Archiving has roots stretching back thousands of years and still provides a way to keep memories alive today. But traditional archiving is stressful, considering that you must keep documents away from stains, drips, dust, tears, and numerous factors. Asdigital-first archivingis now a thing, it’s easier to preserve data.
you’re able to scan documents on yourAndroid tabletsor phones in seconds and store them on your computer or cloud storage apps. Zipping your files is also an effective solution to conserve space and share them quickly. If you want to make those family photos or office documents available for future generations, here’s how.
What is archiving, and how does it work?
Archiving means storing valuable files you’re not actively using in a safe place for a prolonged time. Depending on your preference, it can be on hardware and software or cabinets and boxes in your home. Its purpose is to keep the files away from harm so that you’re able to use them in the future. You can archive letters, photos, documents, newspapers, or videos.
Digital archiving offers more efficient use of storage, as you can save data in large volumes, duplicate it, and sort through it with a few button clicks. If your files exist on your phone or tablet, quickly upload them tocloud storage appsand transfer them to a folder on your computer or hard drive.
you may also save heavy files in ZIP formats and transport them faster between devices. But if your documents are hard copies,scan them on your phoneto convert them to a digital format before archiving them. It shouldn’t be hard to do as there are numerous scanner apps to download online.
How to archive your pictures with Google Photos
Google plans to rename the Archive feature in its Photos app and retain its main function, hiding your pictures from plain view. It’s a good solution for storing old pictures. Finding them is easy as they still appear in albums you created, folders on your device, and the app’s search results. Also, Photos won’t use them to create short movies and animations.
If you haven’t already,activate automatic backups, or you’ll have to do it manually. Then follow the steps below to archive your images.
Archive pictures with Google Photos on the mobile app
Archive pictures with Google Photos on the web app
How to archive photos and documents in ZIP format
The ZIP format is a container where you can store multiple compressed files. This way, they take up less space on the host device and consume minimal data when you send them to another one. You can make the conversion with built-in features on yourChromebook computer, Android phone or tablet, and other devices.
If your device doesn’t have the capability, download a third-party app from its app store. When youunzip a file on your device, you reverse the compression process and can retrieve the files in their original format. Here’s how to zip files with the Samsung file manager:
How to archive photos and documents with cloud storage
Backing up and archiving are different concepts. Backups focus on quickly recovering the latest data version when you lose the one on your device to an accident. For example, system failure or file corruption. Meanwhile, you archive data when it’s old and unchanging. You want to preserve it because you don’t need it currently, but you might in the future.
You can still upload your files to cloud apps for archiving as they provide long-term retention.Google Drive and Microsoft OneDriveare among the popular options. Your files remain on Drive forever, but you’ll lose them if your account is inactive for two years. OneDrive also stores them permanently, and it’s up to you to delete them whenever. If you use an iPhone or other Apple devices,create an iCloud account, as it’s Apple’s proprietary storage service.
How to archive photos and documents on hard drives
Burning is a popular method for transferring computer files to compact discs (CDs). It’s a good alternative to internet-based solutions. But considering the evolving technology landscape, people are using less of them. Their slots are disappearing from PCs. Solid State Drive (SSD) and flash drives are also not ideal because of their limited write cycles.
Alternatively, use anexternal hard drive or Network Attached Storage(NAS). Hard drives are portable devices that store data and don’t require power or an internet connection to preserve it. Also, you can overwrite data as much as you want. Storing and accessing your files requires you to plug them into USB ports on compatible devices. You can store files on a hard drive for three or more years, depending on how frequently you use and care for it.
Think of a NAS as a shared storage space where you and others connected to the same network can upload data. However, you can change the network settings and determine who has access. The NAS requires a connection to a router via Ethernet cables. You also need to connect it to a power source. Afterward, you may map it to your computer, treating it as a local drive accessible from the file manager.
Always archive with a backup plan
When choosing an archiving method for your files, pick one that stands the test of time and environmental factors. It’s also important that the method is scalable as your data grows. No matter your choice, always have a backup method. If you save your files in the ZIP format, copy the ZIP file to a hard drive and back it up to the cloud. You may also print physical copies to be on the safe side.
If you have a cloud account, scalability is easy. You can increase the storage with a subscription when you reach the space limit or combine different apps. Google Drive gives you 15GB for free, and you canarchive important emails in Gmail, videos, documents, images, and apps in different formats.
