This applies specifically to the Departmental Data Storage (formerly known as General Data Storage) within most departmental file shares located in files.umn.edu.
When a File or Folder goes missing or was saved accidentally, there are steps you can take to restore a previous version on your University-Managed Windows device.
Table of Contents
Before Proceeding
- Backups are available going back 30 days, data older than that cannot be restored
- You must be connected to the UMN system campus Networks or the VPN if you're off-site to have access to the Departmental Data Storage
Restoring a File/Folder
File/Folder was Deleted
- Open File Explorer
- Navigate to the Parent folder that the File/Folder resided in
- Ex: if the path to the File/Folder was files.umn.edu/Unit/Home/John/FILE/FOLDER, you'll need to navigate to the John folder
- Top-right of File Explorer, select Properties
- Click the Previous Versions Tab
- Find the version of the Folder that you suspect has the deleted File/Folder
- i.e., if it was deleted this morning, look for a Previous Version from last night
- Select the Previous Version that's wanted, and click Open. The saved Previous Version of the Folder will open
- Find the missing File/Folder, make sure it has all the correct contents
- If the File/Folder looks incorrect, check other Previous Versions
File/Folder Still Exists, but needs to be restored to a Previous Version
- Open File Explorer
- Navigate to the File/Folder in question
- Right click on the File/Folder, and select Properties
- Click the Previous Versions tab
- Find the version of the File/Folder that you suspect has the correct content
- i.e., if it was saved incorrectly this morning, look for a version from last night
- Click Open. The saved Previous Version of the Folder will open
- Confirm that contents of this Previous Version of the File/Folder are as needed
Copy and Paste Correct File/Folder Version
- Copy the correct File/Folder in the previous state Folder
- Paste the File/Folder into the current state Folder, where it was supposed to be
- You may feel more comfortable placing a copy in the Desktop, just to be safe
Restore vs Open
- To prevent overwriting current data, do not use the Restore option
- While it will work to Restore it to that Version, it will automatically delete any current data. This is important to be aware of in case there is any data you wish to keep.
Additional Support
If you experience any of the following, please contact the Technology Help Desk:
- Need to restore a Missing/Incorrect File on a University-Owned Mac
- File is too large to copy to your device
- All other issues related to restoring content for your Departmental Data Storage