This week, I’m providing tips for end-of-year technology maintenance. These are activities that could (or should) be done once a month if you’re active on your computer, but AT LEAST do them yearly.
Like today.
Two critical maintenance tasks that lots of people skip are:
- image your computer
- back up your documents
Image your computer
Computers must be reformatted eventually. Every time you download from a website or open an email attachment or update one of your online tools or software, you collect digital dust and grunge that affects the speed and efficiency of your computer. Performing the clean up items suggested in 19 Ways to Speed Up Your Computer helps, but eventually not enough. The only way to return your computer to its original zippy youthful self is by reformatting.
I hate reformatting my computer. I lose all the extras I’ve added (like Jing, cookies, Printkey 2000 which is out of production). I forget which software I have (sure, I remember MS Office, but what about Google Earth and Celestia?) And then there are all the personalizations I’ve added that get lost with the reformat. It takes me hours–days?–to return my computer to its prior user-friendly state. As a result, I resist reformatting for as long as I can. Usually, until a virus has made my computer unusable. Then, I have no choice.
Then I discovered imaging. When you image your computer, you take a picture of what your hard drive looks like, including all the programs and extras, and save in a secure back-up area. When you reformat, all you have to do is copy the image back to the computer. Mine is on a terabyte external drive. Even if my two internal drives explode, I’m good.
Here’s what you do:
- Click the start button.
- Go to Control Panel
- Select ‘Backup and Restore’
- On the left sidebar, you’ll see an option for ‘create a system image’. Select that.
- Follow directions (it’ll ask which drive to use for the image–stuff like that)
Select a dedicated drive with sufficient space. Be forewarned: If you have a lot of data, it takes a while. You can work on your computer while it’s imaging; it’ll just be slower.
Back up Your Documents
Every teacher I know has lost critical clsswork because they didn’t back up on a regular basis. There’s no reason for that. Backing up is easy, fairly quick, and usually free.
Here are some options:
- you can back up from the same spot you imaged (see above) on your Windows accessories.
- use a back-up service like Carbonite. They automatically and continuously backup to the cloud so even if you forget to do this, they don’t. Even better, you can access your work through Carbonite from anywhere with an internet connection. I love that.
- email copies of your most important work to yourself. For my WIP, I do it constantly. Every day. If you use Gmail, you can email up to 20 MB (or more through your Google Drive).
For details on backing up your computer, check out LifeHack, PC World, and Windows online help. They make it even easier to understand.
Jacqui Murray has been teaching K-8 technology for 15 years. She is the editor/author of over a hundred tech ed resources including a K-8 technology curriculum, K-8 keyboard curriculum, K-8 Digital Citizenship curriculum. She is an adjunct professor in tech ed, CSG Master Teacher, webmaster for six blogs, an Amazon Vine Voice book reviewer, Editorial Review Board member for Journal for Computing Teachers, CAEP reviewer, CSTA presentation reviewer, freelance journalist on tech ed topics, and a weekly contributor to TeachHUB. You can find her resources at Structured Learning.
Reblogged this on quirkywritingcorner.
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Reblogged this on Writing and Music and commented:
This is SUCH good advice!!
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This is very helpful. I’m saving this info. I’ve never imaged my computer.
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It’s just like copying your entire C drive to a separate drive. Then you add back all your data files. Life is good.
Not that I’ve ever had to do it…
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Useful tips… thanks for the reminders and advice dear Jacqui.
Merry Christmas for you and yours.🎇🎄🎆 Sending love and best wishes. Aquileana
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Thanks so much, Aquileana. On top of all the relaxing and chaos, there chores. Darn!
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I have a really bad habit of backing up to several different sources and I get myself confused! I think, while I’m having a good old clean out during the holidays, I’m going to pick one and stick to it! Thanks for the tips, Jacqui 😀
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Pick one that’s big enough for all your data–1T or so. Then you won’t feel like you need more than one.
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The more I read of your great computer tips, the more I learn how badly I neglect my computer. I never clean it up. Hadn’t even heard of ‘imaging.’
I use Dropbox as a back-up for my most important documents, but I’d love a way to back-up all my folders at once without having to drag them over. Does Carbonite let you do that?
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Yes–Carbonite does it automatically. I never think about it. Plus, I can access them from anywhere on the Carbonite server. It will also image, but that costs extra.
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I may have to look into that. Thanks.
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I love the image idea – how brilliant is that?!! And I love the new year reveal – 2016 is creeping ever nearer. And those puppies – aw, puppies all pooped out – what could be cuter? (Don’t tell Casey I said that.) Thanks, Jacqui, this is really useful info. I’m going to share it with my techie son.
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Imaging is wonderful. It’s especially great in school labs, but for us writers who must manage our own techie stuff, can’t beat it.
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Reblogged this on and commented:
Great advice!
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Thanks for the reblog!
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Thanks for this timely reminder Jacqui. I think most of us are so busy that this housekeeping of the computer often gets put off until it’s too late – so this gentle nudge is very welcome. I was confused about imaging but then gathered with thought and confirmation from Chris in his comment that the Time Machine carries out this function on Macs. Great idea to kick us all in to back up and I’m now sending email of work completed every day – just in case Time Machine doesn’t work! I’m paranoid, which is probably a good thing.
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I bought a Chromebook that makes imaging almost unnecessary because you can’t download or change the Chromebook hard drive. I wish I’d use it more.
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This is just what I needed, Jacqui. Thank you so much!
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Imaging is wonderful. We do it at school and it’s a snap to restore a corrupted computer.
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I have many areas of weakness but limited technical skills is certainly of the most marked so this post is a timely reminder to see if my computer is backed up
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Backing up data files is so important. The programs–those you can reinstall, but all your writing docs are gone if you don’t back-up. The pain is intense, as I’ve heard from a number of efriends.
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Reblogged this on Chris The Story Reading Ape's Blog and commented:
This is time well spent – especially if you’re an Author, Blogger or your computer has more than one partition….
MAC Owners – Use the Time Machine function for Back-ups onto external hard drives and the external drive built in software for Imaging…
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Thanks for the reblog, Chris. I’ve often wished PCs had a back-up function as effective as Time Machine.
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Oh Time Machine has it’s moments too Jacqui 😀
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My solution is now an internal drive that automatically duplicates everything I do . I’ve never had to use it, but still feel it was well worth the money.
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