Microsoft released a really cool feature in Windows 2003 call Shadow Copies, which allows you to keep an active backup of the files that change on the server in a hidden area and not take up too much space. In the business world I found this feature to be invaluable, and now that in the Church environment, I am finding it to be doubly valuable.
If you have a user that accidentally saves over a file that they open to modify, "you know.... I clicked save when I meant Save AS" -- well normally we have to go get tapes -- load them, blah, blah, blah.
With Shadow Copy enabled drives all you have to do is right click in the server directory ... properties ... and you will find a previous versions tab.
If you have a user that accidentally saves over a file that they open to modify, "you know.... I clicked save when I meant Save AS" -- well normally we have to go get tapes -- load them, blah, blah, blah.
With Shadow Copy enabled drives all you have to do is right click in the server directory ... properties ... and you will find a previous versions tab.
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This gives you access to that folder at all the shown points in time. If you double click the folder / file you want, you have options to restore or move to a new location. I can't begin to tell you how many times this has saved me from costly restore operations.
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See my next article on how to setup Shadow Backups on your own Windows 2003 File Server.
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