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Posted Oct. 18, 2013

Backing Up Your Postgrad Work

Backing up your postgrad workFlood, fire, theft, corrupted data… life can be unpredictable, and trouble seems to fall on us at the most inconvenient times particularly when it comes to technology.

Anything that can go wrong with our computers will go wrong, and often this happens at the least opportune times. Imagine completing most of your postgraduate work only to have your computer break down or be infected with a virus. That’s why it’s imperative that you back up your dissertation or thesis on a regular basis and in a number of different locations.

Put simply, if you’re writing your postgraduate thesis there is plenty of good advice you can find on the subject, but all that work is going to be for nothing if some unexpected problem ruins the only copy of said thesis! No amount of organisation or editing is going to help you once it’s gone.

So, let’s look at some of your options for backing up your work.

Where should you backup your files?

There are two main options for backing up your postgraduate work.

1. Online storage

There are plenty of websites that offer to store your files for free – Dropbox and Google Drive are two such options. They both offer limited storage for free and then additional storage for a small fee.

They also give you the ability to share your saved work with course mates and colleagues quickly and efficiently. If you’re simply storing documents (or even a few video or audio files) the free storage offered is likely to be enough for your needs. All you need to receive the free storage is an email address.

One of the great things about these online storage centres is that you don’t need a computer to access your files. Most offer apps that allow your files to be accessed via smartphones, giving you the freedom to edit and work while on the go.

There are many ways technology is used to streamline your education and these services are seeking to make your experience with them as productive as possible.

2. Flash drive

If you’re looking for long-term storage in an entirely secure place, consider placing your files on a flash drive – this can be purchased at most computer stores. Bear in mind that you may want to keep this flash drive in a different location to your computer so that, if the worse happens and you have a house fire, your backup copy of work is safe from harm even if your laptop goes up in smoke.

How often should you backup your files?

Have you backed-up your files before? If not, stop reading this and do so immediately. You can get back to this article after you’ve completed that step!

Now, how often you choose to back up your files is dependent on how often you update your postgraduate work. If you only work on it for ten minutes a week, a daily update is probably redundant. In short, updating your backup file is entirely dependent on the amount of work and progress that you’re making on the file.

Ultimately, no one can tell you how often is enough for you. Remember; even after you’ve backed up the file you will still have to back track to your last back up in the event of an emergency. Do not let that backup be so long ago that you might as well be starting over.

Your backup system is only as effective as how often you use it.

Once you’ve finished your thesis, before breaking out the champagne, remember to back up your file. After all, the only thing worse than losing a work-in-progress is losing a completed work!

Install antivirus software

If you have a laptop, computer or notebook, you need to have antivirus software installed, it's as simple as that. You can make all the excuses you want, but when it's 3am the day before your deadline and it crashes, you'll wish you listened!

Of course, some antivirus programs can be expensive but there are some free ones available. However, it's risky to just download something online because it says 'free' so we've got a couple of recommendations for you.

Avast Free – this is considered quite a comprehensive tool but it can also be more of an irritation – there are notifications and pop-ups that will get annoying if you don't disable them. Probably best for those who don't mind having to adjust settings and have a bit of a fiddle to get it running properly.

AVG – another one that's easy enough to install but can be tricky to uninstall completely. Efficient, but again, better for those who don't mind having to adjust settings and so on.

MalwareBytes – although this should not be used as an antivirus program, it is excellent if you suspect you've managed to download something you shouldn't have. A quick scan will flag up most major problems, allowing you to remove them with ease.

Macs are vulnerable too

A vitally important point is that some people seem to assume that Macs can't get viruses. This is very, very wrong! It’s a leftover from a time when Macs were not as common as PCs, so people didn't target viruses/malware at them as often. Now they've grown in popularity that's changed, and you're just as likely to get something on a Mac as you are on a PC – so be careful and be protected.

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