To perform a manual backup open Windows Explorer or Computer and browse to here:

N:\IT Tools

and run the "BackupNow_Vista.cmd" script.

If you are home, you will need to connect to the iSchool VPN first. Here are those instructions:

http://help.ischool.washington.edu/faqs/5_9_en.html

and then map the N drive so you can run the above script. Here is how to do that:

http://help.ischool.washington.edu/faqs/5_8_en.html

The following locations and items are backed up:

1. your Documents folder
2. everything on your Desktop
3. your Internet Explorer Favorites and your Firefox Bookmarks

If you store files in some random directory on your C drive that is not listed above they will NOT get backed up.

The following locations and items are NOT backed up (for archival purposes):

1. everything on the N drive

We do copy the contents of the N drive to our backup server every day but this means that if a file is deleted one day then it will also be deleted from our backup server the next day.

WHO

All full-time iSchool faculty and staff that have been issued an iSchool computer will have that computer backed up by a script.

If you are not full-time and/or you are using a checkout or loaner computer and/or your computer is not joined to the ISCHOOL domain then your machine will not be backed up. Please take appropriate actions to safeguard your data!

WHEN

The backup script will run every weekday at a time which you and iSchool IT have determined that your computer will be on the main UW campus, turned on, awake and connected to the wired network.

The script does not run on weekends and will not run if you are on the UW wireless network or off the main UW campus or at home or if your computer is turned off or asleep or hibernating.

WHERE

All files are copied to a primary backup server. Periodically the data on that server is copied to a secondary backup server.

All files are stored on disk and none are copied to tape.

HOW

Files are copied using a robocopy script with the "mirror" switch. This means that ALL changes including deletions are mirrored from your computer to the backup server. The primary backup server is mirrored in the same manner to the secondary backup server.

NOTE - this means that if your files are backed up on day one and you delete a file on day two, assuming a successful backup runs on day three that file will no longer be on the backup server as of day three.

WHY

If we did not invoke the "mirror" switch our backups would grow out of control. For this reason we do NOT guarantee archival backups! If you need to preserve different versions of file YOU need to copy them to some media like an external hard drive or CD/DVD.

Archival backups (which usually means tape or massive disk arrays) are an expense in hardware and staff hours that the iSchool simply can't afford.

RESTORE / RECOVER FILES

iSchool IT has tried to empower users so that they can restore files themselves. We have done this by leveraging the Windows Shadow Copy Service. Under ideal conditions users can restore previous versions of files from servers and from workstations/laptops running Windows Vista. Instructions are here:

http://help.ischool.washington.edu/faqs/43_123_en.html

Although the Shadow Copy service is successful at saving previous versions of files most of the time there is no guarantee that previous version will always be there. Again, if files are mission-critical YOU need to save them to some media like an external hard drive or CD/DVD.

ihelp@washington.edu

There is also a ticketing system run by UW Technology. The address for that system is:

help@washington.edu

Please use the help@washington.edu email for problems with your UW NetID, UW email account (WebPine), and Dante/Homer issues.

If you are not sure who to email send a message to the iSchool ticket queue and we will do our best to support you or let you know who to contact for better assistance.

We get this question a lot, particularly from people working at the Roosevelt Commons (RCB) trying to add the 'rcblaser' printers.

As of 2008 iSchool IT is deploying printers using Group Policy and you should NOT add any printer manually by yourself.

To get access to any iSchool printer from any iSchool computer, please contact iSchool IT (ihelp@washington.edu) and request it. We will then add you to the appropriate security group and the next time you reboot your machine you will see the printer.

The only exception to this rule is if you are trying to add a printer to a personal (meaning not joined to the ISCHOOL domain) computer or a Mac. In that case you will need to do the following.

If you are running Windows Vista:

To create a new document library, first browse to the main page of your Sharepoint site. Then click on the arrow next to the Site Actions button and click Create.

This will bring you to a page with many choices. (If you need a more in-depth explanation of what something does, mouse over it.) Click the Calendar link.

On the next page, you can name and describe your calendar. 

Once you are satisfied with your changes, click the Create button.

This will bring you to your new calendar, where you can start inputting events.