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Posts Tagged ‘backups’

MS-OneDrive “Get link” incompatible with MS-Word “Always create backup copy”, use MS-OneDrive versioning instead

2014/07/07 Leave a comment
  1. Symptoms:
    1. If I edit my local MS-OneDrive copy with MS-Word, my collaborators lose access to the most recent copy via the link I shared with them.
    2. Worse, the new file MS-Word generates when the backup is created, won’t get automatically synched with MS-OneDrive, and no sync error seems to get flagged in Explorer.
  2. Root cause (presumably):
    1. When saving in MS-Word, I can see my focus moving to the backup fileclip_image001
    2. MS-Word, when creating a backup of the original file, actually rather creates a “fore-up”: The original file gets renamed (“Backup of…”) and the recent changes get copied into a new file.
    3. The MS-OneDrive link keeps pointing to the old file “Backup of…”, “when after (which one can see normally, if the user renames a file manually, is a desirable feature)
    4. Workaround: I managed to manually upload the files that got out off synch.
  3. Solution:
    1. Turn MS-Word backup off, it is not compatible with MS-OneDrive under File / Options /Advanced / section: Save: clip_image002
    2. Rather, rely on the MS-OneDrive versioning.
Categories: e-infrastructure, Glitches&Errors, office-software Tags: , , , ,

How to prevent accidental deletion of files

2010/01/19 Leave a comment

Hard drives tend to fail occasionally. We recommend working with the institution-provided personal network shares which are regularly backed up by IT.

However, backups can only ever be run so often (normally overnight), and if you create a file during the day and accidentally delete it, there is no Windows Recycle Bin like functionality for network shares.

I am not making recommendations, especially not to bypass institutionally provided services, but I have worked with these additional (free and MS-backed) tools to extend these services:

1. Microsoft Synctoy 2.1: You can create folder pairs (between local and network drives and portable drives). You can have these folder pairs synchronized on the click of a button. This implies that this is not tool does not completely automate synchronization, but you could e.g. do this every morning and evening when you start/stop working. You will have to wait for the synchronization to finish. You could work on the local drive during the day – being able to benefit form the existence of the Recucle bin – and synchronize with your personal network drive at night.

2. Microsoft Live Mesh Beta: You can sign up with a Windows Live ID and designate a folder on your (multiple) PC(s) to be synchronized via a web folder. This happens automatically. Space is limited (5GB?).

3. There are also some settings in MS-Word you may want to consider, which you can access by clicking the Office button / Word options / Advanced:

I always have a backup file created on save (in the same folder) and do not allow background saves which helps against file corruptions. I have not tested working with the option of keeping local copies of network share files.

Be aware that you are on your own with this, and that your mileage may vary.

Categories: e-infrastructure, Institution-is-Loyola-University-Maryland Tags: , , , , ,