Amid completing finals, saying good-bye to friends, and preparing for what’s next, it is important for departing students to preserve their digital files that made-up their educational experiences. After leaving the University, Simmons accounts remain active for six months. After that, stored data may be irrecoverable. We recommend making preparations to export and backup data now while there’s still plenty of time.
Exporting data for later use may seem like a daunting and stressful task, however, special utilities make this important job much easier. Google Takeout is a free, easy-to-use product that automates the download of user data across Google’s services making it ready to be uploaded to a new account or preserved as a back-up.
How does it work?
- Log into Google through your Simmons login.
- Visit the Takeout website: https://takeout.google.com
- Choose the products and services you wish to back-up.
- Follow the instructions to create an export.
The files are collected into a ZIP and can be downloaded for safekeeping.
Some downloads may take a long time. Do not worry! Google will notify you via email after they finish packing things up and when downloads are available. Please allow yourself some time to ensure that all of your data is securely backed-up.
What is included?
Most of your Google data can be exported, including but not limited to: Gmail, Google Apps, Google Calendar, Google Drive Files, Google Keep, and YouTube.
What is not included?
Google Drive files that you are not the owner or editor; and files where downloading and copying has been disabled. Although much of your data can be downloaded and backed-up, Google may place restrictions on what can be imported to a new account.
Where can I learn more?
Google’s Account Help Pages describe the basic procedures:
The Simmons Technology Service Desk is available to help.