Step by Step
Windows Users: In order to restore a previous version of a file, follow the steps below.
- In OurFiles, right click the file you want restored to a previous version. If the file doesn't exist, right click the folder where it resided then go to Properties.
- Select the Previous Versions tab in the window that appears. A listing of the dates of the previous versions appears.
- For a file, select which one you want to use to restore (or overwrite the existing version) of the file in your OurFiles.
- For a folder, you can Open the folder and navigate to the file or folder you want to restore.
- Copy and paste the file/folder from the snapshots window back to the desktop, or into the folder you deleted them from.
Macintosh Users: Currently there is no tool available for restoring OurFiles using a Mac. Please submit a support request at services.dartmouth.edu if you need to restore OurFiles and do not have access to a Windows computer.
Details
Snapshots of the OurFiles space are taken at regular intervals to ensure the greatest possible chance for recovery if you accidentally delete a file, modify a file and want a previous version back, or if the OurFiles system itself suffers a catastrophic failure. These snapshots are taken at the following intervals:
- A daily snapshot is taken of every changed file. This means any file kept for more than 24 hours will be accessible for restore for up to 7 days.
- A weekly snapshot is taken of every changed file one a week. Weekly backups are kept for 5 weeks. This means any file kept for more than one week will be accessible for restore for up to 1 months.
- A monthly snapshot is taken of every changed file once each month. Monthly backups are kept for 13 months. This means any file kept for more than one month will be accessible for restore for up to 13 months.
- Snapshots are not written to tape but are copied to the second data center once every 24 hours. This means if there is a catastrophic failure in the primary data center, any snapshot in the last 24 hours would not be able to be recovered.
If you need assistance, submit a support request at services.dartmouth.edu with the name of the file you want restored, and the OurFiles location where it appeared.
Important: Files can only be restored if they have made it to a snapshot. In other words, a file that has resided on OurFiles for less than 2 hours cannot be restored.