Backup your P:\drive

There are several ways to backup the data on your P\drive

    Option One: Save to Local disk: (C: drive)

    Option Two: Save to USB flash drive: (E: drive)

    Option Three: Save to CD:R or CD:RW drive using Vista or Windows XP

Option One: Save to Local disk: (C drive)

Easiest way is to save data to your Local disk: (C drive). The downside, if you save to your office computer you do not have access to your files from home. This might be an option for most of the staff people at the college.

1. Click the computer icon on your desktop
2. Find your p\drive / Right click over the folder (do not open) /  Select Copy
3. Find the C\drive / Double click to open
   Create a folder: Click File / New / Folder
   Give the folder a name: I used Pdrive backup 12.11 / OK
   Double click to to open the new folder
   Right click anywhere in the empty space / Select Paste (a new folder will be created)
   A pop-up window will display and indicate how much time the process will take ... time of course is
       determined by the amount of data you have on your p\drive
4. Verify to make sure the data is in the new folder

Option Two: Save to USB flash drive (E: drive )

Click Tutorial for more information on USB flash drives and how to use them

1. Purchase a 2-4 gig USB key for $15-$30 ... a great investment
    Go to number 3

2. If you already have a USB key check to see how much empty space you have:
    Insert the USB drive into your computer or monitor
    Click Computer Icon on your desktop
    Find the E:drive / Right Click over the E:drive icon / Select Properties / General tab
    You will see how much used/free space you have

3. Check to see how large your P\drive folder is
    Find your P\drive
    Click Edit / Select All or Click Ctrl + A keys together
    All the folders/files will be highlighted
    Click File / Properties
    A pop-up window displays ... let the computer do an automatic scan of your folders/files;
    at the end all the important data will display, look at size of P\drive
    Compare the size of the p\drive against the amount of space on your USB flash drive

4. Save to USB flash drive
    Find your P\drive
    Click Edit / Select All or Click Ctrl + A keys together
    All the folders/files will be highlighted
    Click File / Select Send to / Select E:drive
    A pop-up window displays the process of the folders/files being copied to USB drive
    Go back to your USB drive to make sure all your data has been copied

Option Three: Save to CD:R or CD:RW drive

Burn a CD using Vista:

CD:R is a read only disk / CD:RW is a read and write disk
Regardless of what kind of disk you are using the procedures are the same.

1. Format or Prepare the new blank disk
    Insert a new disk into the CD drive

   

2. Formatting a CD:R is faster process; formatting a CD:RW takes longer
    When I format a new disk it takes about 20 minutes.

When the drive is formatted

A. Go back to your P\drive
    Click Edit / Select All or Click Ctrl + A keys together
    All the folders/files will be highlighted
    Click File / Select Send to / Select your CD drive / OK

Or

B. Click Computer Icon / Double click to open P: folder
   
   

Click Burn button and follow the directions ...

The files will be written to the CD drive. Time to write files depends on how large and how many files are in your P\drive

Double click CD drive to verify that all your files have been written

Burn a CD using Windows XP

Click Tutorial for detailed information on how to burn a CD-ROM using Windows XP

Revised:  July 05, 2012

Sr. Arlene Callahan
Training Manager
Rivier University
Nashua, NH 03060

E-mail: acallahan@rivier.edu