. Your use of these services and products is subject to your best judgement for appropriate use. You may choose to use these services if you do not want personal data on UConn-managed file services.

Cloud storage solutions

Google Drive and Microsoft OneDrive are available as personal services with accounts that are made outside of UConn. Additional cloud solutions include Dropbox and Amazon Drive.

Google Drive

Google Drive has a desktop sync client that you can use to automatically back up certain folders and keep synced in the cloud. To learn how to use Google Drive, visit drive.google.com.

iCloud

Apple offers iCloud for their suite of devices. It is a syncing system that allows system folders to remain synced between devices. It functions differently than OneDrive and Google Drive as it syncs preexisting folders on your computers, while the latter have their own storage file system separate of what is on your computer. iCloud can also store information such as iMessage history, Apple Health, and other services that are included with Apple devices.

Time Machine

Time Machine is a tool from Apple that allows Mac users to back up their computer to a physical external hard drive. To learn more about Time Machine, see this article from Apple.

External hard drive (HDD)

An external HDD is a cheap way to store a large amount of data off of a computer. Reputable manufacturers offer products that will last several years before showing signs of drive wear.

iTunes, Apple Configurator 2, and Finder

Devices running iOS and iPadOS can be backed up to a computer (regardless of available iCloud storage). Computers running Windows can back up using iTunes. Macs can use the functionality built into Finder or through Apple Configurator 2.

USB flash drive

A USB flash drive is a way to temporarily store data. Though USB flash drives are designed for long-term storage (nonvolatile storage), the variation in quality of USB flash drives on the market relegate them to being a less ideal form of data storage. Poorly manufactured flash drives have the potential for data loss and corruption, even in ideal usage.