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Using Google as a Backup
Google allows you to upload documents individually or as a batch to Google Drive, formerly known as Google Docs. You can keep the original formatting or you can convert the docs so that you can edit them online.
- Google Drive
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If you already have a Gmail (or a uri.edu) account, you have access to Google Drive. If you don't have a Gmail account, you can set one up. Note: It's not recommended to store personal items in a work account, or to store work items in a personal account. Doing so may be a violation of local policies.
Backing Up Your Google Content
You have options for backing up the information you store in Google.
Email: You can configure a mail client (such as Thunderbird or Apple Mail) to download your mail to your own computer, or subscribe to an online service that will perform automated backups.
- Mozilla Thunderbird
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From the same group of developers who provide Firefox, this is a good open source email client. - Apple Mail
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This is the support page for Apple Mail. Mail is installed on all Apple computers.
Documents: You can download individual items, but when you organize your documents into folders, you have the option of downloading the entire collection as a compressed (.zip) file, with the contents in a format you can work with on your own computer.
You can also use Google Takeout to download the vast majority of your data.
- How to download your Google data (Google)
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This page explains the process for downloading portions of or the majority of your Google data.